System and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program in an information stream independent of the television program

• US 8,931,015 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Seshadri, Nambirajan
• Primary Examiner(s): MENGESHA, MULUGETA A
• Application Number:
  US12/881,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20110067052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/34, 725/60, 725/40, 725/42, 725/51, 725/52, 725/61
• US Class Current: 725/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0308 comprising a plurality of distinctive and separately oriented light emitters or reflectors associated to the pointing device, e.g. remote cursor controller with distinct and separately oriented LEDs at the tip whose radiations are captured by a photo-detector associated to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/438 : Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. retrieving encoded video stream packets from an IP network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 : involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 : involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 : End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 : using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 : for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47805 : Electronic banking banking in general G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 : Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 : using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 : involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 : specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 : End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/845 : Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 : for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 : Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A system and method for providing information of selectable objects in a television program in an information stream independent of the television program as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

Claims

1. A method for communicating television program information, the method comprising:

by the television system;

determining user-selectable object information corresponding to one or more user-selectable objects in a television program;

forming a user-selectable object data set comprising the determined user-selectable object information, wherein the user-selectable object data set is independent of a television program data set generally representative of the television program, wherein the user-selectable object information is parsed into segments of the user-selectable object data set according to time segments of the television program, and wherein the user-selectable object data set includes information regarding movement of the one or more user-selectable objects during each time segment; and

communicating the formed user-selectable object data set to one or more recipients.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said communicating comprises communicating the user-selectable object data set in one or more user-selectable object data streams independent of one or more television program data streams that generally communicate the television program data set.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said communicating comprises concurrently communicating the user-selectable object data set and the television program data set.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said concurrently communicating comprises communicating the user-selectable object data set and the television program data set on separate respective parallel communication channels.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said communicating comprises communicating the user-selectable object data set on at least one communication channel different from one or more communication channels over which the television program data set is communicated.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said communicating comprises communicating the user-selectable object data set over a first communication network that is different from a second communication network over which the television program data set is communicated.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said communicating comprises communicating the user-selectable object data set to a first set of one or more user local television systems, where the first set is a subset of a second set of user local television systems to which the television program data set is communicated.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said communicating comprises communicating the user-selectable object data set without regard for timing of communication of the television program data set.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming a user-selectable object data set comprises:

determining linking information logically linking the user-selectable object data set to the television program data set; and

incorporating the linking information into the user-selectable object data set.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said determined linking information comprises time information.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said determined linking information comprises frame number information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the received object information describing a user-selectable object in the television program comprises customized object information that is customized to a particular set of one or more users.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the received object information corresponding to a user-selectable object in the television program comprises information describing location of the user-selectable object in the television program.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the received object information describing a user-selectable object in the television program comprises information identifying at least one action to be performed upon user-selection of the user-selectable object.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable object data set includes pointers that point to relative locations in the television program data set.

16. The television of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable object data set includes information regarding boundaries of the one or more user-selectable objects corresponding to the frame of the television program containing the one or more user-selectable objects.

17. A television system for communicating television program information, the television system comprising:

at least one processor operable to, at least;

determine user-selectable object information corresponding to one or more user-selectable objects in a television program;

form a user-selectable object data set comprising the determined user-selectable object information, where the user-selectable object data set is independent of a television program data set generally representative of the television program, and wherein the user-selectable object data set includes information regarding boundaries of the one or more user-selectable objects corresponding to the frame of the television program containing the one or more user-selectable objects; and

communicate the formed user-selectable object data set to one or more recipients.

18. The television system of claim 17, wherein said at least one processor is operable to communicate the formed user-selectable object data set to one or more recipients by, at least in part, operating to communicate the user-selectable object data set in one or more user-selectable object data streams independent of one or more television program data streams that generally communicate the television program data set.

19. The television system of claim 18, wherein said at least one processor is operable to communicate the formed user-selectable object data set to one or more recipients by, at least in part, operating to concurrently communicate the user-selectable object data set and the television program data set.

20. The television system of claim 19, wherein said at least one processor operates to concurrently communicate the user-selectable object data set and the television program data set on separate respective parallel communication channels.

21. The television system of claim 18, wherein said at least one processor is operable to communicate the formed user-selectable object data set to one or more recipients by, at least in part, operating to communicate the user-selectable object data set on at least one communication channel different from one or more communication channels over which the television program data set is communicated.

22. The television system of claim 18, wherein said at least one processor is operable to communicate the formed user-selectable object data set to one or more recipients by, at least in part, operating to communicate the user-selectable object data set over a first communication network that is different from a second communication network over which the television program data set is communicated.

23. The television system of claim 18, wherein said at least one processor is operable to communicate the formed user-selectable object data set to one or more recipients by, at least in part, operating to communicate the user-selectable object data set to a first set of one or more user local television systems, where the first set is a subset of a second set of user local television systems to which the television program data set is communicated.

24. The television system of claim 18, wherein said at least one processor is operable to communicate the formed user-selectable object data set to one or more recipients by, at least in part, operating to communicate the user-selectable object data set without regard for timing of communication of the television program data set.

25. The television system of claim 17, wherein said at least one processor is operable to form the user-selectable object data set by, at least in part, operating to:

determine linking information logically linking the user-selectable object data set to the television program data set; and

incorporate the linking information into the user-selectable object data set.

26. The television system of claim 17, wherein said user-selectable object data set is a data file.

27. The television of claim 17, wherein the user-selectable object data set includes information describing a location of the one or more user-selectable objects in the frame relative to a previous location in a previous video frame.

28. A method for communicating television program information, the method comprising:

by the television system;

determining user-selectable object information corresponding to one or more user-selectable objects in a television program;

forming a user-selectable object data set comprising the determined user-selectable object information, the user-selectable object information including location information about the one or more user-selectable objects synchronized with a corresponding frame of the television program containing the one or more user-selectable objects, wherein the location information describes a location of the one or more user-selectable objects in a video frame relative to a previous location in a previous video frame, and wherein the user-selectable object data set is independent of a television program data set generally representative of the television program; and

communicating the formed user-selectable object data set to one or more recipients.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the user-selectable object data set comprises a multi-dimensional linked list with frames of the television program in a first dimension and user-selectable object records corresponding to each of the frames in a second dimension.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the user-selectable object data set includes information regarding movement of the one or more user-selectable objects during each time segment.