Methods, devices, and mediums associated with content-searchable media

• US 8,935,300 B1
• Filed: 01/03/2011
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 79 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 79 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Maeng, Joon
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greata
• Application Number:
  US12/983,826
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 707/726, 707/805, 707/912, 707/913, 707/914, 707/916, 707/917, 707/600, 707/603, 707/607, 707/736, 707/737, 707/740, 707/754, 707/803, 707/941, 707/999.001, 707/999.107, 707/802, 707/804, 707/915, 707/707, 707/812, 707/999.1, 707/999.102, 707/999.2, 707/708, 715/201, 715/202, 715/205, 715/700, 715/717, 715/718, 715/719, 715/727, 715/704, 715/705, 715/711, 715/712, 715/713, 715/714, 715/716, 715/764, 715/780, 715/721, 715/783, 715/790, 715/804, 705/1.1, 705/2.3, 705/201, 705/202, 705/205
• US Class Current: 707/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/43 Querying

Abstract

Streaming media may include a plurality of visual objects. User-selectable fields may be associated with the visual objects. In response to receiving a selection from the user-selectable fields, a search criteria associated with the corresponding visual object may be identified. A method, device, or medium may be associated with a request for search results based on the search criteria. Information associated with the search results may be displayed to the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, user input of one or more user-selectable fields corresponding with media content of streaming media, wherein the one or more user-selectable fields are embedded into the streaming media;

identifying, by the processing device, search criteria associated with the media content; and

requesting, by the processing device, a search for information based on the search criteria, wherein the search for information is requested in response to receiving the user input.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, by the processing device, a search provider to perform the search based on a configurable selection tool.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the search provider is identified in the configurable selection tool prior to presenting the streaming media on a display device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, by the processing device, the media content as the streaming media is presented on a display.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising generating, by the processing device, the one or more user-selectable fields based on the identification of the media content.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the media content is identified based on optical recognition of the streaming media.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the media content is identified from a sub-title of the streaming media.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing, by the processing device, the information to be presented on a display device, wherein the information is presented on the display device together with the streaming media.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing, by the processing device, the one or more user-selectable fields to visually overlay the media content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more user-selectable fields are embedded into visual objects of the streaming media as hyperlinks.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input is received while the media content is being displayed.

12. A computer-readable memory device having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

identifying a selected field from one or more user-selectable fields of streaming media content, wherein the one or more user-selectable fields comprise hyperlinks embedded in corresponding visual objects of the streaming media content;

associating search criteria with the streaming media content; and

requesting, in response to identifying the selected field, a search for information based on the search criteria.

13. The computer-readable memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise causing the information to be displayed while the streaming media content is being displayed.

14. The computer-readable memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

causing a list of search results to be displayed; and

receiving a selection from the list of search results to identify a source to provide the information.

15. The computer-readable memory device of claim 14, wherein the source comprises one or more World Wide Web pages.

16. The computer-readable memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

causing a list of search engines to be displayed; and

receiving a user-selected search engine from the list of search engines, wherein the search for information is requested from the user-selected search engine.

17. The computer-readable memory device of claim 16, wherein the user-selected search engine is received prior to identifying the selected field.

18. The computer-readable memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise causing the information to be displayed as a text box.

19. The computer-readable memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise causing the information to be played out as audio content.

20. The computer-readable memory device of claim 12, wherein the selected field is identified while the streaming media content is being displayed.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory device configured to store instructions associated with an application program; and

a processing device that, in response to executing the instructions stored in the memory device, is configured to;

receive a selection of a field corresponding with a visual object of streaming media displayed on a display device, wherein the field comprises a hyperlink embedded into the streaming media;

identify, in response to receiving the selection, search criteria associated with the visual object; and

request search results based on the search criteria.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processing device is further configured to display the search results on the display device together with the streaming media.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the streaming media comprises a plurality of user-selectable fields and corresponding visual objects of the streaming media, and wherein the user-selectable fields indicate that the corresponding visual objects are associated with different search criteria.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processing device is further configured to cause the field to become visible in response to a pointer of an input device passing over the visual object.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processing device is further configured to pause the streaming media in response to the field being selected.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the streaming media is received from a first data source, and wherein the search results are received from a second data source.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processing device is further configured to display a list of search engines on the display device, and wherein the search results are requested from a selected search engine.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the field comprises a descriptive name of the visual object.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processing device is further configured to generate the field based on an image recognition analysis of the visual object.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the hyperlink is embedded in the visual object.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving streaming media, wherein one or more fields of the streaming media identify corresponding media content of the streaming media;

means for obtaining user input of a selected field from the one or more fields, wherein the selected field is embedded in the streaming media;

means for identifying search criteria for the corresponding media content; and

means for requesting, in response to obtaining the user input, a search for information based on the search criteria.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for requesting comprises means for requesting the search from an Internet search engine.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising means for displaying the selected field together with the streaming media.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising means for displaying the information together with the corresponding media content.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the displayed information is provided as text that overlays the streaming media.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein an image of the streaming media is minimized as a picture-in-picture of the displayed information.

37. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising means for pausing the streaming media in response to receiving the user input.

38. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising means for selecting a search engine to perform the search.

39. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising means for selecting from a plurality of devices identified on a display, wherein a selection from the plurality of devices causes an image of the streaming media to be replaced by functional data associated with a corresponding selected device.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the plurality of devices comprise a television, a personal computer, a mobile phone, and an audio system.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising means for transferring the functional data between the plurality of devices.

42. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising means for detecting movement of a selection device, wherein an identification of the plurality of devices becomes visible on the display when the movement is detected.

43. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising means for operating the plurality of devices from the display.

44. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for receiving, the means for obtaining, the means for identifying, and the means for requesting are housed within a set-top box.

45. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for receiving, the means for obtaining, the means for identifying, and the means for requesting are contained within a television set.

46. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the user input is received while the corresponding media content is being displayed, and wherein the selected field is embedded as a hyperlink in a visual object of the streaming media.

47. A system, comprising:

one or more memory devices configured to store media content; and

a media content provider configured to;

distribute the media content from the one or more memory devices to one or more endpoints, wherein the media content is distributed as streaming video;

receive a data request from the one or more endpoints, wherein the data request indicates a field in the streaming video has been selected, wherein the field is embedded in a visual object of the streaming video as a hyperlink; and

transmitting information, responsive to receiving the data request, corresponding to the media content.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the media content provider is further configured to perform an Internet search for the information.

49. The system of claim 47, wherein the media content provider is further configured to request an Internet search for the information.

50. The system of claim 47, wherein the information is stored in the one or more memory devices, and wherein the media content provider is further configured to:

associate the field with the information; and

identify the information based on the association.

51. The system of claim 47, wherein the field is transmitted together with the streaming video.

52. The system of claim 47, wherein the information is transmitted separately from the streaming video.