Systems and methods for displaying and interacting with interaction opportunities associated with media content

• US 9,049,488 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spotify AB (Spotify Technology SA)
• Original Assignee: Jamabi, Inc.
• Inventors: Singh, Abhimanyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malangone, Carmine
• Application Number:
  US14/073,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20140130103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 725/51, 725/60
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• 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 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots

Abstract

Methods to present video and purchasing function content embedded in the video in a single user interface. The user interface may be configured to allow the user watching the video to take an action with respect to the video content, which may include items for purchase, and to allow the user to both watch the video content, and select the item for purchase in one transaction step. In other embodiments, the video content is segmented such that a user is provided the ability to select one or more objects in the video. In other embodiments, the user interface provides a dynamic message such as a “call to action” to a user. The call to action may be timed with the video and/or with the user viewing selections in order to urge a user to take a pre-determined action such as purchase a product, make a donation, and the like.

Claims

1. A video processing apparatus, comprising:

a display device;

a processor communicably coupled with the display device, wherein the processor executes instructions to;

receive and process video content comprising a plurality of video frames for display within a first display area of the display device, wherein the video content includes one or more objects embedded therein;

analyze pixel color and energy density variations of the video content over the plurality of frames to identify one or more objects contained therein;

analyze changes in position of the one or more objects over the plurality of frames to determine location and temporal data pertaining to the one or more objects;

determine, using the location and temporal data, the location and temporal location of the one or more objects within the video content for user selection thereof;

receive a call-to-action from a database file, wherein the call-to-action includes a list of objects and related call-to-action transactions for each of the objects listed;

compare the identity of the one or more objects to the list of objects to determine if there is a match therebetween;

play the video content, including the one or more objects contained therein by sequentially displaying the plurality of frames on the first display area;

in response to a match being found between the list of objects and a first object of the one or more identified objects, and in response to a pointing device cursor placed visually occluding a first object of the one or more objects displayed in the first display area, highlight the first object in the first display area using location and temporal data for the first object to maintain the highlight over each frame containing the first object; and

in response to a selection action by the user for the first object, initiate at least one call-to-action transaction related to the first object, wherein the at least one call-to-action transaction is initiated within the first display area while the video content is being played.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one call-to-action transaction related to the first object is a purchase transaction, wherein the user is enabled to purchase the first object.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one call-to-action transaction related to the first object is an information access request, wherein the user is enabled to access information about the first object or is provided with information about the first object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is able to complete the at least one call-to-action transaction from within a media player.

5. A method of displaying video content in conjunction with a purchasing function within a video display, comprising:

receiving and processing video content comprising a plurality of video frames for display within a first display area of a display device, wherein the video content includes one or more objects embedded therein;

analyzing pixel color and energy density variations of the video content over the plurality of frames to identify one or more objects contained therein;

analyzing changes in position of the one or more objects over the plurality of frames to determine location and temporal data pertaining to the one or more objects;

determining using the location and temporal data, the location and temporal location of the one or more objects within the video content for user selection thereof;

receiving a call-to-action from a database file, wherein the call-to-action includes a list of objects and related transactions for each of the objects listed;

comparing the identity of the one or more objects to the list of objects to determine if there is a match therebetween;

playing the video content including the one or more objects contained therein by sequentially displaying the plurality of frames on the first display area;

in response to a match being found between the list of objects and a first object of the one or more identified objects, and in response to a pointing device cursor placed visually occluding a first object of the one or more objects displayed in the first display area, highlighting the first object in the first display area using location and temporal data for the first object to maintain the highlight over each frame containing the first object; and

in response to a selection action by the user to procure the first object, initiating at least one call-to-action transaction related to the first object, wherein the at least one call-to-action transaction is initiated within the first display area while the video content is being played.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one call-to-action transaction related to the first object is a purchase transaction, wherein the user is enabled to purchase the first object.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one call-to-action transaction related to the first object is an information access request, wherein the user is enabled to access information about the first object.