System and method in a television controller for providing user-selection of objects in a television program

• US 9,081,422 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• 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): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US12/850,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20110063523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 725/38, 725/112, 725/113, 725/63, 725/64, 715/204, 718/204, 348/801, 348/734
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 in a television controller for providing user-selection of objects in a television program, substantially 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 identifying a user-selected object in television programming, the method comprising:

in a television controller;

receiving an emission from a television that is presenting television programming on a screen, wherein the emission corresponds to a user-selectable object being displayed in the television programming, the emission being emitted from the screen of the television and imperceptible to a user;

determining an on-screen pointing location pointed to by a user of the television controller and generating a signal indicating the determined on-screen pointing location;

analyzing the received emission and the on-screen pointing location to determine the identity of the user-selectable object; and

performing one or more actions in response to the identity of the user-selectable object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the emission is imperceptible due to emission characteristics comprising temporal characteristics.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the emission is imperceptible due to emission characteristics comprising frequency characteristics.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the emission is a light emission at a light frequency that is imperceptible to a user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the emission is imperceptible due to emission characteristics comprising spatial characteristics.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the emission communicates information concerning one or more actions, associated with the user-selectable object, that are available to a user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the emission communicates textual information associated with the user-selectable object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the emission communicates a coded pattern associated with the user-selectable object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the emission communicates one or more graphical features associated with the sources of information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated signal is adapted to cause the television to output information of the identified user-selectable object on a screen of the television.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the emission from a television is in response to the on-screen pointing location pointed to by the user.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the emission is from a location on the screen where the user-selectable object is positioned.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the emission communicates information comprising a serial information stream regarding the user selectable object.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the emission comprises information describing the user-selectable object including at least one of history information, make/model information, advertising information, and contact information.

15. A television controller, the television controller comprising:

at least one processor and sensor operable to, at least;

receive an emission from a television that is presenting television programming on a screen, wherein the emission is imperceptible to the user and the emission is received from the screen and corresponds to a user-selectable object being displayed in the television programming;

determining an on-screen pointing location pointed to by a user of the television controller and generating a signal indicating the determined on-screen pointing location; and

analyze the received emission and the on screen pointing location to generate the at least one link on a screen of the television controller.

16. The television controller of claim 15, wherein the emission is imperceptible due to emission characteristics comprising temporal characteristics.

17. The television controller of claim 15, wherein the emission is imperceptible due to emission characteristics comprising frequency characteristics.

18. The television controller of claim 17, wherein the emission is a light emission at a light frequency that is imperceptible to a user.

19. The television controller of claim 17, wherein the emission is a radio frequency emission.

20. The television controller of claim 15, wherein the emission communicates information identifying the user-selectable object.

21. The television controller of claim 15, wherein the emission communicates information concerning one or more actions, associated with the user-selectable object, that are available to a user.

22. The television controller of claim 15, wherein the emission communicates a coded pattern associated with the user-selectable object.

23. The television controller of claim 15, wherein the emission communicates one or more graphical features associated with the user-selectable object.

24. The television controller of claim 15, wherein the generated signal is adapted to cause the television to output information of the identified user-selectable object on a screen of the television.

25. The television controller of claim 15, wherein the generated signal is adapted to cause the television controller to output information of the identified user-selectable object on a display of the television controller.

26. A method for identifying a user-selected object in television programming, the method comprising:

in a television controller;

receiving an emission from a screen of a television that is presenting television programming on the screen, where the emission is imperceptible to the user and the emission communicates information identifying a user-selectable object being displayed in the television programming;

determining an on-screen pointing location pointed to by a user of the television controller and generating a signal indicating the determined on-screen location;

analyzing the received emission and the on-screen pointing location to determine the identity of the user-selectable object; and

displaying information related to the user-selectable object based on the identity.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the user-selectable object comprises a timestamp in a video stream of the television programming.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the timestamp is operable to temporally identify the user selectable object, the user selectable object comprising a transient object displayed in the television programming.