Tag-based menus in video streams

• US 9,264,686 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Barton, James M., Smith, Kevin P., Chamberlin, David, Look, Howard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARVEY, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US13/867,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20130243393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 386/240, 386/239, 386/448, 386/291, 386/296
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 : involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• 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 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 : Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 : the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

A method for displaying a webpage is described. The method involves receiving a broadcast stream including a program, playing the program in the broadcast stream to a viewer, displaying an icon to the viewer and receiving viewer input in response to display of the icon, pausing the playing of the program in response to receiving the viewer input, displaying a web page to the viewer in response to receiving the viewer input, and resuming the playing of the program.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a receiver, a broadcast stream comprising a program;

playing, at the receiver, the program;

detecting, at the receiver, one or more tags that were received in the broadcast stream, the one or more tags instructing the receiver to display a menu comprising a plurality of selectable menu items, the one or more tags further indicating the menu to display, the one or more tags further specifying one or more of the menu items to display in the menu;

responsive to detecting the one or more tags, the receiver causing displaying the menu indicated by the one or more tags, including the one or more of the menu items specified by the one or more tags;

responsive to detecting the one or more tags, the receiver further;

pausing the playing of the program;

receiving input indicating one or more interactions with the menu;

upon completion of the one or more interactions with the menu, resuming the playing of the program from a point at which the program was paused;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to detecting the one or more tags, the receiver further;

pausing the playing of the program at a frame associated with the one or more tags;

upon completion of the one or more interactions with the menu, resuming the playing of the program from the frame.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to detecting the one or more tags, the receiver further;

causing displaying the menu indicated by the one or more tags over the paused program.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to detecting the one or more tags, the receiver causing displaying an icon;

receiving, at the receiver, particular input while the icon is displayed;

in response to receiving the particular input, the receiver;

pausing the playing of the program;

displaying the menu indicated by the one or more tags; and

receiving the one or more interactions with the menu while the program is paused.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more tags specify an inactivity timeout after which the receiver is configured to stop the displaying of the menu if no interactions with the menu occur.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the receiver selecting one or more choices in the menu based on one or more of viewing habits, program preferences, or personal information of a viewer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more tags include a program object identifier, wherein the menu includes a choice to schedule a recording for the program object identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu includes one or more of:

a choice to view more information about a currently showing ad, or a choice to see a video related to the currently showing ad.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the receiver sending information collected from the one or more interactions with the menu to a broadcaster or manufacturer in response to the one or more interactions.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more tags specify text and images for the one or more of the menu items.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors;

a tuner configured to receive a broadcast stream comprising a program;

a decoder configured to cause playing of the program;

a parser configured to detect one or more tags that were received in the broadcast stream, the one or more tags instructing the apparatus to display a menu comprising a plurality of selectable menu items, the one or more tags further indicating the menu to display, the one or more tags further specify the menu items to display in the menu;

an on-screen display generator configured to, responsive to the parser detecting the one or more tags, cause display of the menu indicated by the one or more tags, including the menu items specified by the one or more tags;

wherein the decoder is further configured to, responsive to the parser detecting the one or more tags, pause the playing of the program;

a control object component configured to receive input indicating one or more interactions with the menu;

wherein the decoder is further configured to, upon completion of the one or more interactions with the menu, resume the playing of the program from a point at which the program was paused.

11. The apparatus of claim 10:

wherein the decoder is further configured to, responsive to the parser detecting the one or more tags, pause the playing of the program at a frame associated with the one or more tags;

wherein the decoder is further configured to, upon completion of the one or more interactions with the menu, resume the playing of the program from the frame.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

wherein the on-screen display generator is further configured to cause the display of the menu indicated by the one or more tags over the paused program.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

wherein the on-screen display generator is further configured to, responsive to the parser detecting the one or more tags, cause display of an icon;

wherein the control object component is further configured to receive particular input while the icon is displayed;

wherein the decoder is configured to pause the playing of the program further in response to receiving the particular input;

wherein the on-screen display generator is configured to cause the display of the menu indicated by the one or more tags further in response to receiving the particular input; and

wherein the control object component is configured to receive the input indicating the one or more interactions with the menu while the program is paused.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more tags specify an inactivity timeout after which the on-screen display generator is configured to stop the displaying of the menu if no interactions with the menu occur.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising program logic configured to, when executed by the one or more processors, select one or more choices in the menu based on one or more of viewing habits, program preferences, or personal information of a viewer.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more tags include a program object identifier, wherein the menu includes a choice to schedule a recording for the program object identifier.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the menu includes one or more of:

a choice to view more information about a currently showing ad, or a choice to see a video related to the currently showing ad.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising program logic, configured to, when executed by the one or more processors, send information collected from the one or more interactions with the menu to a broadcaster or manufacturer in response to the one or more interactions.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more tags specify text and images for the one or more of the menu items.

21. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of:

receiving, at a receiver, a broadcast stream comprising a program;

playing, at the receiver, the program;

detecting, at the receiver, one or more tags that were received in the broadcast stream, the one or more tags instructing the receiver to display a menu comprising a plurality of selectable menu items, the one or more tags further indicating the menu to display, the one or more tags further specifying one or more of the menu items to display in the menu;

responsive to detecting the one or more tags, the receiver causing displaying the menu indicated by the one or more tags, including the one or more of the menu items specified by the one or more tags;

responsive to detecting the one or more tags, the receiver further;

pausing the playing of the program;

receiving input indicating one or more interactions with the menu;

upon completion of the one or more interactions with the menu, resuming the playing of the program from a point at which the program was paused.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 21, wherein the one or more tags specify an inactivity timeout after which the receiver is configured to stop the displaying of the menu if no interactions with the menu occur.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause:

responsive to detecting the one or more tags, the receiver further;

pausing the playing of the program at a frame associated with the one or more tags;

upon completion of the one or more interactions with the menu, resuming the playing of the program from the frame.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause:

responsive to detecting the one or more tags, the receiver further causing displaying the menu indicated by the one or more tags over the paused program.

25. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause selecting one or more choices in the menu based on one or more of viewing habits, program preferences, or personal information of a viewer.

26. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 21, wherein the one or more tags include a program object identifier, wherein the menu includes a choice to schedule a recording for the program object identifier.

27. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause the receiver sending information collected from the one or more interactions with the menu to a broadcaster or manufacturer in response to the one or more interactions.

28. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 21, wherein the one or more tags specify text and images for the one or more of the menu items.