Social television service

• US 9,538,140 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teliasonera AB
• Original Assignee: Teliasonera AB
• Inventors: Kivirauma, Kimmo, Tarvainen, Jussi
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, TUNG THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/247,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20120079535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: 725/37, 725/40, 725/115, 715/751, 715/764
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A method, a receiver, a computer program and a system for providing an interactive service in association with a motion picture service. The motion picture is displayed to the spectator via a receiver able to modify the motion picture displayed to the spectator and having a bi-directional network connection. The method, receiver, computer program and system are characterized in that a connection is formed that connects a plurality of participants to an interactive motion picture session, a selection of a target area in the motion picture is received, a selection of a graphical element to be associated with the target area is received, the target area is translated to a coordinate system shared by each participant in the interactive motion picture session and the graphical element is provided between the participants.

Claims

1. A social service method, comprising:

providing an interactive service in association with a digital television motion picture service;

receiving the digital television motion picture service by a digital television broadcast signal via a broadcast network;

displaying the digital television motion picture to a spectator by means of a digital television receiver being able to modify the motion picture displayed to the spectator and having a bi-directional network connection via an IP network;

dividing television screens of a plurality of participants in a grid, dimensions of the grid being the same for the plurality of participants, the purpose of the grid being to provide position information of a graphical element;

connecting the plurality of participants to an interactive motion picture session, the plurality of participants comprising the spectator;

receiving by one of the plurality of participants a selection of a target area anywhere in the digital television motion picture, the target area comprising a moving object in the digital television motion picture, where the target area is selected based on the grid by the one of the plurality of participants;

automatically finding potential moving objects in the digital television motion picture;

confirming, by the one of the plurality of participants, one of the moving objects as being the moving object based on the finding;

receiving a selection of a graphical element to be associated with the target area;

translating the target area to the grid coordinate system shared by each participant in the interactive motion picture session, the grid being displayed on the motion picture for at least the one participant from whom the selection is received, the moving object being initially pointed by using the grid;

providing a time reference, the graphical element and the position information of the graphical element in the grid to the participants;

scaling the graphical element by the receivers of the plurality of participants, based on the number of pixels within a cell of the grid in the televisions of the respective participants, so that the graphical element is similar in size on the television screens of the plurality of participants;

accessing video frame buffers storing previous video frames, using the time reference, by the plurality of participants, in order to find the moving object using the provided coordinates at time of the time reference;

following the moving object to the position in the frame currently being displayed, the following of the moving object using at least one motion vector associated with at least one macro block at the position indicated by the position information, the following being performed in order to lock the graphical element to the moving object on the television screens of the plurality of participants; and

removing the graphical element after an expiry time has elapsed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said graphical elements are arranged in a library.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the same version of the library is provided to each participant.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the version of the library is checked before connecting a participant to said interactive motion picture session and, when a newer version of the library exists, said newer version is provided to the participant.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining the properties of said graphical elements on a canvas.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises at least one of a digital television, an analog television, a set-top-box, a Home Theatre Personal Computer (HTPC), a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a palmtop computer, a mobile communication device, a gaming console and a portable gaming device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of automatically pre-selecting and confirming comprise automatically pre-selected multiple moving objects and selecting, by the one of the plurality of participants, one of the multiple moving objects.

8. A digital television receiver, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured

to provide an interactive service in association with a digital television motion picture service,

to receive the digital television motion picture service by a digital television broadcast signal via a broadcast network,

to display the digital television motion picture to a spectator,

to modify the motion picture displayed to the spectator,

to have a bi-directional network connection via an IP network,

to divide a television screen in a grid, dimensions of the grid being the same for a plurality of participants, the purpose of the grid being to provide position information of a graphical element,

to connect the plurality of participants to an interactive motion picture session, the plurality of participants comprising the spectator,

to receive by one of the plurality of participants a selection of a target area anywhere in the digital television motion picture, the target area comprising a moving object in the digital television motion picture, where the target area is selected based on the grid by the one of the plurality of participants,

to automatically find potential moving objects in the digital television motion picture,

to receive a confirmation, from the one of the plurality of participants, of one of the moving objects as being the moving object based on the finding,

to receive a selection of a graphical element to be associated with the target area,

to translate the target area to the grid coordinate system shared by each participant in the interactive motion picture session, the grid being displayed on the motion picture for at least the one participant from whom the selection is received, the moving object being initially pointed by using the grid,

to provide a time reference, the graphical element and the position information of the graphical element in the grid to the plurality of the participants,

to scale the graphical element by the receiver based on the number of pixels within a cell of the grid in the television screen, so that the graphical element is similar in size on the television screens of the plurality of participants,

to access video frame buffers storing previous video frames, using the time reference, by the plurality of participants, in order to find the moving object using the provided coordinates at time of the time reference,

to follow the moving object to the position in the frame currently being displayed, the following of the moving object using at least one motion vector associated with at least one macro block at the position indicated by the position information, the following being performed in order to lock the graphical element to the moving object on the television screens of the plurality of participants,

to remove the graphical element after an expiry time has elapsed.

9. The receiver according to claim 8, wherein to automatically pre-select the moving object and to receive and confirmation comprise to automatically pre-select multiple moving objects and to select, by the one of the plurality of participants, one of the multiple moving objects.

10. A system for providing an interactive digital television motion picture service, comprising:

a digital television motion picture service provider; and

a plurality of receivers configured;

to provide an interactive service in association with a digital television motion picture service, where the digital television motion picture is displayed to spectators by means of the plurality of digital television receivers being able to modify the digital television motion picture displayed to the spectators and having a bi-directional network connection via an IP network,

to divide television screens of a plurality of participants in a grid, dimensions of the grid being the same for the plurality of participants, the purpose of the grid being to provide position information of a graphical element,

to connect the plurality of participants to an interactive motion picture session, the plurality of participants comprising the spectator,

to receive by one of the plurality of participants a selection of a target area anywhere in the motion picture, the target area comprising a moving object in the motion picture, where the target area is selected based on the grid by the one of the plurality of participants;

to automatically find potential moving objects in the digital television motion picture,

to receive a confirmation, from the one of the plurality of participants, of one of the moving object as being selected as the moving object based on the finding,

to receive a selection of a graphical element to be associated with the target area,

to translate the target area to the grid coordinate system shared by each participant in the interactive motion picture session, the grid being displayed on the motion picture for at least the one participant from whom the selection is received, the moving object being initially pointed by using the grid,

to provide a time reference, the graphical element and the position information of the graphical element in the grid to the plurality of participants,

to scale the graphical element by the receivers of the plurality of participants, based on the number of pixels within a cell of the grid in the televisions of the respective participants, so that the graphical element is similar in size on the television screens of the plurality of participants,

to access video frame buffers storing previous video frames, using the time reference, by the plurality of participants, in order to find the moving object using the provided coordinates at time of the time reference,

to follow the moving object to the position in the frame currently being displayed, the following of the moving object using at least one motion vector associated with at least one macro block at the position indicated by the position information, the following being performed in order to lock the graphical element to the moving object on the television screens of the plurality of participants; and

to remove the graphical element after an expiry time has elapsed.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the system further comprises a server for interactive services.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the server is configured to provide a graphical element library to each participant.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein to automatically pre-select the moving object and to receive and confirmation comprise to automatically pre-select multiple moving objects and to select, by the one of the plurality of participants, one of the multiple moving objects.

14. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising code adapted to cause the following when executed on a data-processing system:

providing an interactive service in association with a digital television motion picture service;

receiving the digital television motion picture service by a digital television broadcast signal via a broadcast network;

displaying the digital television motion picture to a spectator by means of a digital television receiver being able to modify the motion picture displayed to the spectator and having a bi-directional network connection via an IP network;

dividing television screens of a plurality of participants in a grid, dimensions of the grid being the same for the plurality of participants, the purpose of the grid being to provide position information of a graphical element;

connecting the plurality of participants to an interactive motion picture session, the plurality of participants comprising the spectator;

receiving by one of the plurality of participants a selection of a target area anywhere in the digital television motion picture, the target area comprising a moving object in the digital television motion picture, where the target area is selected based on the grid by the one of the plurality of participants;

automatically finding potential moving objects in the digital television motion picture;

confirming one of the moving objects as being the moving object, by the one of the plurality of participants, based on the finding;

receiving a selection of a graphical element to be associated with the target area;

translating the target area to the grid coordinate system shared by each participant in the interactive motion picture session, the grid being displayed on the motion picture for at least the one participant from whom the selection is received, the moving object being initially pointed by using the grid;

providing a time reference, the graphical element and the position information of the graphical element in the grid to the plurality of participants;

scaling the graphical element by the receivers of the plurality of participants, based on the number of pixels within a cell of the grid in the televisions of the respective participants, so that the graphical element is similar in size on the television screens of the plurality of participants;

accessing video frame buffers storing previous video frames, using the time reference, by the plurality of participants, in order to find the moving object using the provided coordinates at time of the time reference;

following the moving object to the position in the frame currently being displayed, the following of the moving object using at least one motion vector associated with at least one macro block at the position indicated by the position information, the following being performed in order to lock the graphical element to the moving object on the television screens of the plurality of participants; and

removing the graphical element after an expiry time has elapsed.

15. The computer program according to claim 14, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium comprises at least one of an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a memory chip, and a memory cartridge.

16. The computer program according to claim 14, wherein the steps of automatically pre-selecting and confirming comprise automatically pre-selected multiple moving objects and selecting, by the one of the plurality of participants, one of the multiple moving objects.

17. A digital television receiver, comprising:

a television for displaying a digital television motion picture to a spectator;

means for receiving the digital television motion picture service by a digital television broadcast signal via a broadcast network;

means for modifying the digital television motion picture displayed to the spectator;

means for having a bi-directional network connection via an IP network;

means for connecting a plurality of participants to an interactive motion picture session;

means for receiving by one of the plurality of participants a selection of a target area anywhere in the digital television motion picture, the target area comprising a moving object in the digital television motion picture, where the target area is selected based on the grid by the one of the plurality of participants;

means for automatically finding potential moving objects in the digital television motion picture;

means for confirming, by the one of the plurality of participants, one of the moving objects as being the moving object based on the finding;

means for receiving a selection of a graphical element to be associated with the target area;

means for dividing the screen of the television in a grid, the dimensions of the grid being the same in the televisions of each of the plurality of the participants, the purpose of the grid being to provide position information of the graphical element;

means for translating the target area to the grid coordinate system shared by each of the plurality of participants in the interactive motion picture session, the grid being displayed on the motion picture for at least the one participant from whom the selection is received, the moving object being initially pointed by using the grid;

means for providing a time reference, the graphical element and the position information of the graphical element in the grid to the plurality participants;

means for scaling the graphical element based on the number of pixels within a cell of the grid in the television so that the graphical element is similar in size as on the television screens of the plurality of participants;

means for accessing video frame buffers storing previous video frames, using the time reference, by the plurality of participants, in order to find the moving object using the provided coordinates at time of the time reference;

means for following the moving object to the position in the frame currently being displayed, the following of the moving object using at least one motion vector associated with at least one macro block at the position indicated by the position information, the following being performed in order to lock the graphical element to the moving object on the television screens of the plurality of participants; and

means for removing the graphical element after an expiry time has elapsed.

18. The receiver according to claim 17, wherein the means for automatically pre-selecting and means for confirming comprise means for automatically pre-selected multiple moving objects and means for selecting, by the one of the plurality of participants, one of the multiple moving objects.