Web browser and set top box interface system and method

• US 20020145621A1
• Filed: 01/30/2002
• Published: 10/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Nga Marie
• Application Number:
  US10/060,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20020145621A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/718
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4431 characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• 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 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An interface for directing a web browser to load a web page having a desired video content description and generating a video window within the web page based on the desired video content description.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a desired video content frame within a WEB browser based content frame in a windowless environment, comprising the steps of:

a) directing the WEB browser to load a page having a desired video content frame definition;

b) generating a transparent section in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition; and

c) overlapping the video content frame in the transparent section of the browser based content frame.

2. The method of displaying a video content frame within a WEB browser based content frame in a windowless environment of claim 1, wherein the displayed size of the video content frame is smaller than the displayed size of the browser based content frame.

3. The method of displaying a video content frame within a WEB browser based content frame in a windowless environment of claim 2, wherein video content is related to the browser based content.

4. The method of displaying a video content frame within a WEB browser based content frame in a windowless environment of claim 2, wherein step b) includes the steps of:

a) decoding the desired video frame size from the frame definition; and

b) generating a transparent section in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition.

5. The method of displaying a video content frame within a WEB browser based content frame in a windowless environment of claim 4, wherein step b) further includes decoding the video frame location within the browser frame from the frame definition.

6. A method of displaying a desired video content frame within a WEB browser based content frame, comprising the steps of:

a) directing the WEB browser to load a page having a desired video content frame definition; and

b) generating the desired video content frame definition in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the WEB browser based content frame is in a windowless environment.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein step b) comprises the steps of:

i) generating a transparent section in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition; and

ii) overlapping the video content frame in the transparent section of the browser based content frame.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the displayed size of the video content frame is smaller than the displayed size of the browser based content frame.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein video content is related to the browser based content.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein step i) includes the steps of:

a) decoding the desired video frame size from the frame definition; and

b) generating a transparent section in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein step i) further includes decoding the video frame location within the browser frame from the frame definition.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the displayed size of the video content frame is smaller than the displayed size of the browser based content frame.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein video content is related to the browser based content.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein step b) includes performing the steps of:

i) decoding the desired video frame size from the frame definition; and

ii) generating a transparent section in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein step b) further includes decoding the video frame location within the browser frame from the frame definition.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the WEB browser based content frame is in a windowless environment.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein step b) comprises the steps of:

i) generating a transparent section in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition; and

ii) overlapping the video content frame in the transparent section of the browser based content frame.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the displayed size of the video content frame is smaller than the displayed size of the browser based content frame.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein video content is related to the browser based content.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein step i) includes performing the steps of:

a) decoding the desired video frame size from the frame definition; and

b) generating a transparent section in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein step i) further includes decoding the video frame location within the browser frame from the frame definition.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the apparatus is set top box.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein video content is related to the browser based content.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for generating a transparent section includes:

a) means for decoding the desired video frame size from the frame definition; and

b) means for generating a transparent section in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for generating a transparent section further includes means for decoding the video frame location within the browser frame from the frame definition.

13. An article of manufacture for use in displaying a desired video content frame within a WEB browser based content frame in a windowless environment, the article of manufacture comprising computer readable storage media including program logic embedded therein that causes control circuitry to perform the steps of:

a) directing the WEB browser to load a page having a desired video content frame definition;

b) generating a transparent section in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition; and

c) overlapping the video content frame in the transparent section of the browser based content frame.

18. An article of manufacture for use in displaying a desired video content frame within a WEB browser based content frame, the article of manufacture comprising computer readable storage media including program logic embedded therein that causes control circuitry to perform the steps of:

a) directing the WEB browser to load a page having a desired video content frame definition; and

b) generating the desired video content frame definition in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition.

25. An apparatus for displaying a desired video content frame within a WEB browser based content frame in a windowless environment, comprising:

a) means for directing the WEB browser to load a page having a desired video content frame definition;

b) means for generating a transparent section in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition; and

c) means for overlapping the video content frame in the transparent section of the browser based content frame.

30. An apparatus for displaying a desired video content frame within a WEB browser based content frame, comprising:

a) means for directing the WEB browser to load a page having a desired video content frame definition; and

b) means for generating the desired video content frame definition in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the WEB browser based content frame is in a windowless environment.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein means for generating the desired video content frame comprises:

i) means for generating a transparent section in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition; and

ii) means for overlapping the video content frame in the transparent section of the browser based content frame.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the apparatus is a set top box.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein video content is related to the browser based content.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein means for generating a transparent section includes:

a) means for decoding the desired video frame size from the frame definition; and

b) means for generating a transparent section in the browser based content frame based on the decoded frame definition.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the means for generating a transparent section further includes means for decoding the video frame location within the browser frame from the frame definition.