System and method for creating interactive content at multiple points in the television prodction process

• US 20030193518A1
• Filed: 04/08/2002
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Newnam, Scott G., Neumann, Douglas T., Fraanje, Izet, Brown, Katharine, Gorder, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US10/118,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20030193518A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• 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 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for producing content for episodes of an interactive program that allows content creation during script writing and editing, film editing, after film editing, and in live production, and for content production, responsive to inputs from script writing software and non-linear editing software as well as direct user inputs, for storing content, presentation, and behavior information using an XML schema.

Claims

1. A method for creating an interactive video program comprising:

creating an episode file with a number of content assets, each asset including one or more of text, graphics, video, and functionality; and

associating each content asset with a location in a script and/or pre-finalized video stream.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, when the video stream is finalized, associating the content assets with a time code in the video stream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the content assets are associated with the video stream at the time the script is created using a script writing tool and/or an interactive content tool.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some or all of the content assets are associated with the video stream at the time the video stream is edited using video editing post-production equipment and/or an interactive content tool.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the content assets are associated with the video stream after the video stream is edited using video editing post- production equipment and/or an interactive content tool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein additional content assets are associated with the video stream after editing.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the video stream is part of a television program, and the interactive content is created during multiple points in the television production process for use by participants on multiple interactive television systems and using various user hardware devices and software.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each content asset is used to describe the content, presentation, and behavior of an interactive application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a description of the content can be an object displayed as a combination of one or more of text, pictures, sounds, and video.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the description of the presentation includes location on the screen, text styles, and background colors.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the behavior description includes what actions happen initially and what happens in reaction to a particular user action and/or lack of action.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein XML is used to describe at least of the following components of an interactive television application:

content, presentation, and behavior.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the description of the content can be an object displayed as a combination of one or more of text, pictures, sounds, and video.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the description of the presentation includes location on the screen, text styles, and background colors.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the behavior description includes what actions happen initially and what happens in reaction to the particular user action or lack of action.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing to remote user hardware devices the content assets to allow a user to view and respond to the interactive content in the episode file.

17. A content production system including an interface, responsive to inputs from one or more of script writing software, non-linear editing software, and direct user inputs, and storage for storing content, presentation, and behavior information using an XML schema.

18. The content production system of claim 17, wherein the interface is responsive to inputs from script writing software.

19. The content production system of claim 17, wherein the interface is responsive to inputs from non-linear editing software.

20. The content production system of claim 17, wherein the interface is responsive to direct user inputs.

21. The content production system of claim 18, wherein the script writing software has the ability to open a window during script-writing and to create or edit a content asset.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising, when the broadcast event content is finalized, associating the content assets with a time code in the broadcast event.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the broadcast event is over television.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the broadcast event is over radio.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the broadcast event is over the Internet.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the content assets are displayed at the user end on the same display as the broadcast content.

21-1. A method for creating an interactive broadcast event including content assets for display with broadcast content, comprising:

creating an episode file with a number of content assets, each asset including one or more of text, graphics, video, and functionality; and

associating each content asset with a location in a script and/or pre-finalized version of the broadcast event.

27. A system for creating an interactive broadcast event including content assets for display with broadcast content, comprising:

storage with an episode file with a number of content assets, each asset including one or more of text, graphics, video, and functionality; and

a processor for associating each content asset with a location in a script and/or pre-finalized version of the broadcast event.