Delivering interactive television components in real time for live broadcast events

• US 20050149988A1
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Grannan, Michael F.
• Application Number:
  US10/752,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149988A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/136
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• 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 21/47202 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 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Interactive content creation software tools are provided to interactive content authors via the Internet. Interactive content programs associated with video of a live event and created by the interactive content authors using the interactive content creation software tools are received via the Internet. The video of the live event and its associated interactive content programs associated therewith are broadcast to end viewers via a video distribution network. Each of the end viewers is provided a list of the interactive content programs associated with the video so that each end viewer can independently select one of the interactive content programs from the list for display with the video.

Claims

1. A method of providing interactive television, the method comprising:

providing interactive content creation software tools to a plurality of interactive content authors via the Internet;

receiving via the Internet a plurality of interactive content programs associated with video of a live event, the interactive content programs created by the interactive content authors using the interactive content creation software tools;

broadcasting the video of the live event and the interactive content programs associated therewith to a plurality of end viewers via a video distribution network; and

providing to each of the end viewers a list of the interactive content programs associated with the video of the live event so that each end viewer can independently select one of the interactive content programs from the list for display with the video of the live event.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a selection, made by an end viewer, of one of the interactive content programs from the list; and

rendering the selected interactive content program for display with the video of the live event at a premise of the end viewer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said broadcasting comprises broadcasting a plurality of separate interactive programming data streams each comprising a corresponding one of interactive content programs.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

using a synchronization layer to identify all of the interactive programming data streams accompanying the video.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said broadcasting comprising broadcasting the interactive content programs within a vertical blanking interval of the video.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said broadcasting comprises sending data to accompany a packet of interactive program content to identify its author.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the data comprises a control byte.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said providing the list comprises broadcasting the list in at least one packet preceded by one or more unique control bytes.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said broadcasting comprises broadcasting the interactive content programs using a TCP/IP transmission separate from the video.

10. A system for providing interactive television, the system comprising:

a video distribution center to provide interactive content creation software tools to a plurality of interactive content authors via the Internet, to receive via the Internet a plurality of interactive content programs associated with video of a live event and created by the interactive content authors using the interactive content creation software tools, to broadcast the video of the live event and the interactive content programs associated therewith to a plurality of end viewers via a video distribution network, and to provide to each of the end viewers a list of the interactive content programs associated with the video of the live event so that each end viewer can independently select one of the interactive content programs from the list for display with the video of the live event.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

an interactive television receiver at the premise of an end viewer to receive a selection of one of the interactive content programs from the list, and to render the selected interactive content program for display with the video of the live event for the end viewer.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the video distribution center is to broadcast a plurality of separate interactive programming data streams each comprising a corresponding one of interactive content programs.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the video distribution center is to identify all of the interactive programming data streams accompanying the video using a synchronization layer.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the video distribution center is to broadcast the interactive content programs within a vertical blanking interval of the video.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the video distribution center is to send data to accompany a packet of interactive program content to identify its author.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the data comprises a control byte.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the video distribution center is to provide the list by broadcasting the list in at least one packet preceded by one or more unique control bytes.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the video distribution center is to broadcast the interactive content programs using a TCP/IP transmission separate from the video.

19. The system of claim 10 further comprising a personal computer at the premise of an end viewer to receive a selection of one of the interactive content programs from the list, and to receive the selected interactive content program.