Dynamic replacement of cinematic stage props in program content

• US 20070214476A1
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Zalewski, Gary, Russell, Riley
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2723 Insertion of virtual advertisement; Replacing advertisements physical present in the scene by virtual advertisement data processing systems or methods specially adapted for marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Stage props, such as consumer products, in legacy program content are replaced with dynamically replaceable assets. Such assets can be used for advertising purposes in that images of different products and services can be inserted therein and are changeable via a network. Such assets may be created by identifying props in the content for replacement, determining location and visual effects information for each identified prop, and creating a reference file that includes the content and the location and the visual effects information associated with each identified prop. A value may be determined for each asset or advertisers may bid on the assets to yield additional advertising revenue channel for the content. The content may be played back by broadcasting the content and reference information designating parameters for inserting the assets into the content. Replacement images, such as images of products, may be obtained via a network. The visual appearance of each replacement image may be modified using visual effects information so the inserted objects appear natural as if they were part of the original scene.

Claims

1. A method for use in modifying program content, comprising the steps of:

identifying props in the content for replacement;

determining location information for each identified prop;

determining visual effects information associated with each identified prop; and

creating a reference file that includes the content and the location and the visual effects information associated with each identified prop.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining a value associated with each identified prop.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the steps of determining location information and determining visual effects information are performed automatically by a software tool.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the software tool accepts input information about each identified prop.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the location information comprises referential coordinates.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the visual effects information comprises after effects.

7. A system for modifying program content, comprising:

means for identifying props in the content for replacement;

means for determining location information for each identified prop;

means for determining visual effects information associated with each identified prop; and

means for creating a reference file that includes the content and the location and the visual effects information associated with each identified prop.

8. A system in accordance with claim 7, further comprising:

means for determining a value associated with each identified prop.

9. A system in accordance with claim 7, further comprising:

means for accepting input information about each identified prop.

10. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the location information comprises referential coordinates.

11. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the visual effects information comprises after effects.

12. A method for use in playing program content, comprising the steps of:

providing content and a reference file that includes location and visual effects information associated with one or more replaceable props in the content;

obtaining one or more replacement images;

modifying a visual appearance of at least one replacement image using the visual effects information; and

inserting the one or more replacement images in the content to replace the one or more replaceable props.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the replacement images are transmitted over a network.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein at least one replacement image is contained in the reference file.

15. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the step of modifying a visual appearance of each replacement image comprises adjusting a blur effect.

16. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the step of inserting is performed on a national basis.

17. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the step of inserting is performed on a local basis.

18. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the step of inserting is performed on an individual basis.

19. A system for playing program content, comprising:

means for providing the content and a reference file that includes location and visual effects information associated with one or more replaceable props in the content;

means for obtaining one or more replacement images;

means for modifying a visual appearance of each replacement image using the visual effects information; and

means for inserting the one or more replacement images in the content to replace the one or more replaceable props.

20. A system in accordance with claim 19, wherein at least one replacement image is contained in the reference file.

21. A system in accordance with claim 19, wherein the means for modifying a visual appearance of each replacement image comprises means for adjusting a blur effect.

22. A system in accordance with claim 19, wherein the inserting is performed on a national basis.

23. A system in accordance with claim 19, wherein the inserting is performed on a local basis.

24. A system in accordance with claim 19, wherein the inserting is performed on an individual basis.

25. A computer program product comprising a medium for embodying a computer program for input to a computer and a computer program embodied in the medium for causing the computer to perform steps of:

accessing content,

accessing a reference file that includes location and visual effects information associated with one or more replaceable props in the content;

obtaining one or more replacement images;

modifying a visual appearance of at least one replacement image using the visual effects information; and

inserting the one or more replacement images in the content to replace the one or more replaceable props.

26. A computer program product in accordance with claim 25, wherein the replacement images are transmitted over a network.

27. A computer program product in accordance with claim 25, wherein the step of modifying a visual appearance of each replacement image comprises an operation selected from the group consisting of adjusting a blur effect of an image, rendering a 3D object and texture mapping an image onto a 3D object.

28. A computer program product in accordance with claim 25, wherein the replacement images and reference file are transmitted over a network.

29. A computer program product in accordance with claim 28, wherein the contents is stored on a DVD.

30. A computer program product in accordance with claim 28, wherein the contents is downloaded over a network.