System and Method for Integrating Interactive Call-To-Action, Contextual Applications with Videos

• US 20110052144A1
• Filed: 09/01/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 2Cimple, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 2Cimple, Inc.
• Inventors: Ismail, Farrukh, Sanapala, Sridhar, Kirmani, Atta, Ahmad, Mubashir, Ali, Muhammad Rais-ul-Rehman, Mohiuddin, Ali, Abbas, Syed Athar, Haroon, Usman
• Application Number:
  US12/552,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20110052144A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/240
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/036 Insert-editing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44012 involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 21/8583 by creating hot-spots

Abstract

A system and method of delivering an interactive video application includes identifying a hotspot in a portion of a video content. A hypercode object is overlaid on the hotspot at a spatial point. The hypercode object is displayed at a temporal point during playback of the video content. An interactive application is provided to a viewer of the video in response to activation of the hypercode object.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a hotspot in a portion of a video content;

overlaying a hypercode object on the hotspot at a spatial point;

causing the hypercode object to be displayed at a temporal point during playback of the video content; and

providing an interactive application in response to activation of the hypercode object.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

analyzing the video content at the spatial point and the temporal point; and

isolating at least one graphical object detected in the video content at the spatial point and the temporal point.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a temporal range comprising a start time and an end time, wherein the starting time is the temporal point; and

tracking a movement of the graphical object in the video content with the hypercode object beginning at the start time and continuing until the end time.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the isolating the at least one graphical object comprises:

isolating multiple graphical objects in the video content;

providing a list of the multiple graphical objects; and

receiving a selection of one graphical object from the list.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining a context for the video content; and

selecting the interactive application according to the context.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the interactive application further pauses playback of the video content.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the interactive application displays advertising content.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the timing or location of the hypercode object.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

making the interactive application available to a sponsor; and

customizing the interactive application according to a request by the sponsor.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining data related to viewer interaction with the interactive application; and

revising the interactive application based on the data.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the hypercode object is an XML file.

12. An apparatus comprising:

computer-readable physical medium containing instructions executable on a computer that when executed cause the computer to;

identify a hotspot in a portion of a video content;

overlay a hypercode object on the hotspot at a spatial point;

cause the hypercode object to be displayed at a temporal point during playback of the video content; and

provide an interactive application in response to activation of the hypercode object.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed further cause the computer to:

analyze the video content at the spatial point and the temporal point; and

isolate at least one graphical object detected in the video content at the spatial point and the temporal point.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed further cause the computer to:

receive a temporal range comprising a start time and an end time, wherein the starting time is the temporal point; and

track a movement of the graphical object in the video content with the hypercode object beginning at the start time and continuing until the end time.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed further cause the computer to:

isolate multiple graphical objects in the video content;

provide a list of the multiple graphical objects; and

receive a selection of one graphical object from the list.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed further cause the computer to:

define a context for the video content; and

select the interactive application according to the context.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed cause the computer to pause playback of the video content upon activation of the hypercode object.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the interactive application displays advertising content.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed further cause the computer to modify the timing or location of the hypercode object.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed further cause the computer to:

make the interactive application available to a sponsor; and

customize the interactive application according a request by the sponsor.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed further cause the computer to:

obtain data related to viewer interaction with the interactive application; and

revise the interactive application based on the data.

22. A system comprising:

an interactive video player responsive to a video content request to provide a video content to a client device;

a video context editor responsive to a request to identify and track movement of an object in the video content automatically and thereby generate object motion data;

an application integration engine responsive to a request to link an interactive application to a hypercode object;

the hypercode object incorporating the object motion data; and

an analytics server responsive to receipt of user interaction data from the client device to store the user interaction data in a database.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the hypercode object is an XML file.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the user interaction data indicates whether a user at the client device initiated the interactive application linked with the hypercode object.

25. A system comprising:

means for receiving a video;

means for overlaying a hypercode object on the hotspot at a spatial point;

means for causing the hypercode object to be displayed at a temporal point during playback of the video content; and

means for providing an interactive application in response to activation of the hypercode object.

26. The system of claim 25 further comprising:

means for analyzing the video content at the spatial point and the temporal point; and

means for isolating at least one graphical object detected in the video content at the spatial point and the temporal point.

27. The system of claim 26 further comprising:

means for receiving temporal range comprising a start time and an end time, wherein the starting time is the temporal point; and

means for tracking a movement of the graphical object in the video content with the hypercode object beginning at the start time and continuing until the end time.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the isolating the at least one graphical object comprises:

means for isolating multiple graphical objects in the video content;

means for providing a list of the multiple graphical objects; and

means for receiving a selection of one graphical object from the list.

29. The system of claim 25 further comprising:

means for defining a context for the video content; and

means for selecting the interactive application according to the context.

30. The system of claim 25 wherein means for providing the interactive application further pauses playback of the video content.

31. The system of claim 25 wherein the interactive application displays advertising content.

32. The system of claim 25 further comprising means for modifying the timing or location of the hypercode object.

33. The system of claim 25 further comprising:

means for making the interactive application available to a sponsor; and

means for customizing the interactive application according a request by the sponsor.

34. The system of claim 25 further comprising:

means for obtaining data related to viewer interaction with the interactive application; and

means for revising the interactive application based on the data.

35. The system of claim 25 wherein the hypercode object is an XML file.

36. A method comprising:

associating at least one interactive application with a video, the at least one interactive application being contextually relevant to the subject matter of a scene in the video, wherein associating at least one interactive application with the scene comprises at least one of the following;

embedding the at least one interactive application on a video player skin that is proximate to the video during playback of the video; and

embedding the at least one interactive application in one or more hotspots within the video;

activating the at least one interactive application in response to the one or more of the following;

the passage of one or more time periods during playback of the video; and

one or more interactions initiated by one or more viewers of the video during playback of the video;

wherein the interactive application changes depending on the interactions initiated by one or more viewers of the video during playback of the video;

wherein the at least one interactive application is sponsored by a sponsor and comprises one or more of the following;

one or more messages from the sponsor, each of the one or more messages being relevant to the subject matter of the video; and

one or more call-to-action applications, each of the one or more call-to action applications comprising a request that the one or more viewers of the video initiate at least one action that is relevant to the subject matter of the video; and

changing the identity of the sponsor depending on the interactions initiated by one or more viewers of the video during playback of the video.

37. A system comprising:

a computer readable medium comprising a plurality or instruction stored therein, the plurality or instruction comprising;

instructions for associating at least one interactive application with a scene in a video, the at least one interactive application being contextually relevant to the subject matter of the scene, wherein the instructions for associating at least one interactive application with the scene comprises at least one of the following;

instructions for embedding the at least one interactive application on a video player skin that is proximate to the video during playback of the video; and

instructions for embedding the at least one interactive application in one or more hotspots within the video; and

instructions for activating the at least one interactive application in response to the one or more of the following;

the passage of one or more time periods during playback of the video; and

one or more interactions initiated by one or more viewers of the video during playback of the video; and

wherein the at least one interactive application is sponsored by a sponsor and comprises one or more of the following;

one or more messages from the sponsor, each of the one or more messages being relevant to the subject matter of the video;

wherein the identity of the sponsor changes depending on the interactions initiated by one or more viewers of the video during playback of the video;

wherein the interactive application changes depending on the interactions initiated by one or more viewers of the video during playback of the video; and

one or more call-to-action applications, each of the one or more call-to action applications comprising a request that the one or more viewers of the video initiate at least one action that is relevant to the subject matter of the video.