METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING PURCHASE OF OR INFORMATION REQUESTS FOR OBJECTS IN DIGITAL CONTENT

• US 20120233036A1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Mirashrafi, Mojtaba, Hazra, Mousumi M., Pendakur, Ramesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,682,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2358/00 Arrangements for display data security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• 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

Abstract

A client computing system renders digital content (such as, for example, a movie or TV program) for a user. Based on the user'"'"'s interest, the user may select an object image in a video frame of a sequence of video frames of the digital content being rendered. The user input data indicating the object image selection may be sent to a service provider server coupled to the client computing system over a network via a secure communications channel. The server obtains information about an object corresponding to the user-selected object image. The server sends the object information to the client computing system for display to the user. The object may be an object in the physical world, such as a consumer good. The object information may include information enabling the user to purchase the object.

Claims

1. A method of processing digital content on a client computing system comprising:

rendering digital content by the client computing system;

accepting user input data from a user selecting at least one object image in at least one video frame of a sequence of video frames of the digital content being rendered;

sending the user input data to a server coupled to the client computing system over a network via a secure communications channel;

receiving information about an object corresponding to the selected object image from the server; and

displaying the object information on the client computing system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected at least one object image comprises an image of an object captured by a camera as at least a portion of at least one of the video frames.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input data comprises at least one of a location of the selected at least one object image in the at least one video frame shown on a display of the client computing system and an elapsed time from the start of rendering of the video frames.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the captured object comprises a physical world object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the captured object comprises a consumer good.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the object information comprises information to enable the user to purchase the object.

7. A client computing system for processing digital content comprising:

a user input mechanism for entering user input data;

a display; and

a processor adapted to render digital content, to accept user input data from a user via the user input mechanism to select at least one object image in at least one video frame of a sequence of video frames of the digital content being rendered, to send the user input data to a server coupled to the client computing system over a network via a secure communications channel, to receive information about an object corresponding to the selected object image from the server, and to cause the display of the object information on the display.

8. The client computing system of claim 7, wherein the selected at least one object image comprises an image of an object captured by a camera as at least a portion of at least one of the video frames.

9. The client computing system of claim 7, wherein the user input data comprises at least one of a location of the selected at least one object image in the at least one video frame shown on the display of the client computing system and an elapsed time from the start of rendering of the video frames.

10. The client computing system of claim 8, wherein the captured object comprises a physical world object.

11. The client computing system of claim 10, wherein the captured object comprises a consumer good.

12. The client computing system of claim 7, wherein the object information comprises information to enable the user to purchase the object.

13. A computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions that when executed on a processor of a client computing system configure the processor to process digital content by

rendering digital content;

accepting user input data from a user selecting at least one object image in at least one video frame of a sequence of video frames of the digital content being rendered;

sending the user input data to a server coupled to the client computing system over a network via a secure communications channel;

receiving information about an object corresponding to the selected object image from the server; and

causing the display of the object information on a display of the client computing system.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the selected at least one object image comprises an image of an object captured by a camera as at least a portion of at least one of the video frames.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the user input data comprises at least one of a location of the selected at least one object image in the at least one video frame shown on a display of the client computing system and an elapsed time from the start of rendering of the video frames.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the captured object comprises a physical world object.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the captured object comprises a consumer good.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the object information comprises information to enable the user to purchase the object.

19. A method of processing digital content comprising:

rendering digital content by a first application on a client computing system;

accepting, by the first application, user input data from a user selecting at least one object image in at least one video frame of a sequence of video frames in the digital content being rendered;

storing the user input data in a secure storage within the client computing system;

sending the user input data to a second application on a server coupled to the client computing system over a network via a secure communications channel;

comparing, by the second application, the user input data to entries in a content object information database on the server;

when the user input data matches an entry in the content object information database, obtaining and storing, by the second application, information about an object corresponding to the selected object image;

sending the object information, by the second application, to the first application over the secure communications channel; and

displaying, by the first application, the object information on the client computing system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the selected at least one object image comprises an image of an object captured by a camera as at least a portion of at least one of the video frames.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the user input data comprises at least one of a location of the selected at least one object image in the at least one video frame shown on a display of the client computing system and an elapsed time from the start of rendering of the video frames.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the captured object comprises a physical world object.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the captured object comprises a consumer good.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the captured object comprises a person.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the selected object image represents a song.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the object information comprises information to enable the user to purchase the object.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the content information database comprises an entry for each object image in the content that is supported for providing object information to the user.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising analyzing audio and video portions of the content, identifying object images, and creating entries in the content information database for identified object images prior to distribution of the content.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising analyzing audio and video portions of the content based at least in part on the user input data, identifying object images, and creating entries in the content information database for identified object images as the content is being consumed on the client computing system.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising dynamically changing the object information in the content information database.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein storing, by the second application, information about an object corresponding to the selected object image comprises storing the object information in a user profile on the server, and tailoring object information to send to the client computing device based at least in part on the user profile.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising determining interests of the user based at least in part on content delivered to the client computing system and user inputs, and storing interests of the user in the user profile.

33. A system comprising:

a client computing system to render digital content, to accept user input data from a user selecting at least one object image in at least one video frame of a sequence of video frames in the digital content being rendered, and to store the user input data in a secure storage within the client computing system; and

a server, coupled to the client computing system over a network via a secure communications channel, to receive the user input data from the client computing system, to compare the user input data to entries in a content object information database on the server, when the user input data matches an entry in the content object information database, to obtain and store information about an object corresponding to the selected object image, and to send the object information to the client computing system over the secure communications channel;

wherein the client computing system is to display the object information to the user.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the selected at least one object image comprises an image of an object captured by a camera as at least a portion of at least one of the video frames, and the user input data comprises at least one of a location of the selected at least one object image in the at least one video frame shown on a display of the client computing system and an elapsed time from the start of rendering of the video frames.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the captured object comprises a physical world object.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the object information comprises information to enable the user to purchase the object.