System and method for obtaining and displaying an interactive electronic representation of a conventional static media object

• US 6,535,889 B1
• Filed: 12/20/1999
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tangelo IP, LLC (Activ8now, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Peeter Todd Mannik
• Inventors: Hyser, Stephen Andrew, Mannik, Peeter Todd, Harris, III, James Edwin, Mignone, Robert Bruno, Hutchinson, Kristopher Derek, Headrick, Garland Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles
• Application Number:
  US09/468,687
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 705/26, 705/14, 705/37, 705/10, 345/349, 345/684, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system and method for displaying an interactive electronic representation (“IER”) of a conventional static media object, such as an electronic publication containing a digital image, is provided by associating a unique identification tag with a static media object. The unique identification tag is also associated with the IER, which is stored in a computer database. An application program for retrieving the IER embodying aspects of the present invention may receive the unique identification tag and, based upon the unique identification tag, locate and display the corresponding IER. A user of the application program may then interact with the IER by selecting portions of the IER. When a portion of the IER is selected, additional information regarding the selected portion of the IER may be displayed to the user.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an interactive electronic representation of a corresponding static media object, comprising:

identifying a conventional static media object with a unique identification tag;

the unique identification tag appearing on the conventional static media object along with an image having at least two objects;

the unique identification tag and the image with the at least two objects represented within the image being visible to the user on the conventional static media object;

creating an association between the unique identification tag and an interactive electronic representation of the static media object, the interactive electronic representation including at least two multimedia objects;

receiving the unique identification tag and a user identification code;

displaying the interactive electronic representation of the static media object in response to receiving the unique identification tag;

receiving control input selecting one of the multimedia objects within the interactive electronic representation; and

in response to the selection of the multimedia object, associating demographic information with the user identification code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the static media object is contained within an electronic publication, the method further comprising:

in response to an activation of the static media object, generating data corresponding to the unique identification tag; and

forwarding the data to an application program providing the interactive electronic representation of the static media object.

3. A method for providing to a user an interactive electronic representation of a corresponding physical static media object, comprising:

identifying the physical static media object with a unique identification tag;

the physical static media object having an image with at least two different objects forming part of the image;

the unique identification tag appearing on the physical static media object along with the image having the at least two objects;

the unique identification tag and the image with the two different objects represented within the image being visible to the user on the physical static media object;

receiving the identification tag; and

forwarding an interactive electronic representation of the physical static media object in response to receiving the unique identification tag;

the interactive electronic representation having a duplicate image of the image in the physical static media object;

the duplicate image being a reproduction of the image contained within the static media object and includes the at least two objects;

the interactive electronic representation enabling the user to obtain additional information on the at least two different objects contained within the duplicate image;

wherein the user is able to see the image and at least two different objects in the physical static media object and can obtain the additional information on the at least two different objects contained within the image of the physical static media object by receiving the interactive electronic representation.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

associating the interactive electronic representation of the physical static media object with the identification tag; and

retrieving the interactive electronic representation of the static media object based upon the identification tag.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the interactive electronic representation comprises an exact reproduction of the static media object.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving control input selecting one object within the interactive electronic representation of the static media object as a selected object; and

displaying the additional information associated with the selected object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the additional information comprises text information.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the additional information comprises graphic information.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the additional information comprises purchasing information for a product identified in the selected object of the interactive electronic representation of the static media object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the purchasing information comprises a map to a retailer selling the product.

11. A method for displaying to a user an interactive electronic representation of a corresponding physical static media object, comprising:

identifying the physical static media object with a unique identification tag;

the physical static media object having an image with at least two different objects forming part of the image;

the unique identification tag appearing on the physical static media object along with the image having the at least two objects;

the unique identification tag and the image with the two different objects represented within the image being visible to the user on the physical static media object;

creating an association between the unique identification tag and an interactive electronic representation of the physical static media object;

receiving the unique identification tag; and

displaying an interactive electronic representation of the physical static media object in response to receiving the identification tag;

the interactive electronic representation having a duplicate image of the image in the physical static media object;

the duplicate image being a reproduction of the image contained within the static media object and includes the at least two objects;

the interactive electronic representation enabling the user to obtain additional information on the at least two different objects contained within the duplicate image;

wherein the user is able to see the image and at least two different objects in the physical static media object and can obtain the additional information on the at least two different objects contained within the image of the physical static media object by receiving the interactive electronic representation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the interactive electronic representation of the physical static media object comprises a plurality of objects, and further comprising:

receiving control input selecting one of the plurality of objects as a selected object; and

in response to the selection of the selected object, displaying a second object associated with the selected object.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the unique identification tag comprises a code identifying a publication containing the physical static media object.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the code further comprises information identifying a publication date of the publication containing the physical static media object.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the second object comprises text information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second object comprises graphic information.