Interactive television system and method having on-demand web-like navigational capabilities for displaying requested hyperlinked web-like still images associated with television content

• US 6,941,574 B1
• Filed: 06/21/1999
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA), Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Broadwin, Elliot, Haass, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, AN SON PHI
• Application Number:
  US09/336,920
• Time in Patent Office: 2,269 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 61, 725 67- 68, 725/87, 725/114, 725115-117, 725/135, 725/139, 725141-142, 725/109, 725/110, 725/112
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00283 with a television apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00299 with a television transmission apparatus, e.g. a videophone, a teletext system or a digital television system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• 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 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for displaying still video images related to video content in an interactive broadcast television system. The system and method of the present invention may also be used for simulating an Internet home page on an interactive television system. The present invention thus supports hyperlinked web-like navigational capabilities in an interactive television system. According to the method of the present invention, the video delivery system provides or broadcasts one or more audio/video channels each comprising video content and also provides or broadcasts at least one still image channel comprising a plurality of still video images, preferably MPEG-2 compressed still images. The user or viewer can select options displayed on the television screen to view desired information. When the set top box receives user input selecting an option to view one of the linked still images, the set top box captures the requested image from the still image broadcast channel, stores the image in memory, and displays the captured still video image corresponding to the selection. The user can also request to view an image which is not currently being transmitted by the video delivery system. In this instance, the system provides user requested still images “on demand” on a dedicated “search” channel. The user can thus selectively navigate between the video content and stills in a web-like hyperlinked fashion.

Claims

1. A method for displaying still video images related to video content in an interactive television system, wherein the interactive television system comprises a video delivery system for providing video content, and at least one subscriber television including a display screen, wherein the subscriber television is coupled to the video delivery system, wherein the system further comprises a media server which stores a plurality of still images, the method comprising:

the video delivery system broadcasting one or more video channels and a first still image channel;

the subscriber television receiving said one or more video channels and said first still image channel;

displaying on the screen one or more selection options, wherein said one or more selection options includes a first selection option which indicates a request to view at least one still image;

receiving user input selecting said first selection option which indicates a request to view said at least one still image;

capturing said at least one still image from said first still image channel; and

the subscriber television displaying on the screen said at least one still image received on said first still image channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said video delivery system broadcasts a plurality of still images on said first still image channel and wherein capturing said at least one still image from said first still image channel comprises determining which of said plurality of still images on said first still image channel corresponds to said user input and selecting said at least one still image for display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said video delivery system broadcasts said plurality of still images cyclically.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said video delivery system broadcasts a plurality of still images on a second still image channel which is distinct from said first still image channel and wherein capturing said at least one still image from said first still image channel comprises transmitting to a media server a request corresponding to said user input and transmitting to said subscriber television said at least one still image in response to said request.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said first still image channel is dedicated to transmitting images in response to user requests.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the screen video content from one of said one or more video channels while displaying on the screen said at least one still image.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said video content is related to a first subject matter and wherein said at least one still image is related to said first subject matter.

8. The method of claim 1:

wherein the video delivery system broadcasting one or more video channels and a first still image channel comprises the video delivery system broadcasting executable interactive program content with one or more of said channels;

wherein the method further comprises the subscriber television executing said interactive program content; and

wherein said displaying on the screen said one or more selection options is performed in response to the subscriber television executing said interactive program content associated with said video content from said one of said one or more channels.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the system further comprises a set top box coupled to the subscriber television and wherein said displaying on the screen said one or more selection options comprises the set top box receiving said executable interactive program content associated with said video content from said one of said one or more video channels and displaying on the screen said one or more selection options in response to executing said interactive program content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying on the screen said at least one still image corresponding to said first selection includes displaying on the screen a second set of selection options, wherein at least one of said second set of selection options corresponds to other still images.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the video delivery system broadcasts a plurality of still images on said first channel;

the video delivery system broadcasting said first channel comprises the video delivery system broadcasting executable interactive program content with each of said plurality of still images; and

said displaying on the screen said second set of selection options is performed in response to receiving interactive program content associated with said plurality of still images.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving user input selecting a second selection of said second set of selection options, wherein said second selection indicates a request to view a second still image which is currently being broadcast by said video delivery system; and

displaying on the screen said second still video image corresponding to said second selection in response to said receiving user input selecting said second selection of said second set of selection options.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving user input selecting a second selection of said second set of selection options, wherein said second selection indicates a request to view a second still image which is not currently being broadcast by said video delivery system;

the subscriber television system providing said request to the media server;

the media server providing said second still image to the video delivery system in response to said request;

the video delivery system broadcasting said second still video image on said first channel in response to receiving said second still image from the media server; and

the subscriber television displaying on the screen said second still image received on said first channel.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said still video images are compressed still video images.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said media server is an Internet server for providing video content on the Internet.

16. A method for providing web-like navigational capabilities in an interactive television system, wherein the interactive television system comprises a video delivery system for providing video content, and at least one subscriber television including a display screen, wherein the subscriber television is coupled to the video delivery system, wherein the system further comprises a media server which stores a plurality of still images, the method comprising:

the video delivery system broadcasting a plurality of video channels each comprising video content;

the video delivery system broadcasting one or more still image channels, each comprising still images;

the subscriber television receiving said plurality of video channels and said one or more still image channels;

displaying on the screen one or more selection options, wherein said one or more selection options includes a first selection option which indicates a request to view a first still image;

receiving user input selecting said first selection option which indicates said request to view said first still image;

if said first still image is not currently being broadcast by the video delivery system, the subscriber television system providing said request to the media server, the media server providing said first still image to the video delivery system in response to said request, the video delivery system broadcasting said first still image on a first still image channel in response to receiving said first still image from the media server; and

if said first still image is currently being broadcast by the video delivery system, capturing said first still image from a second still image channel; and

the subscriber television displaying on the screen said first still image.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said first still image channel comprises said second still image channel.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said still image channels are dedicated to delivery of still images to said subscriber television.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said first still image channel is dedicated to broadcasting still images in response to user input selecting selection options which indicate requests to view still images that are not currently being broadcast.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said second still image channel is distinct from said first still image channel and wherein the method further comprises cyclically rebroadcasting still images on said second still image channel.

21. An interactive television system which displays still video images related to video content, the system comprising:

a subscriber television including a display screen, wherein the subscriber television receives a plurality of video channels each comprising video content and displays video content from one of said plurality of video channels, wherein said subscriber television also receives at least one still image channel comprising a plurality of still images;

wherein said subscriber television is configured to display one or more selection options during display of video content, wherein said one or more selection options includes a first selection option which indicates a request to view a first still image;

wherein said subscriber television is configured to receive user input selecting said first selection option;

wherein the subscriber television system is configured to provide said request to the media server if said first still image is not currently being broadcast by the video delivery system, the media server being configured to provide said first still image to the video delivery system in response to said request, the video delivery system being configured to broadcast said first still image on a first still image channel in response to receiving said first still image from the media server; and

wherein the subscriber television system is configured to capture said first still image from a second still image channel if said first still image is currently being broadcast by the video delivery system; and

wherein said subscriber television is configured to receive and display said first still image in response to said request.

22. The interactive television system of claim 21, wherein the subscriber television is configured to be coupled to a video delivery system, wherein said video delivery system provides said plurality of video channels and said still image channel, and wherein said video delivery system comprises a media server which stores a plurality of still images.

23. The interactive television system of claim 21, wherein:

the subscriber television receives executable interactive program content with one or more of said plurality of channels; and

the subscriber television is configured to display said one or more selection options in response to receiving the interactive program content associated with said video content from said one of said plurality of channels.

24. The interactive television system of claim 23, wherein the interactive television system further comprises:

a set top box coupled to the subscriber television;

wherein the set top box is configured to receive executable interactive program content associated with video content from one of said plurality of channels and display one or more selection options on the subscriber television in response to executing said interactive program content.

25. The interactive television system of claim 21, wherein said at least one still image channel is dedicated to said plurality of still images.