Interactive entertainment system for presenting supplemental interactive content together with continuous video programs

• US 7,757,254 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2004
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Matthews, Joseph H. III, Shoff, Daniel J., Lawler, Frank, Bronson, Valerie L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl; Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alam; Mushfikh
• Application Number:
  US10/832,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,183 Days
• Field of Search: 725/47, 725/61
• US Class Current: 725/44
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

An interactive entertainment system enables presentation of supplemental interactive content along side traditional broadcast video programs, such as television shows and movies. The programs are broadcast in a conventional manner. The supplemental content is supplied as part of the same program signal over the broadcast network, or separately over another distribution network. A viewer computing unit is located at the viewer'"'"'s home to present the program and supplemental content to a viewer. When the viewer tunes to a particular channel, the viewer computing unit consults an electronic programming guide (EPG) to determine if the present program carried on the channel is interactive. If it is, the viewer computing unit launches a browser. The browser uses a target specification stored in the EPG to activate a target resource containing the supplemental content for enhancing the broadcast program. The target resource contains display layout instructions prescribing how the supplemental content and the video content program are to appear in relation to one another when displayed. When the data from the target resource is downloaded, the viewer computing unit is responsive to the layout instructions obtained from the target resource to display the supplemental content concurrently with the video content program. Embedding the layout instructions in the supplemental content advantageously places control of the presentation to the content developers. The developers are free to arrange the data and video in any manner they choose.

Claims

1. A method for presenting an interactive program, comprising:

receiving a program as a continuous stream of video data;

receiving digital data for supporting interactive functionality in relation to the received program, the digital data including both supplemental program content that enables viewer interactivity with the program and a display layout prescribing how the supplemental content and the program are to appear in relation to one another, wherein the digital data is received in response to user input through an electronic programming guide (EPG) allowing selection of uniform resource locators (URLs) associated with digital data;

displaying the program within a program boundary on a visual display device;

presenting the supplemental program content from the digital data in a presentation format on the visual display device which enables the interactive functionality;

dynamically controlling location and shape of the program boundary and the presentation format of the supplemental program content relative to the program boundary on the visual display device based on the received digital data, wherein changes in the location, shape, and relative sizing of the program boundary and a boundary of the supplemental program content are based on time elapsed since a start time of the program; and

presenting both the supplemental program content and the program simultaneously, wherein the supplemental program content is presented outside of the program boundary.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein changes in the location, shape, and the relative sizing of the program boundary and a boundary of the supplemental program content that are based on time elapsed since the start time of the program are based on an open loop control, wherein the start time is followed by measurable ticks.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein changes in the location, shape, and the relative sizing of the program boundary and a boundary of the supplemental program content that are based on time elapsed since the start time of the program are based on an open loop control, wherein the start time is followed by a frame count.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving digital data comprises presenting a user with an opportunity for selecting a continuous stream of digital data from either a first source or from a second source that is different than the first source, wherein the first source supplies the program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically controlling location and shape of the program boundary and the presentation format of the supplemental program content relative to the program boundary on the visual display device comprises scaling the video data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the EPG determines whether the program has associated digital data by reviewing for presence of associated URLs, and wherein a small icon is presented indicate digital data is available when appropriate.

2. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a program from a first source as a continuous stream of video data;

selecting a continuous stream of digital data from either the first source or from a second source that is different than the first source, wherein the selected digital data supports interactive functionality in relation to the program, wherein the digital data prescribes how supplemental content and the video data are to appear in relation to one another, wherein the second source is the internet and the continuous stream of digital data is constructed as hypermedia, wherein the digital data is selected by providing an electronic programming guide (EPG) to a user for selection from between uniform resource locators (URLs) presented by the EPG to thereby allow user selection between digital data from the first source and the second source, and wherein the URLs are user selectable using a back channel to communicate with a headend from which the video data is obtained;

displaying the program within a program boundary on a visual display screen, wherein changes in the location and the shape and relative sizing of the program boundary and a boundary of the supplemental content are based on time elapsed since a start time of the program;

simultaneously presenting supplemental content from the digital data in a presentation format on the visual display screen which enables the interactive functionality; and

dynamically controlling location, size and shape of the program boundary and the presentation format of the supplemental content relative to the program boundary on the visual display screen based on the received continuous stream of digital data, wherein video data is scaled for display with the program boundary in response to dynamic changes in size.

3. A method for a headend of an interactive television system to author an interactive entertainment program, the method comprising:

constructing digital data to support interactive functionality with a video content program, the digital data being configured to permit a viewer to interactively control display of supplemental content along with the video content program, wherein the digital data is presented according to user input at an EPG (electronic programming guide) allowing selection between URLs (uniform resource locators) within the EPG;

defining a display layout of how the supplemental content and the video content program are displayed in relation to one another on a display device;

developing timing information to synchronize presentation of the supplemental content in conjunction with the video content program wherein the timing information coordinates the supplemental content with a start time of the video content program and wherein the timing information is derived from the supplemental content; and

encoding the digital data with instructions to dynamically change the display layout of the supplemental content and the video content program and to alter the display layout of the supplemental content and the video content program in response to the timing information to accommodate the display of both the supplemental content and the video content program on the display device, wherein changes in location, shape, and relative size of a boundary of the video content program and the supplemental content are keyed to frame numbers of frames being displayed.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein changes in location, shape, and relative sizing of the boundary of the video content program and a boundary of the supplemental content are based on a measurement of ticks following the start time of the video content program.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein changes in location and shape and relative sizing of the boundary of the video content program and a boundary of the supplemental content are based on a frame count following the start time of the video content program.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the digital data is constructed in response to selection of digital data from either a first source or from a second source that is different than the first source, wherein the first source supplies the video content program.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein dynamic change to the display layout of the supplemental content and to the video content program comprises scaling video data of the video content program.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein constructing the digital data comprises identifying whether the video content program has associated digital data by reviewing for presence of associated URLs within the EPG, and wherein a small icon is presented to indicate available digital data when appropriate.

4. A computer implemented method, comprising:

constructing digital data to support interactive functionality with a video content program, the digital data being configured to permit a viewer to interactively control display of supplemental content along with the video content program, wherein the digital data is presented in response to user input to an EPG (electronic programming guide) and user selection of URL (uniform resource locator) within the EPG;

defining a display layout of how the supplemental content and the video content program are displayed in relation to one another; and

encoding the digital data with instructions to dynamically change the display layout of the supplemental content and the video content program automatically, wherein the encoding includes changing a size of the video content program displayed on a screen and a size of the supplemental content displayed on the screen, and wherein changes in the location and relative sizing of a boundary of the video content and a boundary of the supplemental content are keyed to frame numbers of frames being displayed.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein changes in the location and the relative sizing of the boundary of the video content and the boundary of the supplemental content that are based on time elapsed since the start time of the video content program are based on an open loop control, wherein the start time is followed by a frame count.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein constructing digital data comprises presenting a user with an opportunity for selecting a continuous stream of digital data from either a first source or from a second source that is different than the first source, wherein the first source supplies the video content program.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein dynamically changing the display layout of the supplemental content and the video content program comprises scaling the video content program.