Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RETRIEVING ONLINE CONTENT
IN AN INTERACTIVE TELEVISION ENVIRONMENT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an interactive television environment and, in
particular, to a method and system for retrieving online content in such an
environment.
BACKGROUND
The technology around television has changed greatly since inception of this
medium. The original paradigm of broadcasting an analog signal over a radio
frequency carrier has evolved into the reality of today, where signals are
digitally
encoded and distributed over myriad platforms, including radio frequency,
cable,
satellite and the Internet. While early advances introduced the world to color
screens
and remote control, more recent developments have brought viewers in touch
with
high definition broadcasts, plasma displays, electronic program guides and
video-on-
demand.
Yet, the basic process for watching television has not changed in decades.
Viewers still tend to turn on the television, select a channel, and watch the
television
program available on that channel. Recognizing that this basic process is
unlikely to
change, efforts have turned to enhancing the resulting viewing experience,
making it
more "interactive" for viewers within the domain of a service provider. In
particular,
the creator of a particular television program, or the service provider
itself, can design
additional content to be rendered available to viewers at certain key moments
in the
television program. The additional content accompanies the particular
television
program delivered from the service provider, and is made available to multiple
viewers of the same channel who have accepted an invitation to receive the
additional
content.
It will be noted that because the same additional content is shared amongst
multiple viewers, the additional content needs to be pre-configured so as to
appeal to
a relatively wide viewer base, in order for the interactive service to remain
profitable
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for the service provider. As a result, service providers tend to limit their
design of
additional content so as to achieve a high likelihood of such content being
watched by
viewers. Ultimately, however, this has the effect of exposing viewers to a
stale
environment with dubious claims to interactivity.
It is thus apparent that a need exists to improve the viewing experience
offered
by an interactive environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
method executable by at least one computing entity, comprising: obtaining a
plurality
of descriptive information elements; parsing at least some of the descriptive
information elements into one or more subsets of information elements
associated
with respective information categories; retrieving online content for each of
the one or
more subsets of information elements; and causing the retrieved online content
to be
.. presented to a user.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for
execution by
a computing device, wherein execution of the set of instructions by the
computing
device causes the computing device to execute a method that includes:
obtaining a
plurality of descriptive information elements; parsing at least some of the
descriptive
information elements into one or more subsets of information elements
associated
with respective information categories; retrieving online content for each of
the one or
more subsets of information elements; and causing the retrieved online content
to be
presented to a user.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
method executable by a computing device, comprising: obtaining descriptive
infoimation for a media element; parsing the descriptive information into one
or
more categorized information subsets associated with respective content
groups;
retrieving online content pertaining to each of the content groups based on
the
respective one of the one or more categorized information subsets; and causing
the
online content for each of the content groups to be presented to a user.
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In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for
execution by a
computing device, wherein execution of the set of instructions by the
computing
device causes the computing device to execute a method that includes:
obtaining
descriptive information for a media element; parsing the descriptive
information into
one or more categorized information subsets associated with respective content
groups; retrieving online content pertaining to each of the content groups
based on the
respective one of the one or more categorized information subsets; and causing
the
online content for each of the content groups to be presented to a user.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
method for delivering interactivity to viewers of television programs,
comprising:
receiving a request for interactivity from a viewer of a television program;
obtaining
descriptive information associated with the television program; parsing the
descriptive
information into subsets associated with respective categories; retrieving
categorized
online content on a basis of the descriptive information in each respective
subset; and
formatting the categorized online content for delivery to the viewer.
In accordance with a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided
an
apparatus for delivering interactivity to viewers of television programs,
comprising:
an interface configured to receive a request for interactivity from a viewer
of a
television program; an interactivity manager configured to obtain descriptive
information associated with the television program, to parse the descriptive
information into subsets associated with respective categories and to retrieve
categorized online content on a basis of the descriptive information in each
respective
subset; and a formatting entity configured to format the categorized online
content for
delivery to the viewer.
In accordance with a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is
provided
a computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for
execution by
a computing device, wherein execution of the set of instructions by the
computing
device causes the computing device to execute a method for delivering
interactivity to
viewers of television programs, the method including: receiving, over a
communication channel, a request for interactivity from a viewer of a
television
program; obtaining descriptive information associated with the television
program;
parsing the descriptive information into subsets associated with respective
categories;
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retrieving categorized online content on a basis of the descriptive
information in each
respective subset; and formatting the categorized interactive content for
delivery to
the viewer over the communication channel.
These and other aspects and features of the present invention will now become
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following
description
of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. IA is a block diagram of an architecture for delivering interactive
services, in accordance with a first non-limiting embodiment of the present
invention;
Fig. 1B is a block diagram of an architecture for delivering interactive
services, in accordance with a second non-limiting embodiment of the present
invention;
Figs. 2A and 2B are portions of a flow diagram illustrating specific non-
limiting steps in an interactivity process and a formatting process performed
in the
course of delivering interactive services in the architectures of Figs. lA and
1B;
Figs. 3A-3C show some non-limiting possibilities for the layout of a viewer's
screen that includes an interactive viewing area for the delivery of
categorized online
content in an interactive fashion; and
Fig. 4 illustrates a step of parsing descriptive information elements into
subsets associated with respective information categories.
It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only
for
the purpose of illustration of certain embodiments of the invention and are an
aid for
understanding. They are not intended to be a definition of the limits of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Reference is made to Fig. 1A, which shows an architecture for delivery of
interactive television services, in accordance with a first non-limiting
embodiment of
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the present invention. A television set 10 at an end user premise 12 (which
can be
fixed or mobile) is connected to an interface 14 that receives multi-channel
television
programming 84 from one or more sources of programming 18 over a television
distribution system 16. In the first non-limiting embodiment being described
here, the
television distribution system 16 can take on various forms, including a radio
frequency distribution system (i.e., conventional airwaves), a cable
distribution
system, a satellite distribution system or an Internet distribution system.
(Other
possibilities exist, some of which will be described later on with reference
to Fig. 1B.)
The interface 14 may also take on various forms, and generally can comprise
transmit
and/or receive circuitry as well as equipment such as a modulator/demodulator
(modem) and/or an encoder/decoder (codec). In some cases, the interface 14 can
be
integrated with end user equipment such as a cable modem or a set top box
supplied
by a cable or satellite company. Alternatively, the interface 14 may be
integrated with
the television set 10. Alternatively still, the interface 14 may be
incorporated into a
video capable device at the end user premise 12, such as a Blu-Ray player,
game
console, etc.
The television set 10 includes at least one output device 24, at least one
input
device 26 and a control entity 28. The at least one input device 26 allows a
viewer 30
to select a program for viewing. This selection is detected and interpreted by
the
control entity 28 which, in response, controls conveyance of an audio visual
signal
over the at least one output device 24, which can include a display and a
loudspeaker.
The control entity 28 can in some cases implement a personal video recording
(PVR)
function, allowing received television programs to be recorded and played back
at a
later time via the at least one output device 24. The at least one input
device 26 can
include a console. Alternatively or in addition, a remote control (not shown)
can be
used by the viewer 30 to control operation of the television set 10 and/or the
interface
14. In still other cases, the television set 10 is implemented as a computer
and thus
the at least one input device 26 can include one or more of a keyboard, a
mouse, a
touch-sensitive screen, microphone, game controller, etc.
One feature of the control entity 28 is the ability to detect an expression of
interest in obtaining interactive content, as supplied by the viewer 30 via
the at least
one input device 26 (e.g., the console, remote control, keyboard, mouse, touch-
sensitive screen, microphone, game controller, etc.). More specifically, the
viewer's
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interest in obtaining interactive content can be expressed during viewing of a
particular television program by hitting a dedicated button on a remote
control, by
pressing a predetermined sequence of keys on a remote control or keyboard, by
clicking a dedicated area on a graphical user interface using a mouse or by
touching
the dedicated area directly on-screen, etc. It is also envisaged that the
viewer 30 may
speak a command (e.g., "please give me interactive content") into a
microphone. The
control entity 28 is operative to convert the detected expression of interest
into a
request for interactivity. The request for interactivity, as well as
potentially other data
resulting from viewer-provided inputs, is conveyed via the interface 14 to an
interactivity server 20 over a communication channel hereinafter referred to
as an
interactive channel 22.
The interactive channel 22 can take on many forms. One possibility is for the
interactive channel 22 to be established over a telephony line that connects
the end
user premise 12 to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). In this case,
the
interactivity server 20 could be coupled to a modem that is reachable over the
PSTN
at a specific telephone number that can be dialed by the interface 14. Another
possibility is for the interactive channel 22 to be established over an
upstream
(reverse) channel of a cable distribution system. In this case, the
interactivity server
could be connected to a cable head end that is reachable over the upstream
20 channel. Yet another possibility is for the interactive channel 22 to be
established
over a connection that traverses the Internet, access to which is provided by
an
Internet service provider (ISP). In this case, the interactivity server 20
could be
implemented as a website that is reachable over the Internet at a specific
address. It
should be noted that Internet access could be provided wirelessly using WiMax,
WiFi,
etc.
The interactive channel 22 between the interactivity server 20 and the end
user
premise 12 is established for a particular "customer" who subscribes to
interactive
services that are provided by the interactivity server 20. The particular
customer may
have a business relationship with an operator of the interactivity server 20,
whereby
payment may be made to the operator on a monthly, per-use or other basis for
the
privilege of enjoying the interactive services provided by the interactivity
server 20.
To this end, equipment at the end user premise 12 (e.g., a set top box or
cable modem
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to which the interface 14 may be integrated) may also be controlled by the
operator of
the interactivity server 20.
In one embodiment, the operator of the interactivity server 20 also controls
and/or operates the television distribution system 16. In an alternative
embodiment, a
completely separate business relationship may be established (with a different
commercial entity) for the purposes of connecting the end user premise 12 to
the
television distribution system 16. In another alternative embodiment, access
to the
television distribution system 16 may be free of charge (e.g., in the case of
a radio
frequency distribution system), requiring no special relationship between the
end user
premise 12 and the television distribution system 16.
It should be appreciated that decoupling of the television distribution system
16 from the interactive channel 22 leads to a certain flexibility in the
establishment of
the interactive channel 22 itself. Specifically, the manner in which the multi-
channel
television programming 84 is received from the sources of programming 18 does
not
constrain the manner in which the interactivity server 20 is reached for the
purposes
of establishing the interactive channel 22. To illustrate, let it be assumed
that the end
user premise 12 has access to the Internet and let it further be assumed that
the
interactivity server 20 is a website that is reachable over the Internet at a
specific
address. In this case, the interface 14 can be initialized to reach the
interactivity
server 20 at its specific address without regard to the manner in which the
multi-
channel television programming 84 is received from the sources of programming
18.
It should be appreciated that initialization can take place by way of a
software
download received by the interface 14 on a specific channel over the
television
distribution system 16. Alternatively, initialization can take place
during
manufacturing of the interface 14 (or of the television set 10, if the
interface 14 is
integrated therewith). Alternatively still, initialization can take place
through
interaction with an end user after the interface 14 is shipped.
It should also be appreciated that the particular customer is but one of many
other customers who may subscribe to interactive services that are provided by
the
interactivity server 20. As customers are basically entities created for the
purposes of
accounting, each may include such identifying information as a name, address
and
account number in order to assist the operator of the interactivity server 20
to
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discriminate among them. Additional information may also be associated with
each
customer and be held in various customer-centric databases, as will now be
described.
In one example, the particular customer may subscribe to certain interactive
television applications that may be offered by various suppliers. Accordingly,
the
architecture in Fig. 1 A is shown to include a subscription database 40, which
stores
the particular customer's identifying information together with identifying
information regarding the interactive application(s) to which the particular
customer
subscribes. The interactivity server 20 has access to the subscription
database 40
along a communication link 42, which may be a logical or physical
communication
link.
Another example of a customer-centric database is a demography database 44,
which stores the particular customer's identifying information in addition to
demographic information regarding the particular customer.
Examples of
demographic information can include age, gender, race, income, number of
children,
nationality and location (e.g., street address, postal code or
latitude/longitude), to
name a few non-limiting possibilities. The interactivity server 20 has access
to the
demography database 44 along a communication link 46, which may be a logical
or
physical communication link.
Yet another example of a customer-centric database is a marketing database
48, which can be a subset of the demography database 44. The marketing
database 48
stores the particular customer's identifying information in addition to
marketing
information pertaining to the particular customer. Examples of marketing
information
include brands purchased by the particular customer, commercial establishments
(either brick-and-mortar or online) visited by the particular customer,
targeted
marketing information collected by various marketing agencies, and so on. The
interactivity server 20 has access to the marketing database 48 along a
communication
link 50, which may be a logical or physical communication link.
Still other customer-centric databases may be provided in the architecture of
Fig. IA for the purpose of storing additional information pertaining to the
particular
customer. It should also be understood that although the databases 40, 44, 48
are
shown in Fig. lA as being separate entities, any two or more of the databases
may be
combined into a single structure.
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The interactivity server 20 comprises an interface 52 of its own, as well as
an
interactivity manager 54 and a formatting entity 56. The interface 52
regulates the
flow of data along the interactive channel 22. That is, upstream data (such as
a
request for interactivity) arriving from the interface 14 over the interactive
channel 22
is directed by the interface 52 towards the interactivity manager 54, whereas
"formatted interactive content" 82 received from the formatting entity 56 is
placed by
the interface 52 onto the interactive channel 22 and released towards the
interface 14.
The interactivity manager 54 executes an interactivity process in response to
a
request for interactivity received from the interface 14. To this end, the
interactivity
manager 54 can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, control
logic or
any combination thereof In particular, the interactivity manager 54 may
comprise a
processor and a memory, where the memory stores computer-readable instructions
that are executable by the processor and which, when read by the processor,
cause the
interactivity process to be executed. In order to execute the interactivity
process,
which will be described in further detail later on, the interactivity manager
54 consults
and has access to one or more of the aforementioned customer-centric databases
including, in particular, the subscription database 40. In addition, the
interactivity
manager 54 may consult and have access to other databases which can include,
in
some cases, a scheduling database 58 and an auxiliary database 60.
The interactivity manager 54 has access to the scheduling database 58 along a
communication link 62, which may be a logical or physical communication link.
The
scheduling database 58, if used, stores scheduling information and descriptive
information associated with various television programs that may be
transmitted by
the sources of programming 18. Descriptive information associated with a
particular
television program can be regarded as information that characterizes the
particular
television program. To this end, the scheduling database 58 stores a broadcast
program grid, which includes a plurality of entries having coordinates along
two
scheduling information axes. One of the scheduling information axes includes a
time
line and the other scheduling information axis includes a set of channels. The
entry
associated with a particular time interval (i.e., a range of points along the
time line)
and a particular channel comprises descriptive information associated with the
television program being broadcast on the particular channel during the
particular
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time interval. In a non-limiting example embodiment, the descriptive
information
may take the form of metadata.
The entries in the scheduling database 58 may be coarsely or finely granular
with respect to the time intervals they represent, and this can have an
influence on the
descriptive information that the entries can store. Consider first the case of
coarsely
granular scheduling database entries that represent time intervals lasting
several
minutes or more. In an example where the television program being broadcast on
the
particular channel is a serial television show, the descriptive information
may include
a title of the television show, an episode number (if applicable) and the
identity
(including the Internet address) of a particular one of the sources of
programming 18
associated with the particular channel (e.g., the name of a media network,
such as
ABC, CNN, CTV, Fox, etc.). In an example where the television program being
broadcast on the particular channel is a sporting event, the descriptive
information
may include an indication of the sport (e.g., hockey, football, women's
tennis, etc.), a
level of the event (e.g., regular season game, playoff, final, etc.) and the
identity
(including the Internet address) of a particular one of the sources of
programming 18
associated with the particular channel (e.g., the name of a media network,
such as
CBS, TSN, CTV, etc.).
Consider now the case of finely granular scheduling database entries that
represent time intervals lasting only a few seconds each. Such short intervals
can be
used to provide, from a broadcaster's traffic system, statistical data during
a sporting
event or other detailed scheduling data. For example, where the television
program
being broadcast on the particular channel is a television show, the
descriptive
information stored in the scheduling database 58 may include, in addition to
the
information referred to above, the identity of a particular actor or product
placement
(e.g., a Ford vehicle) appearing on screen at the current time. In an example
where
the television program broadcast aired on the particular channel is an
advertisement
for a product or service, the descriptive information may include the name of
the
product or service being advertised and the name of the company whose product
or
service is being promoted. For sporting events, the descriptive information
may
include statistical data that is valid at the current time.
The scheduling database 58 may also comprise individual program timelines
for non-broadcast television programs, such as playback of a movie from a
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library or playback of a previously recorded program (such as a TV series or
sporting
event, which may have been broadcast at the time of recording, but is no
longer being
broadcast at the time of playback). The individual program timeline for a
particular
non-broadcast television program includes a plurality of entries corresponding
to time
intervals relative to a start time of the television program. The time
intervals can be
as coarsely or as finely granular as desired. The entry associated with a
particular
time interval comprises descriptive information associated with the television
program. When the television program is being played back, time will elapse
from
the start time, and thus a "relative time of occurrence" within the television
program
will keep advancing. When a requestor (e.g., the interactivity manager 54)
supplies
the identity of a particular television program (e.g., the name of a movie or
sporting
event) and the relative time of occurrence within the particular television
program
(i.e., how much time has elapsed since the beginning of the movie or sporting
event),
the scheduling database 58 is operative to identify the entry associated with
the
appropriate time interval of the appropriate individual program timeline, and
will
return the descriptive information contained therein to the requestor.
It should also be appreciated that descriptive information associated with a
particular television program can also be obtained by consulting the auxiliary
database 60. The interactivity manager 54 has access to the auxiliary database
60
along a communication link 64, which may be a logical or physical
communication
link. The auxiliary database 60, if used, stores descriptive information that
is
associated with input criteria identifying various television programs. (In
some
embodiments, the input criteria may be a subset of descriptive information
that was
obtained from the scheduling database 58, in which case the descriptive
information
stored in the auxiliary database 60 can be regarded as "enhanced" descriptive
information.)
In an example where the input criteria identify a particular television show,
the
descriptive information stored in the auxiliary database 60 may include
additional
information known to be associated with the show. This may include, inter
alia, the
names of actors, producers, directors or other participants having a role in
the show, a
list of other shows that those participants may have participated in, the type
of show
(e.g., comedy, drama, movie, etc.), a list of awards that the show may have
won or for
which the show may have been nominated, a description of the show, a list of
key
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words associated with the show, a list of topics that are scheduled to be
discussed in
the show (such as during a news segment or a talk show), a collection of other
electronic program guide (EPG) data pertaining to the show (e.g., ratings
(e.g., "G",
"R", "18+", etc.), qualifiers (such as HD, closed captioned, Dolby stereo,
etc.), etc.),
an indication of the location of the currently viewed scene (e.g., Disney
World, etc.),
the Internet address of a sanctioned website of the show, etc. It should be
understood
that there is no particular demarcation between the range of descriptive
information
that may be stored in the scheduling database 58 and the range of descriptive
information that may be stored in the auxiliary database.
In an example where input criteria identify a particular sporting event, the
descriptive information stored in association therewith may include, for
example, the
names of teams, athletes, coaches or other participants having a role in the
sporting
event, the season or career statistical data pertaining to these participants
(e.g., goals,
assists, penalty minutes, goals-against average, earned-run average, home
runs, wins,
losses, corner kicks resulting in goals, aces on first serve in matches played
in May at
an altitude above 2000m, etc.), team statistical data, league statistical
data, etc.
It should be apparent to those of skill in the art that other types of
information
may fall under the rubric of "descriptive information associated with a
television
program", and that the descriptive information associated with a television
program
can be linked, arranged and searchable within the scheduling database 58 and
the
auxiliary database 60 in a variety of ways.
Also as part of the interactivity process executed by the interactivity
manager
54, the interactivity manager 54 causes retrieval of the data to be ultimately
released
towards the end user premise 12 over the interactive channel 22. This is
achieved by
retrieving online content from the Internet 66 on a per-category basis
(referred to as
"categorized online content" and denoted 68) and directing the categorized
online
content 68 towards the formatting entity 56. Accordingly, the interactivity
manager
54 is assumed to have access to the Internet 66 over a communication link 76.
It is
noted that where the interactive channel 22 itself traverses the Internet 66,
the
interactivity server 20 need not require a second connection to the Internet
66. The
interactivity manager 54 may also have access to an interactive application
warehouse
70 that supports one or more interactive applications 72 for consumption by a
variety
of customers including the particular customer. The interactivity manager 54
further
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has the capability to trigger one or more of the interactive applications 72,
resulting in
the generation of "managed content" 74. By "managed content" is meant content
over which the operator of the interactivity server 20 has control. The
interactivity
manager 54 also has the capability to direct the managed content 74 towards
the
formatting entity 56, for eventual delivery to the end user premise 12 over
the
interactive channel 22.
The formatting entity 56 executes a formatting process on (i) the managed
content 74, if any, received from the interactive application warehouse 70 via
the
interactivity manager 54 and (ii) the categorized online content 68 received
from the
Internet 66 via the interactivity manager 54. To this end, the formatting
entity 66 can
be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, control logic or any
combination
thereof. In particular, the formatting entity 66 may comprise a processor and
a
memory, where the memory stores computer-readable instructions that are
executable
by the processor and which, when read by the processor, cause the formatting
process
to be executed. The formatting process involves a filtering sub-process and a
presentation sub-process, which will be described in further detail later on.
The
output of the formatting entity 56 is the formatted interactive content 82
that is
provided to the interface 52. In order to execute the formatting process, the
formatting entity 56 consults and has access to various ones of the
aforementioned
databases, including the demography database 44 and the marketing database 48.
The
formatting entity 56 also consults and has access to one or more other
databases
which can include, in some cases, a heuristics database 78 and a viewability
database
96.
The heuristics database 78, if used, stores information regarding certain
habits,
preferences, opinions, etc., of the viewer 30 individually as well as within
the larger
context of a viewing community. For example, the heuristics database 78 may
store
peer ratings collected from online blogs regarding a television show. The
heuristics
database 78 may also store feedback received from viewers (including the
viewer 30)
that have been previously presented with certain online content, thus
indicating a
spectrum of viewer reactions which can be combined with demographic and
marketing information to influence the manner in which information is
formatted for
the viewer 30. The formatting entity 56 has access to the heuristics database
78 along
a communication link 80, which may be a logical or physical communication
link.
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The viewability database 96, if used, stores information regarding a plurality
of online addresses (e.g., web sites, web pages, etc.) and a degree to which
the content
made available online by those online addresses is suited for presentation in
an
interactive viewing area at the end user premise 12. This information may be
collected as a background operation, either directly by the service provider
or by a
third part on behalf of the service party. The formatting entity 56 has access
to the
viewability database 96 along a communication link 98, which may be a logical
or
physical communication link.
Although Fig. 1A shows the databases 40, 44, 48, 58, 60, 78 as discrete
components to which the interactivity server 20 has access, it should be
appreciated
that one or more of the aforementioned databases can be combined into a single
database. It should also be appreciated that one or more of the aforementioned
databases may be integrated with the interactivity manager 54 and/or the
formatting
entity 56 and/or other components of the interactivity server 20.
The formatted interactive content 82 reaches the interface 14 along the
interactive channel 22. Meanwhile, as will be recalled, the multi-channel
television
programming 84 is available to the interface 14 via the television
distribution system
16. On the basis of selections made by the viewer 30 via the at least one
input device
26, the interface 14 allows one or more selected channels of television
programming
to reach the television set 10 for conveyance to the viewer 30. In addition, a
blending
function in the interface 14 and/or the control entity 28 blends the selected
channel(s)
with the formatted interactive content 82 to create a composite television
signal for
presentation to the viewer 30 over the at least one output device 24.
With reference now to Figs. 3A-3C, the composite television signal, when
displayed on a screen 300 (which is an example of the at least one output
device 24),
will be perceived by the viewer 30 to include a TV viewing area 310
graphically
conveying the selected channel(s) and an interactive viewing area 320
graphically
conveying the formatted interactive content 82. Further details regarding the
size,
shape and configuration of the TV viewing area 310 and the interactive viewing
area
320 will be provided later on in this description.
Reference is now made to Fig. 1B, which shows an architecture for delivery of
interactive television services in accordance with a second non-limiting
embodiment
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of the present invention. The architecture in Fig. 1B is similar to the
architecture in
Fig. IA and includes many very similar or identical elements, such as the end
user
premise 12, the television set 10, the databases 40, 44, 48, 58, 60, 78, the
Internet 66,
the interactive application warehouse 70 and the sources of programming 18.
However, certain elements are different. Most notably, in the architecture in
Fig. 1B,
it will be observed that a bidirectional communication channel 100 exists
between an
interface 14B at the end user premise 12 and a head end server 20B. The
communication channel 100 is used to deliver both television programming and
interactive services to the end user premise 12. Other communication channels
are
similarly used to deliver television programming and interactive services to
other end
user premises.
The arrangement of Fig. 1B is possible and convenient when both the
television programming and the interactive services are controlled or operated
by the
same commercial entity or "service provider". In this case, a relationship is
established between the service provider (offering both television programming
and
interactive services) and a particular "customer" (which is an abstraction of
an entity
that presumably owns or operates the end user premise 12) so as to allow the
viewer
30 to enjoy the privilege of being able to (i) view television programs
distributed by
the service provider (which may originate from third party content providers)
and (ii)
participate in interactive services offered by the service provider. It will
be
appreciated that payment for this privilege may be made to the service
provider on a
monthly, per-use or any other agreed upon basis.
The arrangement of Fig. 1B may tend to arise in an IPTV environment, where
the communication channel 100 traverses a service-provider-controlled packet-
switched network that enables IP connections. Some of these IP connections may
be
dedicated to television streaming, while others may carry selections (e.g.,
channel
changes) from the viewer 30 to the head end server 20B. Within the
communication
channel 100, various unidirectional or bidirectional sub-channels may be
created for
the conveyance of specific information such as television data streams,
channel
changes, requests for interactivity and formatted interactive content, to name
a few
non-limiting possibilities. A similar description could apply to a mobility
environment, where the communication channel 100 traverses a service-provider-
controlled wireless network (such as a mobile telephony network) that enables
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wireless data connections. Still other instances where the arrangement of Fig.
1B may
tend to arise will be apparent to those of skill in the art. One such instance
is a cable
distribution environment, where the communication channel 100 could traverse a
cable-company-controlled packet-switched network that enables IP connections.
The interface 14B present at the end user premise 12 is virtually identical to
the interface 14, except that it is adapted to support the above communication
channel
100. In an IPTV (or cable) environment, the interface 14B can be integrated
with a
set top box (or cable modem) supplied by an IPTV (or cable) service provider,
whereas in a mobility environment, the interface 14B can be integrated with a
mobile
device that implements the television set 10.
The head end server 20B is one part of a larger service provider
infrastructure,
which may include one or more of the aforementioned databases 40, 44, 48, 58,
60,
78, the interactive application warehouse 70 and possibly even the sources of
programming 18 to the extent that the service provider acts as an aggregator
of
television programs from different sources. The head end server 20B comprises
an
interface 52B, the interactivity manager 54 and the formatting entity 56. The
interactivity manager 54 and the formatting entity 56 operate as previously
described.
That is, the interactivity manager 54 executes the aforementioned
interactivity process
in response to a request for interactivity received from the interface 14B,
while the
.. formatting entity 56 executes the aforementioned formatting process on the
managed
content 74 (if any) and the categorized online content 68.
In addition, the head end server 20B may include a selector 102 that supplies
a
selected television data stream 104 to the interface 52B. The selector 102
receives
multi-channel programming 84 from the sources of programming 18, either
directly or
over a television distribution system 16B. For the particular customer, the
selector
102 can select one or more of the television channels to be released to the
interface
52B in the form of the selected television data stream 104. As television
channel
selection is affected by viewer input (specifically, channel changes made by
the
viewer 30), the selector 102 operates under the influence of upstream data
received by
the interface 52B along the communication channel 100.
In general, the interface 52B regulates the flow of data (including both
television programming and interactive data) along the communication channel
100.
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In particular, certain upstream data (such as channel changes) arriving from
the
interface 14B over the communication channel 100 is directed by the interface
52B
towards the selector 102 for control thereof. To this end, the interface 52B
is
connected to the selector 102 by a link 94. Other upstream data (such as
requests for
interactivity) is directed by the interface 52B towards the interactivity
manager 54. In
the downstream direction, the interface 52B places the aforementioned
formatted
interactive content 82 received from the formatting entity 56 onto the
communication
channel 100. Also in the downstream direction, the interface 52B places the
selected
television data stream 104 onto the communication channel 100.
In the arrangement of Fig. 1B, a blending function 106 is implemented by the
interface 52B. The blending function 106 blends the selected television data
stream
104 with the formatted interactive content 82 to create a composite television
signal
108 that is encoded and sent to the end user premise 12 over the communication
channel 100. The interface 14B and the control entity 28 then cooperate to
present the
composite television signal 108 to the viewer 30 over the at least one output
device
24.
With reference to Figs. 3A-3C, when the composite television signal 108 is
displayed on the aforementioned screen 300, the viewer 30 will perceive the
aforementioned TV viewing area 310 graphically conveying the selected
television
data stream 104 and the aforementioned interactive viewing area 320
graphically
conveying the formatted interactive content 82.
In a variant of the arrangement of Fig. 1B, the selected television data
stream
104 and the formatted interactive content 82 are conveyed to the end user
premise 12
over the communication channel 100. In this case, a blending function in the
interface
14B and/or the control entity 28 blends the selected television data stream
104 with
the formatted interactive content 82 to create a composite television signal
for
presentation to the viewer 30 over the at least one output device 24. The
composite
television signal is displayed on the screen 300 in much the same way as was
previously described.
Figs. 2A and 2B are portions of a flow diagram illustrating various steps in
the
interactivity process executed by the interactivity manager 54 and in the
formatting
process executed by the formatting entity 56. To begin with, and referring
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specifically to Fig. 2A, it is assumed that a request for interactivity 202
has been sent
from the end user premise 12 in response to detection by the control entity 28
of an
expression of interest by the viewer 30 in obtaining interactive content while
viewing
a particular television program on a particular channel. As explained
previously, the
viewer 30 can express such interest by hitting a dedicated button on a remote
control,
by pressing a predetermined sequence of keys on a remote control or keyboard,
by
clicking a dedicated area on a graphical user interface using a mouse or by
touching
the dedicated area directly on-screen, etc. It is also envisaged that the
viewer 30 may
speak a command (e.g., "please give me interactive content") into a
microphone.
The request for interactivity 202 travels along the interactive channel 22 (in
the case of Fig. 1A) or the communication channel 100 (in the case of Fig. 1B)
and is
subsequently received at the interface 52 (or 52B) and recognized as being
associated
with the particular customer. The request for interactivity 202 is forwarded
to the
interactivity manager 54, which then begins execution of the interactivity
process,
now described with reference to steps 210-214.
At step 210 of the interactivity process, the interactivity manager 54 obtains
one or more "descriptive information elements".
The "descriptive information elements" can comprise information (e.g., a
search query) input by the viewer 30 via the at least one input device 26. In
a specific
non-limiting example, a search query input by the viewer via the at least one
input
device 26 could be composed of a text string including separators such as
spaces,
semicolons, "plus" signs, quotes, and the like. In other cases, the viewer 30
may not
necessarily be commissioning a specific search for a particular document or
link, but
rather may be interested in obtaining pertinent information in a number of
different
information categories.
Alternatively or in addition, the "descriptive information elements" can
comprise descriptive information associated with a media element currently of
interest
to the viewer 30, an example of which is the particular television program
being
viewed by the viewer 30. Other examples of media elements include websites,
pictures, movies, video segments and audio segments. The descriptive
information
associated with the particular television program may comprise the following,
to
name a few non-limiting possibilities:
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(i) For a serial television show: a title of the television show, an
episode
number (if applicable), the identity (including the Internet address) of a
particular one of the sources of programming 18, the names of actors,
producers, directors or other participants having a role in the show, a
list of other shows that those participants may have participated in, the
type of show, a list of awards that the show may have won or for which
the show may have been nominated, a description of the show, a list of
key words associated with the show, a list of topics that are scheduled
to be discussed in the show, a collection of other EPG data pertaining
to the show, an indication of the location of the currently viewed scene,
the Internet address of a sanctioned website of the show, etc.;
(ii) For an advertisement: the name of the product or service being
advertised and the name of the company whose product or service is
being promoted, etc.;
(iii) For a sporting event: an indication of the sport, a level of the
event, the
identity (including the Internet address) of a particular one of the
sources of programming 18 associated with the particular channel, the
names of teams, athletes, coaches or other participants having a role in
the sporting event, the season or career statistical data pertaining to
these participants, team statistical data, league statistical data, etc.
Still other possibilities for the descriptive information pertaining to the
above
types of television programs (or other types of television programs) will be
apparent
to those of skill in the art. Also, it should be appreciated that the above
examples are
merely for illustrative purposes and that a particular television program is
of course
not limited to being a serial television show, an advertisement or a sporting
event.
By way of example, the descriptive information associated with a particular
television may be obtained in one or more of the following ways.
(i) A
portion of the descriptive information associated with the particular
television program may be obtained directly from the request for
interactivity 202 by decoding or other processing techniques. For
example, the request for interactivity 202 can include the identity of the
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television program or other information obtained from the end user
premise 12.
(ii) A portion of the descriptive information associated with the
particular
television program may be obtained from the scheduling database 58.
In an example, consider the scenario wherein the request for interactivity
202 includes a current time and an identity of the particular channel. The
interactivity manager 54 then accesses the scheduling database 58 over
the communication link 62 by providing the current time and the identity
of the particular channel. In return, the interactivity manager 54 receives
the descriptive information stored in the corresponding entry in the
program grid. It is recalled that the descriptive information stored in the
corresponding entry in the program grid depends on the nature of the
television program and on the granularity (e.g., coarseness or fineness) of
the entry.
In another example, consider the scenario wherein, at the current time, the
viewer 30 is viewing playback of a previously recorded television
program (e.g., using the PVR functionality of the control entity 28).
Consider, however, that at the current time, playback has reached a certain
"relative time of occurrence" within the television program, which is
indicative of how much time has elapsed since the beginning of the
television program. In this case, the request for interactivity 202 can
include not only the identity of the television program but also the relative
time of occurrence. The interactivity manager 54 then accesses the
scheduling database 58 over the communication link 62 by providing the
identity of the television program and the relative time of occurrence. The
scheduling database 58 consults the individual program timelines to
determine which entries to consult, and then returns the corresponding
descriptive information to the interactivity manager 54.
(iii) A portion of the descriptive information associated with the
particular
television program may be obtained from the auxiliary database 60.
Specifically, the interactivity manager 54 supplies to the auxiliary
database over the communication link 64 a portion (i.e., some or all) of
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the descriptive information that was included in the request for
interactivity 202 or obtained from the scheduling database 58. In return,
the interactivity manager 54 receives additional descriptive information
that the auxiliary database 60 holds as being associated with the portion of
the descriptive information supplied thereto.
Still other ways of obtaining the descriptive information associated with a
particular television program may become apparent to those of skill in the
art.
At step 212 of the interactivity process, which is optional and can be
entirely
dispensed with, the interactivity manager 54 retrieves the managed content 74.
This
can begin with a search for an interactive application associated with the
particular
television program that was being viewed by the viewer 30 when he/she
expressed an
interest in obtaining interactive content. To this end, the interactivity
manager 54 can
access the interactive application warehouse 70 to search for one of the
interactive
applications 72 that may be associated with the particular television program.
Assuming that a particular interactive application has been identified, the
interactivity
manager 54 also accesses the subscription database 40 via the communication
link 42
in order to determine whether the particular customer does indeed subscribe to
the
particular interactive application.
Assuming that it has been determined that the particular customer does
subscribe to the particular interactive application, the interactivity manager
54 may
instantiate the particular interactive application, which causes the release
of the
managed content 74. In one embodiment, the managed content 74 may comprise
specialized content that is associated with the particular television program.
For
example, in the case of a live hockey game, the specialized content may
include
statistical data of the players and teams currently involved in the game, a
selection of
camera angles to choose from, live action from other hockey games, etc.
Alternatively or in addition, the managed content 74 may comprise computer-
readable
instructions which, when downloaded to and executed by the control entity 28
at the
end user premise 12, permits further interaction with the viewer 30 through a
local
application such as a game or a voting application, for example.
At step 214 of the interactivity process, which follows step 210 or step 212
depending on whether step 212 is implemented, the interactivity manager 54
carries
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out an online content retrieval process, during which the categorized online
content 68
is retrieved based on the one or more "descriptive information elements"
obtained at
step 210. It is recalled that the descriptive information elements may include
information input by the viewer 30 and/or included with the request for
interactivity
and/or obtained from the scheduling database 58 and/or obtained from the
auxiliary
database 60. The online content retrieval process of step 214 includes a
parsing sub-
step 214A and a retrieval sub-step 214B.
With reference to Fig. 4, the parsing sub-step 214A includes subdividing the
descriptive information elements (denoted 400) into one or more subsets of
information elements 410, 420, 430, etc., associated with respective "content
groups"
or "information categories" (or simply "categories"). For example, in the
illustrated
non-limiting embodiment, subset 410 includes those of the descriptive
information
elements 400 deemed to belong to "category A", subset 420 includes those of
the
descriptive information elements 400 deemed to belong to "category B", and
subset
430 includes those of the descriptive information elements 400 deemed to
belong to
"category C".
In one example, the categories may be pre-defined by their contents. Thus,
each of the descriptive information element 400 is compared to the contents of
each of
the categories to determine into which category that descriptive information
element
belongs. Such comparisons can be carried out in parallel or in sequence. It
should be
appreciated that the outcome of this operation may be that the each of the
descriptive
information elements 400 belongs to zero, one or more categories. Thus, some
of the
subsets 410, 420, 430 may contain more than one of the descriptive information
elements 400, while some of the descriptive information elements 400 may
appear in
more than one of the subsets 410, 420, 430.
To take a specific non-limiting example, consider that the information
categories include "A", "B" and "C". Consider that the "A" category includes
the
titles of various television program such as "Prison break", "Lost", "Law &
Order"
and "Desperate Housewives". Consider that the "B" category includes the names
of
various actors such as "Wentworth Miller", "Eva Longoria", "Sam Waterston" and
"Daniel Dae Kim". Consider that the "C" category includes various demographic
cross-sections such as "Female 18-29", Male "35-45", "Female over 65" and Male
6-
10". Now consider that the descriptive information elements 400 include
"Prison
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Break", "Male 35-45" and "Wentworth Miller". Such descriptive information
elements could be obtained from the request for interactivity 202 or from the
scheduling database 58, for example. The parsing sub-step 214A then compares
each
of the descriptive information elements 400 to the contents of each category
and this
could result in the conclusion that the descriptive information element
"Prison Break"
should be placed into the "A" category, the descriptive information element
"Male
35-45" should be placed into the "C" category, and the descriptive information
element "Wentworth Miller" should be placed in the "B" category.
In another example, each of the descriptive information elements 400 is
accompanied by an indicator of the category (or categories) to which it
belongs. This
simplifies the parsing sub-step 214A, since each descriptive information
element can
now be placed into the appropriate subset (or subsets) by simply comparing the
associated category indicator with the various possible categories rather than
with the
contents of those categories.
To take a specific non-limiting example, consider that the information
categories include "Title". "Actor" and "Demographic", which can include the
same
content as previously described in respect of the "A", "B" and "C" categories,
respectively. Now consider that the descriptive information elements 400
include
"Prison Break" accompanied by a category indicator "Title", "Male 35-45"
accompanied by a category indicator "Demographic", and "Wentworth Miller"
accompanied by a category indicator "Actor". The parsing sub-step 214A would
result in the descriptive information element "Prison Break" being
automatically
placed into the "Title" category, the descriptive information element "Male 35-
45"
being automatically placed into the "Demographic" category, and the
descriptive
information element "Wentworth Miller" being automatically placed into the
"Actor"
category.
In yet another example, the categories into which the descriptive information
elements 400 are to be subdivided depend on one or more of the descriptive
information elements 400 themselves.
To take a specific non-limiting example, consider that the information
categories include "Title", "Actor", "Demographic", "Country/City" and "Sports
Team". Now consider that one of the descriptive information elements 400 is
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indicative of the type of television program being viewed, such as "series",
"news
segment" or "sporting event" (available from scheduling database 58). It is
possible
to envisage a preliminary "category identification" step (shown in dashed
outline in
Fig. 2A as sub-step 214X) whereby, depending on the type of television program
being viewed, different categories might be used for the subsequent parsing
sub-step
214A. Thus, in the case of a "series", the relevant categories might be
"Title",
"Actor" and "Demographics", while in the case of a "news segment", the
relevant
categories might be "Country/City" and "Demographic", and in the case of a
"sporting event", the relevant categories might be "Sports Team" and
"Demographic".
It should be appreciated that the above examples of possible categories are
not
limitative. Any category (as well as any number of categories) could be
devised,
depending on operational requirements.
After the parsing sub-step 214A, the interactivity manager 54 proceeds with
the retrieval sub-step 214B whereby the categorized online content 68 is
retrieved. To
this end, a separate retrieval effort is conducted for each of the subsets
410, 420, 430,
i.e., for each of the "content groups" or "information categories". The
retrieval efforts
can be done in parallel or sequentially.
The categorized online content 68 can be retrieved from one or more sources
(e.g., websites) 112A, 112B, 112C connected to the Internet 66. It is
envisaged that
different sources or combinations of sources may be consulted for retrieving
online
content in different categories. Non-limiting examples of the sources 112A,
112B,
112C include possibly one or more of:
- A sanctioned website of the particular television program, in which case
the online content available for retrieval can comprise information
regarding actors, past episodes, upcoming episodes, sponsors, fan reviews,
etc. The address of the sanctioned website can be known a priori based on
the descriptive information associated with the particular television
program, or it can be obtained by providing a portion of the descriptive
information to a search engine (e.g., Google, Yahoo, etc.);
- A sanctioned website of the television channel that airs the particular
television program, in which case the online content available for retrieval
can comprise information regarding other television programs airing on
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the television channel, etc. The address of the sanctioned website can be
known a priori based on the descriptive information associated with the
particular television program, or it can be obtained by providing a portion
of the descriptive information to a search engine;
- An information
server that maintains a moment-by-moment content guide
pertaining to the particular television program, in which case the online
content available for retrieval may include actor names, product
placements and the like. The address of the information server can be
known a priori based on the descriptive information associated with the
particular television program, or it can be obtained by providing a portion
of the descriptive information to a search engine.
In one example, where the particular television program is a
sporting event, the information server may be a statistics server, in
which case the online content available for retrieval may include
updated statistical data pertaining to teams, athletes and/or coaches
involved in the sporting event;
In another example, where the particular television program is a
drama, movie or sporting event, the information server may be a
blog server, in which case the online content available for retrieval
may include moment-by-moment postings by bloggers who are
simultaneously watching the drama, movie or sporting event;
- A
set of advertisement servers or an advertisement broker, in which case
the online content available for retrieval can comprise advertisements
targeted to viewers of the particular television program. An auction
system could be implemented whereby advertisers submitting the highest
bids would be entitled to have their advertisements conveyed to the
viewers of the particular television program. The addresses of the
advertisement servers and/or the advertisement broker can be known a
priori based on the descriptive information associated with the particular
television program, or they can be obtained by providing a portion of the
descriptive information to a search engine;
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- A
third party commercial website, such as websites enabling the viewer 30
to effect an e-commerce transaction, in which case the online content
available for retrieval can comprise content targeted by the e-commerce
website to viewers of the particular television program. For example, a
national chain of restaurants may wish to make a special promotional
offering to viewers at the start (or during an intermission) of a broadcast of
a specific sporting event (e.g., the Super Bowl). In another example, a
shoe store may wish to offer promotions for its products to viewers of the
show Sex and the City. This would enable viewers to purchase a product
currently shown or advertised in current programming as it is aired. The
address of the third party commercial website can be known a priori based
on the descriptive information associated with the particular television
program, or it can be obtained by providing a portion of the descriptive
information to a search engine;
- A user-generated content (UGC) information server, in which case the
online content available for retrieval can comprise UGC such as blogs,
reviews, shrines and the like pertaining to the particular television program
or participants having a role in the particular television program. The
address of the UGC website can be known a priori based on the descriptive
information associated with the particular television program, or it can be
obtained by providing a portion of the descriptive information to a search
engine;
- A social networking website with which the viewer has an account, and
whose address can be known a priori based on information about the
viewer. The viewer is assumed to have developed, through his or her
account with the social networking website, a personal social network, and
may have joined a certain number of common interest groups. Under such
circumstances:
In a first example, the online content available for retrieval can
comprise a listing of those members of the viewer's personal social
network who are currently watching the same television program
as the viewer (or who are currently watching a television program
featuring one of the actors, players or teams, etc., that is featured in
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the television program currently being watched by the viewer, etc.).
Identifying the members of the viewer's personal social network
could be gained by the interactivity manager 54 supplying the
viewer's account credentials (e.g., obtained from the viewer 30,
from the particular customer or via a credentials database) to the
social networking website, while knowledge of what those
individuals are presently watching is available by accessing their
respective accounts with the service provider (assuming they are
properly identifiable);
- In a second example, the online content available for retrieval can
comprise content that is available exclusively to account holders
who declare themselves to be members of a common interest group
devoted to, for example, the particular television program, a
particular actor, player or team, etc., featured in the particular
television program, and so on;
In a third example, the online content available for retrieval can
comprise a listing of those members of the viewer's personal social
network who are currently online and have a declared interest in
the television program being watched by the viewer (or who have a
declared interested in one of the actors, players or teams, etc., that
is featured in the television program currently being watched by the
viewer, etc.). Identifying the appropriate online members of the
viewer's personal social network (as well as their declared
interests) could be gained by the interactivity manager 54
supplying the viewer's account credentials (e.g., obtained from the
viewer 30, from the particular customer or via a credentials
database) to the social networking website. This could then be a
first step in setting up an eventual instant messaging, chat or SMS
session between contacts/friends;
- etc.
While the above description has assumed that the interactivity manager 54 in
the interactivity server 20 executes steps 210, 212 and 214 of the
interactivity process,
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it should be appreciated that certain steps could be executed by other
computing
entities. For example, if the viewer 30 inputs the descriptive information
elements
400 in the form of a search query, then steps 210, 214A, and 214B could
actually be
performed by the end user premise 12. Also, it should be appreciated that the
parsing
sub-step 214A and/or the retrieval sub-step 214B could be executed by one of
the
websites 112A, 112B, 112C under control of the end user premise 12 or the
interactivity manager 54. Thus, more than one computing entity could
participate in
execution of the interactivity process.
The online content retrieved as a result of the retrieval sub-step 214B,
namely
the categorized online content 68, may be made up of any one or more of text,
video,
graphics, etc. for each category. Each such text, video, graphics, etc. can be
accessed
at a particular Internet address. It may thus be desirable, in an initial
phase, to limit
the display of the categorized content to just the Internet address (and
possibly a short
descriptor) of the content. Moreover, portions of the categorized online
content 68
may be undesirable or inappropriate and requires filtering. Both the task of
filtering
the categorized online content 68 and organizing it in a suitable manner
within the
interactive viewing area 320 are functions of the formatting entity 56, which
executes
the formatting process that is now described in greater detail with reference
to steps
220-222 of Fig. 2B.
Specifically, at step 220 of the formatting process, a filtering sub-process
is
performed on the managed content 74 and/or the categorized online content 68.
This
may result in selecting at least some of the categorized online content 68
and/or at
least some of the managed content 74. In specific non-limiting examples, the
filtering
sub-process may include one or more of the following (which are mentioned in
the
context of the categorized online content 68 but could be applied equally in
the
context of the managed content 74):
- Excluding portions of the categorized online content 68 containing
obscene, illegal or other objectionable material (as measured by some
standard, and possibly depending on parameters such as on ratings
information about the television program);
- Determining how the categorized online content 68 has been evaluated by
a viewing community (e.g., by consulting the heuristics database 78) and
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choosing to retain portions of the categorized online content 68 that are
above (or below) a certain approval level within the viewing community;
- Comparing the categorized online content 68 relative to online content
previously viewed by the viewer 30 (e.g., by consulting the heuristics
database 78) and choosing to retain portions of the categorized online
content 68 that are consistent with previously viewed online content for
which the viewer 30 has expressed interest;
- Comparing the categorized online content 68 relative to online content
previously viewed by other viewers in the viewing community (e.g., by
consulting the heuristics database 78) and choosing to retain portions of
the categorized online content 68 that are consistent with previously
viewed online content for which the viewing community has expressed
interest;
- Ranking the categorized online content 68 for viewability within the
interactive viewing area 320 (e.g., by consulting the viewability database
96) and choosing to retain portions of the categorized online content 68
that have ranked highly in terms of viewability;
- Estimating a potential interest of the online content to the viewer 30
(e.g.,
by consulting the demography database 44) and choosing to retain portions
of the categorized online content 68 that are estimated to be of greatest
potential interest to the viewer 30;
- Assessing a commercial relevance of the categorized online content 68 to
the particular customer (e.g., by consulting the marketing database 48) and
choosing to retain portions of the online content that are assessed to be of
greatest potential relevance to the particular customer;
- Where the television program was previously recorded and is being played
back at the current time and has reached a certain relative time of
occurrence, excluding portions of the online content that are associated
with relative times of occurrence that is after the certain relative time of
occurrence. This can be done particularly conveniently for blogs and
statistics which carry dates and times that can be referenced to the relative
time of occurrence. Thus, the viewer's enjoyment of a previously
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recorded event is not spoiled by provision of interactive information that
may include details of the outcome of a sporting event, the conclusion of a
movie, etc.
It should be appreciated that the filtering sub-process could be executed on
the
differently for categorized online content 68 in different categories.
At step 222 of the formatting process, a presentation sub-process is performed
on the portions of the managed content 74 and the categorized online content
68 that
have survived the filtering sub-process, hereinafter referred to as "filtered
managed
content" 74A and "filtered categorized online content 68A". The presentation
sub-
process then configures the interactive viewing area 320 that appears on the
screen
300 so as to convey the filtered managed content 74A and the filtered
categorized
online content 68A in an organized fashion. Specifically, configuring the
interactive
viewing area 320 can include (i) determining the shape and size of the
interactive
viewing area 320 relative to the TV viewing area 310 and/or (ii) internally
dividing
the interactive viewing area 320 into one or more segments.
The shape, size and internal layout of the interactive viewing area 320 can
depend on the output capabilities (e.g., dimensions, resolution, etc.) of the
television
set 10. The output capabilities of the television set 10 can be obtained by
interrogating the end user premise 12 or by observing data emitted by the
television
set.
In one specific non-limiting example, with reference to Fig. 3A, the
interactivity area 320 includes a first graphical portion 302 (e.g. window)
dedicated to
the filtered managed content and a second graphical portion 304 (e.g. window)
dedicated to the filtered categorized online content 68A. In another specific
non-
limiting example (not shown), the filtered managed content and the filtered
categorized online content 68A is combinedly displayed within the
interactivity area
320.
In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment, the filtered categorized online
content 68A in different categories can be distinctly identified when
presenting to the
viewer 30.
In Fig. 3A, the window 304 dedicated to the filtered categorized online
content
68A is separated into a plurality of regions 312A, 312B, 312C, one region for
each of
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the categories.
Hyperlinks in each category can be displayed within the
corresponding region. For additional user convenience, the category associated
with
each region may be indicated in the vicinity of that region. Assume now that
the
interactivity manager 54 provides navigation functionality allowing the viewer
30 to
select an individual graphical element in the interactivity area 320 and
obtain further
information in response thereto. By virtue of such navigation functionality,
the
viewer 30 can select a particular hyperlink in one of the regions 312A, 312B,
312C,
which can cause a web page linked by the particular hyperlink to be displayed
within
the corresponding region of the window 304.
In another example (see Fig. 3B), the viewer 30 selects an active category via
a tab 324 (in this case, category "A") and hyperlinks in the active category
can be
preferentially displayed in a main window 326, i.e., with greater prominence
than the
hyperlinks in other categories. For example, the hyperlinks in the other
categories
could be hidden from view (or grayed out), while tabs 322 to the other
categories can
be provided. By virtue of the navigation functionality of the interactivity
manager 54,
the viewer 30 can change active categories by selecting the tab corresponding
to a
different category. Also by virtue of the navigation functionality of the
interactivity
manager 54, the viewer 30 can select a particular hyperlink within the active
category,
which will cause a web page linked by the particular hyperlink to be displayed
in the
main window 320.
In yet another example (see Fig. 3C), the interactivity area 320 can be a full
size window that presents the hyperlinks in different categories combined into
a single
listing of hyperlinks. Individual hyperlinks can be enhanced with an icon or
mnemonic 332 indicative of the category to which that hyperlink belongs. By
virtue
.. of the navigation functionality of the interactivity manager 54, the viewer
30 can
select a particular hyperlink, which will cause a web page linked by the
particular
hyperlink to be displayed in the window. Additional sorting functionality can
be
enabled (per-category, alphabetically, etc.).
The outcome of the presentation sub-process is release of the formatted
interactive content 82, which may include formatted versions of the filtered
categorized online content 68A and the filtered managed content 74A such that
when
this content is displayed on the viewer's screen, it will occupy the
interactive viewing
area 320 having a desired shape, size and internal layout. To this end, it may
be
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beneficial for the formatting entity 56 to encode the desired shape, size and
internal
layout (and possibly other configuration parameters) of the interactive
viewing area
320 for use by a downstream entity. The interactive viewing area configuration
parameters can be sent to the downstream entity as part of the formatted
interactive
content 82 or as a separate stream altogether.
For example, in the arrangement of Fig. 1A, the formatted interactive content
82 and the interactive viewing area configuration parameters are sent along
the
interactive channel 22 to the interface 14. The formatted interactive content
82 and
the interactive viewing area configuration parameters arrive at the interface
14, where
the formatted interactive content 82 undergoes blending with one or more
selected
channel(s) from the multi-channel television programming 84 to create the
aforementioned composite television signal for presentation to the viewer 30
over the
at least one output device 24. Such blending takes into consideration the
interactive
viewing area configuration parameters in order to ensure that the interactive
viewing
area 320 will have the desired size, shape and internal layout. Accordingly,
the
interface may apply known processing techniques such as picture-in-picture,
squeezeback, overlay, side-by-side, etc.
In the arrangement of Fig. 1B, the formatted interactive content 82 and the
interactive viewing area configuration parameters are processed by the
blending
function 106 of the interface 52B, which also receives the selected television
data
stream 104 from the television distribution system 16B. The interactive
viewing area
configuration parameters advise the blending function 106 as to the desired
size,
shape and internal layout of the interactive viewing area 320. The blending
function
106 then performs a blending step 230, which results in the creation of the
composite
television signal 108 that is encoded by the interface 52B and sent downstream
to the
end user premise 12 over the communication channel 100.
In yet another arrangement (not shown), the viewer 30 utilizes a primary
device (such as a television equipped with a set top box or cable modem, or a
computer) to view television programs from the television distribution system
16B
and also utilizes a secondary device (such as a mobile phone or a computer) to
receive
interactive content. A first communication channel for conveying the request
for
interactivity 202 can be established between the primary device and the
interactivity
server 20. A second communication channel for receiving the formatted
interactive
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content 82 (and sending navigation commands ¨ see later) can be established
between
the secondary device and the interactivity server 20. Specifically, the
formatted
interactive content 82 and the interactive viewing area configuration
parameters are
sent by the interactivity server 20 over the second communication channel and
are
.. processed by an interface (not shown) of the secondary device used by the
viewer 30.
The interactive viewing area configuration parameters advise the interface of
the
secondary device as to the desired size, shape and internal layout of the
interactive
viewing area 320. It should also be appreciated that the secondary device may
access
the formatted interactive content 82 on a deferred basis, particularly if the
formatted
.. interactive content 82 is sent in the form of an email message to an email
account
associated with the viewer. In such an embodiment, a single device (e.g., a
computer)
could act as both the primary device and the secondary device.
It should be appreciated that in certain non-limiting embodiments, a dialogue
may be established between the interface 14 and the interface 52 (or between
the
interface 14B and the interface 52B) in order to negotiate an optimal layout
for the
TV viewing area 310 and the interactive viewing area 320. In yet other
embodiments,
the TV viewing area 310 and the interactive viewing area 320 may intersect,
e.g., one
may be partly overlaid onto the other in the portion of the screen 300. In
still other
embodiments, the TV viewing area 310 can be omitted and the interactive
viewing
.. area 320 can take over the entirety of the screen 300.
It is also contemplated that the viewer 30 may be permitted to navigate
through the interactive viewing area 320 using the at least one input device
26.
Specifically, with reference to Fig. 1A, there is provided a navigation module
92,
which can be located at the interactivity server 20 as, for example, a
component
subtending to the interactivity manager 54, but can also be distributed so as
to include
a portion at the end user premise 12. The navigation module 92 is operative to
register commands issued by the viewer 30 when passing over a specific point
or area
within the screen 300. For example, in the case where the end user premise 12
includes a personal computer, movement of a mouse (which is an example of the
at
least one input device 26) can be tracked by the navigation module 92 based on
the
monitoring of upstream data that reaches the interactivity manager 54 after
having
travelled across the interactive channel 22. When the mouse is clicked, this
is
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interpreted as a command which can influence operation of the interactivity
manager
54 and the formatting entity 56, as is now described.
For example, consider the case where the formatted interactive content 82
displayed in the interactive viewing area 320 includes a list of actionable
links to a set
of websites. When the viewer 30 points the mouse to a particular link and
clicks, the
precise positioning of the mouse, as well as the act of clicking, can be
registered by
the navigation module 92. The navigation module 92 then causes the
interactivity
manager 54 to retrieve online content available at the address associated with
the
particular link that was clicked by the viewer 30. In addition, the navigation
module
92 cooperates with the formatting entity 56 so as to cause the newly retrieved
online
content to appear within the interactive viewing area 320, for example in a
new
window or to replace an existing portion of the interactive viewing area 320.
Other navigation commands can include altering the size, shape or
configuration of the interactive viewing area 320 and/or the TV viewing area
310, as
well as activation of various menus (e.g., by right clicking and left
clicking),
accessing features through the use of dedicated buttons or combinations of
buttons,
and so on. Of course, the above examples refer to a mouse but this is merely
one
example of the at least one input device 26, and it will be appreciated that
other input
devices (such as a remote control, touch surface, game controller, voice
system, etc.)
can be used to effect the requisite selections and convey the requisite viewer
input.
It should also be appreciated that although the navigation module 92 was
described with reference to the arrangement of Fig. 1A, the same navigation
module
could be used in the arrangement of Fig. 1B.
It should also be appreciated that certain portions of the interactivity
server 20,
.. in particular the interactivity manager 54 and/or the formatting entity 56,
may be
located at the end user premise 12 and integrated with the equipment thereat,
such as a
set top box, cable modem or computing device.
Certain adaptations and modifications of the described embodiments can be
made. Therefore, the above discussed embodiments are considered to be
illustrative
and not restrictive.
34
