Patent Application
20150052227
As television programming has grown in popularity, the amount of information available to viewers through television programs has also grown. For example, during news programs, a “J-screen” typically displays related content on the bottom or side of the screen. If the news program is discussion a particular company, that company's stock price may be displayed in the J-screen. However, this related content is not “actionable” by the viewer. In other words, the viewer cannot interact with the content. In addition, the user cannot control whether or not the related content is displayed. The J-screen will be displayed regardless of whether the viewer is interested in the content. Furthermore, as the popularity of “smart” devices such as smart phones, tablets, and smart televisions is increasing, there is room for improvement in the way in which content is made available and presented to users on various devices.
Embodiments of the present disclosure facilitate providing and displaying supplemental content related to media content on a digital device. In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, media content is displayed on a display device. It is determined if supplemental content related to the media content is available, and an indication to alert a user of the presence of the supplemental content is displayed on the display device if it is determined that supplemental content is available. User input comprising a selection of the indication may be received, and supplemental content may be retrieved from one or more servers in response to the user input. The supplemental content may then be displayed on the display device by overlaying the supplemental content on top of the media content.
In accordance with an embodiment, user input may be provided using one or more of a gesture command, voice command, touch input, and input from a remote control.
In accordance with an embodiment, availability of the supplemental content may be determined by sending a request comprising identification information of the media content to one or more servers and receiving a response from the one or more servers indicating availability of the supplemental content related to the media content.
In accordance with an embodiment, availability of the supplemental may also be determined by searching a local storage device for the supplemental content.
In accordance with an embodiment, the supplemental content comprises one or more of audio, video and graphical data.
In accordance with an embodiment, the supplemental content comprises a UI element (e.g., a button, or icon) which allows a user to initiate a video chat.
In accordance with an embodiment, the supplemental content includes one or more actionable UI elements.
The embodiments described herein may furthermore be carried out on a computing device that performs operations based on execution of code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer readable medium having executable code stored thereon, that when executed, causes a computing device to perform at least the following steps: displaying media content on a display device; determining if supplemental content related to the media content is available; displaying, if it is determined that the supplemental content is available, an indication on the display device to alert a user of the presence of the supplemental content; receiving user input comprising a selection of the indication; retrieving the supplemental content from one or more servers in response to the user input; and displaying the supplemental content on the display device by overlaying the supplemental content on top of the media content.
The embodiments described herein may furthermore be carried out on a system comprising at least an input unit configured for receiving user input, a display unit, a storage device, and a processor. The processor may be configured for displaying media content on the display unit; determining if supplemental content related to the media content is available; displaying, if it is determined that the supplemental content is available, an indication on the display unit to alert a user of the presence of the supplemental content; receiving user input comprising a selection of the indication; retrieving the supplemental content from one or more servers in response to the user input; and displaying the supplemental content on the display unit by overlaying the supplemental content on top of the media content.
The aforementioned embodiments and other advantages of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art at least by reference to this summary, the following detailed description, and the accompanying drawings.
The systems and methods described herein may be better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with reference to the following drawings.
Detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are provided herein. Any and all disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary and may be embodied in various and alternative forms, and combinations thereof. As used herein, “exemplary,” and similar terms, may refer expansively to embodiments that serve as an illustration, specimen, model, or pattern. The figures may include exaggerated or minimized features, in order to adequately show details of particular components. In certain instances, well-known components, systems, materials or methods that have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring from the focus of the present disclosure. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are in no way to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis recognizable to one skilled in the art to employ the present disclosure.
While the detailed description may include a general context of computer-executable instructions, the present disclosure may be implemented in combination with other program modules and/or as a combination of hardware and software. Thus, terms such as “computer” or “computing device” as used herein are expansive and are meant to include routines, program modules, programs, components, data structures, algorithms, and the like. Various systems may also be used for the implementation of the embodiments described herein, including single processor or multi-processor systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, personal computers, hand-held computing devices, microprocessor-based computers, programmable consumer electronics, in-vehicle computing devices, and any of the aforementioned combinations thereof, and the like.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure overcome one or more of the above-mentioned and other drawbacks in conventional approaches to providing supplemental content to a user. In particular, the present disclosure describes an apparatus and method for providing supplemental content to a digital device based on media content being displayed on the digital device. Digital device may mean a device capable of displaying media content such as video, audio, graphics, etc. Examples of a digital device include, but are not limited to, computers, digital televisions, smart phones, tablets, e-readers, and other audio-visual devices. In one embodiment, the supplemental content is selected based on, and is related to, the media content being displayed on the digital device.
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In one embodiment, “actionable” content within the supplemental content may include for example, an option to initiate a video chat with a sales agent.
In accordance with one embodiment, supplemental content may also be provided to the viewer on one or more mobile devices.
In some embodiments, supplemental content may be provided even when a user is not viewing media content on a digital device. In one embodiment, a software application installed on a user's mobile device (e.g., a smartphone) may track information such as the user's viewing habits, location information, etc. and provide supplemental content related to the content viewed by the user.
Control unit 504 is responsible for overall control and operation of the digital device. Control unit 504 may, for example, be responsible for processing and controlling all data communications. In one embodiment, control unit 504 may be a processor. Control unit 504 is responsible for initiating display of supplemental content on the digital device via display unit 506. Display unit 506 is capable of displaying numerals and characters, moving pictures, still pictures, and status information generated during any operation of the digital device. Display unit 506 may be a color liquid crystal display (LCD) or an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED). The supplemental content may be displayed, for example, when the digital device receives user input indicating selection of an indicator.
Input unit 502 may comprise a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, microphone for receiving audio data and a camera for recognizing and receiving gesture data. Input unit 502 may furthermore be configured to receive tactile or touch input. Input unit 502 is responsible for receiving and processing all external input provided by an individual within the detection range to control unit 504 for processing and analysis. When control unit 504 receives the input data, control unit 504 analyzes the input data do detect the presence of for example, a voice command, gesture command, etc.
Communication unit 514 transmits/receives radio frequency (RF) signals inputted/outputted through an antenna (not shown). Communication unit 514 is also capable of receiving/transmitting data through wired communication. In an exemplary embodiment, communication unit 514 includes circuitry required for communicating via Wi-Fi, Ethernet, HDMI, USB, etc. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, communication unit 514 transmits instructions to external sources requesting programs or information based upon the information relating to the content being displayed. The information (e.g., supplemental content) obtained by communication unit 514 may be stored in memory unit 508.
The above configurations of digital device 500 should be considered descriptively and should not be construed as limiting. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that various changes and modifications may be made to the configurations of the digital device without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, although each of the input unit 502, display unit 506, memory unit 508, control unit 504, and communication unit 514 have been shown as separate units, any respective functions may be performed jointly or individually by any of the aforementioned units.
Network 606 is configured to couple network devices with other computing devices. Network 206 is enabled to employ any form of computer readable media for communicating information from one electronic device to another. Also, network 206 may include the Internet in addition to local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), direct connections, such as through a universal serial bus (USB) port, other forms of computer-readable media, or any combination thereof. On an interconnected set of LANs, including those based on differing architectures and protocols, a router acts as a link between LANs, enabling messages to be sent from one to another. In addition, communication links within LANs typically include twisted wire pair or coaxial cable, while communication links between networks may utilize analog telephone lines, full or fractional dedicated digital lines including T1, T2, T3, and T4, Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDNs), Digital Subscriber Lines (DSLs), wireless links including satellite links, or other communications links known to those skilled in the art. For example, various Internet Protocols (IP), Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) architectures, and/or other communication protocols, architectures, models, and/or standards, may also be employed within network 606. Furthermore, remote computers and other related electronic devices could be remotely connected to either LANs or WANs via a modem and temporary telephone link. In essence, network 606 includes any communication method by which information may travel between computing devices.
It shall be understood that each block of a flowchart illustration need not be limited in the ordering shown in the illustration, and might be performed in any ordering, or even performed concurrently, without departing from the spirit of the embodiments described herein. It will also be understood that each block of the flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustration, can be implemented by execution of computer program instructions. These program instructions might be provided to a processor to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute on the processor, create means for implementing the actions specified in the flowchart block or blocks. The computer program instructions might be executed by a processor to cause a series of operational steps to be performed by the processor to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions, which execute on the processor to provide steps for implementing the actions specified in the flowchart block or blocks.
Accordingly, blocks of the flowchart illustration support combinations of means for performing the specified actions, combinations of steps for performing the specified actions and program instruction means for performing the specified actions. It will also be understood that each block of the flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems which perform the specified actions or steps, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
Processor 1110 may include both general and special purpose microprocessors, and may be the sole processor or one of multiple processors of computing device 1100. Processor 1110 may comprise one or more central processing units (CPUs), for example. Processor 1110, data storage device 1120, and/or memory 1130 may include, be supplemented by, or incorporated in, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and/or one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).
Data storage 1120 and memory 1130 each comprise a tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium. Data storage 1120, and memory 1130, may each include high-speed random access memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR RAM), or other random access solid state memory devices, and may include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices such as internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, semiconductor memory devices, such as erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM) disks, or other non-volatile solid state storage devices.
Input/output devices 1150 may include peripherals, such as a printer, scanner, display screen, etc. For example, input/output devices 1150 may include a display device such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor for displaying information to the user, a keyboard, and a pointing device such as a mouse or a trackball by which the user can provide input to computing device 1100.
One skilled in the art will readily recognize that any implementation of an actual computer, computer system, or computing device may have other structures and may contain other components, and that computing device 1100 is merely a high level representation of some of the components for illustrative purposes.
All systems and methods described herein may be implemented using digital circuitry, or using one or more computers using well-known computer processors, memory units, storage devices, computer software, and other components. Typically, a computer includes a processor for executing instructions and one or more memories for storing instructions and data. A computer may also include, or be coupled to, one or more mass storage devices, such as one or more magnetic disks, internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical disks, optical disks, etc.
All systems and methods described herein may also be implemented using computers operating in a client-server relationship. Typically, in such a system, the client computer is located remotely from the server computer and interaction takes place via a network. The client-server relationship may be defined and controlled by computer programs executing on their respective client and server computers.
All systems and methods described herein may be implemented using a computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, e.g., in a non-transitory machine-readable storage, for execution by a programmable processor; and the method steps described herein may be implemented using one or more computer programs executable by such processor. A computer program may be a set of computer program instructions that can be used, directly or indirectly, by a computer to perform a certain activity or bring about a certain result. A computer program may be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and may be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment.
The foregoing detailed description of the present disclosure is to be understood as being in every respect illustrative and exemplary, but not restrictive, and the scope of the present disclosure provided herein is not to be determined solely from the detailed description, but rather from the claims as interpreted according to the full breadth and scope permitted by patent laws. It is to be understood that the embodiments shown and described herein are merely illustrative of the principles addressed by the present disclosure and that various modifications may be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art may implement various other feature combinations without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The various functional modules shown are for illustrative purposes only, and may be combined, rearranged and/or otherwise modified.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61865289 | Aug 2013 | US |
