Patent Application
20170332147
Conventional consumer media devices, such as televisions, receive media contents broadcast by content providers, and display the media contents on a display for viewers. Such media contents include television programs, news broadcasts, movies, etc. Increasingly, however, consumers receive media contents over a packet network, such as the Internet. Some consumer media devices, such as tablet computers, receive media contents using home wireless networks. Yet, consumer media devices do not fully realize their utility when limited to receiving television programs, news broadcasts, movies, etc.
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for broadcasting data contents related to media contents using a media device, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.
The following description contains specific information pertaining to implementations in the present disclosure. The drawings in the present application and their accompanying detailed description are directed to merely exemplary implementations. Unless noted otherwise, like or corresponding elements among the figures may be indicated by like or corresponding reference numerals. Moreover, the drawings and illustrations in the present application are generally not to scale, and are not intended to correspond to actual relative dimensions.
Media device 110 may be a media device for displaying media content 103 and executing an action based on data content 105. In some implementations, media device 110 may be a smart television, a set top box, a digital media player, such as Apple TV, Roku, Sony Google TV, a computer, a tablet computer, etc. Media device 110 includes processor 120, memory 130, display 150, and communication element 160. Processor 120 is a hardware processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) used in computing devices. Memory 130 is a non-transitory storage device for storing computer code for execution by processor 120, and storing various data and parameters. Memory 130 includes executable code 140.
Executable code 140 includes one or more software modules stored in memory 130 for execution by processor 120 of media device 110. As shown in
Actions module 145 is a software module stored in memory 130 for execution by processor 120. Actions module 145 may execute one or more actions in data content 105 extracted from the input signal. For example, actions module 145 may provide an interactive overlay displayed on display 150, the interactive overlay appearing on top of media content 103 and allowing the user to interact with the data content displayed in the overlay. The overlay may include interactive content such as a website related to media content 103. In other implementations, actions module 145 may play an audio, display a message, or otherwise act to notify a user of the occurrence of some trigger event. The trigger event may be a pre-programmed event, such as when playback of media content 103 reaches a certain point, or the trigger event may be an unplanned event, such as a breaking news event.
Display 150 is a display for displaying media content 103. In some implementations, display 150 may be part of media device 110, such as the display of a notebook computer, the display of a tablet computer, the display of a smart television, etc. In other implementations, display 150 may be a display connected to media device 110, such as a television connected to a set top box.
Communication element 160 may be a communication port for connecting media device 110 to one or more other devices, such as user device 170. In some implementations, communication element 160 may be configured to receive a communication cable, such as a universal serial bus (USB) cable, Firewire cable, Ethernet cable, telephone cable, HDMI cable, video game control cable, etc. In other implementations, communication element 160 may enable wireless communications, such that media device 110 may be wirelessly connected to various other devices, such as user device 170, using WiFi, cellular, Bluetooth®, Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE), etc.
User device 170 may be a wireless enabled device that may connect directly to media device 110, or may connect to media device 110 through a computer network, such as a local area network or the Internet. User device 170 may receive data contents from data content extraction module 141 including an executable command, such as a command to play an audio, display a website, adjust a light setting, etc. In some implementations, user device 170 may be a mobile device, such as a tablet computer, a mobile phone, etc., and may be used to execute a command based on data content 105 and/or provide input to media device 110 based on data content 105.
In other implementations, user device 170 may be a wireless enabled device, such as a home appliance. For example, user device 170 may include a wireless connected lighting system, such as an in-home lighting system or an ambient light system for use with display 150. User device 170 may be used to provide ambient light surrounding display 150 based on data content 105, ambient light in the room where the user is using media device 110 based on data content 105, or user device 170 may be used to communicate with the user, such as when user device 170 is used as an alert and the lights of the lighting system flash to provide an indication or warning based on data content 105. User device 170 may include an audio system and may be used to provide audio communication to the user based on data content 105.
Executable code 242 includes one or more software modules stored in memory 232 for execution by processor 222 of user device 270. As shown in
Communication Element 262 is for communicatively connecting user device 270 to one or more other devices, such as media device 110. In some implementations, communication element 262 may be configured to receive a communication cable such as a universal serial bus (USB) port, Firewire port, Ethernet cable port, telephone cable port, HDMI port, video game control port, etc. In other implementations, communication element 262 may enable wireless communications, such that user device 270 may be wirelessly connected to media device 110, using WiFi, cellular, Bluetooth®, Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE), etc.
At 620, executable code 140 displays media content 103 on display 150. Media content 103 may be a television show, a movie, or other media content. Method 600 continues at 630, where executable code 140 extracts data content 105 from the input signal. In some implementations, data content 105 may include one or more instructions to be executed by processor 120 of media device 110. For example, data content may include an instruction to display an interactive content, e.g., a website, on display 150. In other implementations, data content 105 may include one or more instructions to be executed by processor 222 of user device 270.
At 640, executable code 140 displays an interactive content on display 150 based on data content 105, wherein the interactive content is overlaid on media content 103. Display 150 may show the interactive content in a window that appears over media content 103, such as a picture-in-picture window. In some implementations, data content 105 may include a domain name and/or URL for a website that is related to media content 103. For example, media content 103 may be a movie and data content 105 may include a website related to the movie on display 150. The website may be a content creator's website or a social media website related to the movie. In other implementations, media content 103 may be a news broadcast and data content 105 may include a website related to one or more of the news stories. For example, the news broadcast may include a story about one or more individuals. Data content 105 may include a website with supplemental information about the news story and/or one or more of the individuals involved in the news story.
At 650, executable code 140 receives a user input from an input device (not shown) interacting with the interactive content overlaid on media content 103. In some implementations, the input device may include a remote control for media device 110, a mobile device, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. In some implementations, interacting with the interactive content may include navigating the website or a plurality of websites on the Internet.
At 660, executable code 140 transmits data content 105 to user device 170. In some implementations, media device 110 may wirelessly transmit data content 105 using communication element 160 to user device 170. User device 170 may be a toy, an audio system, a lighting system, or other wirelessly connected device or appliance. Data content 170 may include executable code for execution by processor 222 of user device 170. Method 600 continues at 670, where user device 170 executes an action based on data content 105. In some implementations, user device 170 may be a lighting system in a room or house of a user, and user device 170 may adjust the brightness of the lights to augment the setting or mood in media content 103. For example, the brightness of the lights may be reduced when a scene in media content 103 takes place at night, thus allowing the user to experience the feeling of night in a more dimly lit room. In other implementations, the lights may be used to signal an event to the user, such as by flashing the lights to indicate a breaking news event. User device 170 may be a stereo system or other appliance in the home of the user.
User device 170 may be a toy, such as an action figure, a stuffed animal, a plush toy, or other toy representing a character from media content 103. In such an implementation, user device 170 may move and/or play an audio based on data content 105. For example, user device 170 may play an audio including lines the character speaks in media content 103 in synch with media content 103. The synchronized action of user device 170 may augment media content 103.
From the above description, it is manifest that various techniques can be used for implementing the concepts described in the present application without departing from the scope of those concepts. Moreover, while the concepts have been described with specific reference to certain implementations, a person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of those concepts. As such, the described implementations are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. It should also be understood that the present application is not limited to the particular implementations described above, but many rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
