Apparatus and method to provide supplemental content from an interactive television system to a remote device

Abstract

A remote device is capable to receive network address information that is sent along with an audiovisual television signal. A set top box coupled to a television receives the network address information along with triggers, and transmits the network address information to the remote device. After receiving the network address information, a web browser of the remote device can navigate to the address specified by the network address information to obtain supplemental content. The web browser of the remote device can automatically navigate to the address independently of user action. The web browser may also navigate to the address in response to user action or “keyed navigation.” At least some of the supplemental content may also be pre-loaded into the remote device prior to presentation of the supplemental content to the user, thereby reducing latency in the rendering of the supplemental content by the web browser.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method, comprising: 
 receiving address information from an interactive television system;    obtaining an address from the received address information;    accessing the address obtained from the address information to retrieve supplemental content related to a television program transmitted from the interactive television system; and 
 presenting the obtained supplemental content on a display remote from a television that displays the television program.  
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein obtaining the address from the received address information includes extracting the address from a trigger embedded in a signal corresponding to the television program.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein obtaining the address from the received address information includes obtaining the address from a stream separate from a signal corresponding to the television program.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving address information from the interactive television system includes receiving the address information at a set top box coupled to the television, the method further comprising: 
 transmitting the obtained address from the set top box to a remote device having the remote display; and  
 accessing the address via the remote device to retrieve the supplemental content.  
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein a browser of the remote device retrieves the supplemental content from a network.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the network comprises an Internet.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein a browser of the remote device retrieves the supplemental content from a local storage location.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising transmitting at least a portion of the supplemental content from the set top box to the remote device.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein presenting the obtained supplemental content on the display includes automatically presenting the obtained supplemental content without user action.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the obtained supplemental content is automatically displayed in a first browser window, the method further comprising automatically displaying additional supplemental content retrieved from another address in a second browser window, concurrently with displaying the supplemental content in the first browser window.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the obtained supplemental content is automatically displayed in a browser window, the method further comprising automatically displaying additional supplemental content retrieved from another address in the browser window to replace the previously displayed supplemental content.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein presenting the obtained supplemental content on the display includes presenting the obtained supplemental content in response to user action.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising queuing a plurality of addresses.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising obtaining supplemental content corresponding to at least one of the queued addresses in response to user selection of that address from among the queued addresses.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising processing metadata related to the address information to provide a context for the obtained address.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the metadata is received from the interactive television system in addition to the address information.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the metadata is added to the received address information.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the metadata includes at least one of an expiration date of the address, an expiration time of the address, a description of the address, a source of the address, a category of the supplemental information available at address, a type of media available at the address, a keyword related to the address, or an importance of the address.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein retrieving the supplemental content includes pre-loading at least a portion of the supplemental content in a storage location prior to activation of a link corresponding to the address.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 retrieving any remaining portions of the supplemental content subsequent to activation of the link; and    rendering the pre-loaded portion and any of the retrieved remaining portions of the supplemental content in response to selection of the link.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 initially obtaining addresses corresponding to inactive links, including instructions as to when to display the links to indicate activation of the links; 
 pre-loading at least some of the supplemental content from the addresses corresponding to the inactive links; and  
   based on the instructions, subsequently displaying the links to indicate their activation and rendering the pre-loaded supplemental content.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the instructions are obtained from same triggers that include the addresses.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the instructions are obtained from triggers that are different from triggers that include the addresses.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising displaying the links to allow a user to preview the links, prior to providing the links during specific times of the television program.  
     
     
         25 . An article of manufacture, comprising: 
 a machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions to: 
 obtain an address from address information received from an interactive television system;  
 access the address obtained from the address information to retrieve supplemental content related to a television program transmitted from the interactive television system; and  
 present the obtained supplemental content on a display remote from a television that displays the television program.  
   
     
     
         26 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25  wherein the instructions to present the obtained supplemental content on the display includes instructions to automatically present the obtained supplemental content without user action.  
     
     
         27 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25  wherein the instructions to present the obtained supplemental content on the display includes instructions to present the obtained supplemental content in response to user action.  
     
     
         28 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25  wherein the instructions to present the obtained supplemental content on the display includes instructions to pre-load at least a portion of the supplemental content in a storage location prior to activation of a link corresponding to the address.  
     
     
         29 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25  wherein the machine-readable medium further includes instructions stored thereon to process metadata related to the address information to provide a context for the obtained address.  
     
     
         30 . A set top box, comprising: 
 a network interface to receive address information from an interactive television system;    a converter coupled to the network interface to obtain an address from the received address information; and    a transmitter coupled to the converter to transmit the obtained address to a remote device to allow the remote device to access the address to retrieve supplemental content related to a television program transmitted from the interactive television system to the network interface, and to allow the remote device to present the obtained supplemental content on a display remote from a television that displays the television program.    
     
     
         31 . The set top box of  claim 30 , further comprising a digital storage device coupled to the converter to store at least a portion of the supplemental content available from the address and retrieved by the network interface, the transmitter capable to transmit the stored supplemental content in the digital storage device to the remote device.  
     
     
         32 . The set top box of  claim 30  wherein the network interface is capable to provide the remote device with access to the address to allow the remote device to obtain the supplemental content via the network interface.  
     
     
         33 . The set top box of  claim 30  wherein the converter is capable to obtain metadata related to the received address information and that is transmitted by the interactive television system along with the address information, and wherein the transmitter is capable to transmit the obtained metadata to the remote device along with the obtained address.  
     
     
         34 . The set top box of  claim 30 , further comprising a controller to cooperate with software to add metadata to the received address information, wherein the transmitter is capable to transmit the metadata to the remote device along with the obtained address.  
     
     
         35 . The set top box of  claim 30  wherein the converter is capable to obtain link activation information transmitted from the interactive television system, the transmitter capable to transmit the obtained link activation information to the remote device to cause the remote device to pre-load supplemental content from a link corresponding to the link activation information, the set top box further comprising a controller to cooperate with software to use the link activation information to subsequently activate the link and to provide the activated link to the remote device via the transmitter.  
     
     
         36 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a receiver to communicate with a set top box to receive an address sent from an interactive television system to the set top box in addition to a television program;    a storage medium coupled to the receiver to store a browser;    a network interface capable to cooperate with the browser to receive supplemental content from the address, the supplemental content related to the television program transmitted from the interactive television system to the set top box; and    a display responsive to the browser to present the supplemental content received from the address independently of a television that displays the television program transmitted from the interactive television system.    
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the browser is capable to cause automatic presentation of the supplemental content on the display subsequent to reception of the address from the set top box.  
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein in response to user action, the browser is capable to cause presentation of the supplemental content on the display subsequent to reception of the address from the set top box.  
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the browser is capable to retrieve the supplemental content from the storage location.  
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the browser is capable to use metadata received from the set top box and related to the received address to provide context to the received address.  
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the browser is capable to pre-load at least a portion of the supplemental content into the storage medium prior to activation of a link associated with the address, and in response to activation of the link, the browser being further capable to retrieve from the address any additional portion of the supplemental content and to render the retrieved and pre-loaded portions on the display.  
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , further comprising: 
 a transmitter to send signals to the set top box; and    a plurality of control buttons coupled by way of a bus to the transmitter to send the signals, including control signals from the transmitter to the set top box to control program content presented on the television.    
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 42  wherein the plurality of control buttons are configured to control additional home media equipment coupled to the interactive television system, the home media equipment including a digital video disc player.  
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 43  wherein the receiver further communicates with the digital video disc player to receive supplemental content from a digital video disc in the digital video disc player, and wherein the display presents the supplemental content that relates to primary content on the digital video disc.  
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the supplemental content comprises a purchase offer, the apparatus further comprising: 
 a transmitter to send signals to the set top box; and  
 at least one input mechanism coupled by way of a bus to the transmitter to send communications from the transmitter to the set top box to indicate acceptance by a user of the purchase offer presented in the supplemental content.