US2004210947A1PendingUtilityA1

Method and apparatus for interactive video on demand

49
Priority: Apr 15, 2003Filed: Apr 15, 2003Published: Oct 21, 2004
Est. expiryApr 15, 2023(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Chad W. Shusman
H04N 21/40H04N 21/47202H04N 7/17336H04N 21/43H04N 21/8541H04N 21/23614H04N 21/854H04H 20/38H04N 21/2668H04N 21/4758H04N 7/088H04N 21/23439H04N 21/47H04N 21/23H04N 21/472H04N 21/234H04N 21/23605H04H 60/33H04H 2201/30H04N 21/85H04N 21/431H04N 21/25891H04N 21/23424H04N 21/812H04N 21/8545H04N 21/44224H04N 21/43079
49
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
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References
0
Claims

Abstract

Method and apparatus for generation of interactive programming. An interactive programming server embeds interactive components into a video signal. The interactive programming server receives content from a content source and interactive components from an interactive component source and uses the content and interactive components to generate an interactive Video On Demand (iVOD) interactive program. The iVOD interactive program is transmitted to a participant who views the content and interacts with the interactive components of the iVOD interactive program. The participant's responses to the content is transmitted back to the interactive programming server where the participant responses are incorporated into new content which is used to generate new iVOD interactive programming.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of generating an interactive program by an interactive programming server for transmission to an interactive programming transceiver, comprising: 
 receiving content for an interactive program by the interactive programming server;    receiving a participant response by the interactive programming server from the interactive programming transceiver through a back channel;    generating interactive program content by the interactive programming server using the content and the participant response;    receiving an interactive component by the interactive programming server;    generating the interactive program by the interactive programming server using the interactive program content and the interactive component; and    transmitting the interactive program by the interactive programming server to the interactive programming transceiver through a forward channel.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content is a television signal having a vertical blanking interval and the interactive program is generated by embedding the interactive component in the vertical blanking interval.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content is a digital video signal and generating the interactive program further includes: 
 encapsulating the interactive components in a first elementary stream of a digital video broadcast transport stream; and    adding the content to a second elementary stream of the video broadcast transport stream.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forward channel and the back channel are included in a communications medium.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the communications medium is a cable television network.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the communications medium is a wide area network.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forward channel is included in a first communication medium and the back channel is included in a second communications medium.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first communications medium is a satellite television network.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the second communications medium is a wide area network.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the second communications medium is a telephone network.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the participant response includes an audience approval rating.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the participant response includes an answer to a poll question.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interactive component includes additional information about the content.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interactive component is a uniform resource locator of a resource coupled to the interactive programming transceiver through a wide area network.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interactive component includes an advertisement.  
     
     
         16 . A data processing apparatus for generating an interactive program by an interactive programming server for transmission to an interactive programming transceiver, comprising: 
 a processor; and    a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions executable by the processor stored therein, the program instructions including: 
 receiving content for an interactive program by the interactive programming server;  
 receiving a participant response by the interactive programming server from the interactive programming transceiver through a back channel;  
 generating interactive program content by the interactive programming server using the content and the participant response;  
 receiving an interactive component by the interactive programming server;  
 generating the interactive program by the interactive programming server using the interactive program content and the interactive component; and  
 transmitting the interactive program by the interactive programming server to the interactive programming transceiver through a forward channel.  
   
     
     
         17 . The data processing apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the content is a television signal having a vertical blanking interval and the interactive program is generated by embedding the interactive component in the vertical blanking interval.  
     
     
         18 . The data processing apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the content is a digital video signal, the program instructions for generating the interactive program further including: 
 encapsulating the interactive components in a first elementary stream of a digital video broadcast transport stream; and    adding the content to a second elementary stream of the video broadcast transport stream.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the forward channel and the back channel are included in a communications medium.  
     
     
         20 . The data processing apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the communications medium is a wide area network.  
     
     
         21 . The data processing apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the communications medium is a cable television network.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the forward channel is included in a first communication medium and the back channel is included in a second communications medium.  
     
     
         23 . The data processing apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the communications medium is a satellite television network.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the second communications medium is a wide area network.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the second communications medium is a telephone network.  
     
     
         26 . The data processing apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the participant response includes an audience approval rating.  
     
     
         27 . The data processing apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the participant response includes an answer to a poll question.  
     
     
         28 . The data processing apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the interactive component includes additional information about the content.  
     
     
         29 . The data processing apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the interactive component is a uniform resource locator of a resource coupled to the interactive programming transceiver through a wide area network.  
     
     
         30 . The data processing apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the interactive component includes an advertisement.

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