System and Method for Integrating Interactive Call-To-Action, Contextual Applications with Videos

Abstract

A system and method of delivering an interactive video application includes identifying a hotspot in a portion of a video content. A hypercode object is overlaid on the hotspot at a spatial point. The hypercode object is displayed at a temporal point during playback of the video content. An interactive application is provided to a viewer of the video in response to activation of the hypercode object.

1 . A method comprising:
 identifying a hotspot in a portion of a video content;   overlaying a hypercode object on the hotspot at a spatial point;   causing the hypercode object to be displayed at a temporal point during playback of the video content; and   providing an interactive application in response to activation of the hypercode object.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 analyzing the video content at the spatial point and the temporal point; and 
 isolating at least one graphical object detected in the video content at the spatial point and the temporal point. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising:
 receiving a temporal range comprising a start time and an end time, wherein the starting time is the temporal point; and 
 tracking a movement of the graphical object in the video content with the hypercode object beginning at the start time and continuing until the end time. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the isolating the at least one graphical object comprises:
 isolating multiple graphical objects in the video content; 
 providing a list of the multiple graphical objects; and 
 receiving a selection of one graphical object from the list. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 defining a context for the video content; and 
 selecting the interactive application according to the context. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein providing the interactive application further pauses playback of the video content. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the interactive application displays advertising content. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising modifying the timing or location of the hypercode object. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 making the interactive application available to a sponsor; and 
 customizing the interactive application according to a request by the sponsor. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 obtaining data related to viewer interaction with the interactive application; and 
 revising the interactive application based on the data. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the hypercode object is an XML file. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus comprising:
 computer-readable physical medium containing instructions executable on a computer that when executed cause the computer to:
 identify a hotspot in a portion of a video content; 
 overlay a hypercode object on the hotspot at a spatial point; 
 cause the hypercode object to be displayed at a temporal point during playback of the video content; and 
 provide an interactive application in response to activation of the hypercode object. 
   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed further cause the computer to:
 analyze the video content at the spatial point and the temporal point; and   isolate at least one graphical object detected in the video content at the spatial point and the temporal point.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed further cause the computer to:
 receive a temporal range comprising a start time and an end time, wherein the starting time is the temporal point; and   track a movement of the graphical object in the video content with the hypercode object beginning at the start time and continuing until the end time.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed further cause the computer to:
 isolate multiple graphical objects in the video content;   provide a list of the multiple graphical objects; and   receive a selection of one graphical object from the list.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed further cause the computer to:
 define a context for the video content; and   select the interactive application according to the context.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed cause the computer to pause playback of the video content upon activation of the hypercode object. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the interactive application displays advertising content. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed further cause the computer to modify the timing or location of the hypercode object. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed further cause the computer to:
 make the interactive application available to a sponsor; and   customize the interactive application according a request by the sponsor.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the computer-readable physical medium contains instructions executable on a computer that when executed further cause the computer to:
 obtain data related to viewer interaction with the interactive application; and   revise the interactive application based on the data.   
     
     
         22 . A system comprising:
 an interactive video player responsive to a video content request to provide a video content to a client device;   a video context editor responsive to a request to identify and track movement of an object in the video content automatically and thereby generate object motion data;   an application integration engine responsive to a request to link an interactive application to a hypercode object; the hypercode object incorporating the object motion data; and   an analytics server responsive to receipt of user interaction data from the client device to store the user interaction data in a database.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22  wherein the hypercode object is an XML file. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22  wherein the user interaction data indicates whether a user at the client device initiated the interactive application linked with the hypercode object. 
     
     
         25 . A system comprising:
 means for receiving a video;   means for overlaying a hypercode object on the hotspot at a spatial point;   means for causing the hypercode object to be displayed at a temporal point during playback of the video content; and   means for providing an interactive application in response to activation of the hypercode object.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25  further comprising:
 means for analyzing the video content at the spatial point and the temporal point; and 
 means for isolating at least one graphical object detected in the video content at the spatial point and the temporal point. 
 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26  further comprising:
 means for receiving temporal range comprising a start time and an end time, wherein the starting time is the temporal point; and 
 means for tracking a movement of the graphical object in the video content with the hypercode object beginning at the start time and continuing until the end time. 
 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26  wherein the isolating the at least one graphical object comprises:
 means for isolating multiple graphical objects in the video content; 
 means for providing a list of the multiple graphical objects; and 
 means for receiving a selection of one graphical object from the list. 
 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 25  further comprising:
 means for defining a context for the video content; and 
 means for selecting the interactive application according to the context. 
 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 25  wherein means for providing the interactive application further pauses playback of the video content. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the interactive application displays advertising content. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 25  further comprising means for modifying the timing or location of the hypercode object. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 25  further comprising:
 means for making the interactive application available to a sponsor; and 
 means for customizing the interactive application according a request by the sponsor. 
 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 25  further comprising:
 means for obtaining data related to viewer interaction with the interactive application; and 
 means for revising the interactive application based on the data. 
 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the hypercode object is an XML file. 
     
     
         36 . A method comprising:
 associating at least one interactive application with a video, the at least one interactive application being contextually relevant to the subject matter of a scene in the video, wherein associating at least one interactive application with the scene comprises at least one of the following:
 embedding the at least one interactive application on a video player skin that is proximate to the video during playback of the video; and 
 embedding the at least one interactive application in one or more hotspots within the video; 
   activating the at least one interactive application in response to the one or more of the following:
 the passage of one or more time periods during playback of the video; and 
 one or more interactions initiated by one or more viewers of the video during playback of the video; 
   wherein the interactive application changes depending on the interactions initiated by one or more viewers of the video during playback of the video;   wherein the at least one interactive application is sponsored by a sponsor and comprises one or more of the following:
 one or more messages from the sponsor, each of the one or more messages being relevant to the subject matter of the video; and 
 one or more call-to-action applications, each of the one or more call-to action applications comprising a request that the one or more viewers of the video initiate at least one action that is relevant to the subject matter of the video; and 
   changing the identity of the sponsor depending on the interactions initiated by one or more viewers of the video during playback of the video.   
     
     
         37 . A system comprising:
 a computer readable medium comprising a plurality or instruction stored therein, the plurality or instruction comprising:   instructions for associating at least one interactive application with a scene in a video, the at least one interactive application being contextually relevant to the subject matter of the scene, wherein the instructions for associating at least one interactive application with the scene comprises at least one of the following:
 instructions for embedding the at least one interactive application on a video player skin that is proximate to the video during playback of the video; and 
 instructions for embedding the at least one interactive application in one or more hotspots within the video; and 
   instructions for activating the at least one interactive application in response to the one or more of the following:
 the passage of one or more time periods during playback of the video; and 
 one or more interactions initiated by one or more viewers of the video during playback of the video; and 
   wherein the at least one interactive application is sponsored by a sponsor and comprises one or more of the following:
 one or more messages from the sponsor, each of the one or more messages being relevant to the subject matter of the video; 
   wherein the identity of the sponsor changes depending on the interactions initiated by one or more viewers of the video during playback of the video;   wherein the interactive application changes depending on the interactions initiated by one or more viewers of the video during playback of the video; and   one or more call-to-action applications, each of the one or more call-to action applications comprising a request that the one or more viewers of the video initiate at least one action that is relevant to the subject matter of the video.