System And Method In A Television For Providing User-Selection Of Objects In A Television Program

Abstract

A system and method in a television for providing user-selection of objects in a television program, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for identifying a user-selected object in a video stream, the method comprising:
 in a display device:
 presenting a video stream, the video stream comprising user-selectable objects; 
 determining an on-screen pointing location pointed to by an input device; and 
 identifying a user-selectable object in the video stream at which the user is pointing based, at least in part, on the determined on-screen pointing location and a popularity of the user-selectable object. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said identifying comprises:
 determining respective regions of the screen associated with respective user-selectable objects; and   identifying a user-selectable object in the presented video stream at which the user is pointing based, at least in part, on the determined on-screen pointing location and the determined respective regions.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said identifying comprises:
 determining respective regions of a frame of the presented video stream associated with respective user-selectable objects; and   identifying a user-selectable object in the presented video stream at which the user is pointing based, at least in part, on the determined on-screen pointing location and the determined respective regions.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising, in the display device, receiving information identifying selectable objects in the presented video stream. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein receiving information identifying selectable objects in the presented video stream comprises receiving said information embedded in a same data stream as a stream communicating the presented video stream. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein receiving information identifying selectable objects in the presented video stream comprises receiving said information in a data stream communicated in parallel with a stream communicating the presented video stream. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the information identifying selectable objects in the presented video stream is communicated with the presented video stream without being requested by the display device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the information identifying selectable objects in the presented video stream comprises timing information associated with the selectable objects. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the information identifying selectable objects in the presented video stream comprises information defining respective regions of the presented video stream associated with respective selectable objects in the presented video stream. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the information defining respective regions of the presented video stream associated with the respective selectable objects comprises information describing movement of the respective regions as a function of time. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the presented video stream is user-stored; and   the information identifying selectable objects is user-stored.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising communicating information indicating the identified user-selectable object to a remote control device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determined on-screen pointing location is associated with multiple user-selectable objects, and the identified user-selectable object is identified from the multiple objects based on the popularity of the user-selectable object being higher than each respective popularity of remaining objects. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the popularity is determined based on activity of the user. 
     
     
         15 . A display device comprising at least one module operable to, at least:
 present video stream to a user, the video stream comprising user-selectable objects;   determine an on-screen pointing location pointed to by a user of the display device; and   identify a user-selectable object in the presented video stream at which the user is pointing based, at least in part, on the determined on-screen pointing location and a popularity of the user-selectable object.   
     
     
         16 . The display device of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one module is operable to receive information identifying selectable objects in the presented video stream. 
     
     
         17 . The display device of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one module is operable to receive information identifying selectable objects in the presented video stream by, at least in part, operating to receive said information embedded in a same data stream as a stream communicating the presented video stream. 
     
     
         18 . A method for identifying a user-selected object in a video stream, the method comprising:
 in a display device:
 presenting the video stream to a user, the video stream comprising user-selectable objects; 
 determining an on-screen pointing location pointed to on the display device; and 
 identifying a user-selectable object from the user-selectable objects in the presented video stream at which the user is pointing based, at least in part, on the determined on-screen pointing location and a determination of a most likely user-selected programming object based on history of selection from a particular user. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the video stream is one of a news program, sports program, music television program, movie, television series program, advertisement, educational program. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the determined on-screen pointing location is associated with multiple user-selectable objects, and the identified user-selectable object is identified from the determination of the most likely user-selected programming object based on the history of selection from the particular user.