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`
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`DE
`DE
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
`EP
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`GB
`GB
`GB
`GB
`GB
`GB
`GB
`GB
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`JP
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`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`
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`44 27 046
`3/1996
`44 31 438
`6/1997
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`0424648 A2
`9/1993
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`3/1995
`0 673 164
`2/1997
`757485
`1111997
`0 805 598
`4/1998
`0 837 609
`7 /1998
`0852443 A
`1111998
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`10/1999
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`WO 93/22877
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`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
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`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
`WO
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`97/27546
`WO 97/29591
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`* cited by examiner
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`US 7,120,871 Bl
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`1
`ENHANCED VIDEO PROGRAMMING
`SYSTEM AND METHOD UTILIZING A WEB
`PAGE STAGING AREA
`
`REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
`
`The present application is related to U.S. application of
`Craig D. Ullman, Michael R. Abato, Jeffrey M. Harrington,
`and Carl R. Duda, entitled "ENHANCED VIDEO PRO(cid:173)
`GRAMMING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVID(cid:173)
`ING A DISTRIBUTED COMMUNITY NETWORK," and
`filed on even date herewith, which is incorporated herein by
`reference.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`2
`medium, or particular content from the Internet, or video
`programming at a video server (hereinafter "video program(cid:173)
`ming"), with the massive Internet, creating a new and
`powerful educational and entertainment medium. The sys(cid:173)
`tem allows consumers to receive more information in a more
`efficient manner than either television or the Internet alone.
`Consumers not only can see a news report on television, but
`they can also read pertinent information about the report, as
`well as explore related information about the story. The
`10 program becomes the introduction to a particular subject,
`rather than the entire subject itself. The act of viewing a
`program has now become a more engaging, enriching expe(cid:173)
`nence.
`The system can also create a more intimate relationship
`15 between the viewer and the program. The user might be
`solving problems or performing virtual experiments on the
`Internet site that a teacher is discussing in an educational
`television program. Similarly, the consumer might be solv(cid:173)
`ing problems that the fictional characters in a television
`20 program must solve. In both cases, the consumer is an active
`participant in the process, rather than a passive observer.
`Instead of an undirected and unfocused exploration of
`Internet sites, by synching specific Internet pages to the
`video signal, the system puts the Internet in context. The
`25 television program producers now can decide what addi(cid:173)
`tional information to offer their audience. This material can
`now be seen in the context of the television program.
`An additional advantage is that consumers don't have to
`search through the literally hundreds of millions of pages on
`the Internet to find appropriate material. The material has
`already been filtered by the program producers and delivered
`to the consumer automatically.
`Another advantage of the system is that it changes the
`nature of advertising. Since additional information can be
`given to consumers automatically, advertising can now be
`more substantive, allowing customers to make more
`informed choices. Now, the act of purchasing a product seen
`on television can be streamlined-the consumer can be
`given the choice of buying the product instantly using the
`two-way capabilities of the system.
`In addition, users can take advantage of the two-way
`capabilities of the Internet to respond to polls, to send e-mail
`or to link to additional sites. For example, a viewer watching
`a television news program, through the system of the inven(cid:173)
`tion, can receive a stream of Web pages which provide
`additional, specific information relating to the news con-
`tent-whether background on the Presidential primaries or
`the latest change in interest rates.
`The video programming and corresponding Internet pages
`can be viewed on personal computers equipped with a
`television card, but the open software-based approach
`enables anyone with a television set and JAVA enabled PC
`to experience the system of the invention.
`By marrying the appeal of video with the two-way data
`transfer capabilities of the Internet, the system creates a
`powerful new medium: Video producers and Internet site
`creators can enhance their content to extend their brand
`identity and differentiate their program offerings to the
`60 millions of people who are spending more time navigating
`through the resources of the World Wide Web rather than
`watching television; advertisers can speak more directly to
`consumers by directly sending Web pages to the consumer
`instead of only displaying Web addresses in their commer-
`65 cials; and consumers can gain a new level of interest and
`interactivity over a video-based medium. In addition to
`providing significant and immediate benefits to broadcasters
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`35
`
`Today, the capabilities of computers to provide massive
`amounts of educational and entertainment information has
`exploded with the Internet. The Internet has the power to
`transform society through unprecedented levels of informa(cid:173)
`tion flow between members. Currently, on-line systems offer
`a variety of different services to users, including news feeds,
`electronic databases (either searchable by the user directly
`on the on-line system, or downloadable to the user's own
`computer), private message services, electronic newsletters,
`real time games for play by several users at the same time,
`and job placement services, to name a few. However, today,
`most on-line communications occur merely through text.
`This currently stands in great contrast to the audio/visual
`presentation of the alternative electronic medium, television. 30
`However, it is expected that as multi-media's incessant
`growth continues, audio/visual programs will proliferate and
`text will become less and less dominant in the on-line
`environment. Even though these programs will be intro(cid:173)
`duced, the Internet, will remain essentially user unfriendly
`due to its very massiveness, organization, and randomness.
`Simply stated, there is no order or direction in the Internet.
`Specific pieces of information are many times hard to find,
`and harder yet, is the ability to put that piece of information
`into a meaningful context.
`Television, on the other hand, has been criticized for being
`a passive medium-"chewing gum for the eyes," as Fred
`Allen once observed. Television has always been something
`you watched, not something you do. Many social critics
`believe that the passivity television depends on has seeped 45
`into our entire culture, turning a nation of citizens into a
`nation of viewers. While interactive television systems have
`increased the level of user interaction, and thus, provided
`greater learning and entertainment opportunities, vast infor(cid:173)
`mation resources such as databases are inaccessible from 50
`such a medium.
`What is needed is a means to close the gap between video
`programming and the information superhighway of the
`Internet. What is needed is a wider, richer experience
`integrating audio/visual and textual database elements into 55
`an organized unique interactive, educational, entertainment
`experience. Currently, the Internet is a repository of infor(cid:173)
`mation on virtually any subject. However, what is needed is
`a mechanism for combining the user-friendly visual expe(cid:173)
`rience of television with the vast information resources of
`the Internet.
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`40
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`The system of the present invention combines broadcast
`television programming and/or video programming which
`appears on a VHS or Beta tape, CD-ROM, DVD or other
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`US 7,120,871 Bl
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`DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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`4
`information uniquely relevant to their interests, demograph(cid:173)
`ics, history, etc. This embodiment makes the transmission of
`URLs to the user even less complex than the first embodi(cid:173)
`ment disclosed herein.
`In another embodiment of the present invention, a web
`page staging area is used on a client's machine to construct
`a web page hidden from view. The machine receives from a
`server a pre-fetch push command along with a URL and
`timer event information. Ahidden staging frame is set-up in
`memory for constructing the web page, and a timer is
`initialized using the timer event information. A web browser
`uses the URL to retrieve content and construct the web page
`in the hidden staging frame. After the web page is con(cid:173)
`structed and the timer expires or other relevant timer event
`occurs, the web browser retrieves the constructed web page
`and displays it to the user. Therefore, the user is provided
`with a more television-like experience in viewing content, as
`the user need not view the web pages being constructed.
`Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide
`20 order and direction to the Internet by using television signals
`to place, orient and control such information in a meaningful
`context.
`It is an object of the present invention to create a more
`intimate relationship between the viewer and the program by
`enriching the learning experience through the provision of
`more in-depth information.
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`3
`and advertisers, the system will also present educational
`programmers with a way to more effectively use Internet
`resources in the classroom.
`Recently, several media companies have joined to create
`a system for linking the Internet and television on the
`personal computer, called "Intercast." In this system, content
`will be provided simultaneously with the TV video signal.
`This system, however, requires that stripped down Web
`pages be sent in the vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the
`video signal, using up to three scan lines limiting effective 10
`bandwidth to approximately 28.8 kbps. This approach, how(cid:173)
`ever, requires specialized hardware to both insert the Web
`pages into the VBI and extract these codes at each PC since
`it takes up to three scan lines of the VBI. Thus, the
`complexity and cost of the PC is increased. Because the Web 15
`pages are transmitted with the video signal, the Intercast
`system is not a true "two-way" system, but merely a
`one-way "piggyback" system. In addition, the Intercast is an
`analog video product, and thus, cam10t handle digital video
`data.
`The system of the present invention, on the other hand, is
`a much more flexible, but less complex, system. The present
`invention supports either analog or digital television broad(cid:173)
`casts without broadcasters or end-users having to alter their
`existing systems, thus enabling broadcasters to reach a wide 25
`audience within a short time.
`In a first embodiment, the actual Web pages are not forced
`into the very limited bandwidth of the vertical blanking
`interval (VBI). Instead, merely eight fields of line 21 of the
`FIG. 1 is a diagram of the system design, showing the
`VBI are used to deliver the relevant Internet Web page 30
`receipt and decoding of video signals at the subscriber
`addresses to the PC. These addresses are called "uniform
`location using the method of the present invention.
`resource locators" (URLs). The system then directs the
`FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an alternative system
`particular Web browser to retrieve the identified Web pages
`embodiment to achieve the integration of the Internet infor(cid:173)
`from the Internet. Upon receipt of the particular Web
`mation with the video content by decoding the uniform
`page(s), the system syncs the Web page(s) to the video 35
`resource locators at a server site and then transmitting the
`signal, and at the appropriate times, presents the Web pages
`URLs to the subscriber stations via the Internet.
`on one portion of the computer screen with the television
`FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of the basic software design of
`video signal, shown in a window on another portion of the
`the present invention.
`screen, and thus, provides the synergistic Internet and tele(cid:173)
`FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another system embodiment
`vision experience. One of the advantages of the system of 40
`to achieve the direct transmission ofURLs over the Internet
`the present invention is that no specialized chip set need be
`to the user at a broadcaster's entered time without encoding
`produced and implemented into the standard PC. Thus,
`the URLs into the VBI.
`complexity is kept to a minimum.
`FIG. 5 is a diagram of another embodiment including a
`In one embodiment of the present invention, the VBI is
`digital cable box.
`not used to transmit the URLs to the user. In this alternative 45
`FIG. 6 is a diagram of another embodiment including a
`embodiment, member broadcasters enter the Internet
`digital T.V.
`through a member account, and will be provided with a
`FIG. 8 is a sample display provided to a student of a
`graphical user
`interface
`for pre-scheduling
`Internet
`lesson.
`addresses, or URLs, for transmission to users at particular
`FIG. 9 is a diagram of the distributed Com Server
`times of day. This interface could also be used to transmit 50
`embodiment.
`real time live transmissions of URLs to users at the same
`FIG. 10 is a diagram of a system for using a web page
`time as a broadcast. The URLs are stored in a "Link File" for
`staging area.
`later transmission over the Internet to the user at the broad-
`FIG. 11 is a flow chart a method for using a web page
`casters entered time, which corresponds to the broadcast
`time of an associated program. The timing of URL's could 55 staging area.
`be determined in advance or can be sent out live. This
`embodiment eliminates the need to place the URLs in the
`VBI, and also allows the broadcaster to store more than one
`Link File for transmission to users in different time zones,
`for example. Further, more than one broadcaster could 60
`access the same master schedule if desired, and add or delete
`certain URLs to personalize the program for their local
`audiences. Also, personalization can be taken to the single
`user, or small group of users, by having the system send a
`different stream of URLs to each user, depending on a 65
`unique user profile, for example. Thus, the personalization
`feature of the present invention allows each user to receive
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
`
`The system of the present invention combines the rich
`visual capabilities of video with the vast resources of the
`Internet. As shown in FIG. 1, an embodiment of the inven(cid:173)
`tion is a computer based system for receiving a video
`program along with embedded uniform resource locators
`(URLs)-which direct the user's computer 16 to address
`locations, or Web sites, on the Internet 20 to retrieve related
`Web pages. These Web pages correspond to the video
`presentation. The particular video prograniming can be
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`US 7,120,871 Bl
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`delivered in analog, digital or digitally compressed formats
`(e.g., MPEG2) via any transmission means, including sat(cid:173)
`ellite, cable, wire, television broadcast or sent via the Web.
`The video programming is preferably created at a cen(cid:173)
`tralized location, i.e., content creation 4 as shown in FIG. 1,
`for distribution to subscribers in their homes, for example.
`Program creation is accomplished according to any conven(cid:173)
`tional means known in the art. After a video program is
`created, uniform resource locators are embedded, in one
`embodiment, into the vertical blank interval of the video
`programming by the URL encoder 8, shown in FIG. 1. In
`this embodiment, the URLs are encoded onto eight fields of
`line 21 of the VBI. Line 21 is the line associated with close
`captioning, among other things. However, the URLs could
`also be embedded in other fields of the VBI, in the horizontal
`portion of the video, as part of the audio channel, in any
`subcarrier to the video, or if digital, in one of the data fields.
`Although FIG. 1 shows the video with URLs over the
`same transmission line, the URLs can be sent down inde(cid:173)
`pendently of the video program on a data channel. In this
`embodiment, the URLs can be forwarded to the remote sites
`either prior to initiation or during the program. Preferably,
`the URLs have associated time stamps which indicate to the
`subscriber stations when, during the video program, to
`display the particular Web pages addressed by the URLs. 25
`Alternatively, the user can select when to call the particular
`Web pages for display with the video program.
`The particular information in line 21 is not part of the
`visual part of the program, and thus, is not perceptible to the
`human eye, thereby making it ideal to send data information 30
`to the users. While the bandwidth capacity of line 21 is
`limited, because the system of the present invention trans(cid:173)
`mits only the uniform resource locators (URLs ), and not full
`Web pages, there is more than enough capacity. Further(cid:173)
`more, no additional hardware is necessary at the PC 16 to 35
`implement the elements of the present invention. Thus, the
`present invention has the additional advantages of being
`very efficient and takes advantage of conventional hardware.
`Once the video program is created, it can be transmitted
`to user sites over any transmission means, including broad- 40
`cast, cable, satellite, or Internet, and may reside on video
`servers. Furthermore, the video program, with or without
`embedded URLs, can be encoded on a VHS or Beta tape,
`DVD or other medium.
`Preferably, each receiver station comprises any Intel x86
`machine (preferably a 486 processor, pentium processor,
`etc.), an Apple Computer, UNIX or any other type of
`standard computer workstation. The local PC 16 is prefer(cid:173)
`ably connected to either a cable and/or broadcast television
`connection or to a local VCR or other video source. At each
`subscriber site, the local personal computer 16 preferably
`receives the ca