US 12,756,792 B2Granted

Television video and/or audio overlay entertainment device and method

OwnerCraig Randall Rogers, Brayton Cameron Rogersinventors

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Abstract

An entertainment device provides multiple users with the ability to simultaneously select and include various audio files in a transmission provided to a television from a cable box, antenna, video streaming device, or other audio supply device for personal entertainment purposes. The audio files can be provided in real-time or substantially in real-time, such as with minimal delay and can be combined with or replace the audio input signal. The entertainment device may further provide the ability to overlay video onto a video input signal supplied with the audio input signal. The entertainment device may be provided, for instance, as a stand-alone unit, or may be integrated into a cable box or other video supply device (i.e., dvd player, blu-ray player, cell phone, tablet, computer, streaming device, etc.).

Claims20

Dependent claims

A set-top entertainment device comprising:

a set-top housing configured to be arranged between a television audio and video source and a television;
an input port arranged to connect the entertainment device to the television audio and video source to receive a television input signal, said television input signal comprising an audio signal for playing through a television audio output and a video signal for displaying on a video display;
a storage device arranged in the housing and storing an audio file database comprising a plurality of user-selectable audio files and an overlay image database comprising a plurality of overlay images;
a communications module arranged in the housing for communicating with multiple controllers in real-time, wherein each controller is usable by a separate user to independently select a desired audio file from the audio file database for real-time inclusion in a combined output signal;
wherein each controller is further usable by the separate user to select one or more overlay images from the separate overlay image database in real-time, separately from the selection of any audio file, for substantially real-time inclusion in the combined output signal;
a processor arranged in the housing and configured to combine the audio signal from the television input signal with all of the selected audio files and the video signal with all of the selected overlay images into the combined output signal substantially in real-time with the input signal being received into the input port and the real-time selections by each of the users;
and
an output port arranged to provide the combined output signal to the television,
wherein the entertainment device is programmed to output the combined output signal through the output port substantially in real-time with the television input signal being received into the input port.

6 more elements

A method for providing entertainment content to a media system, said method comprising:

receiving an input signal comprising an audio signal from an audio source and a video image from a video source into an entertainment device;
permitting multiple users to each select sounds from a sound database stored in the entertainment device in real-time to include with the input signal substantially in real-time with the input signal being received into the entertainment device;
permitting multiple users to each select an overlay image from an overlay image database stored in the entertainment device in real-time to include with the input signal substantially in real-time with the input signal being received into the entertainment device;
combining all selected sounds and all selected overlay images with the input signal into a combined output signal substantially in real-time;
and
outputting the combined output signal from the entertainment device to the media system substantially in real-time with receiving the input signal from the audio source.

3 more elements

An entertainment device comprising:

an input port configured to receive an audio source signal from an audio source and a video source signal from a video source;
an output port configured to provide an audio and video entertainment signal to an output device connected to the entertainment device;
a communications module configured to communicate with a plurality of controllers, such that the controllers are able to each wirelessly control the entertainment device in real-time without interference from the other controllers;
and
a storage device containing a sound database and a separate overlay image database,
wherein the plurality of controllers are usable by multiple users to select one or more sounds from the sound database in real-time and one or more overlay images from the overlay image database in real-time to be output from the output device substantially in real-time with the audio source signal and the video source signal being received into the entertainment device.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/238,244Filed 25 Aug 2023 · continuation
Priority: 7 May 2018
Published: US 2023/0412757 A121 Dec 2023
Granted: 6 Oct 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H04N 5/272
Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the…: means…
G06F 16/51
Of still image data: indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
G06F 16/54
Of still image data: browsing; Visualisation therefor
G06F 16/71
Of video data: indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures

Family

Application62/667,957Us provisional application · filed 7 May 2018
Application16/398,788Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Apr 2019
Application17/369,294Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Jul 2021
US 2023/0412757 A1Pre-grant publication · published 21 Dec 2023
US 11,765,310 B2Parent of this continuation
US 11,089,240 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2019/0342508 A1Published application
US 2021/0337139 A1Published application
US 12,756,792 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.