# US 2014/0157316 A1 · Systems and methods for capturing and storing an image related to a media asset

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- Number: US 2014/0157316 A1
- Document ID: US20140157316A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/176,839
- Filed: 2014-02-10
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2002-02-27
- Assignees: Index Systems, Inc.
- Applicants: Index Systems, Inc.
- Inventors: Douglas B. Macrae; Thomas E. Westberg
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140157316A1

## CPC

- H04N 21/812: {involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02)}
- G06Q 30/0241: Advertisements
- G06Q 30/0251: Targeted advertisements
- H04N 7/088: the inserted signal being digital
- H04N 7/17309: {Transmission or handling of upstream communications}
- H04N 21/435: Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
- H04N 21/4532: {involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18)}
- H04N 21/454: Content {or additional data} filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
- H04N 21/47815: {Electronic shopping (payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12)}
- H04N 21/858: Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
- H04N 21/4622: {Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet (web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859)}
- H04N 21/478: Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention is a t-commerce platform, which is linked to the content from a video signal that the user is currently watching. At some point during the broadcast of the content, a close-up of the product is shown. Simultaneous with this, a VBI-based trigger is added to the video signal of the broadcast. This trigger causes the television, a set-top box, or a similar device to capture in a memory, a “freeze-frame” of the image being shown. This action is transparent to the user while the video being displayed on the television is continuing normally. If the user chooses to perform an interactive “buy” transaction the saved image data is used as part of the interactive screen display.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-39. (canceled)

### Claim 40

A method comprising:
receiving a media asset;
automatically capturing an image corresponding to a frame of the media asset based on an indicator;
reducing a size of the captured image;
storing the reduced-sized image in memory responsive to the indicator; and
performing a function related to the stored image.

### Claim 41 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, wherein reducing the size of the captured image comprises scaling the captured image.

### Claim 42 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, wherein reducing the size of the captured image comprises cropping the captured image.

### Claim 43 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, wherein the indicator comprises information that identifies the frame of the media asset.

### Claim 44 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, wherein the information that identifies the frame of the media asset comprises timing information.

### Claim 45 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, wherein performing the function related to the stored image comprises generating for display the stored image.

### Claim 46 (depends on 45)

The method of claim 45, wherein
the stored image is generated for display in a media guidance application.

### Claim 47 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, wherein storing the reduced-sized image comprises storing the reduced-sized image in a database.

### Claim 48 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, wherein performing the function related to the stored image comprises invoking software to perform the function related to the stored image.

### Claim 49 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, wherein the stored image is associated with a user profile.

### Claim 50

A system comprising:
a receiver configured to receive media assets;
a memory configured to store reduced-sized images; and
control circuitry configured to:
automatically capture, based on an indicator, an image corresponding to a frame of a media asset received by the receiver,
reduce a size of the captured image,
cause the reduced-sized captured image to be stored in the memory, and
perform a function related to the stored image.

### Claim 51 (depends on 50)

The system of claim 50, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to reduce the size of the captured image by scaling the captured image.

### Claim 52 (depends on 50)

The system of claim 50, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to reduce the size of the captured image by cropping the captured image.

### Claim 53 (depends on 50)

The system of claim 50, wherein the indicator comprises information that identifies the frame of the media asset.

### Claim 54 (depends on 53)

The system of claim 53, wherein the information that identifies the frame of the media asset comprises timing information.

### Claim 55 (depends on 50)

The system of claim 50, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to perform the function related to the stored image by generating for display the stored image.

### Claim 56 (depends on 55)

The system of claim 55, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display the stored image in a media guidance application.

### Claim 57 (depends on 50)

The system of claim 50, wherein the memory comprises a database.

### Claim 58 (depends on 50)

The system of claim 50, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to invoke software to perform the function related to the stored image.

### Claim 59 (depends on 50)

The system of claim 50, wherein the stored image is associated with a user profile.