US 5,708,845 AGranted

System for mapping hot spots in media content for interactive digital media program

OwnerDouglass A. Wistendahl, Leighton K. Chonginventors

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Abstract

A system for allowing media content to be used in an interactive digital media (IDM) program has Frame Data for the media content and object mapping data (N Data) representing the frame addresses and display location coordinates for objects appearing in the media content. The N Data are maintained separately from the Frame Data for the media content, so that the media content can be kept intact without embedded codes and can be played back on any system. The IDM program has established linkages connecting the objects mapped by the N Data to other functions to be performed in conjunction with display of the media content. Selection of an object appearing in the media content with a pointer results in initiation of the interactive function. A broad base of existing non-interactive media content, such as movies, videos, advertising, and television programming can be converted to interactive digital media use. An authoring system for creating IDM programs has an object outlining tool and a object motion tracking tool for facilitating the generation of N Data. In a data storage disk, the Frame Data and the N Data are stored on separate sectors. In a network system, the object mapping data and IDM program are downloaded to a subscriber terminal and used in conjunction with presentation of the media content.

A system for allowing media content to be used in an interactive digital media program comprising:

(a) first user means for receiving media content in the form of data representing a series of successive display frames having respective frame addresses ("Frame Data");
(b) second user means for receiving object mapping data ("N Data") separately from the media content, said N Data specifying display location coordinates of objects intended to be rendered interactive as they appear in the display frames of the media content, wherein said N Data for each mapped object comprise coordinate location data representing the display location coordinates of the object as it appears in a display frame of said media content and a frame address for the display frame in which the object appears, said object mapping N Data being maintained as logically and physically separate data from the media content data, such that the media content data remain uncorrupted by and unembedded with the N Data;
(c) media content display means operable in conjunction with said first user means and responsive to the media content data for providing a visual display of the display frames of said media content while tracking the frame addresses of the display frames being displayed;
(d) interactive digital media (IDM) program means operable in conjunction with said second user means and said media content display means and responsive to the N Data for providing program linkages for connecting objects, for which display location coordinates and frame addresses of the display frames of said media content are specified by the N Data, to respective other functions to be performed upon user selection of the objects in conjunction with display of the media content by said media content display means;
and
(e) a user system, including said first and second user means and a pointing device for selecting an object when it appears in the visual display of said media content, for operating the IDM program by detecting when an object appearing within the display location coordinates of the N Data for said object in a displayed frame of said media content having a frame address corresponding to the frame address of the N Data for said object is selected by a user and by performing the function linked by the IDM program linkage thereto.

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Abstract

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