Interactive entertainment system for presenting supplemental interactive content together with continuous video programs

A computer implemented method comprising:

• receiving a program from a first source as a continuous stream of video data;
• selecting a continuous stream of digital data from either the first source or from a second source that is different than the first source, wherein the selected digital data supports interactive functionality in relation to the program, wherein the digital data prescribes how supplemental content and the video data are to appear in relation to one another, wherein the second source is the internet and the continuous stream of digital data is constructed as hypermedia, wherein the digital data is selected by providing an electronic programming guide (EPG) to a user for selection from between uniform resource locators (URLs) presented by the EPG to thereby allow user selection between digital data from the first source and the second source, and wherein the URLs are user selectable using a back channel to communicate with a headend from which the video data is obtained;
• displaying the program within a program boundary on a visual display screen, wherein changes in the location and the shape and relative sizing of the program boundary and a boundary of the supplemental content are based on time elapsed since a start time of the program;
• simultaneously presenting supplemental content from the digital data in a presentation format on the visual display screen which enables the interactive functionality;
• and
• dynamically controlling location, size and shape of the program boundary and the presentation format of the supplemental content relative to the program boundary on the visual display screen based on the received continuous stream of digital data, wherein video data is scaled for display with the program boundary in response to dynamic changes in size.

A method for a headend of an interactive television system to author an interactive entertainment program, the method comprising:

• constructing digital data to support interactive functionality with a video content program, the digital data being configured to permit a viewer to interactively control display of supplemental content along with the video content program, wherein the digital data is presented according to user input at an EPG (electronic programming guide) allowing selection between URLs (uniform resource locators) within the EPG;
• defining a display layout of how the supplemental content and the video content program are displayed in relation to one another on a display device;
• developing timing information to synchronize presentation of the supplemental content in conjunction with the video content program wherein the timing information coordinates the supplemental content with a start time of the video content program and wherein the timing information is derived from the supplemental content;
• and
• encoding the digital data with instructions to dynamically change the display layout of the supplemental content and the video content program and to alter the display layout of the supplemental content and the video content program in response to the timing information to accommodate the display of both the supplemental content and the video content program on the display device, wherein changes in location, shape, and relative size of a boundary of the video content program and the supplemental content are keyed to frame numbers of frames being displayed.

A computer implemented method, comprising:

• constructing digital data to support interactive functionality with a video content program, the digital data being configured to permit a viewer to interactively control display of supplemental content along with the video content program, wherein the digital data is presented in response to user input to an EPG (electronic programming guide) and user selection of URL (uniform resource locator) within the EPG;
• defining a display layout of how the supplemental content and the video content program are displayed in relation to one another;
• and
• encoding the digital data with instructions to dynamically change the display layout of the supplemental content and the video content program automatically, wherein the encoding includes changing a size of the video content program displayed on a screen and a size of the supplemental content displayed on the screen, and wherein changes in the location and relative sizing of a boundary of the video content and a boundary of the supplemental content are keyed to frame numbers of frames being displayed.