Web based video enhancement apparatus, method, and article of manufacture

1. A computer implemented method of controlling an event in a virtual environment, comprising:

receiving one or more video images of a user;

executing a video enhanced script that communicates with a web browser extension module to display the virtual environment in a web browser;

instructing the web browser extension module to determine if the user within a video image has interacted with a feature in the virtual environment; and

controlling an event in the virtual environment based on the determination.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the web browser extension module determines if the user has interacted with a feature in the virtual environment by executing a video enhancement routine from a library of video enhancement routines.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein said library of video enhancement routines includes a routine with an ability to identify and track a head of a person within a field of view of a video camera.

4. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein said library of video enhancement routines includes a routine with an ability to determine when at least two tracked features in the images collide.

5. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein executing said video enhanced script further includes:

passing a command from said video enhanced script to said web browser extension module, wherein said command includes parameters required by said video enhancement routine; and

providing the parameters to the video enhancement routine for use by the video enhancement routine according to said command.

6. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the library of video enhancement routines is located on a server.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said web browser extension module includes a multimedia extension module and a translator and wherein the web browser extension module determines if the user has interacted with a feature in the virtual environment by executing a video enhancement routine from a library of video enhancement routines.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 , wherein executing said video enhanced script includes:

passing a command from said video enhanced script to the multimedia extension module, wherein said command includes parameters required by the video enhancement routine;

passing said parameters from the multimedia extension module to the translator; and

translating the parameters and providing the translated parameters to the video enhancement routine according to said command.

9. A method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the video enhancement routine is executed by:

receiving a command at the web browser extension module from the video enhanced script;

translating the command with the translator included in the web browser extension module; and

executing the video enhancement routine with the translated command.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said video enhanced script includes an applet that is configured to run in conjunction with said web browser.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said web browser extension module includes a plug-in configured to run in conjunction with said operating web browser.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the video enhanced script is located on a server.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the web browser extension module is located on a server.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the event includes interacting with an object.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the video images are of an action performed by a person or an object.

16. A method as recited in claim 1 , further including displaying a video image representative of an action in the video display.

17. A method as recited in claim 1 , further including displaying a video image of an object in the video display.

18. A method as recited in claim 1 , further including displaying one or more images representative of interacting with an object in the video display.

19. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the event in the virtual environment is controlled by moving an object.

20. A method as recited in claim 1 , further including requesting an IP address to connect to a user.

21. A method as recited in claim 1 , further including requiring secure access to observe system data.

22. A method as recited in claim 1 , further including receiving a video image from a second computer.

23. A method as recited in claim 1 , further including sending a video image to a second computer.

24. A system for controlling a display of a virtual environment in a web browser, comprising:

a first computer configured to receive video images of a user from a first video camera;

a web browser configured to operate on said first computer;

a video display that is configured to operate within said web browser;

a web browser extension module coupled to said web browser that is configured to selectively execute a video enhancement routine from a library of video enhancement routines to determine if the user in a video image has interacted with a feature in the virtual environment; and

a video enhancer configured to:

execute a video enhanced script to communicate with the web browser extension module to display the virtual environment in the video display and provide the web browser extension module with a command to execute a video enhancement routine; and

control the display of the virtual environment based on the determination made by the video enhancement routine.

25. A system as recited in claim 24 , wherein said library of video enhancement routines is provided as dynamically linked libraries (DLLs).

26. A system as recited in claim 24 , wherein said web browser extension module includes a multimedia extension module and a translator.

27. A system as recited in claim 24 , wherein said library of video enhancement routines includes a head tracking routine with an ability to identify and track a head of a person within a field of view of said first video camera.

28. A system as recited in claim 24 , wherein said library of video enhancement routines includes a routine with an ability to determine when at least two tracked features collide.

29. A system as recited in claim 24 , further comprising a wide area network (WAN) and a server connected to said WAN, said first computer being connected to said WAN.

30. A system as recited in claim 29 , wherein the system is used to play a game, and wherein said video enhanced script allows said game to be played as said video enhanced script is being downloaded to said first computer from said server via said WAN.

31. A system as recited in claim 29 , wherein the system is used to play a game, and wherein said video enhanced script is configured to allow a player to send information to said server to be retained for future reference following the completion of said game.

32. A system as recited in claim 29 , wherein the system is used to play a game, and wherein said video enhanced script is configured to send a cookie to said server to be retained for future reference following the completion of said game.

33. A system as recited in claim 29 , wherein said video enhanced script is configured to maintain communication with said remote server through said web browser.

34. A system as recited in claim 29 , further including a second computer including a web browser.

35. A system as recited in claim 34 , wherein said second computer further includes:

a web browser extension module coupled to said web browser that is configured to selectively execute a video enhancement routine from a library of video enhancement routines that determines if the user in the video images has interacted with a feature in the virtual environment; and

a video enhancer configured to:

execute a video enhanced script to communicate with the web browser extension module to display the virtual environment in the video display and provide the web browser extension module with a command to execute a video enhancement routine; and

control the display of the virtual environment based on the determination made by the video enhancement routine.

36. A system as recited in claim 24 , wherein said video enhancement routine is in communication with a second video camera.

37. A computer program product for controlling an event in a virtual environment, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving video images of a user;

executing a video enhanced script that is configured to communicate with a web browser extension module to display the virtual environment in a web browser and wherein the video enhanced script provides a command to execute a video enhancement routine from a library of video enhancement routines;

receiving the command at a web browser extension module that causes the web browser extension to execute the video enhancement routine to determine if a video image of the user has interacted with a feature in the virtual environment; and

controlling an event in the virtual environment based on the determination made by the video enhancement routine.

38. A system for controlling a display of a virtual environment in a web browser, comprising:

a first computer configured to receive video images of a user from a first video camera;

a web browser configured to operate on said first computer;

a video display that is configured to operate within said web browser;

web browser extension means for determining if the user in a video image has interacted with a feature in the virtual environment; and

a video enhancer configured to:

execute a video enhanced script to communicate with the web browser extension means to display the virtual environment in the video display and provide the web browser extension means with a command to determine if the user in a video image has interacted with a feature in the virtual environment; and

control the display of the virtual environment based on the video image determination made by the web browser extension means.

39. A computer implemented method of controlling an event in a virtual environment, comprising:

positioning a user in a field of view of a video camera to produce one or more video images of the user;

receiving the one or more video images of the user;

executing a video enhanced script that communicates with a web browser extension module to display the virtual environment in a web browser;

instructing the web browser extension module to determine if the user within a video image has interacted with a feature in the virtual environment; and

controlling an event in the virtual environment based on the determination.