Digital medium with hidden content
View Patent ↗A digital medium such as a DVD disk, may contain hidden content and apparent content. When loaded, a main or title menu may appear to provide an apparent link to apparent content and a non-apparent link to non-apparent content. The non-apparent link may require a user to perform a sequence of non-apparent control actions before providing access to the non-apparent content.
1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing machine readable instructions that, in response to reading by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:
presenting an interface to a user, wherein the interface includes a plurality of menus that specify availability of apparent content stored on the computer-readable medium, wherein the computer-readable medium stores hidden non-apparent content accessible via a particular sequence of commands made through the interface, wherein none of the plurality of menus specify availability of the non-apparent content; and in response to determining that the particular sequence of commands has not been correctly followed:
directing the user away from the non-apparent content to the apparent content; and
preventing the user from fast-forwarding through the apparent content.
2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the particular sequence of commands includes entering a code sequence of alphanumeric characters.
3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the particular sequence of commands includes selections of one or more menu items.
4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the non-apparent content is the principal content of the computer-readable medium.
5. A method, comprising:
a media player device presenting, to a user, a plurality of menus that specify availability of apparent content stored on a digital medium, wherein the digital medium further stores hidden content accessible via a particular sequence of commands performed via the plurality of menus;
the media player device determining that the particular sequence of commands has not been properly performed; and
in response to the determining:
the media player device directing the user away from the hidden content to the apparent content; and
the media player device preventing the user from skipping through the apparent content.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the particular sequence of commands is performed using a movable cursor.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the digital medium is remotely located with respect to the media player device, and wherein the method further comprises: the media player device downloading at least the hidden content via a communication network.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the hidden content is the principal content of the digital medium.