METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TIME-SHIFTING VIDEO AND TEXT IN A TEXT-ENHANCED TELEVISION PROGRAM
A television system allows a viewer of a text-enhanced television program to pause the program at a particular frame, browse the enhancements at his or her leisure, and then resume viewing the program from that frame, without losing continuity of the video and enhancement portions of the program, or program content. This is accomplished by time-shifting the television program for later playback. Time-shifting is accomplished through the use of mass storage devices such as semiconductor memory, optical disks, magnetic storage and other FIFO data storage structures. Markers are available that allow the viewer to return to the program at the point that he stopped watching, replaying the program from that point. Text enhancements are provided through the VBI present in a conventional television broadcast signal, through an Internet connection, or by a wireless means such as a pager or cordless telephone. Additionally a back link may be utilized to allow the viewer to summon the text enhancements or interact with the enhancements already present.
1 - 31 . (canceled)
32 . A method comprising:
displaying a video received over a video signal on a user device;
receiving a trigger over the video signal; and
launching an application related to the video on the user device in response to receiving the trigger.
33 . The method of claim 32 wherein the video signal is a television signal, and wherein the trigger is received in the VBI of the television signal.
34 . The method of claim 32 further comprising pausing the video in response to receiving the trigger.
35 . The method of claim 34 wherein the video is a real-time program.
36 . The method of claim 35 wherein pausing the video comprises:
receiving a first plurality of portions of the real-time program that are later in time relative to the paused real-time program location; and
storing the first plurality of portions as they are received.
37 . The method of claim 36 further comprising:
receiving an unpause command;
retrieving the first plurality of stored portions of the real-time program that are later in time relative to the paused real-time program location; and
displaying the first plurality of retrieved stored portions.
38 . The method of claim 37 further comprising:
storing a second plurality of portions of the real-time program that are later in time relative to the first plurality of retrieved portions, wherein the first plurality of stored portions is retrieved simultaneously with the storing of the second plurality of portions.
39 . The method of claim 34 further comprising:
receiving another trigger in the video signal;
resuming playback of the paused video in response to receiving the other trigger, wherein playback is resumed from a point in time at which the video was paused; and
terminating the launched application in response to receiving the other trigger.
40 . The method of claim 32 , further comprising accessing a webpage that includes information about the video in a web browser, wherein launching the application comprises launching the web browser on the device.
41 . The method of claim 40 wherein the video is a television program and the webpage information comprises at least one of cast members' biographies, trivia about the program, information relating to a particular episode or scene of the program, and close-ups of information that are hidden in the displayed program.
42 . The method of claim 32 wherein launching the application comprises providing access to the application simultaneously while displaying the video.
43 . The method of claim 42 wherein information associated with the application and the video are displayed in separate screens on the user device.
44 . The method of claim 43 wherein the video is a real-time program, further comprising:
pausing the real-time program in response to receiving the trigger,
wherein access to the application is provided simultaneously while displaying a single frame of the real-time program.
45 . The method of claim 32 wherein launching the application comprises:
establishing an Internet connection with a remote host;
receiving information related to the real-time video from the remote host over the Internet connection; and
displaying the information received from the remote host.
46 . A system comprising:
a display screen for displaying a video received over a video signal on a user device; and
control circuitry configured to:
receive a trigger over the video signal; and
launch an application related to the video on the user device in response to receiving the trigger.
47 . The system of claim 46 wherein the video signal is a television signal, and wherein the trigger is received in the VBI of the television signal.
48 . The system of claim 46 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to pause the video in response to receiving the trigger.
49 . The system of claim 48 wherein the video is a real-time program.
50 . The system of claim 49 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive a first plurality of portions of the real-time program that are later in time relative to the paused real-time program location; and
store the first plurality of portions as they are received.
51 . The system of claim 50 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive an unpause command;
retrieve the first plurality of stored portions of the real-time program that are later in time relative to the paused real-time program location; and
display on the display screen the first plurality of retrieved stored portions.
52 . The system of claim 51 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
store a second plurality of portions of the real-time program that are later in time relative to the first plurality of retrieved portions, wherein the first plurality of stored portions is retrieved simultaneously with the storing of the second plurality of portions.
53 . The system of claim 48 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive another trigger in the video signal;
resume playback of the paused video in response to receiving the other trigger, wherein playback is resumed from a point in time at which the video was paused; and
terminate the launched application in response to receiving the other trigger.
54 . The system of claim 46 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
access a webpage that includes information about the video in a web browser; and
launch the web browser on the device.
55 . The system of claim 54 wherein the video is a television program and the webpage information comprises at least one of cast members' biographies, trivia about the program, information relating to a particular episode or scene of the program, and close-ups of information that are hidden in the displayed program.
56 . The system of claim 46 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to provide access to the application simultaneously while displaying the video.
57 . The system of claim 56 wherein information associated with the application and the video are displayed in separate screens on the display screen.
58 . The system of claim 57 wherein the video is a real-time program, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
pause the real-time program in response to receiving the trigger; and
provide access to the application simultaneously while displaying a single frame of the real-time program.
59 . The system of claim 46 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
establish an Internet connection with a remote host;
receive information related to the real-time video from the remote host over the Internet connection; and
display on the display screen the information received from the remote host.