IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,935,719
Granted Patent B2
US 8,935,719 · App. 13/217,342 · Granted Jan 13, 2015

Application triggering

Inventor: Darren Sargent (San Rafael, CA)
Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
H04N21/23418H04N21/23614H04N21/488H04N21/8126H04N21/8166H04N21/8545H04N21/858
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,935,719
App. No.
13/217,342
Granted
Jan 13, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus, method, system and computer-readable medium are disclosed for, in one aspect, determining when a trigger, such as an application trigger, should be generated. In some embodiments, the application trigger may be generated when a frame included in a feed (e.g., a content feed) matches a specified or indicated frame. In some embodiments, a comparison between the feed and the specified or indicated frame may be based on one or more tolerances or thresholds. In some embodiments, the feed may be split and content (e.g., video) obtained via the split may be combined (e.g., multiplexed) with a trigger. The combined content and trigger may be transmitted to one or more devices, such as one or more user devices.

Claims (54)

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, that a match exists between at least one content frame in a piece of content and at least one reference frame associated with a trigger for an application, the trigger comprising a specification of an offset; and

activating the trigger for the application automatically in response to determining that the match exists between the at least one content frame and the at least one reference frame,

wherein the determining that the match exists is based on a pixel by pixel comparison of the at least one reference frame and the at least one content frame.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determination that the match exists is based on a comparison indicating that the at least one reference frame and the at least one content frame are the same within predetermined tolerance.

3. The method of claim 1 , the offset being based at least in part on time.

4. The method of claim 1 , the offset being based at least in part on an occurrence of an event.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

receiving the piece of content via a content feed;

splitting the content feed;

combining the split content feed with the trigger; and

transmitting the combined split content and trigger to a user device associated with the application.

6. The method of claim 1 , the at least one content frame comprising a sequence of content frames and the at least one reference frame comprising a sequence of reference frames, the method comprising determining that the match exists based on the sequence of content frames matching the sequence of reference frames.

7. The method of claim 1 , the at least one content frame comprising a video frame of a video stream.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising synchronizing the trigger with the at least one content frame based on the match existing.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trigger is activated without user input.

10. A method comprising:

activating, by a computing device, without user input a trigger for an application in response to determining that a match exists between at least one content frame and at least one reference frame associated with the trigger for the application, wherein the trigger causes the application to replace first data with second data,

wherein the determining that the match exists is based on at least a macro block comparison of the at least one reference frame and the at least one content frame.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising:

transmitting the trigger to a different computing device remote from the computing device, the different computing device executing the application and the trigger.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trigger is transmitted separately from the application.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trigger for the application signals the application to perform a task.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trigger causes the application to cease running.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trigger causes the application to replace first data with second data.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trigger for the application comprises a stacked trigger.

17. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, that a match exists between at least one content frame in a piece of content and at least one reference frame associated with a trigger for an application, the trigger comprising a specification of an offset; and

activating the trigger for the application automatically in response to determining that the match exists between the at least one content frame and the at least one reference frame,

wherein the determining that the match exists is based on a color comparison of the at least one reference frame and the at least one content frame.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the determination that the match exists is based on a comparison indicating that the at least one reference frame and the at least one content frame are the same within predetermined tolerance.

19. The method of claim 17 , the at least one content frame comprising a sequence of content frames and the at least one reference frame comprising a sequence of reference frames, the method comprising determining that the match exists based on the sequence of content frames matching the sequence of reference frames.

20. The method of claim 17 , the at least one content frame comprising a video frame of a video stream.

21. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, that a match exists between at least one content frame in a piece of content and at least one reference frame associated with a trigger for an application, the trigger comprising a specification of an offset; and

activating the trigger for the application automatically in response to determining that the match exists between the at least one content frame and the at least one reference frame,

wherein the determining that the match exists is based on a macro block comparison of the at least one reference frame and the at least one content frame.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the determination that the match exists is based on a comparison indicating that the at least one reference frame and the at least one content frame are the same within predetermined tolerance.

23. The method of claim 21 , the at least one content frame comprising a sequence of content frames and the at least one reference frame comprising a sequence of reference frames, the method comprising determining that the match exists based on the sequence of content frames matching the sequence of reference frames.

24. The method of claim 21 , the at least one content frame comprising a video frame of a video stream.

25. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, that a match exists between at least one content frame in a piece of content and at least one reference frame associated with a trigger for an application, the trigger comprising a specification of an offset; and

activating the trigger for the application automatically in response to determining that the match exists between the at least one content frame and the at least one reference frame,

wherein the determining that the match exists is based on a hash comparison of the at least one reference frame and the at least one content frame.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the determination that the match exists is based on a comparison indicating that the at least one reference frame and the at least one content frame are the same within predetermined tolerance.

27. The method of claim 25 , the at least one content frame comprising a sequence of content frames and the at least one reference frame comprising a sequence of reference frames, the method comprising determining that the match exists based on the sequence of content frames matching the sequence of reference frames.

28. The method of claim 25 , the at least one content frame comprising a video frame of a video stream.

29. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, that a match exists between at least one content frame in a piece of content and at least one reference frame associated with a trigger for an application, the trigger comprising a specification of an offset; and

activating the trigger for the application automatically in response to determining that the match exists between the at least one content frame and the at least one reference frame,

wherein the determining that the match exists is based on an eigenvector comparison of the at least one reference frame and the at least one content frame.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the determination that the match exists is based on a comparison indicating that the at least one reference frame and the at least one content frame are the same within predetermined tolerance.

31. The method of claim 29 , the at least one content frame comprising a sequence of content frames and the at least one reference frame comprising a sequence of reference frames, the method comprising determining that the match exists based on the sequence of content frames matching the sequence of reference frames.

32. The method of claim 29 , the at least one content frame comprising a video frame of a video stream.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 7, 2011
From: SARGENT, DARREN
To: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 026866/0390 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130051770A1 · Feb 28, 2013