Video player user interface
View Patent ↗A video playback user interface includes display of tags or other information outside of a video play area. Tags can be visually associated with items in the video by using connectors such as lines, arrows, etc. that bridge between a tag and an item. Tag and other information can be included with a video file or associated with a video file and stored as a separate file or other data structure. Users can add text or other annotations for viewing at a later time or by other users. A snapshot of a video frame during playback can be obtained and sent to an email address, web site, storage device, or other destination. The snapshot includes a video frame or portion of a frame along with added information such as tags, annotations, etc.
1. A method, comprising:
displaying a video in a video play area on a display screen, wherein the display screen includes an additional area that is not used to display the video, wherein a boundary separates the video play area from the additional area;
displaying text information at least partially in the additional area; and
displaying a connector to visually associate the text information with an item in the video, wherein the connector comprises a join point that specifies a portion of the boundary through which the connector passes.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the text information is associated with coordinates specifying where the text information is placed on the display screen.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a video signal containing data representing the video and the text information.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the video signal further contains the join point.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the data contained in the video signal comprises a header, and wherein the text information and the join point are contained in the header.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises a first line segment connecting the text information to the join point and a second line segment connecting the join point to the item in the video.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a user input to provide a snapshot of a frame in the video.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
causing the snapshot to be sent to an email destination.
9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
linking the snapshot using a web account.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the snapshot comprises a link back mechanism for replaying a predetermined number of preceding and/or subsequent video frames around the snapshot.
11. An apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to be operatively connected to a display, the processor configured to:
cause display of a video in a video play area on a display screen, wherein the display screen includes an additional area that is not used to display the video, wherein a boundary separates the video play area from the additional area;
cause display of text information at least partially in the additional area; and
cause display of a connector to visually associate the text information with an item in the video, wherein the connector comprises a join point that specifies a portion of the boundary through which the connector passes.
12. A processor-readable storage device on which are stored one or more instructions executable by a processor, the one or more instructions comprising:
instructions to display a video in a video play area on a display screen, wherein the display screen includes an additional area that is not used to display the video, wherein a boundary separates the video play area from the additional area;
instructions to display text information at least partially in the additional area; and
instructions to display a connector to visually associate the text information with an item in the video, wherein the connector comprises a join point that specifies a portion of the boundary through which the connector passes.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the text information is part of a tag.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the tag is an advertisement for the item in the video.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
accepting an input from a user specifying a location of the text information in the additional area; and
repositioning the text information to the location without altering the video.
16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the connector comprises a first line segment connecting the text information to the join point and a second line segment connecting the join point to the item in the video.
17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the join point facilitates placement of the text information anywhere in the additional area without affecting the video.
18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the item in the video is associated with the join point and the join point is associated with a location of the text information but the item in the video is not directly associated with the location of the text information.
19. The processor-readable storage device of claim 12 , on which are additionally stored a video signal comprising data representing the video, the text information, a location of the text information, and the join point, wherein the join point is associated with both the item in the video and the location of the text information.
20. The processor-readable storage device of claim 19 , wherein the video signal is formatted without regard to the location of the text information.