Identifying ancillary information associated with an audio/video program

Abstract

A system communicates video information including television content associated with a plurality of channels and ancillary information. Information may be transmitted with the ancillary information that is indicative of the type of content included in the ancillary information. This provides the user, in one embodiment of the present invention, with a visual indication of the type of information that accompanies television content. This helps the user to decide whether the user wishes to view the ancillary information and provides the opportunity to select that enhancement for viewing.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method comprising: 
 transmitting video data;    transmitting ancillary information associated with said video data; and    transmitting information that may be used to identify the content included in said ancillary information.    
     
     
         2 . The method of    claim 1    wherein transmitting information indicative of the content includes providing a universal resource locator identifying a web page.  
     
     
         3 . The method of    claim 2    wherein transmitting information indicative of the content includes providing a uniform resource locator to a web page that includes an appropriate icon indicative of the content included in said ancillary information.  
     
     
         4 . The method of    claim 1    wherein transmitting information indicative of the content included in the ancillary information includes transmitting a local identifier in said ancillary information that points to a location storing a content-identifying icon.  
     
     
         5 . The method of    claim 1    further including providing information to produce an icon indicative of the content included in said ancillary information on a display screen.  
     
     
         6 . The method of    claim 5    further including providing information that causes an icon to be displayed as an overlay.  
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 6    further including transmitting a duration for the display of said icon in said ancillary information.  
     
     
         8 . The method of    claim 7    further including determining whether the icon has been displayed for the duration set with the ancillary information.  
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 5    further including providing information to produce a plurality of icons indicative of content in said ancillary information.  
     
     
         10 . An article comprising a medium for storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to: 
 transmit video data;    transmit ancillary information associated with said video data; and    transmit information indicative of the content included in said ancillary information.    
     
     
         11 . The article of    claim 10    further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to provide a universal resource locator identifying a web page.  
     
     
         12 . The article of    claim 11    further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to provide a uniform resource locator to a web page that includes an appropriate icon indicative of the content included in said ancillary information.  
     
     
         13 . The article of    claim 10    further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to transmit a local identifier in said ancillary information that points to a location storing a content-identifying icon.  
     
     
         14 . A method comprising: 
 receiving video data, ancillary information associated with said video data, and information that may be used to identify the content included in said ancillary information; and    displaying an icon indicative of the content included in said ancillary information.    
     
     
         15 . The method of    claim 14    wherein receiving includes receiving a uniform resource locator identifying a web page.  
     
     
         16 . The method of    claim 15    including receiving a uniform resource locator identifying a web page that includes an appropriate icon indicative of the content included in the ancillary information.  
     
     
         17 . The method of    claim 14    including receiving a local identifier in the ancillary information that points to a location storing a content-identifying icon.  
     
     
         18 . The method of    claim 17    including storing said local identifier and using said local identifier to locate a content-identifying icon.  
     
     
         19 . The method of    claim 15    including automatically accessing said web page.  
     
     
         20 . An article comprising a medium for storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to: 
 receive video data, ancillary information associated with the video data, and information that may be used to identify the content included in the ancillary information; and    cause an icon indicative of the content included in said ancillary information to be displayed.    
     
     
         21 . The article of    claim 20    further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to receive a uniform resource locator identifying a web page.  
     
     
         22 . The article of    claim 21    further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to receive a uniform resource locator identifying a web page that includes an appropriate icon indicative of the content included in the ancillary information.  
     
     
         23 . The article of    claim 20    further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to receive a local identifier in the ancillary information that points to a location storing a content-identifying icon.  
     
     
         24 . The article of    claim 23    further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to store the local identifier and use the local identifier to locate a content-identifying icon.  
     
     
         25 . The article of    claim 21    further storing instructions that cause a processor-based system to automatically access the web page.  
     
     
         26 . A processor-based system comprising: 
 a processor; and    a transmitter coupled to said processor to transmit video data along with ancillary information associated with the video data together with information that may be used to identify the content included in said ancillary information.    
     
     
         27 . The system of    claim 26    wherein said transmitter transmits a local identifier that may be used to identify the content included in the ancillary information.  
     
     
         28 . The system of    claim 26    wherein said transmitter transmits a uniform resource locator that may be used to identify the content included in the ancillary information.  
     
     
         29 . A processor-based system comprising: 
 a processor; and    a receiver to receive video data with ancillary information associated with the data together with information that may be used to identify the content included in the ancillary information.    
     
     
         30 . The system of    claim 29    wherein said receiver displays an icon indicative of the content included in said ancillary information.