Method of and system for inserting/overlaying markers, data packets and objects relative to viewable content and enabling live social networking, n-dimensional virtual environments and/or other value derivable from the content

Abstract

A method by which a User can associate selectable Markers, Data Packets and/or Objects with Content. The Content may generally be distributed electronically, and the Markers allow for insertion and/or overlay of Objects when the Content is selected for viewing by a Viewer. Objects and Data Packets are generally provided by a User, Promoter, Host, Service, or other entity to convey information to a Viewer. A Service provides tools and capabilities to both the User and the Promoter to facilitate their respective actions according to embodiments of the invention, including enabling the creation of live social networks (such as those linked to a specific Service provider, a specific User group, activities by a specific Promoter, and/or to specific Data Packets) and the creation of n-dimensional Virtual Environments.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of associating advertising materials and other viewer-targeted data with viewable content, comprising:
 receiving user registration information from a user;   receiving from the user information identifying an item of content, wherein the content is imagery viewable at a display device coupled with a network-linked device;   providing to the user a marker comprising device-executable instructions;   providing to the user a device-enabled capability to associate the marker with a user-selected position relative to a viewable portion of the content, wherein the associating includes one or more of:
 dragging and dropping the marker into a specified position relative to a selected portion of the content via device-enabled controls; 
 copying and pasting the marker into position relative to a selected portion of the content via device-enabled controls; 
 specifying a position within the content by data entry via an input/output device; 
 indicating a position within the content by visibly placing a mouse-controlled cursor or other similar visible indicator at the position and activating a corresponding control to select that position; and 
 defining a visible, user-defined outline at a portion of the content using device-enabled controls; and 
   receiving from the user data indicating a user-selected marker position relative to the viewable portion of the content.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving from the user registration information for content marked with the marker; and   associating a unique identification with the marked content.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 assigning one or more objects to be associated with the marker when a viewer views the content.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 providing to the user a user-selectable option to receive payment corresponding to viewer actions relative to the marked content; and   receiving from the user data indicating a selection by the user relative to the provided option.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 providing to the user an option to specify one or more types of objects to be associated with the marker in the marked content.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 providing to the user an option to positionally stabilize the marker relative to a viewable, user-selected pattern within the content imagery, wherein the positional stabilization is enabled by pattern-recognition software.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the marker is configured to be visible to and selectable by a viewer when the viewer views the content. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the marker is configured, when selected by a viewer of content marked with the marker, to execute coded instruction corresponding to the object in a viewer-perceivable manner including one or more of aurally, visually and tactilely. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the marker with a viewable portion of the content comprises forming an additional layer of content overlying, corresponding to, and dynamically responsive to the imagery of the content. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 changing an object association with the marker from one object to another object based on the presence of one or both of a viewer-dependent condition and a viewer-independent condition, wherein:   a viewer-dependent condition is one or more of a viewer location, a viewer gender, a viewer age, a viewer financial status, and a viewer-expressed interest; and   a viewer-independent condition is one or more of an expiration of a time period, an arrival of a specified time or date, a payment by a sponsor, an instruction received from the user.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the object is an advertisement for either or both of a commercial product and a commercial service. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 inserting the object at the marker in response to content marked with the marker being selected for viewing by a viewer.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 analyzing metadata of a marker in response to the marked content being selected for viewing by a viewer;   identifying another viewer who is either concurrently viewing marked content having similar marker metadata or who has left an instruction to later be connected with a viewer of marked content having similar marker metadata.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 linking the viewer and the other viewer into a live, device-enabled social networking interaction via a data network connection with each of the viewer and the other viewer.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the linking includes presenting a virtual environment at a display device of either or both of the viewer and the other viewer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 providing at least one device-enabled method for the viewer and the other viewer to communicate with each other within the virtual environment.   
     
     
         17 . A method of associating advertising materials and other viewer-targeted data with viewable content, comprising:
 receiving user registration information from a user;   receiving from the user information identifying an item of content, wherein the content is imagery viewable at a display device coupled with a network-linked device;   providing to the user a data packet comprising device-executable instructions;   providing to the user a device-enabled capability to associate the data packet with a user-selected position relative to a viewable portion of the content, wherein the associating includes one or more of:
 dragging and dropping the data packet into a specified position relative to a selected portion of the content via device-enabled controls; 
 copying and pasting the data packet into position relative to a selected portion of the content via device-enabled controls; 
 specifying a position within the content by data entry via an input/output device; 
 indicating a position within the content by visibly placing a mouse-controlled cursor or other similar visible indicator at the position and activating a corresponding control to select that position; and 
 defining a visible, user-defined outline at a portion of the content using device-enabled controls; and 
   receiving from the user data indicating a user-selected data packet position relative to the viewable portion of the content.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the data packet is configured to be visibly depicted to and selectable by a viewer when the viewer views the content. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 providing to the user a user-selectable option to specify whether the data packet will execute spontaneously when a viewer views the content, or whether the data packet will execute only in response to selection of the data packet by the viewer, and receiving from the user data indicating a selection by the user relative to the provided option.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the data packet is configured to cause a message to be sent to the user upon either or both of spontaneous execution of the data packet and selection of the data packet by the viewer.