Method and apparatus for interaction with hyperlinks in a television broadcast

Abstract

A system and method of adding hyperlinked information to a television broadcast in which an interactive content icon is used. The broadcast material is analyzed and one or more regions within a frame are identified. Additional information can be associated with a region, and can be transmitted in encoded form, using timing information to identify the frame with which the information is associated. The system comprising a video source and an encoder that produces a transport stream in communication with the video source, an annotation source, a data packet stream generator that produces encoded annotation data packets in communication with the annotation source and the encoder, and a multiplexer system in communication with the encoder and the data packet stream generator. The encoder provides timestamp information to the data packet stream generator and the data packet stream generator synchronizes annotation data from the annotation source with a video signal from the video source in response to the timestamp information. The multiplexer generates a digital broadcast signal that includes an augmented transport stream from the transport stream and the encoded data packets. A receiver displays the annotation information associated with the video signal in response to a viewer request on a frame by frame basis. A viewer can respond interactively to the material, including performing commercial transactions, by using a backchannel that is provided for interactive communication. The interactive content icon can be used to inform a viewer of the presence of hyperlinked information, for teaching the viewer how to use the system, and for informing the viewer about the hyperlinked information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of indicating to a viewer of a hyperlinked television broadcast regions of an image that have associated therewith hyperlinked information, the method comprising:
 for a region having hyperlinked information associated therewith, displaying said region within a television broadcast image with a modified visual effect.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying said region within a television broadcast image with a modified visual effect that persists for a period of less than one second. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the persistence period of the modified visual effect is in the range of one-tenth second to one-quarter second. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display of a region with a modified visual effect occurs in response to a request from a viewer. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display of a region with a modified visual effect occurs in response to a change in the content of an image. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display of a region with a modified visual effect occurs in response to a signal associated with said television broadcast. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said modified visual effect comprises a change in color. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said modified visual effect comprises addition of an alphanumeric character. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said modified visual effect comprises a change in luminosity.