Systems and methods for mapping media content to web sites

Abstract

Systems and methods for mapping viewable and non-viewable media to websites are disclosed. Mapping is executed through associated or embedded data, based upon frame and/or time segment of the media. The media-to-browser-destination-data (MBDD) may be embedded in media content, embedded in a transmitted signal, downloaded or pushed to a media playing device, or provided by a graphic overlay. Media players are disclosed that can process the MBDD to launch a browser to a selected web site.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method of providing media content associated with a web site to a video player associated with a display screen, comprising:
 receiving video content at the video player;   receiving control data at the video player, wherein the control data includes (a) time data indicating a time period related to the video content; (b) location data indicating a selectable display region of the video content that displays on the display screen during the time period, wherein the selectable display region is a display region for which a destination web site is desired to be launched if selected by a user during the time period indicated by the time data; (c) a lookup value that has been defined for the combination of (i) the time period indicated by the time data and (ii) the selectable display region indicated by the location data; and (d) a URL routing server address of a URL routing server containing a web site destination to be launched when the lookup value has been sent by the video player to the URL routing server;   processing the control data into a memory;   playing the video content on the display screen;   during the display of the video content, receiving a user input, wherein the user input selects a selected screen location of the video content being displayed on the display screen at a selected time during the video content;   determining whether the selected screen location falls within the selectable display region and whether the selected time falls within the time period; and   if the selected screen location falls within the selectable display region and the selected time falls within the time period, passing the lookup value to the URL routing server at the URL routing server address;   receiving the web site destination from the URL routing server at the video player; and   launching a browser program that displays the web site located at the web site destination on the display screen.   
     
     
         21 . The method defined in  claim 20 , where in the selectable display region is the entire display area of the video content. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the location data indicating the display region includes one or more sets of (x,y) coordinates. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the location data indicating the display region includes an (x,y) origin value, a width value, and a height value. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the display region is shaped in a shape selected from the group consisting of a rectangle, an ellipse, a polygon, and a triangle. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the user input is provided with an input device in communication with the video player. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the pointing device is selected from the group consisting of a mouse, a keyboard, a remote control, a laser pointer, and a voice input device. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the time data includes a time offset value and a duration value. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the time offset value and the duration value are in a format selected from the group consisting of HH:MM:SS:FF, HH:MM:SS:hh, and a format using only frame numbers. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the video content is television. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising displaying a graphical overlay on the display screen during display of the video content, wherein the selectable display region includes a portion of the display screen where the graphical overlay is being displayed. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the graphical overlay is selected from the group consisting of a pop-up, a scroll, and a crawl. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the graphical overlay is on a z-axis displaying above the video content being displayed. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the time interval indicated by the time data includes one or more frames of the video content. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the graphical overlay is on a z-axis displaying above the z-axis of the video content being displayed. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the time portion indicated by the time data includes one or more frames of the video content. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the video player is a set top box. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the video player is a computer. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the video player is a television. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the receiving of control data includes receiving data transmitted by a transmission method selected from the group consisting of Internet transmission, cable transmission, radio transmission and satellite transmission. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the control data is received with the video content. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the control data is received prior to the receiving of the media content. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the control data is embedded in a transmission signal. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the video content is played on the video player prior to receiving the entire video content. 
     
     
         44 . A program code storage device, comprising:
 a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium;   machine-readable program code, stored on the machine-readable storage medium, the machine-readable program code having instructions to:   receive video content at the video player;   receive control data at the video player, wherein the control data includes (a) time data indicating a time period related to the video content; (b) location data indicating a selectable display region of the video content that displays on the display screen during the time period, wherein the selectable display region is a display region for which a destination web site is desired to be launched if selected by a user during the time period indicated by the time data; (c) a lookup value that has been defined for the combination of (i) the time period indicated by the time data and (ii) the selectable display region indicated by the location data; and (d) a URL routing server address of a URL routing server containing a web site destination to be launched when the lookup value has been sent by the video player to the URL routing server;   process the control data into a memory;   play the video content on the display screen;   during the display of the video content, receive a user input, wherein the user input selects a selected screen location of the video content being displayed on the display screen at a selected time during the video content;   determine whether the selected screen location falls within the selectable display region and whether the selected time falls within the time period; and   if the selected screen location falls within the selectable display region and the selected time falls within the time period, pass the lookup value to the URL routing server at the URL routing server address;   receive the web site destination from the URL routing server at the video player; and   launch a browser program that displays the web site located at the web site destination on the display screen.   
     
     
         45 . A method of providing media content associated with a web site to a media player associated with a display screen, comprising:
 receiving media content at the media player;   receiving control data at the media player, wherein the control data includes (a) time data indicating a time period related to the media content; (b) location data indicating a selectable display region of the media content that displays on the display screen during the time period, wherein the selectable display region is a display region for which a destination web site is desired to be launched if selected by a user during the time period indicated by the time data; (c) a lookup value that has been defined for the combination of (i) the time period indicated by the time data and (ii) the selectable display region indicated by the location data; and (d) a URL routing server address of a URL routing server containing a web site destination to be launched when the lookup value has been sent by the media player to the URL routing server;   processing the control data into a memory;   playing the media content on the display screen;   during the display of the media content, receiving a user input, wherein the user input selects a selected screen location of the media content being displayed on the display screen at a selected time during the media content;   determining whether the selected screen location falls within the selectable display region and whether the selected time falls within the time period; and   if the selected screen location falls within the selectable display region and the selected time falls within the time period, passing the lookup value to the URL routing server at the URL routing server address;   receiving the web site destination from the URL routing server at the media player; and   launching a browser program that displays the web site located at the web site destination on the display screen.   
     
     
         46 . The method defined in  claim 45 , where in the selectable display region is the entire display area of the media content. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the location data indicating the display region includes one or more sets of (x,y) coordinates. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the location data indicating the display region includes an (x,y) origin value, a width value, and a height value. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the display region is shaped in a shape selected from the group consisting of a rectangle, an ellipse, a polygon, and a triangle. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the user input is provided with an input device in communication with the media player. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the pointing device is selected from the group consisting of a mouse, a keyboard, a remote control, a laser pointer, and a voice input device. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the time data includes a time offset value and a duration value. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the time offset value and the duration value are in a format selected from the group consisting of HH:MM:SS:FF, HH:MM:SS:hh, HH:MM:SS, a format using seconds, and a format using only frame numbers.