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 . A method of providing media content associated with a web site to a media player associated with a display screen, comprising:
 sending instructions to a media player to receive media content; and   sending control data to 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) data for creating a value that is 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 value has been sent by the media player to the URL routing server.   
     
     
         2 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the selectable display region is the entire display area of the media content. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the location data indicating the display region includes one or more sets of (x,y) coordinates. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the location data indicating the display region includes an (x,y) origin value, a width value, and a height value. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display region is shaped in a shape selected from the group consisting of a rectangle, an ellipse, a polygon, and a triangle. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user input is provided with an input device in communication with the media player. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , 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. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the time data includes a time offset value and a duration value. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , 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. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media content is television. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying a graphical overlay on the display screen during display of the media content, wherein the selectable display region includes a portion of the display screen where the graphical overlay is being displayed. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the graphical overlay is selected from the group consisting of a pop-up, a scroll, and a crawl. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the graphical overlay is on a z-axis displaying above the media content being displayed. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the time interval indicated by the time data includes one or more frames of the media content. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the graphical overlay is on a z-axis displaying above the z-axis of the media content being displayed. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the time portion indicated by the time data includes one or more frames of the media content. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media player is a set top box. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media player is a computer. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media player is a television. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending control data includes sending data transmitted by a transmission method selected from the group consisting of Internet transmission, cable transmission, radio transmission and satellite transmission. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control data is sent with the media content. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control data is sent prior to the sending of the video content. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control data is embedded in a transmission signal. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media content is played on the media player prior to receiving the entire media content. 
     
     
         25 . 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:   send instructions to a media player to receive media content; and   send control data to 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) data for creating a value that is 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 value has been sent by the media player to the URL routing server.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the media content is television. 
     
     
         27 . The device defined in  claim 25 , where in the selectable display region is the entire display area of the media content. 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method of providing media content associated with a web site to a media player associated with a display screen, comprising:
 sending instructions to a media player to receive media content; and   sending control data to 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) selection data that is 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) URL data enabling a web site destination to be launched in accordance with the selection data.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the media content is television. 
     
     
         33 . The device defined in  claim 25 , where in the selectable display region is the entire display area of the media content.