System for converting existing TV content to interactive TV programs operated with a standard remote control and TV set-top box

摘要

A method for converting existing media content to interactive media content defines "hot spots" in a display frame of TV program content to trigger an interactive response when a viewer "clicks" on the "hot spots". The "hot spots" are defined by N Data representing their positions in the display area, and are not hyperlink codes embedded in digital video data. By avoiding embedded codes, the underlying TV content can remain uncorrupted, and the hot spot position data can be readily authored as adjunct data without having to edit and process each frame of the TV content. The hot spot positions can be defined as coordinate locations in the display area, and the positions can be haloed in the display image. Another version is to define the hot spots as marker positions in an HTML-type "page" that is parsed or overlaid to display the hot spots at the appropriate positions in the display area. A standard remote can be adapted as a pointing device by using its directional arrows to toggle among haloed "hot spot" positions. The set-top box can also have its detection program for the remote control signals modified so that a series of arrow button presses can be interpreted as pointing in increments in "staircase" fashion to a position in the display area. Another adaptation is to point with a vector ray to a hot spot in the display area by pressing the directional arrows on the standard remote control. Another variation of the system is to detect the viewer's pointing at objects in a display with a mouse or pointing device, and send them as "reverse hot spot" or "no spot" data upstream to the cable head-end, and ultimately to a program sponsor or advertiser for the TV program.