DE102005056550A1 - Appliance for requesting, transmitting, receiving and presenting by subscriber of data deposited by server by context, time index and/or identifier data, transmitted to server, for which additional data can be stored and recalled - Google Patents

Abstract

Additional data are received in video data (25) channel and allocated to subscriber data processor (10). Subscriber side forms and/or extracts characteristic, time index and/or signature data from video data and transmits them to server unit (200) as reaction on user's subscriber side applied activation signal. Application of activation signal does not depend on format, preset property, or preparation, especially as film or multimedia content video data. Server unit (200) contains allocation unit (250) for current-specific additional data. Subscriber side has receiver and display of additional data. An independent claim is included for method for operating invented appliance.

Description

background the invention

The The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for client-side queries, transferring, Receive and display server-side data, after the preamble of claim 1.

By the transfer of audio-video data on client-side computing devices in the form of a set-top box (STB) or a TV tuner card, in a commercial PC is integrated, the possibility becomes given by adding additional data interactive services to create. As the scope of the data provided within of the data stream, such as in teletext or VBI, It is difficult to achieve all you want or desirable Additional data accessible to the user close.

The Audio-visual data, in particular digital data, is transmitted by means of of a unidirectional receiving channel (transmitting channel) acting as a satellite, Cable or terrestrial connection is formed, received. The Set-top boxes are typically equipped with a (unidirectional) return channel, the transmission a relatively small one Quantity of data allowed - like for example, when ordering video-on-demand content the order data. This return channel is typically also for the realization of interactive television or interactive services used.

For example will be data over the VBI is sent to the television by the TV station. Especially will line 21 of the VBI for the data transmission used. As part of the realization of the TV Navigator HTML Transfer data using the EIA-746 standard. This technology was also marketed as Showsync or TV Crossover Link. The realized Data transfer rates were completely inadequate to continue on this basis TV / Web models too realize.

The Data within the interactive television is provided via Datacast or over the data carousel periodically the receive or send channel to the receiving client-side Data processing facilities transmitted. The data presented within interactive services are either already included in the data carousel or they be by means of the return channel requested from an external server, and transmitted via the data carousel and output on the client-side output device. By the limited transmission resources especially due to the limited capacity on the data carousel within the receiving channel is the selection of the representable data limited and therefore the individual selection narrow limits. The amount of data available within the interactive services from the Reception channel are limited and will be as "Walled Garden ".

The interactivity is in the prior art by controls, such as buttons or menus allows the then predetermined operations on the client-side data processing device with the existing data and follow predetermined hyperlinks or program routines, which then send data to the server in a predetermined manner.

The known from the prior art technologies for controlling the interactivity with the viewer of television programs are based on the concept all of them Control or control data for performing an external data query contained in the received data stream and by the producer of the content have been prepared accordingly. This happens in particular by inserting Trigger. However, you have to these triggers adversely for all data formats or types inserted separately become. This happens by means of different technologies.

Triggers are real-time events that can be used to realize enhanced TV. As an example, the ATVEF (Advanced Television Enhancement Forum) uses standard triggers. According to this standard, the triggers contain information about extensions that can be made available to the user on the server side. The triggers are used to inform the user or receiver of the content that corresponding extensions can be fetched from a server by means of an activation signal. Triggers are sent via the broadcast medium as digital, textual data. Among other information, each trigger contains a standard universal resource locator (URL) containing the address of enhanced content. The triggers may also contain textual description data, or javascript fragments, by means of which JavaScript is started within an associated HTML page and enhanced content with the Vi deo content can be synchronized.

One Disadvantage of this technique is that to every new video content always again the effort arises, the interactive services by means of changed Control and control data within the interactive services adapt so that a meaningful interaction with the user comes about.

Within the technology of the Enhanced TVs become different types of programs like sports, show or feature films different data templates used within the data templates buttons, hyperlinks or user-side activatable surfaces are included with Data stored previously by the producer of the interactive Page prior to shipment.

The Viewing interactive content through too many buttons and / or selection options for the use as too complicated and / or as overloaded can be viewed for the passive spectator who just wants to be entertained, already to be exhausting. The displayed data usually includes no data, as the viewer on the, desired by user, Data can access as the bandwidth for the interactive services too low, and this bandwidth is not personalized features allows. Of the Viewers will accordingly receive the prepared interactive offer, which is also offered only at the time of transmission (synchronous), look unattractive as there is no opportunity or occasion the many different options of interactive services within to watch the limited time of the broadcast.

The existing interactive TV solutions offer inadequate possibilities personalized prioritization and server-side customization the video offered and associated additional data. Especially is the offering of content-related, especially server-side Additional information about video about the Television only known through the use of triggers.

By the use of data that is offered in the data carousel and / or insert as data calls in the content, there is the problem that data from an interactive query of server-side data not over introduced the data carousel can be saved after the content on the VCR and even though the viewer was content dependent, or program-dependent interactive Services at a later date View or use time.

Further There is another problem in that a user a video, a Television show, a commercial broadcast or a scene of a video sees and have additional information based on the content of this video would like to. Due to the high qualitative and quantitative information density Of image and video content in general, nobody in advance know what the user is really interested in a video. Consequently is the easy insertion or the allocation of additional Content within the video or the data carousel is necessarily inadequate.

Further There is an important problem in the prior art in the Use of so-called triggers in the video content and in the transmitter signal. These triggers are inserted in the video content or in the VBI and serve to alert the user to the presence of additional data. These Triggers are used to prompt the user, specifically For this Trigger provided content server side by means of URL or the like to request. The disadvantage of this procedure is the missing one Willingness of the transmitters specifically for content to which they have no have further rights to insert triggers and / or content server side provide. In particular, there is a disadvantage in the missing Reusability of triggers and related content. Also, these can Trigger during transmission get lost or intentionally or unintentionally by the hardware be filtered out.

If the video content was saved by video recorder, so the trigger is usually not stored with it, so with it then no later interactivity can be offered or used with. If content is on another platform (for example a PC) should, then the triggers will data that allow the interaction, not transformed with.

In particular, the prior art does not disclose a method in which the interactivity that has once been assigned to a video is offered on different platforms, ie platform-independently, and the interactivity remains invariant or unaffected in a data transformation of the video content, and only depends on the capabilities of the video output unit. This flexibility in data transformation and retention of interactivity is particularly important when outputting and displaying video, due to digitization, on very different hardware platforms (SDTV, HDTV, PC, PDA, mobile phone) and after storage in different Data formats on DVR, PVR or PC takes place.

Further There is a general problem in that no solution is cross-platform interactive content, independent from the video format or its possible output platform, for video data can offer. Besides, there is no method by which to everyone Time within the video and / or for the entire video data, Additional data can be offered without the owner or editor of the video content, this Content data in various embodiments of the content in the Individual time consuming reworked.

Also According to the state of the art, there is no reliable and flexible option in already published or sent content subsequently further Mappings such as links or hyperlinks to other web servers, for example, offering more textual or multimedia content, assigned. This gives the user of the multimedia content no way directly further data on the desired detail aspect of the video or the scene by means of additional To receive information or additional data.

So For example, hypervideos offer the user the opportunity of activation a mouse-sensitive zone on a spatial and temporal limited Area of video output to enable a hyperlink and thereby additional To query information server-side. Here are the client side extracted data sent to the server and the server sends return the data associated with this query to the client. On the other hand are the interaction options or activation options of a user in a hypervideo limited by the one contained in the video, Data for initiation and use of an activation signal.

In another embodiment of hypervideos, such as the solution Empactv, client-side data and hyperlinks by means of a mapping with different zones of the video output connected. The initial one Creation effort for this mapping is very big, and the added data stay basically incomplete, because no one knows in advance when creating the additional data can, for what the viewer of a picture later becomes interested. Furthermore, must paid attention to when creating the associated information will get that server address and parameter in the future remains to prevent a corresponding error message. moreover a viewer can not see what data with additional data or Link data was provided. Another disadvantage of this technology is that the additional Content such as metadata can only be linked to the image by the publisher and not from an independent one Third. In general, the effort to generate server-side or in video content contained or associated additional data that is a direct content-related Connect to the video content, very high, so that content-related additional data to video data is the exception represent and not the rule.

The additional Hyperlinks or the server side, existing additional data can only from the original one Publisher or the website programmer be generated and not by an independent third party. Further is This procedure can be very costly and the same video content not with different information or hyperlinks server side connected be addressed to different audiences.

Further is the afterthought Add metadata or additional data into existing content files very much complicated and sometimes impossible perform, if the file or video is no longer directly accessible through the editor or editor stands. Since the contents are no longer subsequently updated can, stands this restriction thus contrary to their use in their distribution on the Internet.

One general disadvantage of existing technologies is that the content owner or publisher of submitted material or videos no longer have direct contact or access after publication has with the user or viewer of the content and none Connecting the user or viewer to the content owner can be built, even if the user or viewer this to wish should. Owned close contact between content and the actual content owner goes after the publication lost and thus the opportunity associated with ownership to connect to the users or viewers. The structure of a connection, which in one embodiment, for example, the possibility communication may, by means of the known The prior art is very difficult, inadequate and unreliable again getting produced.

The in the invention DE19950267.6-31 disclosed use of unique Content signatures for server-side extraction of the path to the Address of the associated reconstruction key is used for server-controllable sharing of content. It is not intended, additional server-side stored Display data on the client side. Furthermore, it is not intended that additional additional data later be assigned to the content. Also contain the additional data in The present invention provides data that is completely independent of each other the associated digital content for which the content signature was formed Own information value. On the other hand, those in the present The invention did not use additional content-related data or suitable for decrypting or meaningfully presenting the digital content.

Another Prior art can be found in the following literature: in the master thesis: "Interaction Design Principles for Interactive Television "by Karyn Y. Lu (Georgia Institute of Technology, May 2005) http://www.broadbandbananas.com/lu.pdf or in "iTV Handbook, Technologies and Standards "by Edward M. Schwalb (IMSC, 2004) or in "Multimedia and Interactive Digital TV: Managing the Opportunities Created by Digital Convergence "by Margherita Pagani (IRM Press, 2003) or in "Interactive TV Technology and Markets "by Hari Om Srivastava (Artech House, 2002) or "The Evolution of TV Viewing" by John Carey (Internet, 2002) http://www.bnet.fordham.edu/carey1/Evol%20of%20TV%20ViewingB.doc or "2000: Interactive Enhanced Television: A Historical and Critical Perspective "by Tracy Swedlow (Internet) http://www.interactivepioneers.org/itvtoday3.html

definition

in the Following is content or content to understand the following be: data, files or data streams, and especially the actual ones Representation of what the data in a suitable presentation medium represent. The content or content may be the same in different data or file formats be, being the binary Representation is different.

in the The following is to be understood under video: temporal change of pictures. The individual images (single images) consist of pixels or from records, generated by the images. The digital videos exist from records, by means of a video visualization unit be translated into moving images. The frames inside of the video are encoded and or compressed. The decoding method to display the images is by means of software instructions within of software components that codecs performed.

A Video scene is a contiguous and or consecutive Series of images representing an action unit within a movie or videos. A scene is a section of a movie or video that is made up one or more settings. The scope of a movie scene is determined, for example, by the show place change or the Compilation of the objects, materials or actions shown.

Full pictures within the video are so-called frames. The, in the video shown, images are also using differences or interpolations or mathematical method calculated and / or interpolated. in the Below is the full screen or the calculated video image and viewable image from a video / audio stream (data stream) or audio / video file understood.

in the In the following, video data is also understood as meaning audio / video data or data transmitted via TV or from a VCR or one of them Video file to be played.

Of the backchannel is a data transfer medium, which can be either a bidirectional electronic network or a unidirectional connection in which the client acts as a sender and the server as the recipient serves, with the requested data then over the receiving channel from the client can be received.

Conceptual data or category names are names and / or keywords and / or a collection of features that are considered to be their identical characteristics in objects and situations. Conceptual data may be words or a composite collection of words in the form of a phrase or phrase. Terms can be synonyms where there are different words for an identical term or homonyms where a word can stand for different terms. In addition, a term can be a general term referring to different, individual items are clearly grouped together in their common characteristics or are individual concepts when describing individual objects or persons arising from variations of individual characteristics and / or over certain periods of time.

description the solution

task The present invention is an apparatus for client-side Querying, transmitting, receiving and representing server-side stored data according to the generic term of claim 1, wherein wel chem means of a client-side Query client-side data using content identification data and / or time index data and / or signature data server-side content-related or specific additional data are queried, and wherein these additional data receive and display on the client side.

The The object is achieved by the device with the features according to claim 1 solved; In particular, all should features disclosed in these documents in any Combination as disclosed belonging to the invention apply; advantageous Further developments are described in the subclaims.

In according to the invention finds the client-side querying, transmitting, receiving and presentation of Data is held on an electronic data processing device, which is typically a PC or a set-top box. The audio / video data will be from a transmitter unit via a unidirectional or bidirectional (such as the Internet) reception channel receive. Client generated or extracted data are using a return channel transferred to the server unit. In particular, the receiving channel is a unit for receiving Data via cable, satellite or terrestrial antenna whose Signals in the receiver unit of the set-top box or in the TV card is decoded, the transmission the data analog or digital via known transmission protocols such as DVB-T, DVB-S, DVB-C or ATSC or the like happens.

Of the Reception of data can also be done by means of data transmission from one client-side storage media, such as a VCR, DVR, PVR or hard disk of a PC or the like happen.

The Data processing device has a presentation or output unit on, in the audio visual and / or other additional data, in particular electronic documents, ie files or streams, among which below also texts, pictures, music, videos, animations or software-based applications are to be represented. The audio-visual and / or electronic documents are in the document display or output unit or in other digital visual, video or audio presentation units, displayed or played.

The Presentation unit can be assigned to a program execution environment be that accessing data within the presented document allows. The document dispensing unit is in a preferred embodiment a TV monitor, PC monitor, a mobile phone display or an audio-visual Media player or a web browser or output device of a Content Editor.

The Functional unit is the electronic data processing unit assigned or included in this. The functional unit is in capable of the audio-visual and / or electronic document access. It is also suitable for bidirectionally designed data backchannel to send and over Receiving channel or the return channel to recieve. The functional unit is a program based on the program execution environment or in the middleware or in the operating system of the electronic Data processing unit expires. Alternatively, the functional unit may also be separate hardware or implemented as a circuit in a CPU or microprocessor be. Furthermore This functional unit can be sent from the transmitter via the receiving channel be, and about downloaded from the data carousel or the like or with the audiovisual data transmitted by Datacast or the like and in the program environment or as direct or indirect Instructions for the CPU expire.

The functional unit can be activated at any time, in particular when audio / video data is output or displayed in the associated output unit, by means of an associated activation unit which is also assigned to the data processing apparatus by means of an activation signal. The activation unit may be a button or an activatable area in the presentation unit or a non-visually excellent function, which can be used by a user in a known manner by means of a mouse, keyboard or Remote control is activated or triggered.

The Activation of the activation unit is in a temporal, spatial and / or logical connection with viewing a video or TV program by a viewer or the use of a Videos or the TV program through a user-initiated one Software instruction within the data processing device used by the user. Activation refers temporally to a video image that at the presentation, output or use of the video, is issued or used. The activation of the activation unit Video image used can also be via data, parameters or instructions calculated. In particular, you can contain this data in the functional unit or in the content Metadata may be included as additional data, and so on, from the illustrated Video image various, video image or a lot of video images be selected by means of the activation unit. With the activation In the activation unit, the functional unit uses the extracted ones Data related to the selected Video image or the amount of video images.

According to the invention, the Function unit have a time index data generation or extraction unit or be assigned, from the additional data from the audio-visual Content or from the service associated with this video or TV content. or format information can be extracted. The data can be out the video image, or from the selected in a predetermined manner and / or by means of a criterion previous or following Video images are extracted when the functional unit receives the signal from the activation unit. The extracted or generated data form or represent Time index data, an assignment and / or assignment, in particular, the one unique assignment and / or assignment, to a relative or absolute time or a time interval within the presentation audiovisual content in the document presentation unit have, in particular at the time at which the activation unit has been activated. In the following, the data is called time index data or time codes. The functional unit may be the time index data generation or Extraction unit or be separated from it. The Property separated can also be physically separated below or logically separated or spatially mean separated.

Further the functional unit may be a content identification unit or Have metadata extraction unit, by means of the identification data and / or metadata for the presented audio-visual content or a temporal Section of content, such as a scene or video image identified and / or extracted and / or generated. video image based and / or content based identifiers or metadata and / or Additional data extracted or generated by the content for identification the audio-video content, especially content or scenes or Video image dependent Descriptive data, hereinafter referred to as identification data designated. The functional unit may be the content identification unit or metadata extraction unit or separate from it be. The content identification unit or metadata extraction unit is hereinafter also referred to as identification data extraction unit designated.

Further the functional unit can use a signature data unit data Extract or generate in a unique relationship to the video image. The functional unit may be the signature data unit contained or separated from the signature data unit. The extracted or generated signature data or fingerprint by means of a mathematical method of individual video images or calculated from a set of video images. The signature data unit may be video-dependent or scene-dependent Extract signature data from data, hereafter referred to as signature data be designated. The signature data can then be displayed on individual video images and / or on a lot of video pictures, like a scene, or on be assigned to all content. The data that make up the Signature data can be extracted as metadata are binary or ASCII based. You can by means of a compression method or data transformation method be extracted. Furthermore, can this signature data stored encrypted within the metadata become.

The Function unit can be a summary of technical units or it can be a technical unit that coordinates between the units used technical means and or technical or information technology interfaces between the components defines, provides and has.

The Functional unit or the sub-functional units contained therein do not use triggers that are within the audio-video content may be present or assigned. In particular, no triggers are used by the functional unit, which are intended to prompt the user in the trigger activated link data (URL).

The Activation signal from the activation unit initiated or starts by means of the functional unit in a predetermined manner forming the Time index data and / or identification data and / or signature data, so that by means of the time index data and / or identification data and / or Signature data at the time within the video or within the TV program, that of the viewer when activating the activation unit is looked at. By means of this data and or by means of the related data relations can be based on the mentioned data getting closed. The functional unit can be the activation unit contained or separated from the activation unit.

Further the functional unit has an associated transmission unit which for transferring, in particular for separate transmission time index data, tag data, and / or signature data and / or Configuration or preference data from the program flow environment via a return channel from the client device is formed on the server unit. The data is in known Way using the existing standardized communication protocols how to transmit TCP-IP, UDP, HTTP, FTP or the like to the server unit, where the server unit is an application server, file server, database server or Web server is, and in the server unit after the transfer the data in a known manner queries and / or provisioning operations triggered become. The functional unit may contain the transmission unit or from the transfer unit be separated. The data transmission can also be done by means of or within a proprietary transmission protocol, such as using an ordering system for video-on-demand content.

In the server unit will be after receiving the data and processing and / or analyzing the received data according to predetermined and / or assigned server-side additional data by means of a server-side Allocation unit assigned or calculated and for transmission provided or transferred directly to the client.

The Server-side additional data is preferably content-related or content-specific Additional data relating to the contents of the associated video content. In particular, the additional data relates to the content-relatedness on the context of the content or content of the video or represented objects, Animals or animal species, plants or plant species, products, trademarks, technologies, Means of transport, machines, persons, actions, relationships, relationships, Context, situations, objects of art, effects, causes, characteristics, Information, formulas, recipes, experiences, buildings, places, Regions, roads, Environments, history, events, stories, beliefs, opinions, Values, explanations, and / or justifications or the like with appropriate information in this Categories or under these categories or topics are covered.

Further are in a receiving unit assigned to the functional unit those sent by the server to the client or received by the client or downloaded additional data received on the client side and from the processing unit prepared for output and / or output, wherein the output unit and the audio / video and data presentation unit in one embodiment of the invention may be identical and in a further embodiment can be separated. The functional unit may be the receiving unit contained or separated from the receiving unit.

The Receiving unit for Additional data is received the server-side additional data via the return channel or over the Video reception channel or via the internet or over any proprietary Data transmission network. The return channel can be made from a unidirectional or bidirectional electronic Data transmission network consist.

In a further embodiment the invention, the receiving unit for the additional data also on a separate or separate data processing unit, in particular separated from the functional unit, be present and or on one separate or separate presentation unit displayed and / or output become.

Preferably, the tag data extracted by the activation unit and the associated extraction unit at a time or time interval may describe the output audio / video data or a component of the output audio-video data or the scene being displayed or the extracted video image , mark, and be assigned to client and / or server side. The identification data may consist of the following components and / or may be assigned to this identification data by means of data relations: description of the television channel, in particular the TV channel name or designation, TV channel number, geographic or regional location of the viewer, name or designation or region of the television Cable network or name or name of the Satellite or television operator, data describing the TV program, or the video, such as the program name or program number, name of a scene, or number of a scene, or additional digital characteristics within the teletext range or VBI signal or the data contained in the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) with the audio / video data or included and / or included in the associated service information or format information within the digital TV standards or video formats and; / or separately introduced program and / or sender identifier, in the form of any metadata or identifier data that can be used on the client side of the display unit or data processing unit as an assignment to additional data. The identification data may also consist of any combination of the above data. In addition, the assignment of client-side extracted data to identification data can also be done on the server by means of a table and / or by means of algorithmic assignment.

Further can Client-side identification data using additional or metadata control the selection process to get the video image that the Scene or the sub-scene represents and that by means of additional server-side or sender-side parameter can.

In a further embodiment The invention extracts the time index generation or extraction unit from the video, which consists of a plurality of video images, the video image while the activation of the activation unit has been shown or the has been or will be presented within a predetermined time period or that by adding or metadata the scene or sub-scene represents or by server-side or sender-side parameters. The time index data generation or extraction unit extracts the time index data from a plurality of associated service information, and forms in particular video image related index data. The video can be set up according to a DVB and / or an ATSC standard his and additional Service information included according to the DVB-SI or an equivalent ATSC standard are provided, and the time index data contained therein by means of extracted from the time index data generation or extraction unit can be.

In a further embodiment invention, the time index data are values from a linear time scale, which are or are associated with the audio-video data presented Data within the audio-video stream, by means of watermark or an equivalent mathematical Method inserted, assigned or extracted within the video or within the metadata or description data Video or the video images added or assigned. The Time index data can also consist of values representing a predetermined algorithmic and / or clearly certain assignment at the time of activation the activation unit or functional unit have.

In a further embodiment of the invention will characterize the program or channel Identification data or the above embodiments of the identification data of the sender in the audio / video content and or in the associated Added service or format data and / or directly from the Transmit transmitter to the server.

In a further embodiment The invention extracts the functional unit by means of a signature data unit Data that is in a unique relationship and / or association with the video image that while the activation of the activation unit or the functional unit was shown during the video output. This signature data or Fingerprint data is generated by a mathematical procedure especially a hash process or a digital signature or hash method or from a proprietary image transformation method by means of a single video image or by means of a predetermined amount calculated from video images. The signature data can also be calculated that they are invariant towards Transformations are how they are stored in different ways Image formats occur (such as JPEG, GIF, PNG, etc.).

One Hash value is a scalar value resulting from a more complex data structure such as a string, object, or the like, by means of a hash function becomes.

The Hash function is a function that allows to input from one (usually) huge Source quantity an output from a (generally) smaller target quantity (the hate values, usually a subset of the natural numbers).

An electronic or digital signature or digital fingerprint is electronic data that is calculated from digital content. In known fingerprint algorithms such as MD5 or SHA-1, the change of a bit can lead to a change of the digital fingerprint. at less sensitive fingerprint method, the change of several pixels can lead to the same signature or the same fingerprint. Preferably, an insensitive signature or fingerprint algorithm is used in the context of this invention.

Pixel data are data defined by the images, such as Pixels or the like, and or they are data by means of the images can be identified such as thumbnails of images or digital signature data or digital fingerprint data or the like, and or they are Data by means of the video images within a context, in particular can be determined within a video, such as with unique name or identifier of a video and the numbering of the video Video images within this video or the time of publication of the image when playing the video and the value of a math Hash codes of the video image or one associated with the video image GUID (Globally Unique Identifier or Global Universal Identifier) or similar.

One Hyperlink is a data element that belongs to another data element by which a user accesses or transmits data gets if he follows the hyperlink or activates. Hyperlinks realized by URLs in which an (IP) address of a (in particular external) servers and a path or parameter list that is used on the (external) server to extract data and or assign.

at the use of signature data requires all audio-video data, to which context-specific and / or video content or video scenes specific and / or associated additional data on the server side by means of Signature data accessible before use by a viewer, a server, hereafter referred to as Video Index Server, all of the video data associated Signature data to be made known. This initial process of transmission video content related signature data to the video index server is referred to below as video or content registration. At the content registration All the signature data associated with the video data will be sent to the Video index server sent and filed in an index so that the individual signature data can be found faster. With the registration of video data will be associated additional data, such as titles, Description of the video, project number, URL's or the like on the video index server with and or stored. The video index server can either use the Signature data received or the video data on the server in signature data convert. After registration of the signature data, the user can from the video data or the viewer the additional data by means of Request signature data.

The as additional data to the signature stored data can a URL to which the user is automatically directed by the client-side or server-side computing devices is redirected. Furthermore can the additional data web pages with text, pictures, videos, scripts (active - executable codes) or interactive elements, such as menus or text input fields or to be like that.

The, Signature data generated by the functional unit becomes server-side searched in the video index. If the record is found, the associated information can be extracted from the database and be sent to the client. The data used to create the signature Video image may be the video image that during activation of the activation unit from the video or within a predetermined range Time period previously presented or subsequently presented becomes, or by means of additional Metadata or server-side or sender-side parameter client-side was selected by means of the functional unit. The signature data unit can also use signature data directly from the description data, in particular within the video images or from the associated metadata extract, wherein the extracted signature data is in a unique relation to the video image selected by the user or in relation to the metadata or descriptive data of the video image, which in relation to the selected one Video image is available.

The assignment to the time or relative time (within a video) in which the activation unit is activated could also be done in the server unit by means of a table and / or algorithmic assignment. The assignment can also be done on a time basis. In this embodiment of the invention, the time-index generation or extraction unit extracts a time code or identifier values or time-index data from the audio-video data. Alternatively, identification data can be extracted from the video data or from the associated additional data contained in the video by means of the identification data extraction unit and / or signature data can be extracted and / or generated by the signature data unit so that at least one of the stated values results from or after the generation the functional unit transmits by means of the transmission unit a suitable or predetermined combination of said data to a first server unit. By assignment or extraction or calculation, the name of the content and / or the time of activation of the activation unit or a relative time or a relative time interval, in each case relative to the beginning or beginning of the video, created, extracted or calculated. The determination of the time or interval in which the activation unit has been activated by the user, in particular with respect to the simultaneously viewed video, is then directly related to a scene of the video viewed by the user. This relation can then be determined, assigned or calculated on the server side. In addition, the functional unit may send additional data, such as configuration data or preference data, from the local program environment to the server along with the aforementioned combination of said data, the server using in a predetermined manner this additional data to adapt, modify, or modify the server-side output of data to that data manufacture.

In addition, can in a further embodiment the invention on the server side from a limited number of identification data, and / or the signature data of the video and / or the TV program, the name of the TV station, and / or TV show and / or the video and / or the subject of the video or TV broadcast and / or the genre of the video or TV show extracted, generated, calculated and / or assigned. The by means of identification data or signature data extracted, generated and / or server-side associated data is called server-side topic data or content-related or content-specific additional data. Through the different Videos sent by a broadcaster can be server-side Topic data within a sender or within the term of a sender Videos are assigned to the identification data and signature data.

The Topic data comes from a set of names, terms, topics, Data, addresses, IP addresses, URLs, topics, menu names, category names, to textual Concepts equivalent Pictures, or symbols or the like. In particular, topic data can be within a broadcaster or a program or a video by means of a time or a period or a combination of server-side to the associated content-related data a scene can be reduced at the time or in the period activation of the activation unit by the user in the client-side Viewing unit was considered. Server side can also the topic data by means of selection and / or filtering and / or categorization and / or prioritization algorithms selected, reduced, filtered, categorized and / or prioritized.

In a further embodiment of the invention may be the identification value for the TV station or for the TV program from the sender by means of format or service information within of the digital content and / or transmitted directly to the server unit or from the server queried and / or when assigning to the identification data assigned on the client side or the server side.

The Identification data or the data contained in the content may be direct be used to determine the address of the server unit. alternative the functional unit may have a predetermined address, in particular an IP address or a URL containing the assigned transmission unit Transfers data to the servers specified by this address. In a preferred embodiment In accordance with the invention, this first server unit is the data from the functional unit receives a server that has a directory of server addresses. The Function unit receives From this server a server address (URL), which is in predetermined Way with the data associated with that from the functional unit the server were sent. The functional unit then transmits a predetermined combination of identification data, time index data, Signature data, such as server-side additional data provided by the first server unit and additional client-side data, which are managed by the local program execution environment, such as such as configuration data or preference data to the second server and receives Data for client-side presentation or further processing are suitable for direct client-side presentation.

In a further embodiment According to the invention, data is communicated to the server by the server used to display the additional data that can be presented specifically for the, from Viewers considered providing video for transmission. In particular, the client-side additional data is used User of output device adapted output data and format and To provide layout data, or data sent to the client-side hardware configuration are adjusted.

The activation unit can be a manual means for triggering a signal which subsequently, immediately or with a delay, triggers actions in the functional unit or in the means for generating signature data, time index data or identification data assigned to the functional unit. The manual means for triggering the signal can be a conventional remote control and / or a keyboard and / or a mouse and / or a PDA and / or a mobile phone and / or a button directly on the television and / or on the set-top box and / or a touch-sensitive area on the screen or the like.

The Input of the activation signal may occur during the output of the video data at any time happen. The input of the activation signal is independent of the data contained in the video data, format, or one predetermined property or a predetermined treatment of Video data.

In a preferred embodiment The invention assigns the first server to the functional unit Receives data, a video index directory in which video-related signature data are stored and are searchable by means of a video index. This In the following, server is called Video Index Server. The one in which Video index directory contained, data will be the same or equivalent Process generates as the signature data extracted on the client or generated. The procedures are equivalent when the output Results are the same. The Video Index server stores for a video or a TV program Signature data or video index data, this signature data or video index data according to a transformation method or a hashing method from the video images and / or from the associated Content was generated. The, with the video index data stored, Additional data contains additional Information in particular address or IP address information from Servers that provide more viewable information for retrieval and to Presentation included. The Video Index Server can be used by the transmission unit, which is assigned to the functional unit, receive data and means find content-related data in the Video Index and make it available for retrieval or transferred to the client.

In a further embodiment of the invention the server-side additional data from address data such as IP address, URL or the like or from non-representable instructions to the functional unit or to an assigned via the functional unit Software component and / or hardware component, by means of which the transmitting execution data or configuration data on the associated software component accomplished or stored by the hardware unit and / or directly, delayed or delayed accomplished become.

The server-side additional data can also passive data, such as text, metadata, images, video or audio data be. The server-side additional data can also be user-activated Choices, menu bars or have activatable options with hyperlinks and / or equipped with text, metadata, pictures, video or the like are. The user-activated selections can be in a simplest version of a plurality of text data and / or Image data and / or hyperlinks exist.

The server-side additional data or the user-activated selection options or the plurality of text data and / or image data and / or hyperlinks can in the audio / video and data presentation unit and / or dispensed in a separate or separate dispensing unit become.

Corresponding The invention can not find signature data within the Videoindex answered by the server with standardized additional data become. This additional data can also from a text and picture message consist. Alternatively, a URL can be sent to the user redirects to another website or web portal, on which, more, data available be put. In a further embodiment of the invention, the Labeling data, such as the name of the video or the episode or Broadcast within a video series, cause the data query on the server by redirecting to a video dedicated to the said video Web server or website is answered. If a time of Activation, especially relative to the beginning of the video extracted can, and or can be determined on the server side, then too Scenes dependent Additional data are extracted and on the server corresponding data be prepared for download or for deployment.

In a further embodiment of the invention the tag data, such as sender name or channel number together with the time or time interval data derived from the time index data by means of a data query in the electronic program guide (EPG) extract the name of the video and / or the series and the User according to the content of the video corresponding additional data like a designated one URL or the like transferred.

According to the invention, the receiving channel is a channel for receiving analogue and / or digital television by means of cable, satellite or antenna, in particular terrestrial television. Of the The receiving channel can also be the Internet, WLAN or the wireless telephone network system.

According to the invention, the Function unit, by means of a content signature unit, a plurality of unique digital signature data from the content of the video, so from the associated Content data and / or from the video image or a plurality video pictures, a video output in an output unit, generate, generate and / or form.

Corresponding a further preferred embodiment of the invention the digital signatures, or the signature data is hash codes, the from the electronic content file directly or after the application a filter or a data converter.

The digital signature may be dependent or independently the data format also includes the distribution of gray or use color values to make data or files unique from one another to distinguish; Furthermore can The digital signature data can also be used to similar ones Automatically recognize images or distances using the digital signature data to calculate between images and then similar to an ordering relation Pictures about to find a database access efficiently. In this digital Signature can then file format values, such as image sizes or compression methods with be included so quickly a clear distinction between to achieve different data or files.

Prefers the digital signature can be formed so that the associated signature data of content data by conversion in different Output formats have been saved, but a common Origin, a very high agreement by means of Have signature data and match can be determined accordingly, so that even the content files with the different formats based on the signature data, can be automatically identified with each other.

The electronic signature data is stored in a server-side signature additional data relation unit used to, the likewise stored therein, by means of relations assigned additional data to select and / or to determine and / or calculate. The, to a digital signature associated, Additional data is sent from the server to the functional unit and from this in or by the document presentation unit shown. The additional data can also consist of addresses, ip or url and on the client side Function unit used for another server-side data query so that the data for client-side representation of these be provided to other servers.

The Content to which the content signature data is formed is invariant opposite the server-side additional data. The server side, in particular content-related, additional data change the, by means of signature data associated Content is not and they are also invariant to data transformations of the content or against changes video format or video codec. The additional data is preferred suitably represented in the client-side presentation unit or as hyperlinks a link with other resources to enable and to offer.

In a further embodiment of the invention Signature data used in the transformation of content of a codec be registered in a codec or format so that the newly added signature data as alternative values the original one Be assigned to signature values.

The server-side additional data can preferred by the presentation unit, the client-side functional unit is assigned, displayed, or in a stand-alone window or screen or from the functional unit or an associated software component or hardware component as Record further processed.

In this case, the server-side additional data are preferably data in which user-activatable selection options are contained. These user-selectable options consist of a plurality of displayable text data and / or image data and / or multimedia data and hyperlinks. These hyperlinks are, in a further embodiment of the invention, manually activated by the user, and these client-side activation data, as a record or as a plurality of records, are transmitted to the server unit, and where then this server unit or other predetermined server units receive additional data transferred to the client. The data transmitted from the client-side functional unit to the server, in a further preferred embodiment, contains the content signature data stored on the server together with the client-side selected data, such as category rie or topic names, topic names, are stored in the signature additional data relation unit.

In a further embodiment of the invention Movies or videos are divided into scenes, with a scene from a coherent Set of still images or video images and the scenes can be provided with a plurality of content-related additional data.

The electronic data processing device can be a conversion unit, Conversion unit or transformation unit for digital Television, in particular a separate set of television Top box. The electronic data processing device in particular the personal computer (PC), can be used with one, analog and / or digital, TV tuner card, as a receiving module for the reception of television, be equipped. The mobile phone or the PDA can be equipped with a TV receiver be.

The Functional unit can by means of a middleware, as a program execution environment implemented in the electronic data processing device or be equipped. In a specific embodiment, the middleware MHP, OCAP, Microsoft Foundation Edition, or OnRamp.

Short description the drawings

Further Advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent the following description of preferred embodiments and by reference the figures; these show in:

1 : a schematic picture for the client-side query, allocation and presentation of server-side additional data

2 : A schematic block diagram for the procedure of client-side query, assignment and presentation of server-side additional data

3 : a schematic image for the client-side query, assignment and presentation of server-side additional data by means of an allocation unit

4 describes a concrete procedure of the method for operating the in 3 described device according to the invention, in particular of the system.

detailed Description of the invention

1 describes a schematic image for the client-side query, transmission, reception and presentation of server-side stored data in a by means of receiving channel ( 100 ) and a return channel ( 20 client-server system, the client-side electronic data processing unit ( 10 ) and server side server ( 200 ) having.

A transmitter ( 1 ) sends audio / video data ( 25 ) via a receiving channel ( 100 ), which in a specific embodiment may be a cable, satellite or terrestrial transmission means, to a client-side data reception unit ( 15 ), which converts the received data so that the data for presentation in the presentation unit ( 30 ) and / or can be output in the display unit or output unit. The illustrated audio-video data consists of individual pictures or video pictures. The presentation unit ( 30 ) or the data receiving unit ( 15 ) is a TV or video-capable television, in particular he is able by means of a digital set-top box capable of displaying digital video, in particular for the reproduction of videos that are encoded as MPEG-2.

Alternatively, video content from a client-side playback device ( 2 ), such as a VCR, DVR, PVR or DVD or HD-DVD or a hard disk of a PC or the like, a data stream are supplied. The of the the storage medium ( 2 ) are sent to the TV and video receiver unit ( 15 ) transfer.

By means of an input unit, such as a mouse, keyboard or remote control ( 40 ), a user can activate an activation signal ( 46 ) in an activation unit ( 45 ) trigger. The activation unit may in a simple embodiment be or may be a button of the remote control of a set-top box (STB) also be a visual user interface of a PC consisting of mouse-activated surfaces. The data input is outside the data processing device ( 10 ) with this input unit ( 40 ) connected.

The activation signal is defined by the program flow environment functional unit ( 50 ) to the time index data unit ( 55 ), to the content identification unit ( 60 ) and / or to the signature data unit ( 62 ) to enable and / or trigger access to the audio-video data, in particular to the binary video content and the metadata associated with the content, and / or service information and / or format information.

The time index data unit ( 55 ) in a simplest version, can extract the time data contained in the data. Due to the encryption of digital content, time code information is not added to the individual video images, thus making the decryption of protected content more difficult. Instead, a time code may be added to the content within the additional textual data to the content, and by means of appropriate labeling, the time index unit may be added ( 55 ) extract this time code. Since the time index data is not supplied with each video image, the unit generally extracts ( 55 ) not the time index data of the video image that was displayed at the time of activating the activation unit. Instead, it uses the time code that was last in the data and / or is next provided by the sender. The exact time of activation can be determined by the time index data generation unit by means of the timer contained in the processor, and thus the period between activation and appearance of the data can be measured and this difference value can be offset with the known time value.

The content identification unit ( 60 ) accesses the textual data contained in the video content, which is included as a sender identification and / or as a program recognition in digital form. These data are stored in digital data (DVB) in service data or format data. A program flow environment, as contained in a STB by means of middleware, is able to isolate these values in a predetermined way by means of a data extraction.

The signature data unit ( 62 ) extracts a video image from the audio-video data. The extracted video image may be the image that is captured by the video data presentation unit (FIG. 15 ) at the time the activation signal was generated by a user. Using the on the signature data unit ( 62 ) running, fingerprint algorithm takes place a data processing of the extracted video image. First, in color normalization by means of a color histogram technique, a correction of the color distortion takes place which reduces the color distortions in a predetermined manner. A subsequent grayscale calculation for all pixels results in a grayscale image. Subsequently, the averaging (mathematical averaging) over all pixels associated with a pixel in the thumbnail by the reduction in size is used to calculate the thumbnail. The thumbnail has a size of 16 x 16, which linearly reduces from the original image to the thumbnail. The boundaries of the areas that are averaged, resulting from equidistant widths and heights. Taking into account the size of the thumbnail of 16 × 16, the pixel width of the image and the pixel height of the image must therefore be divided by 16. The fraction of a pixel between adjacent areas is taken into account as a fraction in the averaging.

Alternatively, the fingerprint can be supplied to the content within the associated additional textual data, and by means of appropriate labeling, the signature unit (FIG. 62 ) Extract this signature data or fingerprint from the additional data contained in the video content.

Since the signature data is not supplied with each video image, the unit generally extracts ( 62 ) not the associated fingerprint of the video image that was currently displayed at the time the activation unit was activated. Instead, the signature data that was last included in the data and / or delivered next can be used. The exact time of activation can be determined by the signature data generation unit by means of the timer contained in the processor, in which the period between activation and appearance of the data is measured and this difference value is sent with the fingerprint data to the server ,

The of the units ( 55 ) 60 ) and ( 62 ) supplied time index data, identification data and / or signature data are then passed to the client-side transfer unit. The data is sent to the server by means of a return channel ( 20 ), which can also be an internet-enabled network.

On the server side ( 200 ), the received data, by means of a database, based content associated with additional data. This assignment can be assigned by means of the data contained in the time index and identification data, and server-side to a, stored in the database or data-written, video or TV program. Alternatively, by means of time index and tag data, a scene within the video can also be referenced server-side. Alternatively, by means of the signature data, the video image assigned to the signature can be found on the server. In either case, the transmitted data may be associated or associated with video data or scenes. Because the data allocation unit ( 250 ) allows an assignment of scenes to terms and terms to further link data or additional data, then the server unit ( 200 ) are provided on the content of the video related additional data for reception.

These additional content-related data are then transmitted by means of the Internet-enabled network or by means of a data transmission means assigned to the transmitter ( 22 ) the additional data to the additional data receiving unit ( 80 ) transfer. For example, the server unit ( 200 ) the additional server-side data by means of the data and / or object carousel, which is sent within the video data, in the receiving channel ( 100 ' ) to the additional data receiving unit ( 80 ), that of the functional unit ( 50 ) is assigned.

The received data is then read by a client-side data preparation unit for client-side representation in the output unit ( 90 ).

In the presentation unit ( 30 ) is usually a visualization engine contained in the middleware of the data processing device, which may be a web browser in particular. Alternatively, the web browser may be downloaded from the data carousel and instantiated on the STB prior to receipt of the supplemental data. The video content ( 25 ) can be used in the presentation of additional data by the presentation unit ( 30 ) and / or displayed.

The 2 describes a method for client-side interrogation, transmission, reception, and presentation of server-side stored data by a method described by the following steps. Audio-video data ( 25 ) are received by the receiving unit ( 55 ) and in the presentation unit ( 15 ) or ( 30 ) and / or output (S10). In the method step (S15) the user activates the functional unit by means of an input unit (S15). 40 ) and / or an activation unit ( 45 ). Subsequently, the time index data (S20) and / or the content characterizing identification data (S30) and / or the signature data (S35) are formed. Subsequently, the time and / or the characterizing identification data and / or the signature data are transmitted to the server (S40). On the server, the associated server-side additional data is analyzed after reception (S45) and the data found in and / or associated with the data allocation unit is provided (S50) and transmitted to the client. The server-side additional data is processed by the additional data unit ( 80 ) (S60) and in the processing unit ( 75 ) (S70) and in the output unit ( 90 ) (S80).

The 3 describes a device for client-side query, assignment and presentation of server-side additional data by means of an allocation unit.

The client-side set-top box (10-X) receives video data ( 25 ) from the TV Broadcaster ( 300 ) and displays it on the TV screen. The set-top box has a run-time engine or Java VM (50-Z), by means of which executable programs can be executed on the set-top box. According to this embodiment, the executable programs are transmitted by means of the data carousel broadcast in parallel to the broadcast video or TV program. In particular, via the data carousel a web browser and / or the units according to the invention, in particular the functional unit (50-X) with the time index data unit ( 55 ), the content identification unit ( 60 ), the signature data unit ( 62 ), the transmission ( 70 ) and receiving unit ( 80 ) and the data preparation unit ( 75 ).

By the activation means Remote Control (40-X) are then in the Function unit (50-X) the time index data, characteristic of video content Identification data and / or signature data extracted or generated.

The functional unit (50-X) is connected to the Internet by means of a gateway server operated by the cable or satellite operator ( 310 ) connected.

The functional unit (50-X) may access a mapping server included in the STB, global and / or the operator of the STB and / or the owner of the STB, in particular when the functional unit (50-X) is not transmitted by the data carousel. This mapping server ( 350 ) can be operated by the gateway operator. Alternatively, within the data carousel, the sender can send the URL to the mapping server ( 350 ) into the transferred functional unit (50-X) and thus assign the sender-specific allocation server to the user. Since the programs are deleted from the data carousel when the sender changes, the user can no longer use the sender-specific mapping server after the channel has been changed.

In a first query ( 211 ) to the mapping server ( 350 ), the request is made by means of a gateway server ( 310 ) and transferred as a request ( 211 ) the mapping server ( 350 ) to hand over. The mapping server ( 350 ) answers this request by assigning time index, signature and / or signature data contained in the request to a provision of link data on additional content-related data.

The link data is sent via the gateway ( 310 ) to the requesting STB. In response to the reception of the link data, which in particular has only one IP address, the second web server described by means of link data ( 380 ), with time index, identification and / or signature data addressed. The data is transmitted via gateways ( 310 ) and the data transfer processes ( 222 ) and ( 222a ) of server ( 390 ).

The second server provides web content, which is displayed in the client-side additional data output unit (30-X). The content may contain additional link data. So another external web server ( 390 ), by means of the link data contained in the second web server and by means of the web server ( 380 ) be addressed. Alternatively, by means of direct link data, the STB (10-X) unit via gateway ( 310 ) directly to the server ( 390 ) connect.

The mapping server ( 350 ) is addressed in this preferred embodiment only when the user transmits an activation signal via his RC (40x).

Due to the different platforms on which the client-side functional unit is to be installed and the visualization engines realized on these platforms, a standardization of the data interface ( 315 ) between client ( 10 ) and mapping servers ( 350 ) and a data interface ( 325 ) between client ( 10 ) and webservers ( 380 ), if additional content-related data for a video from a web server ( 380 ).

The 4 describes a concrete sequence of the method for operating the device according to the invention, in particular of the system with the allocation unit (FIG. 350 ).

In step (S110), the video content is received by the set-top box (10-X) and displayed on the TV screen (15-X). The user activates the remote control in the method step (S120) in such a way that the user receives additional content-related additional data for the content displayed on the TV screen. By the activation of the functional unit by the remote control, a video image which was displayed in the output unit (15-X) and further additional data associated with this image is determined in a predetermined manner by the functional unit (50-X) or (15) in method step (S130). 50-Z). In the method step (S140), the time index data, identification data and / or signature data are then extracted and generated by means of the associated means installed on the functional unit (50-X) or (50-Z). In method step (S150), the server-side allocation server (first server) is then requested by means of the extracted or generated time index data, identification data and / or signature data in order to 160 Process step, link data to web servers (the second servers) by means of a server-side assignment, the server-side received data assigned. In particular, link data is provided to web servers that have, in particular, content-related data to the client-side video for client-side query. In method step (S170), the server-side link data is received, the link data in particular containing URLs to further content-related data and / or web servers, in particular link data to the second servers. In step (S180), query data is then sent to the second server or web servers in response to receiving the associated addresses. In method step (S190), additional data associated with the time index data, identification data and / or signature data and / or the additional data received from the assignment server is then provided on the web server in order to receive the additional data from the second web server in step (S200) from the client and as Additional data on the client-side additional data output unit (30-X) represent.

Other advantages and training

Corresponding of the invention Videos such as films, documentaries, interviews, reports, TV shows as well as commercials over a transmitter or over distributed another distribution mechanism (Internet, DVD) will also be provided with these additional data. A viewer then can a video image from the video or from the associated data stream by means of an extraction unit, in particular by means of a program or extract it using a plug-in within the video player and by means of offered transfer means (as contained in the program data interfaces) to the associated server send and then detailed information or content-related additional data on the content of the image, and / or to the content of the scenes. This would be according to the invention a further integration of broadcast-based television into the internet, especially in the peer-to-peer based and / or client-server based Internet possible, without advantageously further complicated technical measures necessary in the transmitter infrastructure of the television stations become.

In according to the invention can be registered content, ie content owned or owned by the owner from the transmitter to the server according to the invention, previously by means of registration, published content, with scene-dependent additional data or with link data.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the Registering content creating so-called registration data which are associated with the signature data. As signature data, by means of a given fingerprint algorithm, for a given video one provides limited data, the signature data is scarce Good or a scarce resource. Due to the scarcity of this data can a secondary one Marketing, such as licensing, provided that the units, which can process this data can also be limited and or controlled.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention can the Signature data to be assigned an address of a server on the additional content-related additional data to the signature data provided can be. The mapping data of signature data or content-dependent fingerprint data Server addresses can be managed by a separate mapping server and provided to the user via client-side queries become. Because only registered signature data directly on server addresses can refer can by means of the time index data and / or content characterizing Identification data also inform the user of web server addresses, the time index data and / or identification data server side assigned. If no addresses for content-related additional data by means of time index data and / or identification data in the allocation unit can be found in an extension of the invention, the URL of a web portal the client-side unit will be sent so that the user can use the in the standard, web-like Content that manually activates the link data contained therein can be so he can surf on content-related data.

The Allocation unit can be operated by the sender of the video content if this is the client-side functional unit by means of of the data carousel and or a control over the client side, has used functional unit. The allocation unit can also be from the owner of the STB or the client-side run-time engine or operated by the operator of the gateway server because each of these operators are able to provide the user with a functional unit for content-related Provide additional data.

In a further embodiment The invention can be adapted to the sender by means of the additional data contained in the content the address of the mapping server to be inserted. This method is particularly advantageous if the signature data is not in a very big one Database can be legally integrated and made searchable can, as this is the case for example with live content. In this Case becomes a smaller allocation unit that updates data faster the user by means of an associated URL within the functional unit to disposal posed.

The advantage of using a mapping server or the controlled set of mapping servers is that content owners can register their content and make the access or use of that data dependent on licensing. The licensing of these assignment data referring to the server is associated with additional business processes that would not exist without the inventive solution. Furthermore, the licensing of the data has the advantage that the content owner does not have to insert and / or maintain the detailed, content-related and / or scene-dependent additional data himself. Also, the registry owner can change the signature da The associated server address can be changed at any time or it can assign several licensees to the same content. Thus, there is no need to exclusively associate registration data with only one licensee. On the contrary, by assigning subsets of registration data to different licensees, by means of signature data contained in the content, the sender can offer his signature data to the user and thus be sure that the user is only redirected to his web server by means of the mapping server. By means of the signature data-specific access data managed in the assignment server, the licensor can recognize that additional revenue, such as direct response marketing measures (infomercials or the like), is only generated by the sender by means of the licensed signature data. By means of the device according to the invention, the licensors, in particular the content owners, have the opportunity to benefit directly from the advantages of interactive television and, in particular, from the advantages of interactive advertising.

One Another method of multiple licensing of content consists in the use of time index data or identifying characteristic data like server names or the like, in the context of the signature data be evaluated. Thus, you can Registration data for syndicated content in various regional markets be marketed and used separately.

Especially advantageous is the inventive device for the assignment from product-related advertising to television content, without that TV show as in the existing, inserted advertising, interrupted must become. Instead, the user is in control, as on the Internet, what he wants to see. The advertising he activates is more relevant to him, in contrast to the inserted Television advertising that is "pushed" onto the viewer without direct reference to the viewer, according to the user The link data offered by the invention allow the user only the desired by them Advertising or content to look at.

The inventive device allows thus the same benefits as those of the Internet: control, selection, Convenience and speed.

The inventive device allows the data exchange of signature data between viewers, so that instead of verbally reporting from the TV show, the signature data be sent to a second person and that person by means of its functional unit can use the signature data, so that the same additional data accessed by the second person can be. In particular, the second person can also use link data looking at the associated one Videos enabled become, what for the owner of the content or sender additional earnings via content or video-on-demand.

in the Frame of the device according to the invention Content-related additional data will be on one of the mapping servers independent, Web server provided to the client. The assignment of content related Additional data using terms, category names, scene definitions and descriptions and link data can then be sent to the separate server to disposal be put.

The inventive device allows the server-side assignment of additional information (terms, link data, Web pages) and metadata, as a continuous stream or video published, Video data, wherein the additional data and / or metadata in a content related on the continuous content of a scene (referring to several consecutive Extends video images) has a context-descriptive effect. The Scenes are associated by means of Data then server-side in a direct relation to a textual Description of content set.

The Internet gives a viewer of a video by means of the present Invention the contextual context desired, in particular to extract relevant or contextual metadata, select and display assigned to the video. Especially is through the use of hyperlinks in the output to the viewer a big Number of relevant information made available.

The Use of the server-side data by a client or a client-side Viewers can use standardized interfaces, in particular using XML and XML over HTTP (SOAP - Simple Object Access Protocol), be achieved efficiently.

The output of the terms can be achieved by means of a menu in which further options can be achieved by means of pull-up, drop-down or explorer (directory-like) organization of information. A menu item may either be a link data item for further information or a ver in which further link data or other menu options are offered. Alternatively, multimedia text (text with pictures, videos, animations or interactions) can be output after activating menu options. In this way, a link data item can be displayed, or the link data item can be immediately displayed in data that can be called behind the link data or by means of the link data.

In Another extension of the present invention may be the client-side Output of the menu by means of additional configuration data generated from the selected terms become. Thus, by means of the server device according to the invention, to a Video image extracted or assigned to a plurality of scene data can be which in turn is a plurality of extracted or associated terms can be assigned by means of a hierarchy of different Stages and disjointed areas the term hierarchy can be extracted or flagged. These The scenes associated with the scenes can be accessed directly from the menu within a single-level menu, in which the terms are listed linearly and at activation a menu item then would a list of hyperlinks appear where the link data with a title, belonging Description and / or an icon are equipped. Because the possibility is that a lot of data can be displayed, the output can be in the menu list and limited to a limited number in the hyperlink list and by means of a forward / backward Button allows navigation between the output elements.

In An extension of this concept, the menu items can be divided into categories, e.g. like labels (or tags) above the data window or as a representation of a two-stage Menu allows.

One Another advantage of the present invention is the control of the menu by means of management of terms by means of servers. The review of called on the client side to the video items in the server-side data processing device and / or by means of a further over the electronic network connected, term verification server, the usability or correctness of the term can be checked. The verification unit can be a catalog of terms or it can be a server on which the use of brand names is checked and / or with additional Data to be connected. The additional, supplied by the server, data can the business initiation between the user of the brand name and its owner or Agents exist or the data may contain conditions which the user of the brand name has to fulfill, such as a payment for the use of the brand name, or the mandatory use of link data included in the associated Link data table must be included with and / or the restriction or Condition that no further link data to the brand name in the link data table may be entered. In addition, the, from the verification server communicated, data restrictions with regard to the assignment of protected terms to scenes or Videos or video genre included.

One Another advantage of the present invention is thus in use or inclusion of a term verification server or term verification service as a means of enforcing brand name rights. The terms are preferably used as titles on the menu items. By an external control of these terms or the titles of the menus and through the review of Terms on possible Brand name infringement may be the operator of the device according to the invention automatically be informed of legal problems. In addition, can by means of this service, business initiations allows that would not exist without this service. The term verification can an additional one Web service that is offered for the sake of the trademark owner becomes. By means of control over the menu title elements The brand name owner may have its influence on the usage expand its name in an advantageous manner and thus the value significantly increase the brand name.

In a further embodiment of the invention the terms before the presentation as title on menu items by means of a catalog unit or a translation unit into the language translated by the user or viewer become.

Further can at output, statements in the data intended for the client added be, by means of the order of the data in the presentation is determined. Alternatively you can the data in their order by instruction on the server, especially in processes for the provision of the data. The order of the term or Menu items or the Link data list can be changed by instructions and set before output become. These methods can be applied even if the term and link lists, due to the merge of scenes, merged Need to become and / or rearranged.

A Further embodiment of the present invention can be in the direct Assign link data to scenes.

The from the server according to the invention supplied additional data can used in the client-side document presentation unit that's the one associated with it Content, such as a scene or a time interval, that at a predetermined time interval to the queried Element stands, is not spent, so for example in the frame a parental control system questionable content on the server side Additional data can be suppressed or skipped on the client side during output. This Method has the advantage that parental control data is not only at the beginning of a file or a data stream of the playback unit communicates this information, but the player to each When she begins to play the video, appropriate Querying data on the server side, especially if in the Video existing data on the client side no longer exists are or have been removed.

category name or terms can in the term table directly to a list or a set of server addresses with associated Parameters (for example, URL) containing these addresses or additional URLs Text, description, image, video or executable scripts.

The Can terms be taken from a catalog unit. These terms or category names are invariant terms. Equivalent translations in other languages be assigned to this category name and in the associated catalog unit as a translation inserted to a term become. This can be a multilingual conceptual reference system be created in the then also to each term used a video scene can be shown. Furthermore, producers or editors could as part of an Open Directory initiative, the catalog by subcategory names and / or expand on more conceptual relationships between category names.

In another concrete embodiment the additional data are visual, acoustic or multimedia data or they are descriptive data or predetermined usage operations, such as hyperlinks to predetermined server-side document server units or product databases that are activated by a user and / or queried or the additional data is data that the data are directly assigned.

The Usage operations can in a further embodiment also be predetermined dynamic scripting operations, the client-side Output data animated and / or receive it with other server side Represent data. From the server-side databases or servers can further terms or additional data referring to the content by means of the digital content signature data or using terms or Additional data associated with the signature data are queried. This additional data can subsequently client-side, stores and / or from the client-side Data processing device to be further processed.

In a further embodiment of the invention the server of the invention Supplied additional data in the client-side document presentation unit to be used by related content, such as a scene or temporal interval that is in a predetermined temporal distance to the requested element is not issued so, for example, in the context of a parental control system questionable Content about Server-side additional data suppressed or skipped on the client side during output can be.

In another concrete embodiment of the invention the server of the invention, deliver supplied additional data to a client-side data storage device, stored and / or managed, so that without further server queries the additional information stored on the client side is displayed in a video, queried, indexed, searched and used offline can.

through Landscape related additional data can be videos of landscapes or resorts over that Internet can be found. The assigned videos or video scenes can Treat hotels or ruins or other destinations. Another Advantage of the present invention is that, by the producer created, additional data makes unnecessary existing websites, but the viewer or the user browsing between similar Facilitate websites. Furthermore, the present invention enables to receive content-related web pages to the user of a video and new users on the, by means of server-side additional data upgraded, Surf website.

By means of additional data or terms, videos or video scenes can have a territorial assignment so that, for example, the location of the video or scene can be found by means of additional data.

In the same way Videos or video scenes of (art) objects using category terms being found. Likewise Educational films or computer simulations provided with keywords be and be found.

The Additional data can structured descriptions of landscapes or specific objects like buildings or Acting Persons. This data could then a search engine provided become. A searcher can thus be given the opportunity, the Targeted content in movies to find a scene description without this from the publisher was provided in this way.

videos or pictures can thus targeted over the Internet textual descriptions of sub-content can be found.

These Additional data can independent on the server from the actual publication or original publisher to the video or a video scene, and so the interested Users to the publisher's website or point of sale lead the document, provided this data in the server according to the invention as additional data were saved. In this way, with the production of registered content signatures, additional link data and additional, value-added business processes anknüpft become.

The Metadata or additional data about the video content can be historical backgrounds or their meaning and additional information to the interested user Provide information.

Of the same benefit arises for the subsequent Add of information about works of art, paintings, films, architectural buildings, Animals, as well as plants, technical objects such as machines, bridges or scientific images, files, programs or simulations Medicine, astronomy, biology or the like. So can too Trademark logos displayed within videos using related additional data in the database according to the invention represents be made and searchable. Thus, the Trademark owner can get information to distribute their logo and the context of using their logo Logos are given.

Also can concrete objects like pictures or videos of consumer products or capital goods by means of Additional data are described, and in the database of the invention represents be.

There The additional data can also be given to search engines, videos can or video scenes are thus easier to find on the internet.

In addition, for videos, owned or accessed by the user or viewer who Additional data from the server to the local storage device of the computer be downloaded, so that subsequently a search regardless of foreign server-side resources can take place, so that in advantageous Way in which search privacy is guaranteed to a much greater extent as in an online search.

The preferred fingerprint method has the property that the result of applying the fingerprinting method is insensitive or insensitive to minor changes in the picture elements, in particular pixels. This is achieved by using averaging operations over gray levels of the pixels contained in the associated areas of the image. Preferably, a method is used that transforms each image into a standard size-for example, 8x8 pixels or 12x12 or 16x16, hereafter called thumbnail, and an associated color or grayscale depth, such as 8bit, 12bit, or 16bit for each, the pixel contained in the thumbnail. In the transformation from the original image to the thumbnail, each pixel in the thumbnail corresponds to an area in the original image. By using mathematical methods, the color distortion can be excluded. After the transformation into gray levels, averaging over all pixels can calculate an average gray scale value for that area. In addition, rules can guarantee that the edge pixels are considered only with their partial value. By averaging the influence of a few pixels is negligible. Once the process for making these fingerprints is standardized, these fingerprint data can also be made on the client side and searched in the database. One possible method of finding fingerprints within the database may consist in the repeated application of averaging over areas within the fingerprints so as to obtain data of a length that is indexable in a database. The indexing process is variable and can be adjusted by optimizing the size of the database.

One Another advantage and application of the present invention are also in automatic transmission server-side additional data to the client, especially if the activation unit without manual activation an activation signal timed and / or periodically and or algorithmically controlled and the client-side receiving units extract the extracted ones Receives data and in the client-side output unit, updated to that represented Video content, presenting updated content-related additional data. In one embodiment of the invention the additional data supplied by the server on the client side it contains script operations or program statements use the activation unit to activate an update to achieve the content presented on the client side.

Reference numeral Table

The following table contains a supplementary description of the reference numerals to the (1) to (3) and is part of the present invention and disclosure.

Reference number Description

Claims (2)

System for client-side querying, receiving and presentation of server-side additional data to video data received by means of a receiving channel ( 25 ), a client-side electronic data processing device ( 10 ), characterized in that • means provided on the client side for forming and / or extracting identification data, time index data and / or signature data from the video data and for transmitting this data to the server unit in response to an activation signal entered by a user on the client side, wherein the inputting of the activation signal is not dependent on a format, a predetermined characteristic or a predetermined preparation of the video data, in particular realized as film or multimedia content, 200 ) an allocation unit ( 250 ) arranged to allocate and selectively provide the server side additional data associated with the content data in response to the transmitted identification data, time index data and / or signature data, and on the client side, means for receiving and displaying the additional data are provided such that the User can capture the additional data in connection with the video data, in particular the video data presented at the time of the activation signal. Method for client-side querying, receiving and presentation of server-side additional data, characterized by the steps of: receiving and displaying video data ( 25 ) by means of a receive channel in a client-side, electronic data processing device ( 10 and activating client-side means for forming and / or extracting tag data, time index data and / or signature data from the video data by means of an activation signal triggered by a user, and providing server side responsive to the transmission of the tag data; the time index data and / or the signature data on a server unit ( 200 ) by means of one of the server unit ( 200 ) assigned allocation unit ( 250 ) receiving and presenting additional data that the user can acquire in connection with the video data, in particular the video data presented at the time of the activation signal.