US 12,143,679 B2
Systems and methods for blending interactive applications with television programs
Kate Megan Carney Landow, Denver, CO (US)
Assigned to DISH NETWORK L.L.C., Englewood, CO (US)
Filed by DISH NETWORK L.L.C., Englewood, CO (US)
Filed on Apr. 28, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/141,242.
Application 18/141,242 is a continuation of application No. 17/545,924, filed on Dec. 8, 2021, granted, now 11,671,672.
Application 17/545,924 is a continuation of application No. 16/510,694, filed on Jul. 12, 2019, granted, now 11,228,812, issued on Jan. 18, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0269436 A1, Aug. 24, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04N 21/47 (2011.01); H04N 21/442 (2011.01); H04N 21/4728 (2011.01); H04N 21/478 (2011.01); H04N 21/4784 (2011.01); H04N 21/8545 (2011.01)
CPC H04N 21/4784 (2013.01) [H04N 21/44222 (2013.01); H04N 21/4728 (2013.01); H04N 21/47815 (2013.01); H04N 21/8545 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method in a system for blending interactive applications with television programming, comprising:
receiving, at a media device, a video program of a content stream comprising a plurality of video frames;
detecting, by an application running on the media device, one or more objects of interest within the plurality of video frames, wherein the detecting, by the application running on the media device, one or more objects of interest within the plurality of video frames includes, for each video frame of a plurality of video frames:
generating, by the media device, non-video object of interest data that:
includes information that identifies where an object of interest is in the video frame; and
includes information to identify the object of interest in a presented scene;
outputting, by the media device, the video program for presentation on a presentation device;
electronically communicating a prompt to the user regarding a reward available for selection of one or more objects of interest within the plurality of video frames;
receiving, by the media device, input indicative of user selection corresponding to a selected location on a video frame of the video program being output by the media device; and
in response to determining that the input indicative of user selection is a selection of the object of interest in the video frame, electronically communicating object selection reward data.