Importance

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Abstract

A real time interactive video system for use in real time broadcasts as well as video on demand systems which requires no modification of a television set. In a real time broadcast application, the video content is broadcast for playback on a conventional television or monitor. Frames are extracted from the video content in predetermined time intervals, such as one second intervals, and stored in a directory on an Internet server. For example, for a 30 frame per second video source, one frame of every 30 is extracted and stored as a still image along with linked video files which link pixel objects with the stored frames to data objects, or other resource platforms. In order to synchronize the stored frames and linked video files with the real time video content broadcast, each frame is either numbered sequentially, or referenced by the time code of the frame from which it was extracted. Interactivity with the real time video content broadcast in real time is provided by way of a viewer interaction platform, for example, a computing platform, such as a personal computer or a set top box, or a wireless platform, such as personal digital assistant (PDA) or cell phone, such as a 3G cell phone, linked to the Internet server which hosts the stored frames and linked video files. In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, a video frame interaction application, resident on the view interaction platform, allows a viewer to select specific frames from the video content, as it is broadcast and stores these frames in the memory of the viewer interaction platform. If the viewer interaction platform has limited memory, an Internet link to the image can be saved. The frames are chosen by activating an 'entry key' on the view interaction platform. The user selection is either sent to the website for immediate retrieval of the selected frame, or alternatively, the requested linked is saved for later access to the website. The website, upon request, sends the selected frame to the video frame interaction application which allows the viewer to access pixel objects and link to other resource platforms.

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First Claim