The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 30, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 12, 1996
JoGene Kapell, Bellevue, WA (US);
Holly A Serdy, Redmond, WA (US);
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
A video entertainment system includes a video display device and a user interface unit connected for operation in conjunction with the video display device to receive a television image and to display the television image on the video display device. The system also includes a remote control handset having viewer-actuable controls. The remote control handset sends commands to the user interface unit in response to actuation of the viewer-actuable controls. The user interface unit has a graphics overlay component which is programmable to display entertainment images on the video display device overlying the received television image. The user interface unit has a viewer participation program that a viewer can initiate with the remote control handset. The viewer participation program allows the viewer to use the remote control handset to draw, 'drop,' or 'throw' designs or pre-rendered graphics on top of the television image. Further aspects of the invention include the ability to attach a pre-rendered image to a moving point within a television image so that the pre-rendered image moves with the moving point. Using this capability, the viewer can attach, for example, a hat to someone's head, and the hat will stay on the person's head regardless of the person's movement within the television frame.