Patent ID: 8065615

Claim:
A method of retrieving information ( 10 ) associated with an object ( 12 ) present in a media stream ( 14 ), said method comprising the steps of: defining a user-selectable region ( 18 ) in a layer ( 20 ) separate from the media stream ( 14 ) and without accessing individual frames of the media stream ( 14 ), the user-selectable region ( 18 ) tracking a position of the object ( 12 ) present in the media stream ( 14 ); defining a link ( 34 ) to the information ( 10 ) associated with the object ( 12 ); linking the user-selectable region ( 18 ) in the layer ( 20 ) to the link ( 34 ) for the information ( 10 ) associated with the object ( 12 ); positioning the user-selectable region ( 18 ) in the layer ( 20 ) over the object ( 12 ) such that the user-selectable region ( 18 ) tracks the position of the object ( 12 ) during playback of the media stream ( 14 ); disposing the layer ( 20 ) adjacent the media stream ( 14 ) without interfering with playback of the media stream ( 14 ); playing the media stream ( 14 ) in a player; selecting the user-selectable region ( 18 ) from within the layer ( 20 ) during playback of the media stream ( 14 ); and accessing the information ( 10 ) associated with the object ( 12 ) in response to selecting the user-selectable region ( 18 ) from within the layer ( 20 ).