Apparatus and associated methods

Abstract

An apparatus caused to: in relation to a video image of one or more events at which a user has commented, a location of the or each commenting user visible in the video image; based on a current view of the video image displayed to the user and at least one comment of the one or more commenting users, the at least one comment having location information associated therewith, the location information indicating one or more of: (i) a location of the commenting user when making the comment on the event, and (ii) a location on the event specified by the commenting user when making the comment; display a comment overlaid on the current view of the video image, the comment displayed in the current view of the video image at a location corresponding to the location information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of video image interaction between users and events, related methods, computer programs, and apparatus. Some aspects / examples of the disclosure relate to virtual reality. Background Technology

[0002] While watching a live event, viewers or other participants may wish to comment on the event. These comments may also be presented to users watching the live or recorded video footage of the event.

[0003] The enumeration or discussion of prior disclosures or any background information in this specification should not be construed as an admission that such disclosure or background information is part of the prior art or common general knowledge. One or more aspects / examples of this disclosure may or may not solve one or more background problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In a first example aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising:

[0005] At least one processor; and

[0006] At least one memory including computer program code,

[0007] The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the device to perform at least the following operations:

[0008] Video footage of an event in which one or more commenting users were present and submitted comments, and the location of the one or more commenting users or each commenting user visible in the video footage;

[0009] Based on the current view of the video image displayed to the user and at least one comment from the one or more commenting users, the at least one comment has associated location information indicating one or more of the following: (i) the location of the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event at the time of posting the comment, and (ii) the location on the event specified by the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event;

[0010] Comments are displayed overlaid on the current view of the video image, and the comments displayed in the current view of the video image are at positions corresponding to the location information.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the video imagery includes virtual or augmented reality content configured to provide a virtual or augmented reality space for viewing in virtual or augmented reality, and wherein the current view of the video imagery includes a virtual or augmented reality view presented to the user for viewing the video imagery displayed in the virtual or augmented reality space.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the comment has associated time information indicating one or more of the following: (i) the time when a commenting user submitted the comment on the event during the event; (ii) the time that occurred within the time domain duration of the event, specified by the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event; (iii) the time during the event determined by analyzing the context of the comment's wording; (iv) the time when the commenting user created the comment during the event; and (iv) if the comment includes audio or video media, the time during the event determined from the time the audio or video media was recorded; and the device is caused to display the comment within a time period less than the total duration of the video image and corresponding to the time information.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the time information includes duration information specified by the commenting user, which includes the duration for which the comment should be displayed.

[0014] In one or more examples, the device displays that the duration of the comment is shorter than the duration of the event.

[0015] In one or more examples, the device repositions the comment displayed to the user based on the duration the comment has been displayed. In one or more examples, the comment can be repositioned to fade out over time.

[0016] In one or more examples, contextual analysis may include identifying keywords in a comment to associate them with events that occurred during the event. For example, for an event including a rock concert, the comment “Amazingpyrotechnics! #fire” could be assigned time information corresponding to the occurrence of a fireworks display during the concert. In one or more examples, a list of timestamped events that occurred during the event can be provided, and keywords in the comment can be matched against events in the list to determine the time information. If the comment is an audio comment, speech-to-text conversion can be used to extract keywords. If the comment is an audio or video comment, contextual analysis may include analyzing the background audio of the comment to compare it with known audio that occurred during the event to place the comment in the event period in the time domain. In one or more examples, in the absence of a time specified by the commenting user, the time information may be based on one or more of contextual analysis or the time the comment was submitted.

[0017] In one or more examples, location information includes metadata about the comment.

[0018] In one or more examples, when posting a comment, the location of the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event is derived from one or more of the following: (i) a satellite-based positioning system, (ii) a land-based positioning system, (iii) an indoor positioning system, (iv) the seat number on the event, and (v) a designated area of ​​the space where the event is held.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the location information specified by the commenting user includes an object appearing in the video image (optionally moving); and the device is caused to display a comment at a location corresponding to the position of the (optionally moving) object as the position of the object in the video image changes over time.

[0020] In one or more examples, the moving object includes one or more of a person, vehicle, performer, animal, or other object. Thus, for an event including a football match, a commentator could comment "magical footwork" and designate that location (i.e., the focus of the comment) as "Blue Team Player 13". Then, when visible in video footage or a virtual reality view, the device can display a comment overlaid near Player 13, following Player 13 as they move around the football field. Therefore, one or more objects appearing in video footage or virtual reality content can have their positions tracked and can be selected by the commentator when constituting a comment, or location information related to the moving object can be assigned later based on analysis of the comment.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the comment has associated focus information, the focus including the object or event at the time the comment addresses; and the device is caused to use one or more of the following to display the comment: (i) a focus indicator that at least indicates the direction in the visual image corresponding to the focus information, and (ii) a position in the visual image based on the focus information.

[0022] In one or more examples, the comment has associated focus direction information, which includes the direction the comment is directed toward on the event; and the device is caused to display the comment using a focus direction indicator, which indicates the direction in the video image corresponding to the focus direction information. Therefore, focus information can include focus direction information.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, the focus direction information may be: (i) specified by the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event, and (ii) determined from the orientation of the electronic device used by the commenting user at the time the comment was submitted.

[0024] In one or more embodiments, one or more comments include one or more of the following:

[0025] (i) Written comments;

[0026] (ii) Photo captions;

[0027] (iii) Image comments;

[0028] (iv) Audio commentary;

[0029] (v) Video comments;

[0030] (vi) Expressing reactions to events, such as "like," "love," "dislike," and "hate"; and

[0031] (vii) Expressing a vote related to an event.

[0032] In one or more embodiments, the comment includes one or more audio and video comments recorded by the commenting user, and wherein a device is caused to display the comment via an activatable icon configured to be activated by the user to provide playback of the audio or video comment. In one or more examples, the comment includes one or more expressions of reaction and expressions of voting related to the event, and wherein a device is caused to display the expression via an icon representing a reaction or a vote.

[0033] In one or more embodiments, the comment includes audio content, and the device is caused to play back the audio content with spatial audio effects, such that the perceived direction of the source of the audio content relative to the video image corresponds to location information.

[0034] In one or more examples, spatial audio can be used when the video imagery includes virtual reality content. In one or more examples, when spatial audio is provided based on the orientation of a virtual reality view or an augmented reality viewing orientation, the device is caused to play back the audio content of comments with an audio width depending on the number of comments with audio content in the view provided to the user, including the orientation of such a VR or AR view where the audio content heard exceeds a threshold. Therefore, when there are a large number of comments, the device may require the user to look more directly at the location of the comments to hear the audio content at a higher volume. It should be understood that playing back multiple audio comments can cause audio spatial clutter, so controlling the volume of the audio content based on the viewing orientation, so that the user needs to look more carefully at the location of the comments to hear their audio content clearly, can simplify the audio spatial arrangement.

[0035] In one or more embodiments, the device is caused to display an activatable comment icon before displaying a comment, the activatable comment icon indicating a comment that can be presented to a user, and the device is configured to present a comment when the user activates the activatable comment icon.

[0036] In one or more embodiments, the comment includes at least: a first comment portion having a first direction associated therewith, and a second comment portion having a second direction associated therewith; the device is caused to display the first comment portion when the view orientation of the video image is substantially corresponding to the first direction, and to display the second comment portion when the view orientation of the video image is substantially corresponding to the second direction.

[0037] In one or more embodiments, the device is caused to display a user-activatable link along with one or more comments, the link including a reference to a temporal portion of an event, and, upon activation of the link, to replay the temporal portion of the event.

[0038] In one or more examples, one or more comments are displayed to the user in a 3D effect. Therefore, the location of the comments displayed to the user can be more easily associated with location information (i.e., the expected location of the comment).

[0039] In one or more examples, when the viewpoint of the video image changes to a second viewpoint or viewing direction, the location of one or more comments is displayed to correspond to the location in the video image that is visible from the second viewpoint or viewing direction.

[0040] In one or more examples, the display of one or more comments depends on the user's choice, allowing the user to show or hide the comments.

[0041] In one or more examples, the video footage is either live content or pre-recorded content.

[0042] In one or more examples, the one or more comments are obtained from a social media platform.

[0043] In another aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising:

[0044] At least one processor; and

[0045] At least one memory including computer program code,

[0046] The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the device to perform at least the following operations:

[0047] Video footage of an event in which one or more commenting users were present, and the location of the one or more commenting users or each commenting user as visible in the video footage;

[0048] Based on at least one comment from the one or more commenting users;

[0049] The comment is associated with the video image having location information indicating one or more of the following: (i) the location of the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event at the time of posting the comment, and (ii) the location specified by the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event, thereby enabling the comment overlaid on the video image to appear in the video image at the location corresponding to the location information.

[0050] On the other hand, a method is provided, which includes:

[0051] Video footage of an event in which one or more commenting users were present and submitted comments, including the location of one or more commenting users or each commenting user as visible in the video footage;

[0052] Based on the current view of the video image displayed to the user and at least one comment from one or more commenting users, the at least one comment having associated location information indicating one or more of the following: (i) the location of the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event at the time of posting the comment, and (ii) the location on the event specified by the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event;

[0053] Comments are displayed over the current view of the video image, at positions corresponding to the location information.

[0054] On the other hand, a method is provided, which includes:

[0055] Video footage of an event in which one or more commenting users were present, and the location of the one or more commenting users or each commenting user as visible in the video footage of the event;

[0056] Based on at least one comment from the one or more commenting users;

[0057] The comment is associated with the video image having location information indicating one or more of the following: (i) the location of the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event at the time of posting the comment, and (ii) the location specified by the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event, thereby enabling the comment overlaid on the video image to appear in the video image at the location corresponding to the location information.

[0058] On the other hand, a computer-readable medium is provided, including computer program code stored thereon, the computer-readable medium and the computer program code being configured to perform at least the following operations when run on at least one processor:

[0059] Video footage of an event in which one or more commenting users were present and submitted comments, including the location of one or more commenting users or each commenting user as visible in the video footage;

[0060] Based on the current view of the video image displayed to the user and at least one comment from one or more commenting users, the at least one comment having associated location information indicating one or more of the following: (i) the location of the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event at the time of posting the comment, and (ii) the location on the event specified by the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event;

[0061] Comments are displayed over the current view of the video image, at positions corresponding to the location information.

[0062] On the other hand, a computer-readable medium is provided, including computer program code stored thereon, the computer-readable medium and the computer program code being configured to perform at least the following operations when run on at least one processor:

[0063] Video footage of an event in which one or more commenting users were present, and the location of the one or more commenting users or each commenting user as visible in the video footage of the event;

[0064] Based on at least one comment from the one or more commenting users;

[0065] The comment is associated with the video image having location information indicating one or more of the following: (i) the location of the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event at the time of posting the comment, and (ii) the location specified by the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event, thereby enabling the comment overlaid on the video image to appear in the video image at the location corresponding to the location information.

[0066] On the other hand, an apparatus is provided that includes modules for:

[0067] Video footage of an event in which one or more commenting users were present and submitted comments, including the location of one or more commenting users or each commenting user as visible in the video footage;

[0068] Based on the current view of the video image displayed to the user and at least one comment from one or more commenting users, the at least one comment having associated location information indicating one or more of the following: (i) the location of the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event at the time of posting the comment, and (ii) the location on the event specified by the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event;

[0069] Comments are displayed over the current view of the video image, at positions corresponding to the location information.

[0070] On the other hand, an apparatus is provided that includes modules for:

[0071] Video footage of an event in which one or more commenting users were present, and the location of the one or more commenting users or each commenting user as visible in the video footage of the event;

[0072] Based on at least one comment from the one or more commenting users;

[0073] The comment is associated with the video image having location information indicating one or more of the following: (i) the location of the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event at the time of posting the comment, and (ii) the location on the event specified by the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event, thereby enabling the comment overlaid on the video image to appear in the video image at the location corresponding to the location information.

[0074] This disclosure includes one or more corresponding aspects, examples, or features, individually or in various combinations, whether specifically stated (including claims) in such combination or individually. Corresponding modules and corresponding functional units (e.g., a single arrival direction locator) for performing one or more of the functions discussed are also within this disclosure.

[0075] Corresponding computer programs for implementing one or more of the disclosed methods are also within this disclosure and are covered by one or more of the examples described.

[0076] The above overview is intended to be illustrative only and not restrictive. Attached Figure Description

[0077] The description is now given with reference to the accompanying drawings, using only examples, in which:

[0078] Figure 1 Example devices, users consuming content, and users submitting comments using electronic devices are shown;

[0079] Figure 2 A view of the video image is shown, which displays comments placed at locations in the video image corresponding to the location information;

[0080] Figure 3 It shows from different perspectives Figure 2 The scene shown;

[0081] Figure 4 A view of the video footage is shown, displaying video and audio-based commentary presented as an active icon;

[0082] Figure 5 The screenshot shows an example of the app, which demonstrates that submissions consist of multiple sections, each with a different focus direction.

[0083] Figure 6 A flowchart of the method according to this disclosure is shown; and

[0084] Figure 7 The computer-readable medium of the provider is illustrated schematically. Detailed Implementation

[0085] While watching a live event, audience members or others attending the event may wish to comment on it. The event could be a concert, sporting event, theatrical production, or any other event in which audience members are present. The event can be captured by a camera for live or recorded presentation and later shown to other users. The event can also be captured for display in virtual reality or augmented reality, allowing users consuming virtual / augmented reality content to be able to look around, for example, at the event and the audience members. Effectively creating and displaying commentary on the event may be necessary, especially in virtual reality content.

[0086] Figure 1A commenting user 101 is shown at an event such as a concert. The event is captured by one or more cameras configured to capture video footage of the event. The cameras may include virtual reality (VR) content capture devices for capturing virtual reality content of the event. Thus, the VR content capture device may have a 360° field of view. The video footage, when presented as virtual reality content, can be displayed to the user 102 in a virtual reality space for viewing in virtual reality. In this example, the video footage of the VR content is displayed to the user 102 by a virtual reality device (VR device) 103 via a headset 104 containing a display. As is familiar to those skilled in the art of virtual reality, movement of the user's head can be detected to enable them to look around the virtual reality space at the location of the video footage presented therein (other view orientation controls may also be possible). The commenting user's position is visible in at least a portion of the video footage.

[0087] Video footage can be stored (which may include temporary or provisional storage) on repository 105. In this example, VR device 103 is configured to receive video footage, such as virtual reality content, from repository 105. The virtual reality content may be live content, and repository 105 may represent a display or a memory or buffer for a transfer path.

[0088] User 101 may submit a comment about an event via electronic device 106. Electronic device 106 may provide location information along with the comment, or the location information may be determined by another device as described below. The location information indicates one or more of the following: (i) the location of user 101 who submitted the comment on the event at the time of making the comment; and (ii) the location on the event specified by user 101 who submitted the comment on the event.

[0089] Comments can be received by a device including a comment receiving device 107, which is used to associate with video footage of a captured event. Comments and location information can be stored along with the video footage in a repository 105 or as its metadata. Comments can also be posted to a social media platform 108. The comment receiving device 107 may include a server that works with an "app" on the commenter's electronic device. The comment receiving device 107 can obtain comments from the social media platform with the relevant privacy permissions granted.

[0090] Device 110, shown in this example as part of VR device 103 (but can be independent and communicate with any device used to display video images to user 102), is configured to display video images and at least comment on user 101's comments. Accordingly, based on the current view of the video image displayed to user 102 by VR device 103 and the comment by user 101, which has associated location information, device 110 is configured to provide a display of the comment overlaid on the current view of the video image, where the comment is located at a position corresponding to the location information. Thus, the comment can be displayed at a position that is associated with the visible location of the position specified in the location information in the video image. Therefore, if the location information indicates that the comment was made at a position including the conceptual "seat area A" or even seat "AW31" in the event, the comment is displayed in association with that seat area or seat based on its visible location in the video image.

[0091] Device 110 and VR device 103 can be configured to communicate with each other, enabling device 103 to determine which view of video imagery is currently being presented to user 102. Device 110 can receive one or more comments made by user 101 in the form of metadata associated with video imagery or VR content from repository 105. Therefore, device 110 can instruct VR device 103 to display the comments at the appropriate location within the view presented to user 102 on the display of headset 104, thereby associating the comments with location information.

[0092] In a non-limiting example, the comment receiving device 107 may include a server, and the electronic device 106 of the commenting user may include a smartphone.

[0093] The following description of the general structure of device 110 should be understood to be applicable to both the review receiving device 107 and the electronic device 106. Device 110 may include a processor 111, a memory 112, an input 113, and an output 114. In this embodiment, only one processor and one memory are shown, but it should be understood that other embodiments may use more than one processor and / or more than one memory (e.g., the same or different processor / memory types).

[0094] In this embodiment, device 110 is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for a portable electronic device that optionally has a touch-sensitive display. Processor 111 and memory 112 can provide the functionality of VR device 103. In other embodiments, device 110 may be a module for such a device, or it may be the device itself, wherein processor 111 is a general-purpose CPU of the device, and memory 112 is general-purpose memory included in the device.

[0095] Input 113 allows signaling from device 110 to be received from other components such as VR device 103 and store 105, as well as components of portable electronic devices such as touch-sensitive or hover-sensitive displays. Output 114 allows signaling from within device 110 to other components such as VR device 103, display screen, speaker, or vibration module. In this embodiment, input 113 and output 114 are part of a connectivity bus that allows device 110 to be connected to other components.

[0096] Processor 111 is a general-purpose processor dedicated to executing / processing information received via input 113 according to instructions stored in memory 112 in the form of computer program code. Output signaling generated by this operation from processor 111 is provided forward to other components via output 114.

[0097] Memory 112 (not necessarily a single memory cell) is a computer-readable medium (in this example, solid-state memory, but could be other types of memory such as hard disk drives, ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc.) that stores computer program code. When the program code is run on processor 111, it stores instructions that can be executed by processor 111. The internal connection between memory 112 and processor 111 can be understood as providing active coupling between processor 111 and memory 112 in one or more example embodiments to allow processor 111 to access the computer program code stored on memory 112.

[0098] In this example, input 113, output 114, processor 111, and memory 112 are all internally electrically connected to each other to allow electrical communication between the respective components. In this example, all components are positioned close to each other to form an ASIC together; in other words, to be integrated together as a single chip / circuit that can be mounted into an electronic device. In other examples, one or more or all components may be positioned separately from each other.

[0099] Input (not shown) to electronic device 106 can be configured to receive comments from the user interface of electronic device 106. Electronic device 106 can be configured to receive location data from a location determination module of electronic device 106 (e.g., a satellite positioning module (e.g., GPS), a High Accuracy Indoor Positioning System (HAIP), a Bluetooth (RTM) LE-based positioning system), or to receive the location of the commenting user or a specified location on an event from the commenting user's input. Output (not shown) to electronic device 107 can provide comment and location information to server 107. Input to server 107 can be received from commenting user 101 via electronic device 106. Server 107 can be configured to provide location information determination based on the context of the comment. Output of server 107 can associate one or more comments with VR content, for example by recording comment data (such as metadata) with VR content in repository 105 for forward distribution and subsequent display via VR device 103.

[0100] Figure 2 A current view 200 (in this example, a virtual reality view) for displaying video footage to user 102 is shown. The current view is the view of the audience during the music event. The current view 200 includes three comments overlaid thereon: a first comment 201, a second comment 202, and a third comment 203. Comments 201, 202, and 203 are positioned such that they appear in the current view at locations corresponding to their associated positional information.

[0101] In this example, the first comment 201 has location information indicating that the comment was made by the first commenter 204, for example, in seat "D1". In one example, the seat number may be provided by the user or determined from a registration process that links commenter 204 to the seat assigned to him at the event. The second comment 202 has location information indicating that the comment was made from a geographic location determined by the location module of commenter 205's smartphone 106. The geographic location may be a global location or an indoor location relative to an indoor positioning system, as in other examples. The third commenter 206's third comment 203 has location information determined from the comment itself. The third commenter includes his social media name "@mike87" in the message. The third commenter 206's electronic device (not shown) and / or server 107 may (with appropriate privacy permissions granted) associate the identity of the third commenter 206 from his social media name with the name of the ticket holder at the event, and thus with the seat number assigned to that person, the location information including the seat number. It should be understood that there are many ways to obtain location information associated with a comment, such as from one or more of the following: i) the commenter's entry, ii) the determination made by the electronic device used to submit the commenter's comment, iii) the determination made by the location system associated with the commenter's electronic device or by a server configured to receive comments, and iv) the wording or content of the comment itself.

[0102] In one or more examples, the location information specified by comment user 101 includes objects, such as people on stage. Objects can be objects that can move around (e.g., performers at a concert) or stationary objects (e.g., goalposts in a football match). Therefore, the location information does not need to specify a fixed location, but can refer to the object. Device 110 can then provide a comment display at a location corresponding to the position of the object in the video image.

[0103] Therefore, server 107 and / or device 110 can visually analyze video footage to identify objects referenced in the location information of a comment, enabling device 110 to provide user 102 with a display of a comment appropriately positioned. Thus, a comment could refer to “background dancer in shark gear,” and from the context of the comment, an appropriate background dancer can be identified in the video footage. The provided location information allows the comment to be displayed in association with the background dancer. Therefore, location information can identify an object, enabling device 107 to determine the object's location, or the location information can include the location of an object determined by an object identification and location determination process performed by another device (e.g., server 107).

[0104] In one or more examples, the location of one or more objects on an event is tracked, and the event object location information is provided to associate it with objects referenced in comments provided by comment user 101. For example, athletes from a sports team may be provided with location-trackable markers that enable the determination of the object's location and its corresponding location in video footage.

[0105] The device used by the commenting user to make a comment (e.g., a smartphone 106 combined with server 107) can provide a list of objects based on the location information of the event object, from which the user can select the location information of the specified object or its location to generate their comment.

[0106] Therefore, location information can be referenced from a single location or multiple locations that change over time.

[0107] Device 110 can use location mapping information that maps visible locations in the video image to locations on the event (geographic location, seat number, area code, object, etc.) to appropriately position the comment based on the location information. The location mapping information can be predetermined. It should be understood that the form in which the location is specified in the comment affects the content that needs to be "translated" (e.g., provided by the location mapping information), such that the location information can be associated with a specific location in the video image that represents that location. If the location information is determined by a positioning system on the event, "translation" may not be necessary because the location information can be provided relative to the viewpoint of the video image of the captured event and can therefore be used when displaying the video image. Furthermore, as the VR view 200 moves, such as when the camera moves while capturing VR content or when the user 102 looks around, the positions of comments 201, 202, 203, or portions thereof, are updated to continuously associate the comment with the location information in the VR view 200.

[0108] The second comment 202 includes a user-activatable link 207. The commenting user 205 may have provided a media or internet-based link related to their comment, which can be activated by user 102 via the activation link. This link may refer to one or more of the following: i) a video of the event, ii) media captured by the commenting user, iii) a website.

[0109] It should be understood that view 200 is a temporary snapshot of the event. Comments 201, 202, and 203 may have associated time information indicating one or more of the following: (i) the time when a commenting user created or submitted a comment on the event during the event; (ii) the time specified by the commenting user who submitted a comment on the event that occurred within the time domain duration of the event; (iii) the time during the event determined by analyzing the context of the comment's wording; and (iv) the time during the event determined from the time the audio or video media was recorded, if the comment includes audio or video media. The device 110 may display comments within a time period less than the total duration of the virtual reality content and corresponding to the time information. Therefore, comments may not be displayed until the time information indicates the time.

[0110] Comments 201, 202, and 203 can well relate to events that occurred during the event, such as a specific song during a musical performance, or a specific goal or foul during a sporting event. Therefore, comments can include time information, allowing device 110 to display them at the appropriate time. Thus, during playback of pre-recorded video footage, comments can be displayed at the appropriate point in the event. The time information can include the time when a user submitted or created the comment. Therefore, the electronic device or server 107 of commenting users 204, 205, and 206 can timestamp the comment upon receipt. Then, when the comment is displayed to user 102, this time can be used relative to the elapsed time during the event. Commenting users 204, 205, and 206 can specify the time with their comments, and the specified time can include time information for displaying the comment. For example, a commenting user can write a comment like "My favorite song!!" after a specific song has ended. The user can then specify that their comment relates to something that happened, for example, 3 minutes prior (i.e., the performance of their favorite song). Accordingly, the time information can thus indicate a time different from the time the comment was created or submitted. Therefore, when device 110 displays such a comment, it can do so during the period when the user is commenting on a song they like, rather than afterward, by using time information derived from a user-specified time. Other examples of displaying a comment at a time different from the time during the event are described below.

[0111] The second comment 202 is “Amazing half-show light show! #Epic.” The electronic device of the second commenter 205, or server 107 or other device, can be configured to analyze the context of the comment's wording to determine timing information. In this example, server 107 can identify the words “half-show” or “light show” related to what happened during the event. Therefore, event-event information, including a description of what happened during the event, can be provided (automatically or manually), and the matching between the comment wording and the event-event information can be used to place the comment within the event period in the time domain. It should be understood that any technique used for comment wording context analysis can be used to provide timing information associated with comment 202. Therefore, in this example, even if the comment was made later during the event period, the timing information can still place the comment half-show during the half-show light show.

[0112] For audio or video commentary, the time of the event can be determined from the metadata of the audio or video file specifying the recording time of the audio or video media, which is typically attached when audio or video is recorded on an electronic device (such as a smartphone). Alternatively, the audio or video commentary can be analyzed, for example, by analyzing background sounds through audio analysis to place the audio or video in the time domain at the time of the event. Therefore, when an event is being captured for VR video footage, the sound of the event is recorded and can be compared to sounds audible in the audio / video commentary of the commenting user. It is expected that, given the commenting user's presence at the event, the audio or video commentary will contain audio that can be compared to audio from a known event period. Therefore, it is possible to place the video or audio in the time domain during the event. This time can then include the commentary's timing information.

[0113] The applicable duration for a comment can be specified by the commenting user or determined from the context. Time information can include duration information indicating the amount of time during which the comment relates to the event. Device 107 can display the comment at the appropriate time and for the appropriate duration based on the duration information in the time information. For fast-paced sports such as motorsports, a commenting user might give a comment like "great overtake" in a short time because many overtaking maneuvers were performed and they want their comment to be understood as referring to a specific maneuver. The duration can be determined through contextual analysis of the comment's wording or content. For example, in a sporting event, the comment "an offensive shot from athlete 2" could be assigned duration information as the time period during which athlete 2 was on the opponent's half of the playing field, determined based on statistical sports data from the specific sport.

[0114] It should be understood that displaying comments in the current view for an event where many commenting users are submitting comments can be cluttered or confusing. Therefore, device 107 can filter comments based on predetermined or user-specified criteria. For example, a user may only want to see comments about a specific athlete in a sporting event or a specific band member in a musical event. Furthermore, comments can be displayed differently, for example, within a time period specified by duration information, due to comment aging. For example, comments can be displayed with an effect that makes user 102 appear to fade out and / or float away from their original position. When floating away, the comment may include a guide line or other indicator connecting it to a position specified in its location information. In one or more examples, a comment may be positioned with its actual location information for a predetermined initial time period and then moved away as it ages. This frees up space for more recent comments to be displayed to user 102.

[0115] When performing context analysis to determine the location to be added as location information or the time to be added as time information, multiple candidate results may exist. For example, the term "half time" could refer to a half-time interval during the musical performance of an event, or it could refer to the lyrics of a song played during the event. One or more of device 107 or electronic device 106 can display one or more candidate times / locations for the user to select based on context analysis, with the time / location information of the comment based on the comment user's selection. Therefore, the app on electronic device 106 of comment user 101 can present the candidate results as options for selection. The comment user's selection can then be reported to server 107.

[0116] Location information, time information, and / or duration information can be stored as metadata along with the comment or as attributes of the comment.

[0117] Comments 201, 202, and 203 were provided as Figure 2 Comment cloud 208. The cloud may include a semi-transparent effect. Comments 201, 202, and 203 may or may not provide additional cloud graphics or semi-transparent effects. Comments may be presented as a comment layer, which may be shown or hidden in the view by the user 102. Accordingly, the device may display comments based on user requests, overlaying the comment layer onto the video image. It should be understood that a link may exist between a visible location in the video image and the location where the comment is displayed in the comment layer.

[0118] Figure 3 It shows from different perspectives the relationship with Figure 2The view shown is another current view 300 at the same or similar time. In this example, the viewpoint of current view 300 is directed towards the background of the event, looking towards stage 301 where two band members 302 and 303 are playing. The first band member 302 is playing guitar 304.

[0119] In this other current view 300, the location indicated by the location information of the first comment 201 can be seen. In this example, the first comment 201 is overlaid to associate it with the location where the first commenter 204 appears in the current view 300. In this example, when the VR view changes from view 200 to view 300, the location of the comment overlaid on the video image is updated; in this example, it is updated to the location of seat "D1".

[0120] Figure 3 The focus indicator 305 is also shown for clarity. Figure 2 The focus indicator 305 is omitted. The focus indicator 305 indicates who or what the comment is directed at, i.e., the focus of the comment. In this case, the first comment 201, "Guitar off-key?!", is directed at the first band member 302 who is playing guitar 304. The focus indicator can be based on the focus information of the comment, which indicates the thing, object, or event in the event that the comment is directed at.

[0121] The focus of a specific comment can be specified by the commenting user 204. The focus can include the direction determined from the orientation of the electronic device 106 that the commenting user 204 uses to submit the comment. Therefore, the commenting user 204 can make a comment using their smartphone (or other electronic device), and data from the smartphone's compass or analysis of images captured by the smartphone's camera can be used to determine the focus direction of the comment, which can be attached to the comment for transmission to the server 107. The focus can be specific to, for example, an object or person, or it can be generalized as facing or away from the stage. Therefore, the image captured by the electronic device's camera can be compared with known features of the space where the event is held to determine the direction the camera is pointing. If the comment is directed at a performer on stage, the focus direction may be towards the stage. If the comment is about the audience, the focus direction may be towards the audience.

[0122] In one or more examples, a focus can be selected from a list of options, including predetermined focuses for the comment. For example, using knowledge about athletes in a football match or performers at a festival, a list of predetermined focuses can be generated, and at least a subset of it is provided for the commenting user to select. The focus and / or the list of options can be determined from contextual analysis of the comment content.

[0123] The focus indicator 305 and the corresponding focus information can provide one or more of the following: i) the direction toward the object or event that is the focus of the comment, ii) the location of the object or event that is the focus of the comment on the event, and iii) the object or event that is the focus of the comment on the event (e.g., a scene in a theatrical performance).

[0124] If the focus information includes direction or position, then device 110 can display a focus indicator in the appropriate direction given the orientation of the view in the given video image. If the focus information includes an object, then device 110 can identify the position of the object by referring to event object position information, and / or visually identify the object or event in focus information in the visual image.

[0125] In this example, focus indicator 305 includes an arrow pointing to focus 302 of comment 201. However, it should be understood that the focus indicator may take one or more other forms, such as an arrow pointing in the general direction of the focus, a color- or pattern-coded "pin" matching the comment's focus to the comment, an animation showing the connection between the comment and the focus, color-coded or pattern-coded indications of the content or object the comment targets, and any other icons, sounds, or animations. In one or more examples, the focus indicator includes the direction of the comment relative to the video image. Comments may be displayed as flat graphic elements, where the text of the comment is presented on a flat graphic element, such as... Figure 2 and 3 As shown. In Figure 2 In the example, all comments are displayed such that the normal to the plane containing the graphic element of each comment points towards viewer 102. Accordingly, all comments 201, 202, and 203 are presented "facing" user 102. However, the focus of a comment can be rendered such that the normal to the plane containing the graphic element points towards the focus. Therefore, even when shown from different viewpoints, it is possible to represent the comment in space as... Figure 3 As shown, the comment 201 is oriented. Therefore, by utilizing the orientation relative to the video image shown in view 300, the comment can be viewed and the focus 302 of the comment appears behind it, such that the normal of the plane (normally) points towards band member 302.

[0126] Figure 4 A view 400 is shown showing video footage of three comments displayed at locations based on the location information of the comments, including a fourth comment 404, a fifth comment 405, and a sixth comment 406.

[0127] Comments 404, 405, and 406 may include text as shown in the previous figures, or they may include multimedia, such as video or audio. Thus, comment user 101 may record audio or video using their electronic device 106 and submit the audio or video as a comment. Comments may also include expressions of reaction to the event, such as "like," "love," "dislike," or "hate." Accordingly, "expression" comments may be encoded as text strings or in any other way so that device 110 can appropriately display the expression. For example, device 110 may display predetermined icons to indicate expressions of reaction. For example, for a comment expressing that the comment user likes the event, a "thumbs up" icon may be displayed as the comment, positioned based on the location information of the "expression" comment. Similar to displaying expressions of reaction, comments may include expressions of voting related to the event. For example, in a talent show-based event, the audience may be invited to vote to support or reject a specific behavior. The audience member can then use their vote as a comment, and the vote can then be displayed by device 110.

[0128] Comments based on audio and / or video can be automatically played to the user in the view 102.

[0129] exist Figure 4 In the example, the fourth comment 404 includes a video comment, the fifth comment 405 includes an audio comment, and the sixth comment 406 includes a text-based comment. Each comment is displayed as an active comment icon. Therefore, the user 102 may be prompted to select one or more active comment icons to view the comment. Using active comment icons may be convenient for audio or video-based comments. Using active comment icons for text-based comments may be useful when the commenting user is making many comments and the view 400 may become cluttered. Therefore, the icon size can be smaller than the full text of the comment. The icon may include a preview of the comment content that will be provided upon activation, such as a frame of a video or keywords from a text-based comment or audio comment (obtained from speech-to-text conversion). The icon may indicate the type of comment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the icons include a video camera for video-based comments, a speaker for audio-based comments, and a page for text-based comments.

[0130] When a user activates the comment icon for comments 404 and 405, device 110 displays the comment by playing back the audio or video comment. For the sixth text-based comment 406, the full text of the comment can be made available for viewing.

[0131] For video-based comments, the comments may be displayed as an image in a picture view of the video image in view 400 and a smaller window (not shown) displaying the video-based comments. In one or more examples, the video image may be interrupted and view 400 replaced so that the video-based comments can be displayed. The video image in view 400 may be resumed upon completion of the video-based comments and / or upon request from user 102.

[0132] For audio-based comments (including audio from video-based comments), the audio of the video image in view 400 can be muted or its volume reduced, or the audio of the comment can be played at an audible volume relative to other audio. In one or more other examples, when the video image includes VR content, the VR content can include spatial audio, which is presented such that elements of the audio are perceived as originating from a specific direction. The width of the audio field includes the range of viewing directions that the user must look in to be able to hear spatial audio above a threshold. Therefore, if an audio comment is presented with a wide audio field width, the user 102 may need to look in the general direction of the audio comment to hear it, while for audio presented with a narrow audio field width, the user 102 may need to orient view 400 more directly toward the direction from which the audio originates. The audio field width can be actively controlled based on the density of audio-based comments in a particular view 400. Therefore, a narrower audio field width can be used when there are many audio comments, and a wider audio field width can be used when there are fewer audio comments. Outside the audio field width, the comment may be inaudible or played at a level below a threshold (possibly only visible in view 400). When a user is looking at a comment and within the audio field width, the comment can be played at a volume above a threshold. This ensures that the audio space doesn't become too cluttered.

[0133] In one or more examples, the commentary can be displayed with multiple sides, each side or commentary section visible from a different viewpoint and / or viewing direction (particularly, but not exclusively, when the video imagery includes virtual reality content that allows the user to control a virtual reality view of the VR content within a virtual reality space). In one or more examples, when the view is directed toward a stage with a first commentary section, the commentary visible from a first side can be displayed, and when the view is outside the audience from, for example, from, the perspective of a band member, a second side visible from the stage with a second commentary section can be displayed.

[0134] As mentioned above, regarding the display of comments with a specific orientation relative to the video image to show its focus, Figure 5 This illustrates the creation of comments with multiple perspectives. For comments displayed in a specific orientation relative to the video image to show the focus of the comment, the comment can include different text, audio, or video depending on the angle from which the user 102 views the comment. Figure 3In the example, comment 201 states "Guitar out of tune?" when viewed towards stage 301. If comment 201 has multiple sides, the side visible from the stage angle could be "Please adjust your guitar!", as band member 302 will (likely) see it. Therefore, the comment can have comment sections, each with its associated focus (or viewing direction), such that the comment section is displayed based on the angle from which user 102 views the comment. The device can be configured to use the viewing direction provided in view 300 (which may be provided by a VR device) and the comment section information associated with the comment to display one of multiple comment sections based on the viewpoint.

[0135] The information in the comment section can be provided by comment user 101 or determined based on the contextual analysis described above regarding the determination of the comment focus. Figure 5 A user interface 500 provided to a commenting user via an electronic device 106 is shown. The user interface 500 provides a way to create two-sided comments, with "Side 1" specified in the left pane 501 and "Side 2" specified in the right pane 502. Each pane 501, 502 provides views 503, 504 from the camera of the electronic device, as well as arrows 505, 506 to indicate the direction in which each comment section will be visible when displayed to the user 102. Text input boxes 507, 508 are provided for each comment side, but video-based and audio-based comment sections may be provided in one or more other examples.

[0136] Figure 5 A “Post” button 510 is also shown for submitting a comment, for example, to server 107. A “Posting account” button 511 is provided for selecting a social media account to further share the comment via social media. A “+Add Side” button 512 is provided for adding additional comment sections to the comment, each of which can be viewed from a different viewing direction.

[0137] Device 110 can receive at least one reply to a comment from user 102. Device 110 can send the reply to the user who made the comment. Accordingly, the commenter's log and details of being allowed to be contacted, as well as their comment, can be used to link the comment reply to and / or forward it to commenter 101.

[0138] Server 107 and the application running on electronic device 106 of commenting user 101 can work together to provide a comment receiving device for submitting comments with associated location information so that they can be displayed at the corresponding location in captured video footage of an event in which the commenting user is present. The comments received by device 107, including location information and the comments associated therewith, can include any combination of other information (e.g., focus information, focus direction information, time information, duration information, comment portion information) used to control the display of the comments to user 102.

[0139] Comment receiving devices 106 and 107 can be configured to associate comments and at least their location information with video imagery, such that the comments are overlaid and displayed in the video imagery at a location corresponding to, for example, the location visible to the commenting user (or more generally, the location indicated by the location information). This association may include recording the comments and location information in the video imagery or providing a reference to them. In one or more examples, the association may include providing a link between the comments and the video imagery. It should be understood that the form in which the data providing the comments is provided and the form in which the data providing the video imagery is provided can take many different forms, and the "comment receiving" devices 106 and 107 need to provide a link between the two datasets so that the comments can be displayed based on the location information.

[0140] Comment receiving devices 106 and 107 can be configured to provide interpretation of location information and video imagery to determine the visible location of the position referenced by the location information in the video imagery, as described above. The viewpoint and viewing direction of the camera capturing the video imagery, and possibly depth information of the camera's imagery and / or a spatial model of the event, can be used to map the location information (which may reference a global coordinate system) to a location within the video imagery for subsequent display of the commentary. Similarly, one or more of focus information, focus direction information, and commentary portion information can be interpreted appropriately in relation to a position or orientation relative to the video imagery. Comment receiving devices 106 and 107 can be caused to provide interpretation of time information to correlate the time information with the time elapsed during the video imagery of the event, similar to duration information.

[0141] Location information can be derived from one or more of the following: comment user input, location systems on the event (including indoor location systems), sensors on the electronic device 106 used to submit the comment, the server 107 receiving the comment, cross-referencing the comment user's identity with other databases (such as an event seating allocation database), the code scanned or entered by the comment user on their event ticket, their seat or their location, and, if the comment is a photo, video, or audio comment, visual and / or audio analysis of the photo, video, or audio comment. Thus, geotagged metadata placed in the photo, video, or audio by the comment user's electronic device 106 can provide location information. Furthermore, features visible in a photo or video can be compared with a model or image of the space where the event is held to determine where the photo or video was captured from and thus provide location information. For audio comments, the relative volume of background sound can be compared with sound captured by microphones at known locations around the event to determine the location at which the audio was captured using audio analysis techniques. If the location information indicates the focus of the comment rather than the location of the comment user, location information can also be determined from identifying the object or event and the comment user. It should be understood that many different techniques can be used to determine location information.

[0142] Focus information can be derived from one or more of the following: comment user input, sensors of electronic device 106 for submitting comments, server 107 for receiving comments, user selection of objects or events from a predetermined list provided to comment user 101, visual analysis of images from camera of electronic device 106 to identify objects or events therein, audio analysis of audio-based comments, text analysis of text-based comments, and any other techniques used to identify focus.

[0143] Time information can be derived from one or more of the following: the time the comment was submitted, the text of the comment indicating the time during the event or mentioning what happened (which can be temporarily placed using event-event information), metadata of the comment based on photos, audio or video, visual analysis of the comment based on photos or videos to compare it with the visual data of the event to temporarily place the comment based on photos or videos, and audio analysis of the comment based on photos or videos to compare it with the audio data of the event in which the timing of the audio relative to the event is known.

[0144] Duration information can be determined from one or more of the following: information provided by the commenting user, contextual analysis of the comment, or the number of comments received per unit time and optionally per video image region, i.e., the comment density within a specific region of the video image in a specific time window.

[0145] Figure 6A flowchart is shown illustrating the steps of a video recording of an event in which one or more commenting users are present and have submitted comments, with the location of one or more commenting users or each commenting user visible in the video recording.

[0146] Based on the current view of the video image displayed to the user by 601 and at least one comment from the one or more commenting users, the at least one comment has associated location information indicating one or more of the following: (i) the location of the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event at the time of posting the comment, and (ii) the location on the event specified by the commenting user who submitted the comment on the event;

[0147] Display 602 shows comments overlaid on the current view of the video image, with the comments displayed in the current view of the video image at the positions corresponding to the location information.

[0148] Figure 7 A computer / processor-readable medium 700 according to the example provider is illustrated schematically. In this example, the computer / processor-readable medium is a disc such as a Digital Universal Disc (DVD) or an Optical Disc (CD). In other examples, the computer-readable medium can be any medium that has been programmed in a manner that performs the functions of the invention. The computer program code can be distributed among multiple memories of the same type or among multiple memories of different types, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, hard disk, solid-state, etc.

[0149] The devices shown in the above examples may be portable electronic devices, laptop computers, mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, personal digital assistants, digital cameras, smartwatches, smart glasses, pen computers, non-portable electronic devices, desktop computers, monitors, home appliances, smart TVs, servers, wearable devices, or modules / circuits for one or more of them.

[0150] Any of the mentioned devices / apparatus / servers and / or other features of a particular mentioned device / apparatus / server may be provided by the device such that they are configured to perform the desired operation only when enabled (e.g., turned on). In this case, they may not necessarily have appropriate software loaded into event memory when disabled (e.g., in a closed state) and only load appropriate software when enabled (e.g., in an on state). The device may include hardware circuitry and / or firmware. The device may include software loaded onto memory. Such software / computer programs may be recorded on the same memory / processor / functional unit and / or one or more memory / processor / functional units.

[0151] In some examples, the specifically mentioned device / equipment / server may be pre-programmed with appropriate software to perform desired operations, and appropriate software may be enabled for users to download a "key" for use, such as to unlock / enable the software and its associated functions. An advantage associated with such examples may include reduced data download requirements when the device needs further functionality, and this is useful in examples where the device is perceived to have sufficient capacity to store such pre-programmed software for functions that may not be enabled by the user.

[0152] In addition to the functions mentioned, any of the mentioned devices / circuits / components / processors may have other functions, and these functions may be performed by the same devices / circuits / components / processors. One or more disclosed aspects may include the electronic distribution of the associated computer program and the computer program (which may be source / transmission encoded) recorded on a suitable medium (e.g., memory, signal).

[0153] Any “computer” described herein may include a collection of one or more individual processors / processing elements, which may or may not be located on the same circuit board or in the same area / location of the circuit board or even on the same device. In some examples, one or more of any of the mentioned processors may be distributed across multiple devices. The same or different processors / processing elements may perform one or more of the functions described herein.

[0154] The term "signaling" can refer to one or more signals transmitted as a series of transmitted and / or received electrical / optical signals. This series of signals may include one, two, three, four, or even more individual signal components or different signals to constitute the signaling. Some or all of these individual signals may be transmitted / received simultaneously, sequentially, and / or with their timing overlapping via wireless or wired communication.

[0155] Referring to any discussion of computers and / or processors and memories (e.g., including ROM, CD-ROM, etc.), these may include computer processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or other hardware components programmed in this way to perform the functions of the present invention.

[0156] The applicant hereby discloses each individual feature described herein, as well as any combination of two or more such features, provided that such features or combinations are executable on the basis of this specification as a whole, given the general knowledge of a person skilled in the art, regardless of whether such features or combinations of features solve any problem disclosed herein, and without limiting the scope of the claims. The applicant notes that the disclosed aspects / examples may consist of any such individual features or combinations of features. Given the foregoing description, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made within the scope of this disclosure.

[0157] Although the essential novel features applicable to examples thereof have been shown, described, and pointed out, it should be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the described apparatus and methods can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and / or method steps that perform substantially the same function in substantially the same manner to achieve the same result are within the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, it should be recognized that structures and / or elements and / or method steps shown and / or described in conjunction with any of the disclosed forms or examples can be incorporated as a general matter of design choice into any other disclosed or described or suggested forms or examples. Moreover, in the claims, the clauses of apparatus plus function are intended to cover the structures described herein that perform the functions, including not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Thus, although nails and screws may not be structural equivalents because nails use a cylindrical surface to hold wooden parts together while screws use a helical surface, in the context of fastening wooden parts, nails and screws can be equivalent structures.

Claims

1. An apparatus for user interaction with video footage of an event, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform the following: receiving video footage of an event at which one or more commenting users were present, wherein the one or more commenting users have submitted comments on the event, the location of the one or more commenting users being visible in the video footage; and displaying at least one comment overlaid on a current view of the video footage being provided for display to a user based on the current view of the video footage and the at least one comment of the one or more commenting users, wherein the at least one comment has associated location information indicating a location on the event of a commenting user that submitted the at least one comment at the time of making the at least one comment, wherein the at least one comment is displayed in the current view of the video footage at a location corresponding to the location information using predetermined location mapping information that maps a location on the event to a location visible in the video footage, and wherein the location information comprises one or more of: a geographical location, a seat number of a seat assigned to a commenting user on the event, or a section number of a section in which a commenting user was located on the event.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the comment has time information associated therewith indicating one or more of: (i) a time during the event at which the commenting user submitted a comment on the event; (ii) a time occurring within a time duration of the event specified by the commenting user that submitted the comment on the event; (iii) a time during the event determined by analyzing the context of the comment phrasing; (iv) a time at which the commenting user created the comment during the event; and (iv) in the event that the comment comprises audio or video media, a time during the event determined from a time at which the audio or video media was recorded; and the apparatus is caused to display the comment for a time period less than a total duration of the video footage and corresponding to the time information.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the time information comprises duration information comprising a duration for which the comment should be displayed.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the location information further indicates a location on the event specified by the commenting user that submitted the at least one comment, the location information comprising an object appearing in the video footage; and the apparatus is caused to display the comment at a location corresponding to the location of the object in the video footage as the location of the object in the video footage changes over time.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the comment has focus information associated therewith, the focus comprising an object or occurrence on the event to which the comment is directed; and the apparatus is caused to display the comment using one or more of: (i) a focus indicator showing at least a direction in the video imagery corresponding to the focus information, and (ii) a location in the video imagery based on the focus information.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the focus direction information is one or more of: (i) specified by the commenting user submitting the comment at the event, and (ii) determined from an orientation of an electronic device used by the commenting user submitting the comment at a time the comment was submitted.

7. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the one or more comments comprise one or more of: (i) a text comment; (ii) a photo comment; (iii) a picture comment; (iv) an audio comment; (v) a video comment; (vi) an expression of a reaction to the event comprising one of: "like", "love", "dislike", or "hate"; and (vii) an expression of a vote related to the event.

8. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the comment comprises one or more of an audio comment and a video comment recorded by the commenting user, and wherein the apparatus is caused to provide display of the comment through an activatable icon configured to be actuated by a user to play back the audio or video comment.

9. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the comment comprises audio content, and the apparatus is caused to play back the audio content with a spatial audio effect such that a perceived direction of a source of the audio content relative to the video imagery corresponds to the location information.

10. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the apparatus is caused to display an activatable comment icon prior to displaying the comment, the activatable comment icon indicating a comment available for presentation to the user, the apparatus being configured to present the comment upon user actuation of the activatable comment icon.

11. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the comment comprises at least: a first comment portion having a first direction associated therewith, and a second comment portion having a second direction associated therewith; the apparatus being caused to display the first comment portion when the video imagery is oriented in a direction substantially corresponding to the first direction, and to display the second comment portion when the video imagery is oriented in a direction substantially corresponding to the second direction.

12. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the apparatus is caused to display a user-activatable link along with the one or more comments, the link comprising a reference to a temporal portion of the event, and upon activation of the link, replaying the temporal portion of the event.

13. A method for a user to interact with a video feed of an event, comprising: receiving a video feed of an event at which one or more commenting users are present, wherein the one or more commenting users have submitted comments on the event, the location of the one or more commenting users being visible in the video feed; and displaying at least one comment overlaid on a current view of the video feed being provided for display to a user based on the current view of the video feed and the at least one comment of the one or more commenting users, wherein the at least one comment has associated location information indicating a location on the event of a commenting user that submitted the at least one comment at the time the at least one comment was made, wherein the at least one comment is displayed in the current view of the video feed at a location corresponding to the location information using predetermined location mapping information that maps locations on the event to locations visible in the video feed, and wherein the location information comprises one or more of: a geo-location, a seat number of a seat assigned to a commenting user on the event, or a section number of a section in which a commenting user is located on the event.

14. A computer readable medium comprising computer program code stored thereon, the computer readable medium and computer program code configured to perform at least the following when run on at least one processor: receiving a video feed of an event at which one or more commenting users are present, wherein the one or more commenting users have submitted comments on the event, the location of the one or more commenting users being visible in the video feed; and displaying at least one comment overlaid on a current view of the video feed being provided for display to a user based on the current view of the video feed and the at least one comment of the one or more commenting users, the at least one comment having associated location information indicating a location on the event of a commenting user that submitted the at least one comment at the time the at least one comment was made, wherein wherein the at least one comment is displayed in the current view of the video feed at a location corresponding to the location information using predetermined location mapping information that maps locations on the event to locations visible in the video feed, and wherein the location information comprises one or more of: a geo-location, a seat number of a seat assigned to a commenting user on the event, or a section number of a section in which a commenting user is located on the event. ​

Images