CN115039174A - System and method for interactive live video streaming - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method for interactive live video streaming according to embodiments of the present invention is shown. One embodiment includes an interactivity encoder for transmitting an interactive live video stream, comprising a processor and a memory containing an interactivity encoding application, wherein the interactivity encoding application instructs the processor to acquire media data comprising a video track, receives a request to generate an interactivity object in the video track at a given timestamp of the video stream, generates interactivity data based on the request, wherein the interactivity data comprises a data structure that can be decoded in near real-time to produce an interactivity object in the video track at the timestamp upon playback, and transmits the interactivity data to an interactivity decoder.

Description

System and method for interactive live video streaming

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of, and priority to, US Provisional Patent Application No. 62/935,042, filed November 13, 2019, entitled "Systems and Methods for Embedding Interactive Objects in Live Streaming Video," under 35 U.S.C. §119(e). The disclosure of US Provisional Patent Application No. 62/935,042 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

technical field

The present invention generally relates to enabling interactive video streaming, ie, to providing real-time interactive objects in live video feeds.

Background technique

Video streaming is a now ubiquitous technology that enables easy playback of audio/video media on many devices. Live video streaming is a type of video streaming that refers to online streaming media that is simultaneously recorded and broadcast live. A host can stream live video to multiple users, each using a different type of device. Some video streaming players are web-based and support playback in a browser window.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a type of software used to manage customer relationships and sales leads.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Systems and methods for interactive live video streaming according to embodiments of the present invention are shown. One embodiment includes an interactive encoder for transmitting an interactive live video stream, comprising: a processor; and a memory including an interactive encoding application, wherein the interactive encoding application instructs the processor to: obtain media data including a video track, receive at A request to generate an interactivity object in the video track at a given timestamp of the video stream, based on the request generating interactivity data, wherein the interactivity data includes the interactivity data that can be decoded in near real-time to be in the video track at the timestamp at the time of playback Generate the data structure of the interactivity object, and send the interactivity data to the interactivity decoder.

In another embodiment, the interactivity application further instructs the processor to store the interactivity data in the interactivity track.

In another embodiment, the interactive coding application also instructs the processor to generate a manifest describing the location of the interactive track and the video track.

In yet another embodiment, the media data further includes an audio track, and the intercoding application further instructs the processor to transmit the media data.

In yet another embodiment, the interactive coding application further instructs the processor to provide an interactive user interface, wherein the interactive user interface includes an interactive pane, and wherein the interactive pane includes a plurality of selectable buttons that when pressed The next time generates a request to generate an interactive object.

In yet another embodiment, the data structure is a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) object that includes variables describing at least the coordinates of the interactive object, a timestamp at which the interactive object was rendered, and a link that the web browser executes when interacting with the interactive object.

In yet another embodiment, the interactivity coding application further instructs the processor to: track the motion of the objects in the video track; and update the interactivity data to reflect the tracked motion so that the positions of the interacting objects follow the tracked motion to create a "pinning" (pin)" effect.

In another additional embodiment, an interactive decoder for displaying an interactive live video stream, comprising: a processor; and a memory including an interactive decoding application, wherein the interactive decoding application instructs the processor to: receive media including a video track data, receiving interaction data including at least one data structure describing the interaction object, rendering a video track using a video player, generating an interaction pane, wherein the interaction pane is transparent and covering the video player, at a time indicated by the data structure and position, using the data structure to render interactive objects in the interaction pane, and in response to selection of the interactable object, display the interactive effects indicated by the data structure.

In another additional embodiment, the interaction effect is selected from the group consisting of a phone call effect, an email effect, a buy now effect, a scheduling effect, a social effect, and a link effect.

In another embodiment, the interactivity decoding application further configures the processor to move the interactivity object in the interactivity pane based on receiving new interactivity data.

In another embodiment, the interactive effect is a "buy now" effect, and the interactive decoding application further instructs the processor to request a purchase interface from the e-commerce provider via the API.

In yet another embodiment, the interaction decoding application further instructs the processor to: record the interaction with the interactable object; and send the interaction record to the interaction encoder.

In yet another embodiment, the interaction decoding application further instructs the processor to: receive a referral code; and send the referral code with the interaction record.

In yet another additional embodiment, the interaction record includes a purchase record.

In yet another additional embodiment, an interactive live streaming video system includes: an interactive encoder, wherein the interactive encoder is capable of: sending a live video stream, receiving a request to display an interactive object over the live video stream, generating a description including a description Interactive object's data object's interactivity data, sending interactivity data, and interactivity decoder, wherein said interactivity decoder is capable of: receiving interactivity data and live video stream, playing back live video stream in video player, on video player Generates a transparent interaction pane, and renders interactive objects in the interaction pane so that the interactive objects appear to be in the live video stream.

In another embodiment, the interaction decoder is further capable of: recording the interaction made in the interaction pane; and sending the recorded interaction to the interaction encoder.

In yet another embodiment, the data object is a JSON object.

In yet another additional embodiment, the interactivity decoder is further capable of: receiving a selection of an interactive object; and displaying an interactive effect in response to the selection.

In yet another additional embodiment, the interactive effect is a "buy now" effect; and the interactive decoder is further capable of: displaying a pane for purchasing a product, wherein the pane for purchasing a product is provided by accessing an e-commerce that sells the product Filled with the vendor's API.

In yet another embodiment, the interaction decoder is further capable of: receiving a recommendation code; and sending recommendation information to the interaction encoder based on the recommendation code.

Additional embodiments and features are set forth in part in the description below, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the specification, or may be learned by practice of the invention. A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and drawings which form a part of this disclosure.

Description of drawings

The specification and claims will be more fully understood with reference to the following drawings and data charts, which are presented as exemplary embodiments of the invention and should not be construed as a complete recitation of the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows an interactive live video streaming system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a block diagram of an inter-encoder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a block diagram of an interactive decoder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4A-C are example UI diagrams of an interactive encoder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5A-B are example UI diagrams of an interactive decoder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an intercoding process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is an example interactive object structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an interactive decoding process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Direct-to-consumer marketing has always been an effective sales tool. With the advent of television broadcasting, shopping channels have become commonplace, in which hosts present products over the air for consumers to watch and dial to buy. Shopping channels mostly provide a two-part process in which consumers view products on one device (eg, their TV) and order via a second device (eg, their cell phone or computer). While some TV providers support ordering directly through the TV, this is still a two-part process, as users generally need to interact in different panes of their TV, or open an onboard app separate from the live stream.

With the rise of live video streaming over the readily available Internet, similar marketing opportunities have emerged in the e-commerce space. However, like home shopping, live internet sales are still largely a two-part process. Traditional sales methods involving live video streaming often require the actual purchase to be made through a separate chat, online storefront, or another browser tab of some kind. The systems and methods described herein seek to provide interactive live video streaming that supports purchases and/or any of a number of different interactions directly in the live streaming video player. Interactions can enable higher engagement in video streams and lead to a smoother buying process for consumers. However, the interactivity enabled by the systems and methods described herein is not limited to sales. The provided interactions can be made to perform any number of different functions suitable for the requirements of a particular application of an embodiment of the invention. Furthermore, as can be readily appreciated, although discussed below in the context of live video streaming, similar systems and methods may be used in pre-recorded video without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. First, a system for interactive live video streaming is discussed below.

Interactive live video system

Interactive live video systems utilize an interactive encoder, which generates an interactive stream, which is then transmitted to an interactive decoder, which can ingest the interactive stream, provide it to the viewer, and process any resulting interactions . In many embodiments, the interactive encoder and interactive decoder may be implemented using any of a number of different devices, such as, but not limited to, personal computers, smart phones, laptops, tablet computers, and/or capable of running interactive Any other computing device for encoding and/or decoding processes.

Turning now to FIG. 1, an interactive live video system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. System 100 includes interactive encoder 110 . As in the illustrated embodiment, in many embodiments the interactive encoder is a personal computer. In various embodiments, the interactive encoder may be a server or network of servers accessed via a personal computer or any other computing device (eg, smartphone, tablet PC, etc.). System 100 also includes interactive decoders such as, but not limited to, smart television 120 , laptop computer 130 , and smart phone 140 . In practice, an interaction decoder can be implemented using any number of different computing hardware platforms, and multiple different interaction decoders implemented using different computing hardware platforms can receive and decode the same interaction data. Data is transmitted between the inter-encoder 110 and the inter-decoders 120 , 130 and 140 via the network 150 . In many embodiments, the network is the Internet. In various embodiments, the network includes a number of sub-networks such as, but not limited to, an intranet, a local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, and/or any other network suitable for the requirements of the particular application of embodiments of the present invention. In many embodiments, the interactive live video system also includes a customer relationship management (CRM) system capable of recording interactions performed by particular users.

An interactivity encoder is a computing device capable of generating interactivity data based on user commands, where the interactivity data can be used by the interactivity decoder to render the interactivity in the video. As mentioned above, an inter-encoder can be implemented using any number of different computing architectures. Turning now to FIG. 2, an inter-encoder according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

The inter-encoder 200 includes a processor 210 . In many embodiments, more than one processor is used. A processor may be implemented using any number of different logic processing circuits including, but not limited to, central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and /or any other circuit suitable for the requirements of the particular application of an embodiment of the invention. The interactive encoder also includes an input/output (I/O) interface 220 . An I/O interface is any connector capable of sending and/or receiving data between an inter-encoder and inter-decoder. In some embodiments, the I/O interface enables connection to the Internet. In many embodiments, more than one I/O interface is used. In various embodiments, the I/O interface may be connected to a device that the user uses to enter commands.

The inter-encoder 200 also includes a memory 230 . Memory 230 may be volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or any combination thereof. The memory 230 stores the interactive coding application 232 . The intercoding application can instruct the processor to perform the intercoding process. In some embodiments, memory 230 stores interaction library 234 . Interaction libraries are data structures that store data describing the interaction of different templates. In many embodiments, the template interaction is a template JSON structure or any other data structure format capable of describing the interaction. In various embodiments, memory 230 stores media data 236 . Media data is any data that describes audio and/or video content. Interaction data generated by an interaction encoder describe interactions presented with audio and/or video content. In various embodiments, the interaction data includes a JSON object or other equivalent data object describing the interaction displayed at a given location, at a given time in the played back media.

Interactive data is ingested by the interactive decoder to enable interactive live video streaming. Like interactive encoders, interactive decoders can be implemented using any of a variety of hardware platforms, including distributed computing platforms (eg, where users interact with cloud-hosted applications). An interactive decoder according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3 .

The interactive decoder 300 includes a processor 310 . In many embodiments, more than one processor is used. A processor may be implemented using any number of different logic processing circuits including, but not limited to, central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and /or any other circuit suitable for the requirements of the particular application of an embodiment of the invention. The interactive decoder also includes an input/output (I/O) interface 320 . An I/O interface is any connector capable of receiving and/or sending data between an inter-decoder and inter-encoder. In some embodiments, the I/O interface enables connection to the Internet. In many embodiments, more than one I/O interface is used. In various embodiments, the I/O interface may be connected to a device that the user uses to enter commands.

The interactive decoder 300 also includes a memory 330 . Memory 230 may be volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or any combination thereof. Memory 330 stores interactive decoding application 332 . The interactive decoding application can instruct the processor to perform the interactive decoding process. In some embodiments, memory 330 stores interaction data 334 . Interaction data can be received from the Interaction Encoder and used to generate interactable objects within the media stream. Media data 336 may also be stored in memory 330 . Media data may be obtained from an interactive encoder, or from a separate content delivery network (CDN) or other such content provider. Interactive encoders and interactive decoders together provide a coherent ecosystem that enables hosts to broadcast engaging interactive streams and enables viewers to interact with the stream without breaking away from the stream itself. The user interface of the interactive encoder and content decoder is discussed below.

Interactive encoder and decoder interface

Both the interactive encoder and the interactive decoder can provide an interface for the user. The Interaction Encoder interface provides the "host" user with the ability to add, remove, place, move, and modify interactions in the live video stream. The interactive encoder interface may also provide additional functionality tailored to the requirements of a particular application of embodiments of the present invention. For example, chat windows, video editing and/or video streaming tools may be provided in addition to any other functionality required. The Interaction Decoder provides an interface through which media playback in the media player and interactions that occur within the media player's panes are possible. Similarly, the interactive decoder interface can be augmented with any number of different functions according to the requirements of a particular application of embodiments of the present invention.

Turning now to FIG. 4A, an example interactive encoder interface according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Interactive encoder interface 400 includes media pane 410 . The media pane displays the currently streaming media in real time. Interface 400 also includes interaction pane 420 . The Interaction pane includes a number of template interaction objects that the user can select to generate and introduce interaction effects (or "interactions" for short) into the flow. Interactions include (but are not limited to): a phone call object that can automatically dial a number or only provide dial-in information, can automatically open a pre-addressed email or an email object that provides only a contact email address, instantly enables the user to A Buy Now object that purchases a pre-ordered product without leaving the stream, a schedule object that can bring up the schedule interface; a social object that links to any of a number of social media platforms, or a social object that directs the user to a given link Link object. It can be readily understood that any number of different interactive objects may be implemented without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention.

In the illustrated embodiment, three interactable objects 414 (Phone, Email, and Buy Now objects) have been introduced into the flow. Purchases are now pinned to the product being displayed by the host. In this context, "pinning" means that if the product is moved in the pane, the Buy Now object will automatically follow it's behavior. Any object can be pinned to any collection of pixels in the pane. In many embodiments, pinning is performed automatically using motion tracking. However, objects do not need to be pinned to function. The product can be introduced digitally or presented physically with the host. Interface 400 also includes a chat window 430 that can be used to chat with any number of people, including but not limited to viewers.

Turning now to Figure 4B, the interactive encoder interface is again shown according to an embodiment of the present invention. At this point, the moderator has selected the link template object 422 for which the interactive editing window 424 has been opened. The content of the interactive editing window can be modified based on the selected template object. For example, when a link template object is selected, the interactive editing window may include space for entering a URL. An email template object may generate space for entering email addresses, a phone template object may generate space for entering phone numbers, and so on. In many embodiments, the interactive editing window may include options and parameters for controlling the visual or auditory appearance of objects when rendered by the interactive decoder. For example, parameters for size, color, shape, text, animation, motion, timing of when objects should be displayed, and/or any other parameters suitable for the requirements of a particular application of an embodiment of the invention may be provided.

Turning now to Figure 4C, the interactive encoder interface is again shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. At this point, the link object 426 has been created and introduced into the flow as an interactable object. It will be readily understood that Figures 4A-C illustrate only one embodiment of the present invention and that any number of different interactions, pane orientations, more panes may be introduced without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. , fewer panes, or any other change.

Interactions generated by the host in their Interaction Encoder interface can be displayed in the Viewer's Interaction Decoder interface. An interactive decoder interface can further facilitate functions triggered by interacting with interactive objects. Turning now to FIG. 5A, an interactive decoder interface according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Interactive decoder interface 500 includes media pane 510 and chat pane 520 . In many embodiments, the chat pane does not exist, and/or other panes may be added. In the illustrated embodiment, the media pane displays the person selling the product. Three interactive objects 512 have been placed in the media pane. The viewer can click (or otherwise select, depending on the input method) an interactable object to trigger its associated interactive function.

By way of example, turning now to FIG. 5B, an interactive decoder interface is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, with a now-purchased object selected. By selecting the Buy Now object 514, a purchase pane 530 is displayed within the media pane. In many embodiments, the purchase pane is added as a pane adjacent to or otherwise within the interactive decoder interface without covering the media pane. In many embodiments, the purchase pane includes functionality that enables viewers to directly purchase products (eg, products sold by the host). In many embodiments, the purchase pane is automatically populated using the API of the e-commerce platform that sells the product. The purchase pane can include product details and prices, as well as provide payment methods like credit card payment forms and shipping/billing addresses. Indeed, any number of different purchase options may be included in the purchase pane as appropriate to the requirements of a particular application of an embodiment of the present invention.

It can be easily understood that any arbitrary type of interaction can be added to any interface, any of which can open new panes or trigger other effects within that interface. Indeed, although a particular interface is shown in Figures 4A-C and 5A-B, any number of different interface designs may be used while maintaining functionality. Accordingly, the interface shown should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Processes for encoding and decoding interaction data are discussed below.

Interactive encoding and decoding process

At a high level, interaction encoding refers to the process by which a presenter can select interactions to be introduced into a media stream, and the packaging of data that enables those interactions to be presented at the decoder in the media stream. Next, at a high level, interactive decoding refers to the process by which an interactive decoder can receive a media stream with interactivity data, render the media stream and associated interactivity objects, and make arbitrary decisions about any interactions provided by the viewer. Selected processing. Interaction encoding and decoding processes may include additional functionality, such as storage for later playback of the media stream and associated interactions, and recording of created interactive objects and viewer interactions with the interactive objects for later use (eg, as part of the CRM system). In many embodiments, the interactive encoding and decoding process may be part of a larger distribution network and/or system, and additional information such as attribute information may be recorded (ie, the salesperson associated with bringing the viewer to a particular stream) ). For example, in many embodiments, a referral link with an embedded referral code can direct consumers to an interactive live stream while also enabling the referral source to follow the link.

Turning now to FIG. 6, an intercoding process according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Process 600 includes acquiring (610) media data. In many embodiments, the media data consists of audio and video tracks. However, either one can exist without the other. In various embodiments, the media data is a live recording that occurs in near real-time. Process 600 also includes generating interactive objects. In many embodiments, the interactive object is generated in response to the moderator selecting the interactive object and entering specific parameters for the object. In various embodiments, the interaction object is selected from a collection of template interactions in the interaction library. In many embodiments, interaction objects are stored as JSON objects. An example link interaction object according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 7 . However, it is readily understood that any number of different languages may similarly be used to store information.

In many embodiments, motion in the media data is tracked (630) to enable pinning of interactive objects to specific tracked objects in the scene. The interaction objects are sent (640) as interaction data. In many embodiments, interaction data is sent using a publish/subscribe (or "push") architecture over the WebSocket transport. However, interactive data may be sent using any number of different protocols. In many embodiments, interactive objects have static positions and their movement is triggered by sending an updated interactive object with the same interaction identifier, with a new set of coordinates. In this manner, interaction data streamed over time may include multiple sequential versions of the same interaction object with updated parameters. Interaction data may also include commands to remove interaction objects with a particular interaction ID.

Interaction data may be stored and/or sent as an interaction track similar to a video track or audio track for later playback. In many embodiments, the interaction data may be added to the manifest along with audio and/or video tracks in a streaming system, such as, but not limited to, those in an adaptive streaming system. In various embodiments, the inter-encoding process also includes sending the media data, although in some embodiments the media data may be sent by separate computing hardware. For example, in a production environment, one machine can be used to stream audio and video, while another machine can be used to stream interactive data. However, in various embodiments, a single interactive encoder may stream both media data and interactive data.

Turning now to FIG. 8, an interactive decoding process according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Process 800 includes receiving (810) media data and receiving (820) interaction data. In various embodiments, interaction data is received via a WebSocket transport to subscribe to updates of the host broadcast channel in near real-time, and a media player is instantiated using WebRTC. However, any number of different transport architectures may be used as appropriate to the requirements of the particular application of embodiments of the invention. An interactive overlay is instantiated (830) on the media player to create the media pane. In many embodiments, HTML5 and/or JavaScript may be used to instantiate the media player and interactive overlay, although any number of different programming languages may be used as appropriate to the requirements of a particular application according to embodiments of the present invention. The media data is played back (840) using the media player, and the interaction is played back (840) using the interaction overlay. In many embodiments, the interactive overlay and the media player are synchronized such that the interactive objects are rendered in the interactive overlay at the same timestamp in the media pane into which they were placed in the interactive decoder. In many embodiments, the media pane appears to the viewer as if the interaction in the interaction overlay is inside the media player (ie, the interaction overlay is completely transparent except for the interaction object). You can make the interactive overlay always the same size as the media player, making the media pane consistent across any resizing.

Process 800 also includes receiving (850) interactive input. An interactive input is any interaction a viewer has with an interactive object. The interactive response is triggered by the interactive input (860), thereby providing the appropriate interaction to the user. User data and any other relevant data recording the nature of the interaction may be sent 870 to the interaction encoder, CRM system, and/or any other data collection service suitable for the requirements of the particular application of an embodiment of the present invention.

Although systems and methods for interactive live video streaming are discussed above, many different architectures and methods may be implemented in accordance with many different embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments shown, but by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims (20)

1. An interactive encoder for sending an interactive live video stream, comprising: processor; and a memory containing an interactive coding application, wherein the interactive coding application instructs the processor to: Get media data including video tracks; receiving a request to generate an interactive object in the video track at a given timestamp of the video stream; generating interactivity data based on the request, wherein the interactivity data includes a data structure that can be decoded in near real-time to produce the interactivity object in the video track at the timestamp at the time of playback; and The interactivity data is sent to the interactivity decoder. 2. The inter-encoder of claim 1, wherein the inter-coding application further instructs the processor to store the interaction data in an interaction track. 3. The interactive encoder of claim 2, wherein the interactive encoding application further instructs the processor to generate a manifest describing the location of the interactive track and the video track. 4. The inter-encoder of claim 1, wherein the media data further comprises an audio track and the inter-coding application further instructs the processor to transmit the media data. 5. The interactive encoder of claim 1, wherein the interactive encoding application further instructs the processor to provide an interactive user interface, wherein the interactive user interface includes an interactive pane, and wherein the interactive pane includes a plurality of selectable buttons, The plurality of selectable buttons, when pressed, generate a request to generate an interactive object. 6. The interactive encoder of claim 1, wherein the data structure is a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) object including variables describing at least the coordinates of the interactive object, the time at which the interactive object was rendered Stamps and links that the web browser executes when the interactive object is interacted with. 7. The inter-encoder of claim 1, wherein the inter-coding application further instructs the processor to: tracking the motion of objects in the video track; and The interaction data is updated to reflect the tracked motion such that the position of the interacting object follows the tracked motion to create a "pinning" effect. 8. An interactive decoder for displaying an interactive live video stream, comprising: processor; and a memory including an interactive decoding application, wherein the interactive decoding application instructs the processor to: receive media data including video tracks; receiving interaction data including at least one data structure describing the interaction object; render the video track using a video player; generating an interaction pane, wherein the interaction pane is transparent and covers the video player; using the data structure to render the interactive object in the interactive pane at a time and location indicated by the data structure; and In response to selection of the interactable object, the interactive effect indicated by the data structure is displayed. 9. The interactive decoder of claim 8, wherein the interactive effect is selected from the group consisting of a phone call effect, an email effect, a buy now effect, a scheduling effect, a social effect, and a link effect. 10. The interactivity decoder of claim 8, wherein the interactivity decoding application further configures the processor to move the interactivity object in the interactivity pane based on receiving new interactivity data. 11. The interactive decoder of claim 8, wherein the interactive effect is a "buy now" effect and the interactive decoding application further instructs the processor to request a purchase interface from an e-commerce supplier via an API. 12. The interactive decoder of claim 8, wherein the interactive decoding application further instructs the processor to: record interactions with the interactable object; and Send the interaction record to the interaction encoder. 13. The interactive decoder of claim 12, wherein the interactive decoding application further instructs the processor to: receive referral codes; and The referral code is sent along with the interaction record. 14. The interaction decoder of claim 12, wherein the interaction records comprise purchase records. 15. An interactive live streaming video system, comprising: An interactive encoder, wherein the interactive encoder is capable of: Send live video streams; receive a request to display an interactive object via a live video stream; generating interactive data including data objects describing the interactive objects; sending the interaction data; and an interactive decoder, wherein the interactive decoder is capable of: receiving the interaction data and the live video stream; Playing back the live video stream in a video player; Generate a transparent interactive pane on the video player; and The interactive object is rendered in the interaction pane such that the interactive object appears to be in the live video stream. 16. The interactive live video streaming system of claim 15, wherein the interactive decoder is further capable of: record interactions made in the interaction pane; and The recorded interaction is sent to the interaction encoder. 17. The interactive live video streaming system of claim 15, wherein the data object is a JSON object. 18. The interactive live video streaming system of claim 15, wherein the interactive decoder is further capable of: receiving a selection of the interactive object; and An interactive effect is displayed in response to the selection. 19. The interactive live video streaming system of claim 18, wherein the interactive effect is a "buy now" effect; and the interactive decoder is further capable of: A pane for purchasing a product is displayed, where the pane for purchasing a product is populated by accessing the API of the e-commerce provider that sells the product. 20. The interactive live video streaming system of claim 15, wherein the interactive decoder is further capable of: receive referral codes; and Recommendation information is sent to the interactive encoder based on the recommendation code.

Images