Multiple commercial option in the same time slot

• US 20020129362A1
• Filed: 03/08/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Eyer, Mark Kenneth, Candelore, Brant L., Shintani, Peter Rae, Zustak, Frederick J., Colsey, Nicholas, Proehl, Andrew M., Yang, David K. L., Golden, Dayan Ivy, Krishnan, Aditya, Chang, Matthew S.
• Application Number:
  US09/801,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20020129362A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A technique for displaying a television commercial on end user equipment includes providing a plurality of commercials available to be played on the end user equipment while tuned to a television channel, e.g., by pre-storing the audio/video of those commercials on a storage medium of the user equipment. The onset of a commercial time slot on the television channel is detected; and a selection is made, at the end user equipment, of one of the plurality of commercials. The selected commercial is played during the detected commercial slot as a substitute for the commercial broadcast on the television channel.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a television commercial on end user equipment, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of commercials available to be played on said end user equipment while said equipment is tuned to a television channel;

detecting the onset of a commercial time slot on said television channel;

selecting, at said end user equipment, one of said plurality of commercials; and

playing said selected one of said plurality of commercials on a display during said detected commercial slot as a substitute for a commercial broadcast on said television channel, while said end user equipment remains tuned to said television channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting step is performed by an end user selecting among said plurality of commercials.

3. The method of claim 2, further including simultaneously displaying at least two of said commercials, each on a respective portion of said display, wherein said selecting step is performed by the end user selecting one of the displayed commercials.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising customizing said plurality of commercials for a particular end user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said one commercial is selected based upon a user profile.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said one commercial is selected based at least upon a prior viewing history of an end user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said one commercial is selected based at least upon a prior commercial selection history of an end user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of commercials are pre-stored on a storage medium at an end user location.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said storage medium is located in a set-top box.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said storage medium is a hard disc drive.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said storage medium is selected from the group consisting of a hard disc drive, a DVD, a CD, flash memory, EEPROM and a floppy disc.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising periodically replacing said plurality of commercials stored on the storage medium.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of commercials are stored at a remote location, and are transmitted to the end user equipment to be played thereat.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting step is performed by an end user selecting among said plurality of commercials to be excluded from further viewing, such that a substitute commercial is played as said selected commercial immediately following the exclusion selection, and further comprising storing information identifying the commercial selected to be excluded.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing information pertaining to the number of times a particular commercial has been played at a particular user'"'"'s equipment, and charging an advertiser in accordance with the number of plays.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for receiving a user input for selecting said one commercial.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further including means for simultaneously displaying at least two of said commercials, each on a respective portion of a display of said user equipment, and for receiving said user input as a selection of one of said simultaneously displayed commercials.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for automatically selecting said one commercial based upon at least one of a user profile and default information.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for updating a user profile based on commercial selections made by the end user.

16. Apparatus for displaying a television commercial on end user equipment having a television receiver, comprising:

a storage device for storing a plurality of commercials received by said user equipment;

a detecting device for detecting the onset of a commercial slot on a broadcast of a television channel to which the television receiver is tuned; and

,

a selector for selecting one of said plurality of commercials stored on said storage device to be displayed on said user equipment during said detected commercial time slot as a substitute for a commercial broadcast on said television channel, while said television receiver remains tuned to said television channel.