Apparatus and method for blocking television commercials and delivering micro-programming content

• US 20030227475A1
• Filed: 06/06/2002
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Fellenstein, Craig William
• Application Number:
  US10/165,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20030227475A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/720
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An apparatus and method is disclosed for blocking specific television commercials from the viewer'"'"'s television based upon the characteristics of the television commercial and replacing the commercial with a micro-programming segment prepared by an alternate viewing provider. A logical unit and a commercial blocking program in the logical unit allow alternative viewing options so that the user may choose micro-programming options to replace the unwanted communication.

The commercial blocking program recognizes a unique digital identifying tag that distinguishes a particular commercial from all other commercials. Alternatively, the commercial blocking program identifies a commercial by a “component signature” or an “overall digital signature.” Upon viewing an unwanted commercial, the user indicates that he wants to block the commercial through one of a variety of input methods. The commercial blocking program then prevents the commercial from being displayed on the user'"'"'s television and causes alternative programming to be displayed instead. The user may configure the alternative programming via the alternative programming logic and choose to display micro-programming segments in place of the blocked commercial. The micro-programming segments are designed to provide a complete informational exchange or entertainment package in the time segment. The alternate viewing provider may provide the micro-programming by subscription service, or by non-subscription service where the micro-programming contains non-intrusive advertising.

Claims

1. A method for displaying alternate viewing packages in place of television commercials comprising:

using a logical unit, selecting a micro-programming option;

receiving a first television signal;

recognizing said first television signal in the logical unit;

blocking said first television signal by the logical unit; and

displaying a second signal wherein said signal is an alternate viewing package.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first television signal is a commercial.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first television signal is recognized by the time, audio, and video components of said first television signal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said first television signal is recognized by an identifying tag.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

buffering the alternate viewing package.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a staggered time option.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a time synchronized option.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a buffered package option.

9. A method of determining alternative programming displayed during a blocked television commercial comprising:

displaying a micro-programming option to a user;

receiving a micro-programming selection from said user;

blocking a first television signal; and

responsive to user selection of the micro-programming option, displaying an alternate viewing package based on the user selection.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

buffering the alternate viewing package.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

displaying the alternate viewing package in staggered time.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

displaying the alternate viewing package in synchronization.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

displaying a buffered alternative viewing package.

14. A programmable apparatus for displaying micro-programming in place of blocked television programs comprising:

programmable hardware;

software;

said hardware being directed by said software to;

receive a first television signal;

recognize said first television signal;

block said first television signal; and

display a second television signal;

wherein said second television signal is an alternate viewing package.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said first television signal is a commercial.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said software further directs said hardware to:

buffer the alternate viewing package; and

store the alternate viewing package in a memory.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said second television signal is defined as the contents of said memory.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the second television signal is synchronized.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the second television signal is buffered.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the second television signal is staggered.

21. A programmable apparatus for displaying micro-programming in place of a blocked television commercial comprising:

programmable hardware;

software;

said hardware being directed by said software to;

display a plurality of alternative programming options to a user;

receive input from said user;

block a first television signal; and

responsive to a selection by the user of a micro-programming option,

display a second television signal based on said selection.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said software further directs said hardware to:

buffer a second television signal;

record said second television signal in a memory.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said second television signal is defined as the contents of said memory.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second television signal is synchronized.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second television signal is buffered.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second television signal is staggered.