System and method for displaying commercials in connection with an interactive television application

• US 20040015998A1
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Schultz, Peter, Thompson, Matthew, Bokor, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,424,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/136
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/023 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23617 by inserting additional data into a data carousel, e.g. inserting software modules into a DVB carousel arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, commercials are provided to a subscriber at the start of or during their use of an interactive television application. Further in accordance with the invention, a subscriber may select to pay for use of the interactive television application by watching a specified amount of commercials in connection with use of the application. The subscriber can thereby reduce or avoid any additional payment for such services. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the subscriber is prompted to determine the payment method preferred by the subscriber payment method includes receiving commercials as an option in lieu of or in addition to traditional payment methods such as pay-per-view, pay-per-use pay-per-play and subscription based.

Claims

1. A method of inserting video assets into an interactive television application system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interactive television application for execution on a client device;

providing access to data for use in conjunction with the interactive television application;

determining when to display at least one video asset to at least one user;

receiving a notification to display the at least one video asset during execution of the application;

requesting the at least one video asset from a video on demand server;

suspending the application;

displaying the video asset; and

resuming the application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the video asset is a commercial.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the commercial is displayed on a portion of a screen shared with the application.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the commercial is displayed on a full screen.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein suspending the application comprises halting execution of the application.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein suspending comprises pausing the application without halting execution of the application.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein suspending comprises continuing to run the application in the background.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the video asset is selected randomly.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the video asset is selected based upon a user'"'"'s profile.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the client device is a set top box.

11. A method of inserting commercial advertising into non-linear interactive television applications, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interactive television application for execution on a set top box, the application comprising rules/triggers for displaying a commercial;

receiving a notification indicating when to display a commercial from the application;

requesting at least one commercial from a video on demand server;

suspending the application;

displaying the commercial; and

resuming the application.

12. A method of inserting commercial advertising into non-linear interactive television applications, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interactive television application for execution on a set top box;

providing a software module in communication with the application for determining when to display at least one commercial;

receiving a notification to display at least one commercial from the application;

requesting the at least one commercial from a video on demand server;

suspending the application;

displaying the commercial; and

resuming the application.

13. A system for inserting video assets into non-linear interactive television applications, the system comprising:

a client device comprising a processor, memory, and communications link coupled to a cable or satellite broadcast communications network, the client device further comprising at least one interactive application residing in its memory, the application being programmed to insert at least one video asset at pre-determined points during the use of the interactive application as payment for use of the interactive application;

a broadcast server for supplying data to the application running on the client device; and

a video on demand server for providing at least one video asset to the client device upon request from the client device.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the client device is a set top box.

15. A method of inserting video assets into an interactive application system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interactive application for execution on a client device;

providing access to data for use in conjunction with the interactive application;

determining when to display at least one video asset to at least one user during execution of the application;

suspending the application;

displaying the video asset; and

resuming the application.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the interactive application is an interactive television application.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the video asset is requested from a remote video on demand server.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the video asset is pre-stored on the client device and requested to be displayed locally from the device.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the video asset is displayed by switching to a channel that is dedicated to the broadcast of video assets.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of determining when to display is done within the interactive application.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of determining when to display is by a separate software module that works in communication with the interactive application.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of determining when to display is done by the broadcaster and notification is received by broadcasting a signal to the client device.

23. A method of inserting video assets into an interactive television application system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interactive television application for execution on a client device, the client device comprising storage means for storing data;

providing access to data for use in conjunction with the interactive television application;

providing at least one video asset for storage on the client device;

determining when to display at least one video asset to at least one user;

receiving a notification to display the at least one video asset during execution of the application;

suspending the application;

displaying the video asset; and

resuming the application.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the client device is a personal video recorder.

25. A method of inserting video assets into an interactive television application system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interactive television application for execution on a client device;

providing access to data for use in conjunction with the interactive television application;

providing access to a television channel dedicated to the broadcast of video assets;

determining when to display at least one video asset to at least one user;

receiving a notification to display the at least one video asset during execution of the application;

suspending the application;

displaying the video asset by switching to the channel dedicated to the broadcast of video assets; and

resuming the application.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the client device is a set top box.

27. A method of receiving payment for use of an interactive television application, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interactive television application for execution on a set top box;

prompting a user for a method of payment for use of the interactive application;

determining when to display a commercial to the user based upon the method of payment chosen; and

providing access to data for use in conjunction with the interactive television application.