System and method for identification and insertion of advertising in broadcast programs

• US 20040158858A1
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Video Networks IP Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Video Networks IP Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Lewis, Kevin, Robinson, Dominic Andrew, Paxton, Brian
• Application Number:
  US10/640,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20040158858A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• 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 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• 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 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• 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 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• 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 21/858 : Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A broadcast system and method for identification and insertion of advertising in broadcast programs includes receiving a broadcast data stream, identifying an advertisement in the broadcast data stream, and updating an advertisement schedule including information identifying the advertisement and a location of the advertisement within a program in the broadcast data stream. On playback, the advertisement or a replacement advertisement is inserted into the program at the location or at another location within the program.

Claims

1. A broadcast method, comprising:

receiving a broadcast data stream;

identifying an advertisement in said broadcast data stream; and

updating an advertisement schedule including information identifying said advertisement and a location of said advertisement within a program in said broadcast data stream.

2. The broadcast method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting service information associated with said program; and

updating a program schedule using said service information associated with said program.

3. The broadcast method of claim 2, wherein said identifying an advertisement further comprises:

extracting service information associated with said advertisement, wherein said information identifying said advertisement and said location are based on said service information.

4. The broadcast method of claim 3, further comprising associating said advertisement schedule with said program.

5. The broadcast method of claim 1, wherein said information identifying a location of said advertisement includes information identifying a location of said advertisement within said program and a duration of said advertisement.

6. The broadcast method of claim 1, wherein said information identifying said advertisement includes information identifying at least one of:

an advertiser, a targeted audience, and a time period for play.

7. The broadcast method of claim 1, further comprising;

creating an archive copy of said program, said archive copy stored at a location identified by said program schedule.

8. The broadcast method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, from a subscriber, a request for said archive copy of said program;

identifying a location of said archive copy of said program using said program schedule; and

identifying said location of said advertisement within said program.

9. The broadcast method of claim 8, further comprising:

selecting a replacement advertisement, based at least in part on said program, said subscriber, and said advertisement information.

10. The broadcast method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting said archive copy of said program to said subscriber; and

inserting said replacement advertisement at said location within said program.

11. A broadcast system, comprising:

means for receiving a broadcast data stream;

means for identifying an advertisement in said broadcast data stream; and

means for updating an advertisement schedule including information identifying said advertisement and a location of said advertisement within a program in said broadcast data stream.

12. The broadcast system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for extracting service information associated with said program;

means for extracting service information associated with said advertisement, said information identifying said advertisement and said location of said advertisement based from said service information; and

means for updating a program schedule using said service information associated with said program, said program schedule identifying a storage location of a copy of said program.

13. The broadcast system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for uni-casting said copy of said program to a subscriber; and

means for inserting a replacement advertisement in said program at said location during said uni-casting.

14. A broadcast system, comprising:

a head end, coupled to receive an input broadcast channel data stream including a program having an advertisement;

a service information processor, in communication with said head end and retrieving service information associated with said program and said advertisement including information identifying a location of said advertisement within said program;

a storage server, in communication with said head end and said service information processor, storing a copy of said program and associating a storage location of said copy with service information associated with said program;

an advertising server, in communication with said service information processor, storing a copy of said advertisement and further storing a replacement advertisement and service information associated with said advertisement; and

a distribution system, coupled to said storage server and said advertising server, operable to transmit said copy of said program to a subscriber and to insert a selected replacement advertisement at said location.

15. The broadcast system of claim 14, wherein said replacement advertisement is selected based at least in part on an identity of said subscriber and an identity of said program.

16. A subscriber-initiated method for viewing a program, comprising:

interacting with a program schedule displayed on a display device to select a desired program stored in an archive;

transmitting information identifying the subscriber and information identifying the desired program;

receiving a uni-cast transmission of said desired program; and

receiving a uni-cast transmission of a replacement advertisement embedded within said program, said replacement advertisement different than an advertisement included in a live broadcast of said program.

17. A broadcast method, comprising:

receiving, from a subscriber, a request to play an archive copy of a program;

identifying a location of said archive copy of said program;

selecting at least a first advertisement based at least in part on information associated with said program; and

inserting said at least first advertisement into said program.

18. The broadcast method of claim 17, wherein said inserting further comprises:

identifying an advertising slot within said program; and

inserting said at least first advertisement into said program in said advertising slot.

19. The broadcast method of claim 17, wherein said at least first advertisement includes a link to further promotional materials.

20. The broadcast method of claim 19, further comprising:

playing said program and said advertisement for said subscriber, wherein said playing said advertisement causes said further promotional materials to be displayed to said subscriber.