Searchable television commercials

• US 20060218576A1
• Filed: 03/08/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kaminsky, David Louis, Johnson, David Phillip
• Granted Patent: US 8,359,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• 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 21/26603 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• 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 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for indexing commercials. A viewer may query a search engine for a particular product or service. The index may include descriptors that are provided within a blanking interval within the media stream or within program guide information associated with the stream. The index information may also include Internet hyperlinks. Commercials may also have associated therewith a value that is relative to a value of media content. A viewer may accumulate value by viewing advertisements. Accumulated value may then be used to acquire more content.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to advertising within a media stream, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a commercial;

searching at least one stored media stream for commercials matching the request;

presenting at least one commercial matching the request; and

responsive to selection of a commercial within the at least one commercial, playing the selected commercial to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one stored media stream includes a recorded television stream including at least one commercial.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one commercial has descriptors associated therewith.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the descriptors are embedded within a blanking interval.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the descriptors are part of program guide data.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

indexing the at least one commercial using the descriptors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes a keyword query.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a point value for the selected commercial; and

providing access to media content based on the point value.

9. A method for providing access to advertising within a media stream, the method comprising:

responsive to playing a selected television commercial to a user, identifying a point value for the selected television commercial; and

providing access to television content based on the point value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein providing access to television content includes:

identifying an account balance for the user;

adding the point value to the account balance;

determining a point cost for a selected television program; and

providing access to the selected television program if the account balance is greater than the point cost.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

responsive to a period of time expiring without the user accessing television content, adding a predetermined point value to the account balance.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the television content is a product or service available through a television device.

13. A system for providing access to advertising within a media stream, the system comprising:

at least one stored media stream searchable for commercials matching a request; and

at least one of a server and a television device for presenting at least one commercial matching the request.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one stored media stream includes a recorded television stream including at least one commercial.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one commercial has descriptors associated therewith.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the descriptors are embedded within a blanking interval.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the descriptors are part of program guide data.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

an index, wherein the at least one commercial being entered in the index using the descriptors.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the request comprises a keyword query.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a predetermined point value being assigned to each commercial,

wherein access to media content is based on another point value assigned to the media content.

21. A system for providing access to advertising within a media stream, the system comprising:

at least one of a server and a television device, responsive to playing a selected television commercial to a user, for identifying a point value for the selected television commercial; and

wherein at one of the server and the television device provide access to television content based on the point value.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein at least one of the server and the television device comprise:

a component for identifying an account balance for the user;

a component for adding the point value to the account balance;

a component for determining a point cost for a selected television program; and

a component for providing access to the selected television program if the account balance is greater than the point cost.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a component, responsive to a period of time expiring without the user accessing television content, for adding a predetermined point value to the account balance.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the television content is a product or service available through a television device.

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. A computer program product to allow access to advertising, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therein, the computer usable medium comprising;

computer usable program code configured to receive a request for a commercial viewable on one of a television, a computing device and a communications device;

computer usable program code configured to search for any commercial corresponding to the request; and

computer usable program code configured to present any commercial corresponding to the request.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising computer usable program code configured to search for any commercial corresponding to the request using an index.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising computer usable program code configured to search for any commercials indexed using a descriptor in one of a blanking interval and program guide data.

30. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising computer usable program code configured to determine a value associated with any commercials that may be used to exchange for media content.

31. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to record points earned for viewing any commercial with assigned points; and

computer usable program code configured to exchange earned points for one of viewing media content, goods and services.