System and method for forced commercial viewing
First Claim
1. A method for encouraging a viewer (102) to watch the commercial segments of a pre-determined channel, the pre-determined channel included as part of a broadcast signal (121) transmitted to a plurality of integrated receiver devices (IRDs) (120) belonging to respective viewers (102), the broadcast signal (121) being comprised of a plurality of channels grouped as one or more transport streams (117), each of said plurality of channels comprising programming content (107, 108) interspersed with commercial segments (113) and entitlement management messages (EMMs), the EMMs transmitted substantially coincident in time with the commercial segments, the method comprising the acts of:
- (a) receiving the broadcast signal (121) at a viewer'"'"'s IRD (120);
(b) determining whether the viewer'"'"'s IRD (120) is tuned to the pre-determined channel during a time substantially coincident with the broadcast of at least N commercial segments associated with said pre-determined channel;
(c) rewarding the viewer (102) when said determining act (b) is satisfied.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A viewer'"'"'s attention to televised advertisement (41, 43, 45) is encouraged by offering and providing the viewer (102) with a reward as an incentive to watch and/or interact with one or more commercial segments (41, 43, 45) of the broadcast. By providing such rewards to viewers, commercial advertisers on a broadcast are more reliably assured that the commercial segments are being viewed. The viewer may be rewarded the viewer (102) with the opportunity to watch an otherwise scrambled future broadcast at no charge. By transmitting an entitlement (EMM) message only during the commercial segments, a viewer (102) whose receiving device (e.g., set-top box) is tuned to the station broadcasting the commercial segment (41, 43, 45) will receive the EMM message required to descramble the future broadcast Further, the viewer may be required to participate or interact in some manner with the commercial segment to insure the viewer'"'"'s presence.
26 Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A method for encouraging a viewer (102) to watch the commercial segments of a pre-determined channel, the pre-determined channel included as part of a broadcast signal (121) transmitted to a plurality of integrated receiver devices (IRDs) (120) belonging to respective viewers (102), the broadcast signal (121) being comprised of a plurality of channels grouped as one or more transport streams (117), each of said plurality of channels comprising programming content (107, 108) interspersed with commercial segments (113) and entitlement management messages (EMMs), the EMMs transmitted substantially coincident in time with the commercial segments, the method comprising the acts of:
-
(a) receiving the broadcast signal (121) at a viewer'"'"'s IRD (120);
(b) determining whether the viewer'"'"'s IRD (120) is tuned to the pre-determined channel during a time substantially coincident with the broadcast of at least N commercial segments associated with said pre-determined channel;
(c) rewarding the viewer (102) when said determining act (b) is satisfied. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method for encouraging a viewer (102) to watch the commercial segments of a pre-determined channel, the pre-determined channel included as part of a broadcast signal (121) transmitted to a plurality of integrated receiver devices (IRDs) (120) belonging to respective viewers (102), the broadcast signal (121) being comprised of a plurality of channels grouped as one or more transport streams (117), each of said plurality of channels comprising programming content (107, 108) interspersed with commercial segments (113) and entitlement management messages (EMMs), the EMMs transmitted substantially coincident in time with the commercial segments, the method comprising the acts of:
-
(a) receiving the broadcast signal (121) at a viewer'"'"'s IRD (120);
(b) determining whether the viewer'"'"'s IRD (120) is tuned to a pre-determined transport stream during a time substantially coincident with the broadcast of at least N commercial segments associated with said pre-determined transport stream;
(c) rewarding the viewer (102) when said determining act is satisfied. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A television broadcast system (100), comprising a television broadcast station (101) for transmitting a broadcast signal (121) comprising a plurality of channels grouped as one or more transport streams (117), each of said plurality of channels comprising programming content (107, 108) interspersed with commercial segments (113) and entitlement management messages (EMMs), the EMMs transmitted substantially coincident in time with the commercial segments, the system comprising:
-
a broadcast station (101) comprising;
a broadcast server (110) for providing interactive applications (115);
at least one source (105, 106) of said programming content (107, 108);
a multiplexer (116) for combining said commercial segments (113), programming content (107, 108) and optionally interactive applications (115) to form said transport stream (117);
a transmitter (118) for transmitting said transport stream (117) as said broadcast stream (121) over a transmission medium (119); and
an integrated receiver device (IRD) (120) comprising;
a conditional access (CA) module for determining whether a viewer (102) is watching a channel corresponding to a predetermined channel and for storing entitlements, each stored entitlement corresponding to an ith commercial segment associated with the pre-determined channel.
-
Specification