Targeted Advertisement Insertion with Interface Device Assisted Switching

• US 20080313669A1
• Filed: 06/18/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Acharya, Swarup, Srivastava, Anurag, Gupta, Bhawna
• Granted Patent: US 8,949,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate

Abstract

Advertisements or other types of targeted information are delivered to a set-top box or other user interface device of signal distribution system. In one aspect of the invention, a detection server of the system detects at least one cue associated with a first media stream, and generates timing information from the detected cue. The timing information is signaled to the interface device. An advertisement server of the system generates a second media stream containing targeted information for delivery to the user interface device. The user interface device switches from the first stream to the second stream based on the timing information. The timing information may also be signaled by the detection server to the advertisement server, for use in controlling generation of the second stream.

Claims

1. A method of delivering targeted information to a user interface device in a signal distribution system, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting at least one cue associated with a first media stream;

generating timing information from the detected cue;

signaling the timing information to the user interface device; and

generating a second media stream containing targeted information for delivery to the user interface device;

wherein the user interface device switches from the first stream to the second stream based on the timing information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the targeted information comprises an advertisement.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the interface device comprises a set-top box.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the signaling step further comprises signaling the timing information to an advertisement server.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the advertisement server initiates delivery of the second stream to the user interface device based on the timing information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting and generating steps are implemented in a detection server of the system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the detection server directs an advertisement server to initiate generation of the second stream based on the timing information.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the detection server directs an advertisement server to initiate delivery of the second stream to the interface device based on the timing information.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the detection server receives the second stream from the advertisement server and initiates delivery of the second stream to the interface device based on the timing information.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the detection server is coupled to the user interface device via a network element comprising at least one of a router and a switch.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the detection server is implemented on a server platform coupled to a line card of the network element.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the detection server is implemented at least in part on a line card of the network element.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein the detection server and an associated advertisement server that provides the second stream are implemented as respective server elements of a single common server.

14. The method of claim 1 further including the step of processing a channel change command in the user interface device to determine if a requested channel is in a commercial break and if so switching to an ad stream providing a targeted advertisement for at least a portion of the commercial break.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the ad stream providing the targeted advertisement comprises at least a portion of one of the second stream and an ad stream stored locally on the user interface device.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface device is directed to join the second stream a designated amount of time prior to switching from the first stream to the second stream.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface device switches back to the first stream after presentation of targeted information associated with the second stream.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the user interface device is directed to join the first stream a designated amount of time prior to switching back to the first stream.

19. An article of manufacture comprising a processor-readable storage medium having one or more software programs embodied therein, wherein the one or more software programs when executed implement the steps of the method of claim 1.

20. An interface device for use in a signal distribution system, the interface device comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to a memory; and

interface circuitry configured to receive first and second media streams from a network element of the signal distribution system;

wherein the interface device is configured to switch under the control of the processor from the first stream to the second stream based on timing information signaled to the interface device via the network element, the timing information being generated from at least one cue detected in the first stream, the second stream containing targeted information for the user interface device.

21. The interface device of claim 20 wherein said interface device comprises a set-top box of the signal distribution system.

22. The interface device of claim 20 wherein said interface device is combined with a presentation device into a single device.

23. An apparatus for use in delivering targeted information to a user interface device in a signal distribution system, the apparatus comprising:

head end equipment comprising at least one server;

the head end equipment being operative to detect at least one cue associated with a first media stream, to generate timing information from the detected cue, to signal the timing information to the user interface device, and to generate a second media stream containing targeted information for delivery to the user interface device;

wherein the user interface device switches from the first stream to the second stream based on the timing information.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the at least one server further comprises:

a detection server configured to detect the cue and to generate the timing information from the detected cue; and

an advertisement server which generates the second stream responsive to the timing information.