SYSTEMS, APPARATUSES, AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN A REMOTE CONTROL AND AN ADVERTISING SOURCE

• US 20090019470A1
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Bucchieri, Vittorio, Angiolillo, Joel
• Granted Patent: US 8,806,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• 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 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• 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 21/42212 Specific keyboard arrangements
• 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 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]

Abstract

A system for providing communications between a remote control and an advertising source is provided. The system includes a television system configured to receive content and to provide a content indicator representing received content. A remote control is also included in the system, the remote control having a local communications unit and a remote communications unit. The local communications unit is configured to communicate with the television system so as to receive from the television system the content indicator. The remote communications unit is configured to send a content indication signal to an advertising source in a manner independent of the television system, the content indication signal being related to the content indicator. The system is further configured to receive advertising from the advertising source based on the content indication signal and to output the advertising at the remote control. Also provided are corresponding apparatuses, methods, and computer program products.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a television system configured to receive content and to provide a content indicator representing received content; and

a remote control including

a local communications unit configured to communicate with said television system so as to receive from said television system the content indicator; and

a remote communications unit configured to send a content indication signal to an advertising source in a manner independent of said television system, the content indication signal being related to the content indicator,

wherein said system is configured to receive advertising from the advertising source based on the content indication signal and to output the advertising at the remote control.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said remote control is configured to receive the advertising via said remote communications unit.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said remote control includes a display and is configured to output the advertising via said display.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said television system includes a set top box, and said remote control is configured to affect operation of said set top box.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said television system is configured to receive the advertising.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said television system is configured to send the content indicator in response to one or more triggers embedded in the received content.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said television system includes a wireless transceiver and said local communications unit includes a wireless transceiver.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said local communications unit is configured to affect operation of a set top box of the television system.

11. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said local communications unit includes a wireless transceiver.

12. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said remote communications unit includes a wireless network connection.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a local communications unit configured to communicate with a television system so as to receive from the television system a content indicator representing content received by the television system; and

a remote communications unit configured to send a content indication signal to an advertising source in a manner independent of the television system,

wherein said apparatus is configured to receive advertising from the advertising source based on the content indication signal and to output the advertising.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, further including a display configured to output the advertising.

13. A method comprising:

communicating with a television system so as to receive from the television system a content indicator representing content received by the television system;

sending a content indication signal to an advertising source in a manner independent of the television system;

receiving the advertising from the advertising source based on the content indication signal; and

outputting the advertising.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said communicating with the television system includes affecting operation of a set top box of the television system.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein said communicating with the television system includes communicating with the television system via infrared radiation.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable code portion for communicating with a television system so as to receive from the television system a content indicator representing content received by the television system; and

a second executable code portion for sending a content indication signal to an advertising source in a manner independent of the television system;

a third executable code portion for receiving the advertising from the advertising source based on the content indication signal; and

a fourth executable code portion for outputting the advertising.

17. A computer program product according to claim 16, wherein said first executable code portion includes an executable code portion for affecting operation of a set top box of the television system.