METHOD AND SYSTEM OF DEVICE LEVEL PROGRAM INSERTION

• US 20090165035A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Sandoval, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 8,875,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/4431 characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Method and system of inserting commercials or program within content feeds. The commercials may be inserted in an optimized manner on a host device so as to permit device level commercial insertion. Instructions or other information may be pre-loaded for a number of insertion opportunities so that processing demands on the host device at the time of insertion can be limited.

Claims

1. A method of inserting commercials within television channels processed by a host device for output to a viewer, the host device having a targeting engine and a switch engine configured to facilitate inserting commercials within the television channels, the method comprising:

generating insertions instructions with the targeting engine, the insertion instructions sufficient for use in directing the switch engine to insert commercials for a number of specified insertion opportunities;

storing the insertion instructions within a database associated with the switch engine; and

for each specified insertion opportunity, loading the switch engine with the stored insertion instructions, the switch engine relying on the loaded insertion instructions to insert the commercials.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising loading the switch engine without requiring the targeting engine to issue an API call for each insertion opportunity.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the stored insertion instructions to support commercial insertion for channels available over a switched broadcast tier, wherein the insertion instructions are updated as the switched broadcast tier channels change.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing different insertion instructions for different channels and loading the instructions corresponding with a channel currently tuned to by the host.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing at least two different insertion instructions for at least one of the insertion opportunities, at least two of the different insertion instructions specifying insertion of different commercials, and selecting one of the at least two different insertion instructions for the corresponding insertion opportunity.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising selecting the one of the at least two different insertion instructions as a function of a user associated with the host.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising selecting the one of the at least two different insertion instructions as a function of as a function a channel currently tuned to by the host.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising selecting the one of the at least two different insertion instructions as a function of content showing in the tuned to channel.

9. A method of inserting programs within a content feed, the method comprising:

pre-loading a host device with insertion instructions, the host device being configured to interface content carried in the content feed with an output device; and

upon determining a insertion opportunity, instructing the host device according to at least one of the pre-loaded instructions to insert a program within the content feed and without issuing an API call.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the host device issuing an API call to load the insertion instructions within an database associated with the host, the insertion instructions being loaded from the database to facilitate inserting the program.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising issuing one API call to load many insertion instructions within the database.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising generating the insertion instructions with an application operating on the host device.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising issuing an API call from the application when pre-loading the insertion instructions.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising descrambling the content with the host device, wherein the host device inserts the programs within the descrambled content.

15. A host device for use in descrambling television signals for output to a display, the host device comprising:

an operating system;

a targeting application operating on the operating system, the targeting application configured to generate insertion instructions for use in inserting commercials within the descrambled television signals;

a database for storing the insertion instructions; and

a switch engine configured to insert the commercials according to insertions instructions stored in the database according.

16. The host device of claim 15 wherein the switch engine is an implementation element.

17. The host device of claim 15 wherein the switch engine is configured to insert the commercials without receiving an API call from the targeting application.

18. The host device of claim 17 wherein the targeting engine issues an API call to store the insertion instruction within the database.

19. The host device of claim 15 wherein the database is integrated with the switch engine.

20. The host device of claim 15 wherein the targeting application is configured to generate insertion instructions for a number of insertion opportunities and to store all the generated insertion instructions within the database in advance of the insertion opportunities.