VIDEO BUFFER FOR USE IN ADVERTISEMENT DISPLAYS

• US 20090260028A1
• Filed: 04/10/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Inventors: Williams, David, Dunn, William, Fraschilla, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US12/422,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20090260028A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/12 wherein another information is substituted for the portion of broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• 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 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• 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 7/002 Special television systems not provided for by H04N7/007 - H04N7/18 still pictures via a television channel H04N1/00098
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence

Abstract

A video buffer system and method for use with advertising display systems. Programming packets are stored at the video buffer and displayed in a continuous loop until the next programming packet has been received and stored. The video buffer system allows for displays to continuously display advertisements during data stream interruption or delay. The video buffer system also records the number of times an advertisement has been played to ensure accurate billing for the advertisement.

Claims

1. A system for continuously displaying data on an electronic display comprising:

a video data source which provides a programming packet having a beginning code;

a video buffer which receives the programming packet from the video data source, stores the programming packet, and transmits the programming packet; and

an electronic display in electrical communication with the video buffer and displaying the programming packet;

wherein the video buffer continuously loops the transmission of the programming packet to the electronic display while simultaneously receiving additional programming packets for transmission.

2. The display system from claim 1 further comprising:

electronic circuitry within the video buffer which extracts data from the beginning codes of the programming packets; and

a local storage device in electrical communication with the video buffer which stores the extracted data.

3. The display system from claim 2 wherein:

the extracted data comprises identification data for one or more advertisers, on whose behalf the programming packet is being transmitted.

4. The display system from claim 3 wherein:

the extracted data further comprises the number of times that the programming packet has been transmitted to the display.

5. The display system from claim 1 further comprising:

a control unit which receives the programming packet from the video data source and distributes the programming packets to at least one video buffer.

6. The display system from claim 5 further comprising:

an internet connection between the control unit and the video data source.

7. The display system from claim 5 further comprising:

a wireless connection between the control unit and the video buffers.

8. The display system from claim 1 further comprising:

a local storage device in electrical communication with the video buffer which stores transmitted programming packets for later access by the video buffer.

9. A system for continuously displaying data on an electronic display comprising:

a video data source which provides programming packets having beginning and ending codes;

one or more video buffers which receive and store a first packet from the video data source and transmit the first packet in a continuous loop while simultaneously receiving and storing a second programming packet, the transmission of the first packet continuing until the ending code for the second packet is received; and

an electronic display in electrical communication with each video buffer, which receives and displays the programming packets.

10. The display system from claim 9 further comprising:

electronic circuitry within each video buffer which extracts data from the beginning and ending codes of the programming packets; and

a local storage device in electrical communication with each video buffer which stores the extracted data.

11. The display system from claim 10 wherein:

the data extracted from the beginning and ending codes of the programming packets comprises identification data for one or more advertisers, on whose behalf the programming packet is being transmitted.

12. The display system from claim 11 wherein:

the data extracted from the beginning and ending codes of the programming packets further comprises the number of times that the packet has been transmitted to the display.

13. The display system from claim 9 further comprising:

a control unit which receives the programming packets from the video data source and distributes the packets to the video buffers.

14. The display system from claim 13 further comprising:

an internet connection between the control unit and the video data source.

15. The display system from claim 13 further comprising:

a wireless connection between the control unit and the video buffers.

16. The display system from claim 9 further comprising:

a local storage device in electrical communication with the video buffer which stores transmitted programming packets for later access by the video buffer.

17. A method for continuously displaying a plurality of programming packets on an electronic display, each programming packet having a beginning code, the method comprising:

(A) transmitting a first programming packet to a video buffer in electrical communication with an electronic display;

(B) receiving and storing the first programming packet at the video buffer until the entire programming packet has been stored;

(C) transmitting the stored first programming packet to an electronic display;

(D) repeating steps (A) and (B) for a second programming packet while repeating step (C) in a substantially continuous loop; and

(E) transmitting the second programming packet to the electronic display.

18. The continuous display method from claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

(F) repeating steps (A) and (B) for a third programming packet while repeating step (E) in a substantially continuous loop; and

(G) transmitting the third programming packet to the electronic display

19. The continuous display method from claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

analyzing the programming packets for proper format and lack of corruption prior to transmitting the packets to the electronic display.

20. The continuous display method from claim 17 further comprising the step of:

(F) purging the first programming packet from the video buffer after beginning step (E).