Method and Apparatus for Browser Based Advertisement Insertion
First Claim
1. A method for improving viewing quality on a mobile handheld device (MHD,) comprising the steps of:
- preloading the MHD with content into a first buffer;
receiving content in real-time from a remote source and loading said received content into a second buffer;
displaying said preloaded content from said first buffer when said second buffer is filled below a first threshold level; and
displaying said real-time content from said second buffer when said second buffer is filled above a second threshold value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Content is downloaded to a mobile handheld device (MHD) and buffered on the MHD prior to, and during, viewing. Normal wireless bandwidth varies with atmospheric conditions, distance, obstructions in the path, etc. and hence the speed at which a content-buffer (CB) on the MHD is replenished changes. Because this can result in very low quality viewing experience for the user, the capability for alternate content scheduling provided a micro-splicer is used to enable stored alternate-content or advertisement insertion during periods of low viewing quality, when the CB does not hold sufficient content during the viewing period. This alternate content insertion allows the CB to be refilled before the user resumes content viewing.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. A method for improving viewing quality on a mobile handheld device (MHD,) comprising the steps of:
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preloading the MHD with content into a first buffer; receiving content in real-time from a remote source and loading said received content into a second buffer; displaying said preloaded content from said first buffer when said second buffer is filled below a first threshold level; and displaying said real-time content from said second buffer when said second buffer is filled above a second threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A mobile handheld device, comprising:
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a display; a display buffer coupled to said display; a first content buffer for buffering a received content stream, said content buffer coupled to said display buffer via a switch; a second content buffer for buffering an alternate content stream for display on said display, said second content buffer coupled to said display buffer via said switch; a storage unit for storing preloaded content, said storage unit coupled to said second content buffer; a threshold checker for checking any of a fill and an empty status of said first content buffer, for identifying an end-of-content-file, and for outputting a control signal responsive thereof; and a micro-splicer coupled to said first content buffer, said second content buffer, said storage unit, and said switch, said micro-splicer configured to operate said switch in response to said control signal to provide alternate content from said second content buffer to said display buffer when said first content buffer has insufficient content to ensure good quality display on said handheld display; wherein viewing quality on the mobile handheld device is improved - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A method for improving the viewing quality on a mobile handheld device (MHD), comprising the steps of:
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a user initiating viewing of content on said MHD; a content buffer (CB) starting to load content into a display buffer of said MHD from a wireless link; simultaneously loading alternate content into an alternate content buffer (ACB) from a storage containing pre-downloaded alternate content; a threshold checker continuously checking a fill status of the CB; wherein, if the CB fill status is below a threshold value Et, a micro-splicer stops loading the display buffer from the CB and starts loading the display buffer from the ACB with alternate content; monitoring the CB to detect when the CB fill status reaches the threshold value Ft; when the CB fill status reaches the threshold Ft, the micro-splicer stopping the loading of the display buffer from the ACB at the end of a currently loading advertisement and beginning loading of the display buffer from the CB; the threshold checker checking for an-of-content-file EOCF data block in the CB; wherein, if at any time the EOCF is recognized while the display buffer is being loaded from the ACB, the micro-splicer stops loading of the display buffer from the ACB and starts loading the display buffer from the CB after the completion of a current advertisement; continuing loading the display buffer until the EOCF is recognized; rendering any content loaded into the display buffer and sending said rendered content to a display screen for display.
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6. An apparatus for improving the viewing quality on a mobile handheld device (MHD), comprising:
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a content buffer (CB) configured for starting to load content into a display buffer of said MHD from a wireless link upon a user initiating viewing of content on said MHD; an alternate content buffer (ACB) into which alternate content is simultaneously loaded from a storage containing pre-downloaded alternate content; a threshold checker for continuously checking a fill status of the CB, the threshold checker further configured for checking for an-of-content-file EOCF data block in the CB; a micro-splicer configured to stop loading the display buffer from the CB and start loading the display buffer from the ACB with alternate content if the CB fill status is below a threshold value Et, the micro-splicer configured for monitoring the CB to detect when the CB fill status reaches the threshold value Ft, the micro-splicer configured for stopping loading of the display buffer from the ACB at the end of a currently loading advertisement and beginning loading of the display buffer from the CB when the CB fill status reaches the threshold Ft, the micro-splicer configured to stop loading of the display buffer from the ACB and start loading the display buffer from the CB after the completion of a current advertisement if at any time the EOCF is recognized while the display buffer is being loaded from the ACB, the micro-splicer configured to continue loading the display buffer until the EOCF is recognized; and means configured to render any content loaded into the display buffer and send said rendered content to a display screen for display.
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7. A method for downloading and buffering content on a mobile handheld device (MHD) prior to and during viewing of the content, comprising the steps of:
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buffering stored alternate-content for insertion during periods of low viewing quality, when a content buffer does not hold sufficient content during viewing of the content; and using an interval in which said buffered alternate content is viewed to refill the content buffer.
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Specification