META CHANNEL MEDIA SYSTEM CONTROL AND ADVERTISEMENT TECHNOLOGY

• US 20100199299A1
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PurpleComm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PurpleComm Incorporated
• Inventors: Sheu, William H., Chang, Jack H., Tuan, Sherman
• Granted Patent: US 8,726,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• 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 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Media system control technology, in which an advertisement on a selected content channel being experienced by a user using a media system is detected, advertisement preferences of the user are accessed from electronic storage, and secondary content is selected based on the accessed advertisement preferences of the user. The secondary content is substituted for the advertisement on the selected content channel, and the media system is controlled to output the secondary content instead of the advertisement.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a media system in handling advertisements, the method comprising:

detecting an advertisement on a selected content channel being experienced by a user using a media system;

accessing, from electronic storage, advertisement preferences of the user;

selecting secondary content based on the accessed advertisement preferences of the user;

substituting the secondary content for the advertisement on the selected content channel; and

controlling the media system to output the secondary content instead of the advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

accessing, from electronic storage, advertisement preferences of the user comprises accessing, from electronic storage, advertisement preferences of the user that indicate the user prefers non-advertisement programming to at least some advertisements;

selecting secondary content based on the accessed advertisement preferences of the user comprises selecting non-advertisement programming being provided on a first content channel other than the selected content channel;

substituting the secondary content for the advertisement on the selected content channel comprises substituting the non-advertisement programming for the advertisement; and

controlling the media system to output the secondary content instead of the advertisement comprises controlling the media system to output the non-advertisement programming being provided on the first content channel instead of the advertisement being provided on the selected content channel.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

accessing, from electronic storage, advertisement preferences of the user comprises accessing, from electronic storage, advertisement preferences that include a content channel priority list; and

selecting non-advertisement programming being provided on the first content channel other than the selected content channel comprises selecting the content channel that is ranked highest on the content channel priority list and that is providing non-advertisement programming when the advertisement is detected.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the selected content channel is a selected meta-channel that, when the advertisement is detected, defines a selected content entry corresponding to a broadcast television channel and the first content channel is a first meta-channel that, when the advertisement is detected, defines a first content entry corresponding to an Internet video; and

controlling the media system to output the non-advertisement programming being provided on the first content channel instead of the advertisement being provided on the selected content channel comprises;

controlling an output device, included in the media system, to change an input source setting of the output device from a first setting configured to render content from a receiver outputting the broadcast television channel to a second setting configured to render content from a media adapter outputting the Internet video, and

controlling the media adapter to download the Internet video from a remote server, decode the Internet video, and output the Internet video to the output device.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the selected content channel is a selected meta-channel that, when the advertisement is detected, defines a selected content entry corresponding to a selected broadcast television channel and the first content channel is a first meta-channel that, when the advertisement is detected, defines a first content entry corresponding to a first broadcast television channel; and

controlling the media system to output the non-advertisement programming being provided on the first content channel instead of the advertisement being provided on the selected content channel comprises controlling a receiver, included in the media system, to change from outputting the selected broadcast television channel to outputting the first broadcast television channel.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

accessing, from electronic storage, advertisement preferences of the user comprises accessing, from electronic storage, advertisement preferences of the user that indicate the user prefers local advertisements and that include geographic location information for the user;

selecting secondary content based on the accessed advertisement preferences of the user comprises selecting a local advertisement based on the geographic location information for the user;

substituting the secondary content for the advertisement on the selected content channel comprises substituting the local advertisement for the advertisement; and

controlling the media system to output the secondary content instead of the advertisement comprises controlling the media system to output the local advertisement instead of the advertisement being provided on the selected content channel.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:

the selected content channel is a meta-channel that, when the advertisement is detected, defines a content entry corresponding to a broadcast television channel;

the local advertisement is served by a meta-channel service provider over a network; and

controlling the media system to output the local advertisement instead of the advertisement being provided on the selected content channel comprises;

controlling an output device, included in the media system, to change an input source setting of the output device from a first setting configured to render content from a receiver outputting the broadcast television channel to a second setting configured to render content from a media adapter outputting the local advertisement, and

controlling the media adapter to download the local advertisement from the meta-channel service provider and output the local advertisement to the output device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

accessing, from electronic storage, advertisement preferences of the user comprises accessing, from electronic storage, advertisement preferences of the user that indicate at least one type of advertisement preferred by the user;

selecting secondary content based on the accessed advertisement preferences of the user comprises selecting, from among multiple potential advertisements, a preferred advertisement based on the at least one type of advertisement preferred by the user;

substituting the secondary content for the advertisement on the selected content channel comprises substituting the preferred advertisement for the advertisement; and

controlling the media system to output the secondary content instead of the advertisement comprises controlling the media system to output the preferred advertisement instead of the advertisement being provided on the selected content channel.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the selected content channel is a meta-channel that, when the advertisement is detected, defines a content entry corresponding to a broadcast television channel;

the preferred advertisement is served by a meta-channel service provider over a network; and

controlling the media system to output the preferred advertisement instead of the advertisement being provided on the selected content channel comprises;

controlling an output device, included in the media system, to change an input source setting of the output device from a first setting configured to render content from a receiver outputting the broadcast television channel to a second setting configured to render content from a media adapter outputting the preferred advertisement, and

controlling the media adapter to download the preferred advertisement from the meta-channel service provider and output the preferred advertisement to the output device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the advertisement is a video-based advertisement that includes video of a first length of time;

selecting secondary content based on the accessed advertisement preferences of the user comprises selecting an alternative video-based advertisement that includes video of a second length of time that is less than the first length of time and a non-video advertisement filler;

substituting the secondary content for the advertisement on the selected content channel comprises substituting a combination of the alternative video-based advertisement and the non-video advertisement filler for the advertisement on the selected content channel; and

controlling the media system to output the secondary content instead of the advertisement comprises controlling the media system to output the alternative video-based advertisement for the second length of time and controlling the media system to output the non-video advertisement filler for the remainder of the first length of time.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

after controlling the media system to output the non-video advertisement filler for the remainder of the first length of time that is greater than the second length of time, controlling the media system to return to outputting non-advertisement content defined by the selected content channel such that the return to non-advertisement content from the combination of the alternative video-based advertisement and the non-video advertisement filler corresponds to the return to non-advertisement content from the video-based advertisement.

12. A system comprising:

at least one electronic storage device configured to store advertisement preferences of a user; and

at least one processor configured to perform operations comprising;

detecting an advertisement on a selected content channel being experienced by the user using a media system;

accessing, from the electronic storage device, the advertisement preferences of the user;

selecting secondary content based on the accessed advertisement preferences of the user;

substituting the secondary content for the advertisement on the selected content channel; and

controlling the media system to output the secondary content instead of the advertisement.

13. A method of controlling a media system in handling advertisements, the method comprising:

controlling a media system to output secondary content when advertisement programming is detected on a selected content channel being experienced by a user using a media system;

monitoring for completion of the detected advertisement programming on the selected content channel;

accessing advertisement return preferences of the user; and

in response to identifying completion of the detected advertisement programming on the selected content channel based on the monitoring, controlling the media system based on the advertisement return preferences of the user.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein controlling the media system based on the advertisement return preferences of the user comprises controlling the media system to return to the selected content channel and render content defined by the selected content channel immediately in response to identifying completion of the detected advertisement programming on the selected content channel.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein controlling the media system based on the advertisement return preferences of the user comprises controlling the media system to maintain a secondary content channel providing the secondary content until detection of advertisement programming on the secondary content channel.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

in response to detection of advertisement programming on the secondary content channel, controlling the media system to return to the selected content channel and render content defined by the selected content channel.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

in response to detection of advertisement programming on the secondary content channel, accessing advertisement preferences of the user that include a content channel priority list that ranks alternative content channels to provide when advertisements are detected;

selecting a return content channel that is ranked highest on the content channel priority list and that is providing non-advertisement programming upon detection of the advertisement on the secondary content channel; and

controlling the media system to render content defined by the return content channel.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein selecting the return content channel that is ranked highest on the content channel priority list and that is providing non-advertisement programming upon detection of the advertisement on the secondary content channel comprises selecting a return content channel that is different than the selected content channel.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein controlling the media system based on the advertisement return preferences of the user comprises controlling the media system to maintain a secondary content channel providing the secondary content, and controlling the media system to provide a notification to the user indicating that the detected advertisement programming on the selected content channel has completed.

20. A system comprising:

at least one electronic storage device configured to store advertisement return preferences of a user; and

at least one processor configured to perform operations comprising;

controlling a media system to output secondary content when advertisement programming is detected on a selected content channel being experienced by a user using a media system;

monitoring for completion of the detected advertisement programming on the selected content channel;

accessing, from the at least one electronic storage device, advertisement return preferences of the user; and

in response to identifying completion of the detected advertisement programming on the selected content channel based on the monitoring, controlling the media system based on the advertisement return preferences of the user.