METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR OVERLAYING CONTENT ONTO A COMMON VIDEO STREAM

• US 20100262992A1
• Filed: 04/13/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Casagrande, Steven M.
• Application Number:
  US12/422,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20100262992A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• 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 21/25891 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 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Described herein are techniques for presenting non-common content in association with common content to end users. A television receiver receives common content as well as one or more portions of non-common content. The television receiver determines whether to present the non-common content based on criteria associated with the non-common content and parameters associated with the television receiver. As appropriate, the non-common content may be overlaid onto the common content, presenting the user with content that may be localized or otherwise personalized for the user.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a video stream, the method comprising:

receiving a compound stream at a television receiver, the compound stream including common video content and at least one first portion of non-common content;

receiving, at the television receiver, at least one criterion specifying display of the non-common content;

outputting the common video content;

processing at least one parameter associated with the television receiver and the criterion to determine whether to output the non-common content; and

overlaying the non-common content onto a portion of the common video content responsive to a determination to output the non-common content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein overlaying the non-common content further comprises:

overlaying an image onto the portion of the common video content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the common video content comprises an advertisement and wherein the non-common content comprises localized information associated with the advertisement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-common content comprises a localized news alert.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the parameter further comprises:

processing a geographic identifier, associated with the television receiver, to determine whether to output the non-common content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion further specifies the portion of the common video content onto which the non-common content is to be displayed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the common video content transmitted to the television receiver is assigned a first packet identifier and the non-common video content is assigned a second packet identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second portion of non-common content associated with the compound stream;

processing the parameter associated with the television receiver and the criterion to determine whether to output the second portion of non-common content; and

overlaying the second portion of non-common content onto the portion of the common video content responsive to a determination to output the second portion of the non-common content.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first portion of non-common content is associated with a first geographic location and wherein the second portion of non-common content is associated with a second geographic location, and wherein the parameter comprises a geographic identifier associated with the television receiver.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the criterion further specifies a temporal location for presentation of the non-common content within the compound stream.

11. A television receiver comprising:

a communication interface operable to receive a compound stream, the compound stream including common video content and at least one portion of non-common content and further operable to receive at least one criterion specifying display of the non-common content;

control logic communicatively coupled to the communication interface, the control logic operable to;

output the common video content;

process at least one parameter associated with the television receiver and the criterion to determine whether to output the non-common content; and

overlay the non-common content onto a portion of the common video content responsive to a determination to output the non-common content.

12. The television receiver of claim 11, wherein the non-common content comprises an image and the control logic is operable to overlay the image onto the portion of the common video content.

13. The television receiver of claim 11, wherein the common video content comprises an advertisement and wherein the non-common content comprises localized information associated with the advertisement.

14. The television receiver of claim 11, wherein the non-common content comprises a localized news alert.

15. The television receiver of claim 11, wherein the control logic is further operable to process a geographic identifier, associated with the television receiver, to determine whether to output the non-common content.

16. The television receiver of claim 11, wherein the at least one criterion further specifies the portion of the common video content onto which the non-common content is to be displayed.

17. The television receiver of claim 11, wherein the common video content received by the communication interface is assigned a first packet identifier and the non-common video content is assigned a second packet identifier.

18. A television receiver comprising:

a communication interface operable to receive a compound stream, the compound stream including common video content, a first portion of non-common content and a second portion of non-common content further operable to receive at least one criterion specifying display of the first and the second portions of non-common content;

control logic communicatively coupled to the communication interface, the control logic operable to;

output the common video content;

process at least one parameter associated with the television receiver and the criterion to determine whether to output the first portion of non-common content or the second portion of non-common content;

overlay the first portion of non-common content onto a portion of the common video content responsive to a determination to output the first portion of non-common content; and

overlay the second portion of non-common content onto a portion of the common video content responsive to a determination to output the second portion of non-common content.

19. The television receiver of claim 18, wherein the first portion of non-common content comprises a first image and the second portion of non-common content comprises a second image.

20. The television receiver of claim 18, wherein the common video content comprises an advertisement and wherein the first portion of non-common content comprises localized information associated with the advertisement for a first geographic region and wherein the second portion of non-common content comprises localized information associated with the advertisement for a second geographic region.

21. The television receiver of claim 18, wherein the control logic is further operable to process a geographic identifier, associated with the television receiver, to determine whether to output either of the first and second portions of non-common content.