METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING A MICRO-SPLICER TO INSERT ALTERNATE CONTENT WHILE VIEWING MULTIMEDIA CONTENT ON A HANDHELD DEVICE

• US 20110004892A1
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GoldSpot Media, Inc. (Japan) (Dentsu Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GoldSpot Media, Inc. (Japan) (Dentsu Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: DHARMAJI, Srinivasa
• Granted Patent: US 8,677,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/02 manually operated with input through keyboard and computation using a built-in program, e.g. pocket calculators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/025 adapted to a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• 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 21/458 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

In a targeted advertising system focused advertisements or alternate content is pre-stored on a handheld device, inserted into a multimedia stream at predefined times and points in the content stream for a predefined interval, otherwise referred to as a spot. A micro-splicer, instantiated on a handheld device, enables alternate content rendering, instead of the original program content, at available advertisement spots during program content viewing. The micro-splicer uses metadata to identify the correct alternate content and display it in the correct spot. The micro-splicer also enables switching the display back to the multimedia program content after the end of the alternate content. User viewing and interaction with the alternate content is ensured by instructing the micro-splicer to switch back to multimedia program content only after receipt of predefined user feedback.

Claims

1. A method for inserting alternate content into a presentation while a user is viewing original multimedia content on a handheld device, comprising the steps of:

providing a micro-splicer configured to selectively render original multimedia content and alternate content;

said micro-splicer configured to render said alternate content when metadata identifies an ad spot into which said alternate content is to be placed;

said micro-splicer configured to revert from rendering said alternate content to rendering said original multimedia content once alternate content rendering is accomplished within said ad spot; and

using a command input to confirm user interaction with said alternate content and thus ensure viewing of ads comprising said alternate content by said user before said micro-splicer reverts from rendering said alternate content to rendering said original multimedia content.

2. An apparatus for rendering and displaying alternate multimedia content during original multimedia content viewing on a mobile handheld device, comprising:

a micro-splicer on said handheld device for redirecting multimedia content;

a buffer on said handheld device, coupled to said micro-splicer, comprising a multimedia content buffer for storing said original multimedia content and an alternate content buffer for storing said alternate multimedia content on said handheld device; and

a scheduler on said handheld device, coupled to said micro-splicer, for switching between said alternate multimedia content buffer and said original multimedia content buffer for selective rendering and display of said original multimedia content and said alternate content;

wherein said original multimedia content and said alternate multimedia content are received separately; and

wherein rendering of said alternate multimedia content is synchronized with said original multimedia content by said scheduler.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein instructions for scheduling said alternate multimedia content are provided to said handheld device as metadata.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said metadata is provided to said scheduler.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said scheduler uses said micro-splicer to effect switching between said original multimedia content buffer and said alternate content buffer at a precise time and based upon said metadata.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said instruction comprises both metadata and user feedback generated from user interaction with alternate content during user viewing of said alternate content.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said metadata and said user feedback are provided to said scheduler.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said scheduler and said micro-splicer only effect switching between said original multimedia content buffer and said alternate content buffer after receipt of said user feedback.

9. The apparatus claim 6, wherein said scheduler places rendering and display within said handheld device on hold until said user feedback is received.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said handheld device continues to display said alternate content at the end of said alternate content until said user feedback is received and, only after receiving said user feedback, switches back to said original multimedia content buffer to render said original multimedia content.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said switching is achieved by tandem operation of said micro-splicer and said scheduler.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said original multimedia content is received live and wherein said alternate multimedia content is pre-stored on said handheld device.

13. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said original multimedia content and said alternate multimedia content are both pre-stored on said handheld device.

14. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said alternate multimedia content comprises at least one of an advertisement, an interstitial, a gateway, a bumper, an overlay, an inlay, and forced content.

15. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said micro-splicer redirects any of program, channel, alternate content metadata, service delivery, and subscription information.

16. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said scheduler controls switching from said alternate multimedia content to said original multimedia content buffer after completion of said alternate content.

17. A method for inserting alternate multimedia content into original multimedia content on a mobile handheld device, comprising the steps of:

receiving the alternate multimedia content at said mobile handheld device over a channel;

storing said received alternate content at said mobile handheld device in an alternate content buffer location in a buffer;

receiving said original multimedia content and related metadata at said mobile handheld device over said channel;

storing said received original multimedia content at said mobile handheld device in a content buffer location in said buffer;

accessing said original multimedia content for rendering and display on said handheld device;

processing said original multimedia content to detect spot break related metadata;

upon detection of a spot break, and based on related metadata, accessing said alternate multimedia content from said buffer for rendering and display on said handheld device instead of said original multimedia content; and

accessing said original multimedia content, based on said metadata, once said alternate multimedia content has been rendered and displayed on said handheld device and a pre-defined user feedback, generated from a user interaction with said rendered and displayed alternate multimedia content, has been received.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

switching access from said alternate multimedia content to said original multimedia content only after said pre-defined user feedback is received, wherein user viewing of said alternate content is ensured.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

synchronizing switching of access between said alternate multimedia content and said original multimedia content based on said metadata.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

switching access from said alternate multimedia content to said original multimedia content in response to a trigger that results from a metadata indication of a time period that is available for access to said alternate multimedia content.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein said alternate multimedia content comprises an advertisement.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said alternate multimedia content comprises any of an interstitial, gateway, bumper, overlay, inlay, and forced content.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein said spot break metadata switches any of program, channel, alternate content metadata, service delivery, and subscription information.

24. A method ensuring user viewing of alternate multimedia content that is inserted and rendered during user viewing of original multimedia content on a display of a handheld device, comprising the steps of:

using a scheduler and a micro-splicer instantiated on said handheld device for switching, based on metadata instructions, between an alternate content buffer, from which said alternate multimedia content is rendered and a content buffer, from which said multimedia content is rendered; and

making user interaction based feedback a pre-requisite for switching from said alternate content buffer to said original content buffer upon completion of rendering and display on said handheld device of said alternate multimedia content, wherein user viewing of said alternate multimedia content is ensured.