METHOD AND A SYSTEM FOR DISTRIBUTING TV CONTENT OVER A NETWORK

• US 20110030003A1
• Filed: 09/22/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Europe Ltd (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Mischa, Neuwirt, Oleg
• Granted Patent: US 8,458,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

For allowing large numbers of users to receive targeted TV advertisements during advertisement breaks without requiring unicast content transmission a method is provided for distributing TV content over a network, especially an IP network, wherein the TV content includes a main content and an advertisement content and wherein a multicast address on which a TV channel for the main content is distributed within the network is transmitted to a user as a connectivity information. The method includes the step of transmitting further connectivity information to the user, the further connectivity information depending on at least one advertising segment of the advertisement content which the user is requesting or which the user is assigned to. Further, a system for distributing TV content over a network, preferably for carrying out the above mentioned method is also described.

Claims

1. A method for distributing TV content over a network, especially an IP network, wherein the TV content is comprising a main content and an advertisement content and wherein a multicast address on which a TV channel for the main content is distributed within the network is transmitted to an user as a connectivity information,

characterized by the step of transmitting further connectivity information to the user, the further connectivity information depending on at least one advertising segment of the advertisement content which the user is requesting or which the user is assigned to.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the further connectivity information is comprising a further multicast address on which the advertising segment is distributed.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the further connectivity information is comprising a source address for the main content and a source address for the advertising segment.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein all streaming servers which are distributing the main content and the advertisement content are synchronized, so that only the main content or the advertisement content is received at the user at a given point in time or time period.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the given point in time or time period is an advertisement break.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the connectivity information and/or further connectivity information is provided by an EPG server.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the connectivity information and/or further connectivity information is carried in a session setup signaling.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the connectivity information and/or further connectivity information is carried in SIP (Session Initiating Protocol) signaling in case of IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) based IPTV.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the connectivity information and/or further connectivity information is provided by preconfiguration or manual configuration.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the preconfiguration is provided by preferably overnight download of the connectivity information and further connectivity information.

11. A system for distributing TV content over a network, especially an IP network, preferably for carrying out the method according to claim 1, wherein the TV content is comprising a main content and an advertisement content and wherein a multicast address on which a TV channel for the main content is distributed within the network is transmitted to an user as a connectivity information, characterized by means for transmitting further connectivity information to the user, the further connectivity information depending on at least one advertising segment of the advertisement content which the user is requesting or which the user is assigned to.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the further connectivity information is comprising a further multicast address on which the advertising segment is distributed.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein the further connectivity information is comprising a source address for the main content and a source address for the advertising segment.

14. A system according to claim 11, wherein all streaming servers which are distributing the main content and the advertisement content are synchronized, so that only the main content or the advertisement content is received at the user at a given point in time or time period.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the given point in time or time period is an advertisement break.

16. A system according to claim 11, wherein the connectivity information and/or further connectivity information is provided by an EPG server.

17. A system according to claim 11, wherein the connectivity information and/or further connectivity information is carried in a session setup signaling.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the connectivity information and/or further connectivity information is carried in SIP (Session Initiating Protocol) signaling in case of IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) based IPTV.

19. A system according to claim 11, wherein the connectivity information and/or further connectivity information is provided by preconfiguration or manual configuration.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the preconfiguration is provided by preferably overnight download of the connectivity information and further connectivity information.