TRICK PLAY ADVERTISING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20110123173A1
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Bassali, Harpal S., Ruffini, Michael P.
• Application Number:
  US12/624,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20110123173A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/249
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate

Abstract

Exemplary trick play advertising systems and methods are described herein. An exemplary method includes a media content access system detecting a command to execute a trick play function on a media content program, accessing a splash screen advertisement in response to the detected command, and providing the splash screen advertisement for display during an execution of the trick play function. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a media content access system, a command to execute a trick play function on a media content program;

accessing, by the media content access system, a splash screen advertisement in response to the detected command; and

providing, by the media content access system, the splash screen advertisement for display during an execution of the trick play function.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the media content access system, the execution of the trick play function by interrupting a normal playback of the media content program and traversing a segment of the media content program at a faster rate than a normal playback rate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the trick play function comprises a skip function configured to skip a playback position forward or backward a predetermined length of time within the media content program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing comprises:

identifying a segment of the media content program to be subjected to the trick play function; and

identifying the splash screen advertisement as related to the segment of the media content program.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the segment of the media content program comprises a commercial segment configured to advertise a product or service; and

the splash screen advertisement is configured to advertise the product or service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the media content program is included within a media content stream;

the media content stream further includes data representative of the splash screen advertisement; and

the accessing of the splash screen advertisement comprises

identifying a segment of the media content program to be subjected to the trick play function,

identifying the splash screen advertisement as related to the segment, and

accessing the splash screen advertisement within the media content stream.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing of the splash screen advertisement comprises using indexing data to identify a segment of the media content program to be subjected to the trick play function and the splash screen advertisement as related to the segment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing of the splash screen advertisement comprises:

identifying a segment of the media content program to be subjected to the trick play function by searching indexing data based on metadata associated with the media content program and a playback position associated with a playback of the media content program; and

using the indexing data to identify the splash screen advertisement based on the identified segment of the media content program.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing of the splash screen advertisement comprises accessing data representative of the splash screen advertisement from an out-of-band source.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing of the splash screen advertisement comprises one of:

accessing data representative of the splash screen advertisement from a remote data storage in real time in response to the detected command; and

accessing pre-fetched data representative of the splash screen advertisement from a local data storage.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing of the splash screen advertisement comprises identifying the splash screen advertisement based on at least one of a user preference and a setting preconfigured by the user and specified in a user profile associated with the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing of the splash screen advertisement comprises identifying the splash screen advertisement based on a purchased placement of the splash screen advertisement.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the media content access system, at least one tool configured to facilitate a user accessing additional information about a product or service advertised by the splash screen advertisement;

and

wherein the additional information comprises at least one of a commercial segment within the media content program, a website, and a video-on-demand clip.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the media content access system, a user interface configured to facilitate a configuration by a user of the media content access system of at least one setting to be used in at least one of the accessing and the presenting of the splash screen advertisement.

15. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one tangible computer-readable medium.

16. A method comprising:

playing back, by a media content access system, a media content program for experiencing by a user;

executing, by the media content access system, a trick play function on the media content program; and

providing, by the media content access system, at least one splash screen advertisement for display during the execution of the trick play function.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the executing comprises:

interrupting the playback of the media content program; and

traversing at least one segment of the media content program at a faster rate than a normal playback rate.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the trick play function comprises a skip forward function configured to skip a playback position forward a predetermined length of time within the media content program;

the executing of the trick play function comprises skipping one or more commercial segments within the media content program; and

the providing of the at least one splash screen advertisement for display comprises providing a splash screen advertisement for display for each of the one or more commercial segments.

19. A system comprising:

a digital video recording facility configured to execute a trick play function in association with a playback of a media content program; and

a trick play advertisement facility communicatively coupled to the digital video recording facility and configured to

detect a command to execute the trick play function on the media content program;

access a splash screen advertisement in response to the detected command; and

provide the splash screen advertisement for display during an execution of the trick play function.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the digital video recording facility is configured to execute the trick play function by interrupting the playback of the media content program and traversing a segment of the media content program at a faster rate than a normal playback rate.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the trick play function comprises a skip function configured to skip a playback position forward or backward a predetermined length of time within the media content program.

22. The system of claim 19, implemented by at least one of a set-top box, a television, and a digital video recorder device.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the media content program comprises a recorded live transmission of a broadcast television program as recorded by the digital video recording facility.