METHODS, SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR PROVIDING AD INSERTION VIA A MULTIMEDIA APPLICATIONS GATEWAY

• US 20130074122A1
• Filed: 11/13/2012
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hicks, John A. III, Ezrol, Gerald M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,671,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Ad insertion includes providing a multimedia applications gateway that is connected to an access gateway for an end user device and receiving, at the multimedia applications gateway via the access gateway, multimedia program content. The multimedia applications gateway converts the program content from a program media source into a first communication having an open standards protocol recognized by the end user device. The ad insertion also includes receiving directly, at the multimedia applications gateway from an advertising media source, multimedia advertising content. The multimedia applications gateway converts the multimedia advertising content into a second communication having the open standards protocol. The second communication is stored in a local memory of the multimedia applications gateway. The ad insertion further includes retrieving the second communication from the local memory, inserting the second communication at a location within the first communication, and presenting the first and second communications on the end user device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a multimedia applications gateway that is connected to an access gateway for an end user domain of an end user device, the access gateway communicatively coupled to the end user device;

receiving, at the multimedia applications gateway via the access gateway, multimedia program content, the multimedia applications gateway converting the multimedia program content from a program media source into a first communication having an open standards protocol recognized by the end user device, the first communication representing programming content;

receiving directly, at the multimedia applications gateway from an advertising media source, multimedia advertising content, the multimedia applications gateway converting the multimedia advertising content into a second communication having the open standards protocol recognized by the end user device, the second communication representing advertising content;

storing the second communication in a local memory of the multimedia applications gateway; and

retrieving the second communication from the local memory, inserting the second communication at a location within the first communication, and presenting the first and second communications on the end user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is determined by conditions defined by the advertising media source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the program media source is an Internet Protocol television provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the program media source is a direct broadcasting satellite.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the access gateway is communicatively coupled to the end user device via the multimedia applications gateway using wireless fidelity protocols.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the end user device is enabled for communications having the open standards protocol, the end user device comprising a cell phone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia advertising content transmitted by the advertising media source is directed to a demographic profile associated with the end user domain.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the demographic profile is based on age, household income of the end user domain, and previous purchasing activities of members of the end user domain.

9. A system, comprising:

a multimedia applications gateway connected to an access gateway for an end user device of an end user domain, the access gateway communicatively coupled to the end user device;

an application executing on the multimedia applications gateway, the application implementing a method, comprising;

receiving, at the multimedia applications gateway via the access gateway, multimedia program content, the multimedia applications gateway converting the multimedia program content from a program media source into a first communication having an open standards protocol recognized by the end user device, the first communication representing programming content;

receiving directly, at the multimedia applications gateway from an advertising media source, multimedia advertising content, the multimedia applications gateway converting the multimedia advertising content into a second communication having the open standards protocol recognized by the end user device, the second communication representing advertising content;

storing the second communication in a local memory of the multimedia applications gateway; and

retrieving the second communication from the local memory, inserting the second communication at a location within the first communication, and presenting the first and second communications on the end user device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the location is determined by conditions defined by the advertising media source.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the program media source is an Internet Protocol television provider.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the program media source is a direct broadcasting satellite.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the access gateway is communicatively coupled to the end user device via the multimedia applications gateway using wireless fidelity protocols.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the end user device is enabled for communications having the open standards protocol, the end user device comprising a cell phone.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the multimedia applications gateway includes a cellular back-up plug-in module.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, the program code causing a computer to implement a method, comprising:

providing a multimedia applications gateway that is connected to an access gateway for an end user domain of an end user device, the access gateway communicatively coupled to the end user device;

receiving, at the multimedia applications gateway via the access gateway, multimedia program content, the multimedia applications gateway converting the multimedia program content from a program media source into a first communication having an open standards protocol recognized by the end user device, the first communication representing programming content;

receiving directly, at the multimedia applications gateway from an advertising media source, multimedia advertising content, the multimedia applications gateway converting the multimedia advertising content into a second communication having the open standards protocol recognized by the end user device, the second communication representing advertising content;

storing the second communication in a local memory of the multimedia applications gateway; and

retrieving the second communication from the local memory, inserting the second communication at a location within the first communication, and presenting the first and second communications on the end user device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the location is determined by conditions defined by the advertising media source.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the program media source is an Internet Protocol television provider.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the program media source is a direct broadcasting satellite.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the access gateway is communicatively coupled to the end user device via the multimedia applications gateway using wireless fidelity protocols.