System and method for downstream application and control electronic billboard system

• US 5,543,856 A
• Filed: 08/24/1995
• Issued: 08/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Princeton Video Image, Inc. (Gabriel Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Rosser, Roy J., Williams, Brown F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRANT, CHRISTOPHER C
• Application Number:
  US08/518,657
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 348/6, 348/9, 348/12, 348/13, 348/1, 348/563, 348/564, 348/586, 348/588, 348/589, 348/578, 348/61, 348/722, 358/84, 358/86
• US Class Current: 348/578
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/02 Arrangements for relaying broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/103 Transmitter-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/20 on secondary editing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for authorizing, controlling, and monitoring the insertion of advertising indicia and other video images into a broadcast video stream by an Electronic Billboard system operated at a location remote from a video program origination location. The disclosed control means will be implemented in the form of a user key which is presupplied to an operator of the remote Electronic Billboard system, a broadcast key supplied to that operator at or near the time of transmission of the broadcast video stream, and a verification means operated in conjunction with the remote Electronic Billboard system to verify that those keys correspond to a predetermined criteria. Upon such verification, the remote Electronic Billboard system is enabled to operate on the broadcast video stream. The control means may also be applied for maintaining the integrity of either or both the products being advertised and the event being broadcast.

Claims

1. A system for authorization and control of an Electronic Billboard system operated at a location remote from a video program origination location comprising:

a user key, presupplied to the Electronic Billboard system;

a broadcast key, supplied to the Electronic Billboard system at or near a time of transmission of a video program to the Electronic Billboard system; and

,

means operated in conjunction with the Electronic Billboard system for selectively enabling the Electronic Billboard system to operate on said video program to effect a substitution of a chosen indicia into a preselected portion of image existing in said video program upon said user key and said broadcast key being found to correspond to a predetermined criteria,

wherein said means for selectively enabling is implemented as a lock which operates to disable operation of the Electronic Billboard system unless said user key and said broadcast key conforming to said predetermined criteria are present.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said lock is realized in electronic hardware interconnected with the Electronic Billboard system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said lock is realized in software operated by a processor associated with the Electronic Billboard system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said user key is supplied in the form of a medium capable of storing information.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said user key is implemented in the form of data stored in said medium.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said medium may also store data related to operation of the Electronic Billboard system other than said user key data.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said user key is supplied in the form of a physical configuration.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said broadcast key is supplied in an encoded form via a substituted video image inserted in said video program by an Electronic Billboard system operated at said program origination location.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein substitute video image data for use by the Electronic Billboard system is supplied to an operator thereof from said program origination location.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said substitute video image data is supplied via a path of said transmission of said video program.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said substitute video image data is supplied via a path separate from a path of said transmission of said video program.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said medium may also store data related to operation of the Electronic Billboard system other than said user key data.

12. A method for authorization and control of an Electronic Billboard system operated at a location remote from a video program origination location comprising the steps of:

presuppling a user key to the Electronic Billboard system in advance of an intended usage of the system;

supplying a broadcast key to the Electronic Billboard system at or near a time of transmission of a video program to the Electronic Billboard system from the video program origination location; and

,

selectively enabling the Electronic Billboard system to operate on said video program to effect a substitution of a chosen indicia into a preselected portion of an image existing in said video program upon said user key and said broadcast key being found to correspond to a predetermined criteria,

wherein said step of selectively enabling the Electronic Billboard system is implemented as a lock which operates to disable operation of the Electronic Billboard system unless said user key and said broadcast key conforming to said predetermined criteria are present.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said lock is realized in electronic hardware interconnected with the Electronic Billboard system.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said lock is realized in software operated by a processor associated with said remotely located Electronic Billboard system.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said user key is supplied in the form of a medium capable of storing information.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said user key is implemented in the form of data stored in said medium.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein said user key is supplied in the form of a physical configuration.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein said user key is supplied in the form of data stored in an electronic device.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein said broadcast key is supplied in an encoded form via a substituted video image inserted in said video program by an Electronic Billboard system operated at said program origination location.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein substitute video image data for use by the Electronic Billboard system is supplied to an operator thereof from said program origination location.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said substitute video image data is supplied via a path of said transmission of said video program.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said substitute video image data is supplied via a path separate from a path of said transmission of said video program.

24. A system for authorization and control of an electronic billboard system including obtaining a video signal at a video program origination location and first indicia location means for identifying the location of a first indicia which is a portion of a video field in a said video signal and transmitting said video signal to a location remote from said video programming originalion location where a second indicia is substituted for said first indicia, said system comprising:

a user key presupplied to said remote location;

a broadcast key supplied to said remote location at or near the time of transmission of said video signal,

a first indicia location signal also supplied to said remote location at or near the time of transmission of said video signal; and

,

means responsive to said user key and said broadcast key for selectively enabling the remote location to replace said first indicia with said second indica in said video signal,

wherein the location of said second indicia is determined by said first indicia location signal which is generated by said first indicia location means.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said first and second indicia are advertisements.

26. A method for authorizing and controlling an electronic billboard system including a video program origination location and first indicia location means for locating a first indicia comprising a portion of a video field in a video signal and transmitting said video signal to a location remote from said video programming origination location where a second indicia is substituted for said first indicia, said method comprising the steps of:

presupplying a user key to the electronic billboard system in advance of an intended usage of the system;

supplying a broadcast key to said remote location at or near the time of transmission of said video signal,

supplying a first indicia location signal to said remote location at or near the time of transmission of said video signal; and

,

selectively enabling said remote location in response to the receipt of said user key and said broadcast key to cause the replacement of said first indicia by said second indicia at said remote location,

wherein the location of said second indicia is determined by said first indicia location signal which is generated by said first indicia location means.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said first and second indicia comprise advertisements.

28. In an electronic billboard system including a video program origination location having first video advertisement location means for identifying the location of a first video advertisement in a portion of a video field in a video signal and transmitting said video signal to a remote location where a second advertisement is selectively substituted for said first advertisement, the system further including:

user key presupplied to said remote location;

broadcast key supplied to said remote location at or near the time of transmission of said video signal;

a first advertisement indicia location signal also supplied to said remote location at or near the time of transmission of said video signal and,

means responsive to said user key and said broadcast key for selectively enabling said remote location to determine the location of said first advertisement in said video signal and to replace said first advertisement with said second advertisement at said remote location,

wherein the location of said second advertisement is determined by said first advertisement indicia location signal which is generated by said first video advertisement location means.

29. An electronic billboard system comprising:

means for capturing a video signal at a video programming origination location

indicia location means for identifying the location of a first indicia which is a portion of a video field in said video signal and producing a first indicia location signal in response thereto;

transmission means for transmitting said video signal to a remote location separated from said video programming originalion location, said transmission means also transmitting said first indicia location signal at or near the time of said broadcast of said video signal; and

,

remote location means for selectively substituting a second indicia for said first indicia at a location in said video field dictated by said first indicia location signal.

30. A method for controlling an electronic billboard system comprising the steps or:

obtaining a video signal at a video program origination location;

employing first indicia location means to locate a first indicia which is a portion of a video field in said video signal;

producing a first indicia location signal by means of said first indicia location means including information with regard to the location of said first indicia;

transmitting said video signal to a remote location separate from said video programming origination location;

transmitting said first indicia location signal to said remote location at or near the time of transmission of said video signal;

selectively replacing said first indicia with said second indicia at said remote location in said video field at a location determined by said first indicia location signal.