System and method for inserting local content into programming content

• US 6,029,045 A
• Filed: 12/09/1997
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harmonic Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cogent Technology, Inc. (Harmonic Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kau, Jonathan S., Picco, Martin R., Mears, William G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John W.
• Application Number:
  US08/987,337
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217-219, 455/2, 455/3.1, 455/3.2, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 348/1, 348/2, 348/6, 348/9, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• 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 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A system for communicating a programming data stream and a data stream containing pieces of local content data that are going to be inserted into a local content space in the programming data stream at some predetermined time is provided in which the programming data stream and the local content digital data stream are transmitted to a set-top box in a house of a user, the set-top box stores a predetermined portion of the pieces of local content data based on predetermined criteria, and the set-top box identifies a local content space in the programming data stream. The set-top box may also select a particular piece of local content from the storing system to insert into the local content space in the programming data stream based on a plurality of predetermined preferences of the user, retrieve that selected piece of local content from said storage means, and insert that selected piece of local content into said programming data stream at said local content space so that individualized local content specific to the user of the set-top box is inserted into the programming data stream.

Claims

1. A system for communicating programming and local content data that are to be inserted into a local content space in a programming data stream at a predetermined time, the system comprising:

means for transmitting the programming and the local content data to a set-top box in a house of a user;

means, in the set-top box, for storing a predetermined portion of the local content data based on predetermined criteria;

means, in the set-top box, for identifying a local content space in the programming;

means, in the set-top box, for selecting a particular piece of local content from the storing means to insert into the local content space in the programming based on a plurality of predetermined preferences;

means for retrieving said selected piece of local content from said storage means; and

means for inserting said selected piece of local content into said programming data stream at said local content space so that individualized local content specific to the user of the set-top box is inserted into the programming data stream.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitting means comprises means for transmitting the local content data in the spare bandwidth not used by the programming data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmission means comprises means for transmitting said local content data at a predetermined time.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said set-top box further comprises a first receiver for said programming data and a second receiver for the local content data so that the local content data is transmitted simultaneously with said programming data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined criteria comprises user preference signals.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said selecting means further comprises means for comparing a content profile of each piece of local content data to a control signal within the local content space of the programming data.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for receiving information about the viewing of the programming data and local content data and means for processing the received information to generate data about the users.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitting means comprises a satellite.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitting means comprises a cable.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting means comprises a terrestrial broadcast system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting means comprises a wireless cable broadcast system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitting means comprises a computer network.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said programming data and said local content are compressed digital data streams.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said inserting means further comprises means for splicing two Motion Pictures Experts Group data streams together.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said programming data and said local content are analog data streams.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined preferences comprise user preferences.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined preferences comprise preferences of an operator of the system.

18. A method for communicating programming and local content data to be inserted into a local content space in the programming data stream at a predetermined time, the method comprising:

transmitting the programming and the local content data to a set-top box in a house of a user;

storing a predetermined portion of the pieces of local content data in the set-top box based on predetermined criteria;

identifying a local content space in the programming data stream;

selecting a particular piece of local content stored in the set-top box to insert into the local content space in the programming data stream based on a plurality of predetermined preferences;

retrieving said selected piece of local content; and

inserting said selected piece of local content into said programming data stream at said local content space so that individualized local content specific to the user of the set-top box is inserted into the programming data stream.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said transmission comprises transmitting the local content data in the spare bandwidth not used by the programming data.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said transmission comprises transmitting said local content data at a predetermined time.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said set-top box further comprises using a first receiver for said programming data and using a second receiver for the local content data so that the local content data is transmitted simultaneously with said programming data.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said predetermined criteria comprises user preference signals.

23. The method claim 22, wherein said selecting further comprises comparing a content profile of each piece of local content data to a control signal within the local content space of the programming data.

24. The method of claim 18 further comprising receiving information about the viewing of the programming data and local content data and processing the received information to generate data about the users.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein said transmitting means comprises using a satellite.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein said transmission comprises using a cable.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein said transmission comprises using a computer network.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein said transmission comprises using a terrestrial broadcast system.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein said transmission comprises using a wireless cable system.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein said programming data and said local content are compressed digital data streams.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said insertion further comprises splicing two Motion Pictures Experts Group data streams together.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein said programming data and said local content are analog data streams.

33. The method of claim 18, wherein said predetermined preferences comprise user preferences.

34. The method of claim 18, wherein said predetermined preferences comprise preferences of an operator of the system.

35. An apparatus for displaying images from a programming data stream and a data stream containing pieces of local content data that are going to be inserted into a local content space in the programming data stream at some predetermined time, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving the programming data stream and the pieces of local content data;

means for storing a predetermined portion of the received pieces of the local content data based a predetermined criteria;

means for identifying a local content space in the programming data stream;

means for selecting a particular piece of local content to insert into the local content space in the programming data stream based on a plurality of predetermined preferences of a user;

means for retrieving said selected piece of local content from said storage means; and

means for inserting said selected piece of local content into said programming data stream at said local content space so that individualized local content is inserted into the programming data stream.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said receiving means comprises means for receiving the local content data in the spare bandwidth not used by the programming data.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said receiving means comprises means for receiving said local content data at a predetermined time.

38. The apparatus of claim 35 further comprises a first receiver for said programming data and a second receiver for the local content data so that the local content data is transmitted simultaneously with said programming data.

39. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said predetermined criteria comprises user preference signals.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said selecting means further comprises means for comparing a content profile of each piece of local content data to a control signal within the local content space of the programming data.

41. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said programming data and said local content are compressed digital data streams.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said inserting means further comprises means for splicing two Motion Pictures Experts Group data streams together.

43. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said programming data and said local content are analog data streams.

44. A method for displaying images from a programming data stream and a data stream containing pieces of local content data that are going to be inserted into a local content space in the programming data stream at some predetermined time, the method comprising:

receiving the programming data stream and the pieces of local content data;

storing a predetermined portion of the received pieces of the local content data based a predetermined criteria;

identifying a local content space in the programming data stream;

selecting a particular piece of local content to insert into the local content space in the programming data stream based on a plurality of predetermined preferences of a user;

retrieving said selected piece of local content from said storage means; and

inserting said selected piece of local content into said programming data stream at said local content space so that individualized local content is inserted into the programming data stream.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said receiving comprises receiving the local content data in the spare bandwidth not used by the programming data.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein said receiving comprises receiving said local content data at a predetermined time.

47. The method of claim 44 further comprises using a first receiver for said programming data and using a second receiver for the local content data so that the local content data is transmitted simultaneously with said programming data.

48. The method of claim 44, wherein said predetermined criteria comprises user preference signals.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said selecting further comprises comparing a content profile of each piece of local content data to a control signal within the local content space of the programming data.

50. The method of claim 44, wherein said programming data and said local content are compressed digital data streams.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein said inserting further comprises splicing two Motion Pictures Experts Group data streams together.

52. The method of claim 44, wherein said programming data and said local content are analog data streams.