Advertisement at TV-transmission

• US 6,208,387 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1999
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Teliasonera AB
• Original Assignee: Telia AB (Government of Norway)
• Inventors: Bengtsson, Leif, Magnusson, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sajous, Wesner
• Application Number:
  US09/147,396
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.974, H04/N.576, 348/578, 348/580, 348/581, 348/582, 348/583, 348/584, 348/585, 348/588, 348/589, 348/590, 348/591, 348/592, 348/593, 348/600, 348/9, 348/135, 348/139, 348/157, 348/569, 345/327
• US Class Current: 348/578
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A device and method for generation of digital advertisement displays in real time in digital TV-transmissions. In such digital TV-transmissions, a digital coding of the image material is made before the transmission is made; this coding compresses the content of the image as much as possible to minimize necessary bandwidth utilization at transmission of the signals. In connection with this coding and by means of pattern recognition, different patterns are identified for predefined objects in the image material, such as for example identifying an object with an unique coloring. Via the pattern identification, the image coder obtains information via a table of what the original object looks like. Also included in the table is information about which advertisement display is to be placed inside the identified object. Thus, starting from the identified object in the image material and the original form of the identified object, the advertisement display is introduced into an image storage in a TV-receiver, and the image material is transformed. TV-viewers in this way see a virtual advertisement message in the TV-transmission.

Claims

1. Device for generation of digital advertisement displays in real time at digital TV-transmissions, comprising:

an image coder which is arranged, before said transmission of an image material, to identify and code different predefined objects in said image material by recognition of a pattern,

wherein said image coder, on the basis of said identification of said predefined object, via a table obtains original dimensions of said predefined object and an advertisement display is placed on an image place which corresponds to a position of said predefined object on the screen of a TV-receiver and said image coder upon identification of said predetermined object identifies a coloring of said object and different colorings are coded with different reference numbers at which said image coder looks for said reference number in said table.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein said table is arranged in an image storage of said coder.

3. Device according to claims 1 or 2, wherein on the basis of the color of the identified object with a specific reference number and original form of said object an advertisement display is transformed and introduced into the image storage.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein said table can be updated depending on which advertisement displays appear during any of said digital TV-transmissions.

9. Device according to claim 2, wherein said image coder at identification of said predefined object identifies the coloring of said object.

10. Device according to claim 2, wherein said table can be updated just as is wanted by an operator depending on which advertisement displays that shall appear during a TV-transmission.

11. Device according to claims 1 or 2, wherein said table can be updated just as is wanted by an operator depending on which advertisement displays that shall appear during a TV-transmission.

12. Device according to claims 1 or 2, wherein said table can be updated just as is wanted by an operator depending on which advertisement displays that shall appear during a TV-transmission.

13. Device according to claim 3, wherein said table can be updated just as is wanted by an operator depending on which advertisement displays that shall appear during a TV-transmission.

5. Method for generation of digital advertisement displays in real time at digital TV-transmissions, comprising the steps of:

coding by an image coder an image material before said digital TV-transmission of said image material, including the steps of,

identifying by pattern recognition predefined objects in said image material,

obtaining, based on said identified predefined object and via a table, information about dimensions of said predefined object and which advertisement display is to be placed into an image place which corresponds to a position of said predefined object on a screen of a TV-receiver; and

transmitting said information by means of transmission equipment to an image storage of the TV-receiver, after which a wanted specific advertisement display corresponding to the identified predefined object is shown on a screen of said TV-receiver,

wherein, at the step of identifying, a coloring of the predefined object is identified, at which said image coder on a basis of the coloring obtains said information about the dimensions and information about which advertisement display to apply and at the step of transmitting, on a basis of said coloring, dimensions, and applied advertisement display, said advertisement display is transformed and introduced into said image storage.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein said table is provided in a storage.

7. Method according to claim 5, wherein TV-viewers will see different virtual advertisement displays during the TV-transmission depending on the colouring of said predefined object.

8. Method according to claim 5, wherein said table is upgraded by an operator depending on which advertisement displays that shall be shown during the TV-transmission.

14. Method according to claim 6, wherein at identification and coding of said predefined object, the coloring of the object is identified, at which said image coder on the basis of identified coloring obtains information of what the original object looks like, and which advertisement display that shall be applied.

15. Method according to claim 6, wherein on the basis of said identified object in the storage, for instance “

3083”

, and original form said advertisement display is transformed and introduced into said image storage.

16. Method according to claims 5 or 6, wherein on the basis of said identified object in the storage, for instance “

3083”

, and original form, for instance said advertisement display is transformed and introduced into said image storage.

17. Device for generation of digital advertisement displays in real time at digital TV-transmissions, comprising:

an image coder configured, before said transmission of a digital image material, to identify and code different predefined objects in said digital image material by pattern recognition and, on identification of said predefined object, to obtain via a table information about original dimensions of said predefined object and about which advertisement display is placed into an image place which corresponds to a position of said predefined object on a screen of a TV-receiver; and

transmission equipment configured to transmit digitally said information to an image storage of a TV-receiver such that a specific advertisement corresponding to an identified predetermined object is shown on a screen of said TV-receiver.

18. Device according to claim 17, wherein said image coder comprises a storage including said table.

19. Device according to claim 18, wherein the storage comprises a RAM.

20. Device according to claims 17 or 18, wherein said image coder at identification of said predefined object is configured to identify the coloring of said predefined object.

21. Method for generation of digital advertisement displays in real time at digital TV-transmissions, comprising the steps of:

coding an image material before said digital TV-transmission of a said image material;

identifying by pattern recognition different predefined objects in said image material;

obtaining, on the basis of said identified predefined objects and a table, information about dimensions of said predefined objects and about which advertisement display is placed into an image place which corresponds to a position of one of said predefined objects on a screen of a TV-receiver;

transmitting digitally by means of transmission equipment said information to an image storage of the TV-receiver; and

displaying the advertisement display inside said one of said predefined objects on a screen of said TV-receiver.

22. Method according to claim 21, wherein the step of obtaining comprises the step of:

providing said table in a storage.

23. Method according to claim 22, wherein the step of providing said table comprises the step of:

providing a RAM-storage in said image coder.