Distributing television advertisements over the internet

• US 6,912,504 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 06/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BlackArrow Inc.
• Original Assignee: BlackArrow Inc.
• Inventors: Rashkovskiy, Oleg B.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAMPAGNE, DONALD
• Application Number:
  US09/560,458
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.68
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A client processor-based system may receive software from a web site server as well as information about when commercial advertisements will be distributed over video distribution systems. This information may be used by the client processor-based system to automatically record commercial broadcast from a video distribution system. The recorded commercial broadcast may then be automatically replayed in the course of using content or services received in return for playing the commercial advertisement.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting an event;

in response to the detection of an event, automatically accessing an advertisement distributed over a first medium;

accessing content from a second medium;

displaying said advertisement in association with the content from said second medium; and

interrupting said content and displaying said advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically accessing the advertisement includes accessing over the second medium, information about when the advertisement is to be distributed over the first medium.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein detecting the event includes comparing the current time with the time when the advertisement is to be distributed over the first medium.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically accessing the advertisement includes automatically accessing the advertisement in response to an elapsed period of time.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing said advertisement further includes automatically accessing the advertisement over a television distribution system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing content further includes accessing content over the Internet.

7. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to:

detect an event;

access an advertisement distributed over a first medium in response to the event;

provide access to content from a second medium;

display the advertisement in association with the content from the second medium; and

interrupt the content and display the advertisement.

8. The article of claim 7 further storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to access information over a second medium about when the advertisement is to be distributed over the first medium.

9. The article of claim 7 further storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to access the content over the Internet.

10. A system comprising:

a first interface that automatically accesses an advertisement distributed over a first medium;

a second interface that accesses content over a second medium; and

a processor coupled to said interfaces to provide access to said content with said advertisement.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the first interface includes an interface to a television distribution system.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the second interface includes an interface to the Internet.