Enhanced TV broadcasting method and system using tags for incorporating local content into a program data stream

• US 7,039,933 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Menon, Jai, Lipscomb, James S., Chen, Shu-Chun Jeane, Zhang, Liang-Jie, Liu, Lurng-Kuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BELIVEAU, SCOTT E
• Application Number:
  US09/725,009
• Time in Patent Office: 1,981 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32- 36
• US Class Current: 725/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• 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 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• 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 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

A system, method and program product uses tags as markers for incorporating local content in a communications stream, e.g., TV broadcast, cable transmission. A transmitter generates a communication stream including program content for transmission to a receiver. The transmitter includes an authoring tool for generating two types of tags for incorporation into the program content. The receiver captures the program content and stores the tags in tables. One type of tag initiates local action in the program content in the communication stream. A second type of tag is capable of modifying the first type of tag in the tables. When the time for a local action according to a first type of tag is detected, the program content is interrupted by splicing or inserting the local content.

Claims

1. A system for incorporating local content into a communication stream, comprising:

a) means for transmitting a communication stream including program content to a receiver;

b) means for inserting in the program content one or more first tags and one or more second tags;

c) means for capturing the program content at the receiver and storing the one or more first tags and the one or more second tags in tables;

d) means for processing the one or more second tags in the tables to modify at least a portion of at least one of the one or more first tags in the tables; and

e) means for processing the one or more first tags in the tables to insert local contest in place of the program content for re-transmission to the local area served by the receiver, wherein the processing means comprises;

a supervisor for scanning the tables; and

means for detecting a scheduled time in the program content for initiating and transmitting local action described in the one or more first tags.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

f) means for authoring the one or more first tags and the one or more second tags and inserting them into the program content.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

g) means for scheduling the one or more first tags in the program content for local action.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the tables comprise:

a first table means in the receiver for storing the one or more first tags; and

a second table means for storing the one or more second tags.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more first tags comprises means for identifying local content for splicing or replacing program content.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more first tags and the one or more second tags comprise a header, tag type and local action.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for inserting tags in the program content comprises an authoring tool generating the one or more first tags and the one or more second tags.