System and method for insertion and modification of advertisements

• US 7,231,651 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2001
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accessify, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ta-Ching Pong
• Inventors: Pong, Ta-Ching
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US09/881,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20020194590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,185 Days
• Field of Search: 348584-589, 348598-600, 348563-565, 348/578, 348/592, 725/157, 725/32, 725 34- 36, 725/60, 725/61, 725/24, 725/132, 725/140, 725/152
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Advertisements or commercials are integrated into an entertainment program or display by designating locations or fields in the entertainment program or display into which targeted advertisements or commercials may in inserted and/or modified, so that the advertisements blend into the scene in which they are inserted without disrupting the entertainment program or display.

Claims

1. A method of delivering advertising and/or commercials to a user, viewer, or consumer via composite images displayed to the user, viewer, or consumer through a media display device, comprising the steps of:

displaying a program; and

inserting, while said program is being displayed, an advertisement into a selected portion of the displayed program, said advertisement being displayed in a manner appropriate to a content of the displayed program so that the advertisement appears to be a part of said content

wherein said program is an interactive program, said program having several possible paths, said paths being determined by responses by the user, viewer, or consumer to said content, and wherein said advertisement is updated based on said responses to said content, said responses to said content being submitted by the user, viewer, or consumer, via an interface device.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of inserting said advertisement comprises the step of merging a simulated image into the program.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said simulated image is merged using so-called “

blue screen”

technology.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein application of the blue screen technology involves adding blue coloring to portions of a real-life environment.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said real-life environment is a sports venue, and said coloring portions of the real-life environment are areas on which advertisements would normally be displayed, including areas selected from the group consisting of billboards, portions of a playing field, and surfaces of an airship, as well as portions of the sports venue on which advertisements may be displayed without detracting from viewing of a sporting event taking place at the venue.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said real-life environment is a setting of a musical event, and said advertisements are displayed on a background of a stage.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said advertisement is updated in real time.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said advertisement is updated by the content provider or advertisement sponsor.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user is given the option of performing on-line or off-line transactions in response to the advertisements.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a login process including the steps of:

a. determining an identity and location of the user;

b. organizing the identity and location information into a suitable information packet; and

c. storing the packet in the user'"'"'s computing device or in computing devices located in the premises of the provider.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said interface device is a computing device, and further comprising the steps of permitting the user to select whether to accept updating of the computing device.

12. A system of delivering advertising and/or commercials to a user, viewer, or consumer via composite images displayed to the user, viewer, or consumer through a media display device, comprising:

means for displaying a program; and

means for inserting, while said program is being displayed, an advertisement into a selected portion of the displayed program, said advertisement being displayed in a manner appropriate to a content of the displayed program so that the advertisement appears to be a part of said content, wherein said program is an interactive program, said program having several possible paths, said paths being determined by responses by the user, viewer, or consumer to said content, and wherein said advertisement is updated based on said responses to said content, said responses to said content being submitted by the user, viewer, or consumer, via an interface device.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said means for inserting said advertisement comprises means for merging a simulated image into a broadcast program.