Implementation of mandatory segments in multimedia content

• US 7,292,773 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2001
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fox Digital, Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Angel, Janevski
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/945,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20030044162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,254 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/52, 386/55, 386/65, 386/95, 386/68, 386/70, 709/247, 725/42
• US Class Current: 386/248
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Techniques are provided for enforcing mandatory segments in multimedia content. Generally, a command is received and it is determined if a duration of the command affects a mandatory segment of the multimedia content. If so, the command and the duration are used to determine if the mandatory segment should be enforced and, therefore, played to a user. Additionally, a segment lifetime and mandatory level add flexibility by providing additional options to enforce mandatory segments if certain predetermined conditions are met. Finally, mandatory segments that meet predetermined criteria may be replaced by additional mandatory segments.

Claims

1. A method for implementing mandatory segments in content, the method comprising:

receiving a command;

determining whether a duration of the command affects a mandatory segment in the content; and

determining whether the mandatory segment is to be played based on the command and the duration.

2. The method of claim 1, including:

having an advertiser pay a first amount to have the mandatory segment viewed a first number of times; and

having a user pay a second amount; and

wherein determining whether the mandatory segment is to be played includes comparing the first amount to the second amount.

3. The method of claim 1, including marking the mandatory segment as mandatory.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the content includes multimedia content.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein marking the mandatory segment as mandatory includes providing two data elements, the first data element indicating where in the content the mandatory segment starts, and the second data element indicating where in the content the mandatory segment ends.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of the command is immediately determinable.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of the command is determinable after a time period elapses.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the command affects the mandatory segment when the duration ends in the mandatory segment, begins in the mandatory segment, encompasses the mandatory segment, or begins and ends in the mandatory segment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the mandatory segment is to be played includes:

determining whether the duration includes a portion of the mandatory segment; and

ensuring that the portion is played if the duration includes the portion.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the mandatory segment is to be played includes:

determining whether the command skips all of the mandatory segment;

determining an activation distance between a start of the duration of the command and the mandatory segment, when the command skips all of the mandatory segment; and

playing the mandatory segment when the activation distance is less than a predetermined amount.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the mandatory segment is to be played includes:

determining a present state when the command is received; and

determining whether the duration of the command causes a transition from the present state.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the mandatory segment is to be played includes:

providing a segment lifetime;

determining whether the mandatory segment has exceeded the segment lifetime; and

playing the mandatory segment if the mandatory segment has not exceeded the segment lifetime.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the segment lifetime includes a date range, and wherein the mandatory segment has not exceeded the segment lifetime if a current date is within the date range.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the segment lifetime includes a number of playing times, and wherein the mandatory segment has not exceeded the segment lifetime if a current number of times played is less than the number of playing times.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the mandatory segment is to be played includes:

providing a mandatory level; and

playing the mandatory segment if the mandatory level meets predetermined criteria.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the mandatory level comprises at least two levels;

a user pays to have a level assigned to the user; and

playing the mandatory segment if the mandatory level meets predetermined criteria includes playing the mandatory segment if the mandatory level is greater than the level assigned to the user.

17. The method of claim 1, including:

determining that a first mandatory segment needs to be replaced; and

replacing the first mandatory segment with a second mandatory segment having different content.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the first mandatory segment includes an associated segment lifetime,

determining that a first mandatory segment needs to be replaced includes determining that the mandatory segment has exceeded its segment lifetime, and

replacing the first mandatory segment with the second mandatory segment includes accessing a computer system having additional mandatory segments and receiving the second mandatory segment from the computer system.

19. A system comprising:

a memory that stores computer-readable code; and

a processor operatively coupled to the memory and configured to implement the computer-readable code to;

receive a command;

determine whether a duration of the command affects a mandatory segment in content; and

determine whether the mandatory segment is to be played based on the command and the duration.

20. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer-readable medium having computer-readable code, which when executed by a computer system performs a method comprising;

a step to receive a command;

a step to determine whether a duration of the command affects a mandatory segment in content; and

a step to determine whether the mandatory segment is to be played based on the command and the duration.

21. A system for implementing mandatory segments in content, the system comprising:

means for receiving a command;

means for determining whether a duration of the command affects a mandatory segment in the content; and

means for determining whether the mandatory segment is to be played based on the command and the duration.