Alternate method of showing commercials using personal video recorders
First Claim
1. A video playback system, comprising:
- a personal video recorder including user input controls which permit a user to control the operation of the personal video recorder; and
a television monitor coupled to said personal video recorder;
wherein said personal video recorder plays back a previously recorded broadcast stream on said television monitor, said previously recorded broadcast stream includes a main program and commercial content, said commercial content includes a commercial identifier, a standard commercial portion and an alternate commercial portion, wherein said personal video recorder plays back said main program on said television monitor in the absence of a commercial identifier, and wherein upon detection of a commercial identifier a user can select whether the personal video recorder plays back said standard commercial portion instead of said main program on said television monitor or plays back said alternate commercial portion concurrently with said main program on said television monitor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A recording and playback system comprising a personal video recorder (“PVR”) coupled to a television monitor. The PVR records a video broadcast stream which comprises main program information as well as commercial content. The commercial content includes commercial identifier values which indicate to the PVR the presence of commercial content. Thus, during playback on the monitor, the PVR monitors the recorded broadcast stream for the commercial identifiers to determine the presence of commercial content. A user can control the PVR to play back the recorded stream in a conventional manner in which commercials interrupt the main program information. Alternatively, the user can cause the PVR to play back the recorded broadcast stream in an alternate format in which the main program information continues to play concurrently with the commercial content.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A video playback system, comprising:
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a personal video recorder including user input controls which permit a user to control the operation of the personal video recorder; and a television monitor coupled to said personal video recorder; wherein said personal video recorder plays back a previously recorded broadcast stream on said television monitor, said previously recorded broadcast stream includes a main program and commercial content, said commercial content includes a commercial identifier, a standard commercial portion and an alternate commercial portion, wherein said personal video recorder plays back said main program on said television monitor in the absence of a commercial identifier, and wherein upon detection of a commercial identifier a user can select whether the personal video recorder plays back said standard commercial portion instead of said main program on said television monitor or plays back said alternate commercial portion concurrently with said main program on said television monitor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A video system, comprising:
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a personal video recorder including user input controls which permit a user to control the operation of the personal video recorder; a television monitor coupled to said personal video recorder; and a network connection coupled to said personal video recorder; wherein said personal video recorder plays back previously recorded programming on said television monitor, said previously recorded programming includes a main program and commercial content, said commercial content includes a commercial identifier, a standard commercial portion and a web page identifier, wherein said personal video recorder plays back said main program on said television monitor in the absence of a commercial identifier, and wherein upon detection of a commercial identifier a user can select whether the personal video recorder plays back said the standard commercial portion instead of said main program on said television monitor or plays back an alternate commercial portion downloaded from a network from a location corresponding to said web page identifier concurrently with said main program on said television monitor. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for showing commercial content while showing main program information, comprising;
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(a) recording a broadcast video stream comprising main program information and commercial content, said commercial content including a commercial identifier value, a standard commercial portion and an alternate commercial portion; (b) playing back said recorded broadcast stream on a television screen; (c) while playing back said recorded broadcast stream, examining the recorded stream for commercial identifier values; (d) in the absence of a commercial identifier playing back the main program information; (e) upon detection of a commercial identifier in a standard commercial user selected mode playing back the standard commercial portion instead of the main program information; and (f) upon detection of a commercial identifier in an alternate commercial user selected mode playing back the alternate commercial portion concurrently with the main program information. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for showing commercial content while showing main program information, comprising;
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(a) recording a broadcast video stream comprising main program information and commercial content, said commercial content including a commercial identifier value, a standard commercial portion and a web page identifier portion; (b) playing back said recorded broadcast stream on a television screen; (c) while playing back said recorded broadcast stream, examining the recorded stream for commercial identifier values; (d) in the absence of a commercial identifier playing back the main program information; (e) upon detection of a commercial identifier in a standard commercial user selected mode playing back the standard commercial portion instead of the main program information; and (f) upon detection of a commercial identifier in an alternate commercial mode playing back an alternate commercial portion downloaded from a network at a location corresponding to said web page identifier concurrently with the main program information. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification