Advertisements in an end-user controlled playback environment
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for displaying advertisements transmitted to a user unit, the method comprising:
- receiving, at the user unit, at least one advertisement tagged with a delay tag indicating the following;
whether display of the at least one advertisement can be delayed;
whether a user of the user unit can control display of said at least one advertisement; and
a non-advertising programming (NAP) threshold defining a maximum amount of NAP that may be displayed to the user of the user unit before the at least one advertisement must be displayed to the user of the user unit;
determining, at a first time, at the user unit, a first amount of NAP that has already been displayed to the user of the user unit;
displaying said at least one advertisement without delay if at least one of the following is true;
said delay tag does not allow delaying display of said at least one advertisement; and
said first amount of NAP is greater than or equal to said NAP threshold; and
determining whether said delay tag allows delaying display of said at least one advertisement, and if so performing the following;
a) storing said at least one advertisement at the user unit; and
b) determining, at a second time, later than said first time, at the user unit, a second amount of NAP that has already been displayed to the user of the user unit, and retrieving and displaying said at least one advertisement if said second amount of NAP that has already been displayed to the user of the user unit is greater than or equal to the NAP threshold.
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Abstract
This invention discloses a method for displaying advertisements transmitted to a user unit, the method includes receiving, at the user unit, at least one advertisement tagged with a delay tag indicating whether display of the at least one advertisement can be delayed and only if the delay tag allows delaying display of the at least one advertisement, storing the at least one advertisement at the user unit, retrieving the at least one advertisement and displaying the at least one advertisement. A billing system for reporting a commercial broadcast to a multiplicity of users is also disclosed.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method for displaying advertisements transmitted to a user unit, the method comprising:
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receiving, at the user unit, at least one advertisement tagged with a delay tag indicating the following;
whether display of the at least one advertisement can be delayed;
whether a user of the user unit can control display of said at least one advertisement; and
a non-advertising programming (NAP) threshold defining a maximum amount of NAP that may be displayed to the user of the user unit before the at least one advertisement must be displayed to the user of the user unit;determining, at a first time, at the user unit, a first amount of NAP that has already been displayed to the user of the user unit; displaying said at least one advertisement without delay if at least one of the following is true; said delay tag does not allow delaying display of said at least one advertisement; and said first amount of NAP is greater than or equal to said NAP threshold; and determining whether said delay tag allows delaying display of said at least one advertisement, and if so performing the following; a) storing said at least one advertisement at the user unit; and b) determining, at a second time, later than said first time, at the user unit, a second amount of NAP that has already been displayed to the user of the user unit, and retrieving and displaying said at least one advertisement if said second amount of NAP that has already been displayed to the user of the user unit is greater than or equal to the NAP threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A user unit for displaying transmitted advertisements, the user unit comprising:
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a receiver operative to receive at least one advertisement tagged with a delay tag indicating the following;
whether display of the at least one advertisement can be delayed;
whether a user of the user unit can control display of said at least one advertisement; and
a non-advertising programming (NAP) threshold defining a maximum amount of NAP that may be displayed to the user of the user unit before the at least one advertisement must be displayed to the user of the user unit;a memory; a display; and a controller operatively associated with said receiver, said memory and said display and operative; to determine, at a first time, at the user unit, a first amount of NAP that has already been displayed to the user of the user unit; to provide the at least one advertisement without delay to the display for display thereby if at least one of the following is true; the delay tag does not allow delaying display of the at least one advertisement; and said first amount of NAP is greater than or equal to said NAP threshold; and to determine whether said delay tag allows delaying display of said at least one advertisement, and if so to perform the following; a) to store said at least one advertisement in said memory; and b) to determine, at a second time, later than said first time, at the user unit, a second amount of NAP that has already been displayed to the user of the user unit, and to retrieve and display said at least one advertisement if said second amount of NAP that has already been displayed to the user of the user unit is greater than or equal to the NAP threshold. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A user unit for displaying transmitted advertisements, the user unit comprising:
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means for receiving at least one advertisement tagged with a delay tag indicating the following;
whether display of the at least one advertisement can be delayed;
whether a user of the user unit can control display of said at least one advertisement; and
a non-advertising programming (NAP) threshold defining a maximum amount of NAP that may be displayed to the user of the user unit before the at least one advertisement must be displayed to the user of the user unit;means for storing; means for displaying; and means for controlling associated with the means for receiving, the means for storing and the means for displaying, wherein the means for controlling; determines, at a first time, at the user unit, a first amount of NAP that has already been displayed to the user of the user unit; provides the at least one advertisement without delay to the means for displaying for display thereby if at least one of the following is true; the delay tag does not allow delaying display of the at least one advertisement; and said first amount of NAP is greater than or equal to said NAP threshold; and determines whether the delay tag allows delaying display of the at least one advertisement, and if so; a) the means for controlling stores said at least one advertisement in said means for storing; and b) the means for controlling determines, at a second time, later than said first time, at the user unit, a second amount of NAP that has already been displayed to the user of the user unit, and retrieves and displays said at least one advertisement if said second amount of NAP that has already been displayed to the user of the user unit is greater than or equal to the NAP threshold.
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Specification