Systems and methods for distribution of entertainment and advertising content

• US 8,112,311 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2002
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zarbana Digital Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ochoa Optics LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hunter, Charles E., Ballou, Bernard L. Jr., Hebrank, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US10/035,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20020124251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,686 Days
• Field of Search: 725/42, 725/34, 725/36, 705/14.71, 705/14.49, 705/14.53, 705/14.58, 705/14.66, 705/14.67, 705/14.72, 386/241, 386/249, 386/250
• US Class Current: 705/14.71
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/24056 Light transmission layers lying on the light entrance side and being thinner than the substrate, e.g. specially adapted for Blu-ray® discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/254 of protective topcoat layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/257 of layers having properties involved in recording or reproduction, e.g. optical interference layers or sensitising layers or dielectric layers, which are protecting the recording layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/258 of reflective layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/10 Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• 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 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 : Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 : Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 : involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 : by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 : Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A device for generating audiovisual display signals, including a first input terminal receiving content signals representative of an audiovisual event, the signals including insertion points indicating the output of an advertisement, a second input terminal receiving ad signals representative of an advertisement, a first buffer storing the ad signals, and a processor converting the content signals into display signals of the event and converting ad signals stored in the first buffer into display signals of an advertisement upon detection of an insertion point.

Claims

1. A method for displaying advertisements at a user location, comprising:

displaying entertainment content at the user location, the entertainment content including one or more insertion points;

receiving a plurality of advertisements at the user location; and

inserting, at the user location, at least one of the received plurality of advertisements into a first insertion point of the entertainment content, wherein the inserted at least one of the received plurality of advertisements is selected based on user preferences from a plurality of user locations and in accordance with a winning bid of an advertiser in an auction.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a pre-recorded medium containing the entertainment content and storing the medium at the user location.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

receiving entertainment content on a medium having a hardware security feature such that display of the entertainment content is possible only upon a player device including hardware compatible with the hardware security feature.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

receiving the entertainment content on a medium that comprises a disk having a diameter greater than about 125 mm and less than 300 mm.

5. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

receiving the entertainment content on a medium that comprises a disk having data recorded on a reflective layer and an optically transmissive coating having a total transmission at 635 nm or less than a predetermined minimum transmission.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

cachinge a subset of received advertisements at the user location.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

selecting at least one of the cached advertisements based upon the user preferences,

wherein the displaying at least one of the selected advertisements comprises displaying the selected cached advertisements.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the entertainment content from a source remote from the user location.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

selecting a subset of the received advertisements based upon the user preferences comprises selecting a received advertisement based on the user preferences from a plurality of user locations in accordance with a purchase transaction by an advertiser.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting an advertisement into the first insertion point is deemed appropriate based on a subscription level of the user.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

continuing display of the entertainment content without displaying an advertisement during a second insertion point, wherein the display of an advertisement during the second insertion point is deemed inappropriate based on the subscription level of a user.

12. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for displaying advertisements at a user location, the instructions comprising:

instructions to display entertainment content at the user location, the entertainment content including one or more insertion points;

instructions to receive a plurality of advertisements at the user location; and

instructions to insert, at the user location, at least one of the received plurality of advertisements into a first insertion point of the entertainment content, wherein the inserted at least one of the received plurality of advertisements is selected based on user preferences from a plurality of user locations and in accordance with a winning bid of an advertiser in an auction.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to receive a pre-recorded medium containing the entertainment content and storing the medium at the user location.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to receive entertainment content on a medium having a hardware security feature such that display of the entertainment content is possible only upon a player device including hardware compatible with the hardware security feature.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to cache a subset of received advertisements at the user location.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to select at least one of the cached advertisements based upon the user preferences; and

wherein the displaying at least one of the selected advertisements comprises displaying the selected cached advertisements.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein insertion of an advertisement into the first insertion point is deemed appropriate based on a subscription level of the user.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, the instructions further comprising:

instructions to continue display of the entertainment content without displaying an advertisement during a second insertion point, wherein the display of an advertisement during the second insertion point is deemed inappropriate based on the subscription level of a user.

19. A system for displaying advertisements at a user location, the system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a plurality of advertisements at the user location; and

a device configured to;

display entertainment content at the user location, the entertainment content including one or more insertion points, and

insert, at the user location, at least one of the received plurality of advertisements into a first insertion point of the entertainment content, wherein the inserted at least one of the received plurality of advertisements is selected based on user preferences from a plurality of user locations and in accordance with a winning bid of an advertiser in an auction.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a pre-recorded medium containing the entertainment content and storing the medium at the user location.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive entertainment content on a medium having a hardware security feature such that display of the entertainment content is possible only upon a player device including hardware compatible with the hardware security feature.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a storage medium configured to cache a subset of received advertisements at the user location.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a computing device configured to select at least one of the cached advertisements based upon the user preferences; and

wherein the displaying at least one of the selected advertisements comprises displaying the selected cached advertisements.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein insertion of an advertisement into the first insertion point is deemed appropriate based on a subscription level of the user.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the device is further configured to continue display of the entertainment content without displaying an advertisement during a second insertion point, wherein the display of an advertisement during the second insertion point is deemed inappropriate based on the subscription level of a user.

26. A system for displaying advertisements at a user location, the system comprising:

means for displaying entertainment content at the user location, the entertainment content including one or more insertion points;

means for receiving a plurality of advertisements at the user location; and

means for inserting, at the user location, the selected at least one of the received plurality of advertisements into a first insertion point of the entertainment content, wherein the inserted at least one of the received plurality of advertisements is selected based on user preferences from a plurality of user locations and in accordance with a winning bid of an advertiser in an auction.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the means for receiving comprises a means for receiving a pre-recorded medium containing the entertainment content and storing the medium at the user location.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the means for receiving comprises a means for receiving entertainment content on a medium having a hardware security feature such that display of the entertainment content is possible only upon a player device including hardware compatible with the hardware security feature.

29. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

means for caching a subset of received advertisements at the user location.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

means for selecting at least one of the cached advertisements based upon the user preferences; and

wherein the displaying at least one of the selected advertisements comprises displaying the selected cached advertisements.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein insertion of an advertisement into the first insertion point is deemed appropriate based on a subscription level of the user.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

means for continuing display of the entertainment content without displaying an advertisement during a second insertion point, wherein the display of an advertisement during the second insertion point is deemed inappropriate based on the subscription level of a user.