System and method for modifying broadcast signals in closed circuit systems
First Claim
1. A system for modifying a first television signal to produce a second television signal that is displayed by a video display unit upon being received by the video display unit, the system comprising:
- a plurality of displays in a locale, each display having a video input;
a memory unit that stores information corresponding to an alternate television commercial signal;
a control unit that is coupled to the memory unit and receives the first television signal, the control unit comprising an output connected to the inputs of the plurality of displays;
wherein the first television signal includes at least, during a first time period, a television program signal and, during subsequent time periods, a first commercial signal and a second commercial signal;
wherein, upon a first condition being met, the control unit substitutes the alternate commercial signal based upon the stored information for at least one of the first and second commercial signals to produce a second television signal;
wherein the control unit substitutes the alternate commercial signal for the second commercial signal;
wherein the alternate commercial signal includes display information specific to the locale; and
wherein the first condition is detection of at least one blank period within the first television signal by the control unit, wherein video and audio are in a neutral state during the at least one blank period.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are disclosed for modifying a television broadcast signal. In one embodiment, the system includes a memory that stores an alternate commercial signal, and a controller that is coupled to the memory and receives the broadcast signal. The broadcast signal includes a program signal and commercial signals. The controller substitutes the alternate commercial signal for one of the commercial signals upon determining that a first condition has been met, for example, upon the sensing two video/audio blank periods in the broadcast signal separated by a predetermined time period. In another embodiment, a broadcast signal including a series of screen signals alternating with a series of blanking signals is embedded, at an upstream location, with additional information relating to alternate commercials or commands during the blanking signals. At a downstream location, a controller processes the additional information and modifies the broadcast signal in response.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A system for modifying a first television signal to produce a second television signal that is displayed by a video display unit upon being received by the video display unit, the system comprising:
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a plurality of displays in a locale, each display having a video input; a memory unit that stores information corresponding to an alternate television commercial signal; a control unit that is coupled to the memory unit and receives the first television signal, the control unit comprising an output connected to the inputs of the plurality of displays; wherein the first television signal includes at least, during a first time period, a television program signal and, during subsequent time periods, a first commercial signal and a second commercial signal; wherein, upon a first condition being met, the control unit substitutes the alternate commercial signal based upon the stored information for at least one of the first and second commercial signals to produce a second television signal; wherein the control unit substitutes the alternate commercial signal for the second commercial signal; wherein the alternate commercial signal includes display information specific to the locale; and wherein the first condition is detection of at least one blank period within the first television signal by the control unit, wherein video and audio are in a neutral state during the at least one blank period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for modifying a first television signal to produce a second television signal that is displayed by a video display unit upon being received by the video display unit, the system comprising:
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a plurality of displays in a locale, each display having a video input; a memory unit that stores information corresponding to an alternate television commercial signal; a control unit that is coupled to the memory unit and receives the first television signal, the control unit comprising an output connected to the inputs of the plurality of displays; wherein the first television signal includes at least, during a first time period, a television program signal and, during subsequent time periods, a first commercial signal and a second commercial signal; wherein, upon a first condition being met, the control unit substitutes the alternate commercial signal based upon the stored information for at least one of the first and second commercial signals to produce the second television signal; wherein the alternate commercial signal includes display information specific to the locale; and wherein the control unit includes a buffer in which the control unit stores a segment of the first television broadcast signal upon receiving that segment;
so that the control unit is able to analyze the segment for at least one of the first and second commercial signals prior to substituting the alternate commercial signal, and wherein the second television signal is delayed with respect to the first television signal.
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14. A method of modifying a first television broadcast signal to produce at least one second television signal, the method comprising:
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receiving a first television signal from a broadcasting source, wherein the first television broadcast signal includes a plurality of information signals including at least one program signal and at least one commercial signal; monitoring the first television signal for a detectable event within the first television signal, wherein the detectable event occurs after the at least one commercial signal; substituting an alternate commercial signal for at least one other commercial signal to produce a second television signal on a plurality of displays in a locale when the detectable event is detected from the monitored first television signal, wherein the alternate commercial signal includes display information specific to the locale; and outputting the second television signal. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A video display apparatus comprising:
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at least one display having a video input; a switch having a first input connected to receive a first video signal, a second input connected to receive a second video signal, and an output connected to the video input of the at least one display; a detection device connected to monitor the first video signal and configured to identify detectable events of the first video signal, the detectable events comprising blank periods absent video or audio information; a controller configured to control the switch to selectively transmit the first video signal and the second video signal, based upon identified detectable events of the first video signal; and wherein the at least one display includes a number of displays in a locale and the second video signal includes display information specific to the locale. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for configuring a video system to display user-selectable video signals:
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receiving a first video signal into a local region; connecting a monitoring device to the first video signal to identify commercial events of the first video signal; receiving at least one user-selected second video signal; and configuring a switch to output the first video signal during non-commercial events and output the at least one user-selected second video signal during at least one commercial event of the first video signal; connecting the switch to at least one display in the local region, wherein the at least one display includes a number of displays and the at least one user-selected second video includes display information specific to the local region; and wherein connecting the monitoring device to the first video signal includes configuring the monitoring device to identify commercial events by detecting blank periods of the first video signal, wherein the blank periods do not comprise video and audio information. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A signal interruption system comprising:
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a video input connected to receive a broadcast signal; a detection device connected to the video input and configured to monitor the broadcast signal for blank periods in which the broadcast signals are in a black, default, or neutral state; a memory unit connected to receive and store at least one user-selected alternate video signal via at least one of a memory device and a computer network connection; a switch configured to control a video feed to at least one display, the switch connected to receive the broadcast signal and the alternate signal, wherein the at least one display includes a number of displays in a locale and the at least one user-selected alternate video includes display information specific to the locale; and a controller connected to the detection device and configured to identify a period of time between a pair of the blank periods, wherein the control system is configured to control the switch to substitute the at least one user-selected alternate video signal for the broadcast signal in the video feed if the period of time between the pair of blank periods corresponds to a commercial time period.
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Specification