Alternative advertising in prerecorded media

• US 8,290,351 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2001
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E, LLC
• Original Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E., Inc.
• Inventors: Deitrich, Robert F., Eldering, Charles A., Ryder, Douglas J., Lustig, Herbert M., Plotnick, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/006,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20020144262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,989 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/68, 386/70, 386/71, 386/95, 386/126, 348/565
• US Class Current: 386/344
• 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: G11B 27/036 Insert-editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440236 by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures, audio is converted into text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/60 : Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client , e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 : Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/87 : Regeneration of colour television signals H04N9/80 takes precedence

Abstract

Presenting viewers with an alternative brief version of a recorded advertisement when they choose to fast-forward through or skip (or any other trick play event) the recorded advertisement. The alternative advertisement may be displayed instead of or in conjunction with the recorded advertisement (i.e., fast-forwarding advertisement is displayed in one portion of the screen (i.e., background or portion of a split screen) and the alternative brief version is displayed in another portion). The alternative brief version of the advertisement (trick play advertisement) may be a marketing message that is a static screen presenting a logo or a portion of the recorded advertisement, or may be a condensed version of the actual advertisement. The trick play advertisements may be targeted. An alternate or entirely unrelated advertisement can also be displayed as the trick play advertisement.

Claims

1. A system for displaying an alternative advertisement to a subscriber when the subscriber fast forwards through a recorded advertisement, the system comprising:

means for detecting a fast forward event during playback of the recorded advertisement wherein said means for detecting detects an end of the fast forward event and an initiation of the fast forward event during playback of the recorded advertisement;

means for displaying the alternative advertisement to the subscriber, wherein the means for displaying stops displaying the alternative advertisement at the end of the fast forward event; and

means for automatically controlling the fast forward event, wherein if said means for detecting detects the end of the fast forward event prior to end of the recorded advertisement,

said means for automatically controlling will continue to fast forward the recorded advertisement until the end of the recorded advertisement, and

said means for displaying will continue to display the alternative advertisement until the end of the recorded advertisement.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for displaying superimposes the alternative advertisement over the fast forwarded recorded advertisement.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for displaying superimposes the fast forwarded recorded advertisement over the alternative advertisement.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for detecting detects a start of a recorded advertisement during the fast forward event.

2. A system for displaying an alternative advertisement to a subscriber when the subscriber fast forwards through a recorded advertisement, the system comprising:

means for detecting a fast forward event during playback of the recorded advertisement;

means for displaying the alternative advertisement to the subscriber; and

means for automatically pausing the fast forward event, wherein said means for detecting also detects an end of the fast forwarded recorded advertisement; and

wherein

if said means for displaying has not completely displayed the alternative advertisement prior to a detection of the end of the fast forwarding recorded advertisement by said means for detecting,

said means for automatically pausing will pause the fast forward event until the display of the alternative advertisement is complete.

3. A system for displaying an alternative advertisement to a subscriber when the subscriber fast forwards through a recorded advertisement, the system comprising:

means for detecting a fast forward event during playback of the recorded advertisement; and

means for displaying the alternative advertisement to the subscriber;

means for ignoring the fast forward event, wherein said means for detecting also detects point in the recorded advertisement that the fast forward event is initiated, and wherein

said means for ignoring will ignore the fast forward event for the recorded advertisement based on the point of initiation if the point of initiation occurs outside of a predefined period from a start of the recorded advertisement, the predefined period being a percentage of total time of recorded advertisement; and

said means for displaying will not display the alternative advertisement if the fast forward event is ignored.