System and method for content delivery with multiple embedded messages

• US 8,332,885 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Williamson, Louis, Riedl, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEWLIN, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US12/250,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20100095323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/89, 725/86, 725/87
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/30 by a single channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/78 CATV [Community Antenna Television] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26275 for distributing content or additional data in a staggered manner, e.g. repeating movies on different channels in a time-staggered manner in a near video on demand system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A digital video program is obtained. The program includes: (i) at least one broadcast segmentation message specifying at least one location for at least one broadcast advertisement, and (ii) at least one time-shifted segmentation message specifying at least one location for at least one time-shifted advertisement. The program is broadcast with at least one broadcast advertisement in accordance with the at least one broadcast segmentation message, and is made available to a subscriber at a time after the broadcasting, with at least one time-shifted advertisement in accordance with the at least one time-shifted segmentation message.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

obtaining, by an operator of a content network, from an external programming source, a digital video program, said program including;

(i) at least one broadcast segmentation message, inserted therein by said external programming source, specifying at least one location for at least one broadcast advertisement, and (ii) at least one time-shifted segmentation message, of a different type than said broadcast segmentation message, inserted therein by said external programming source, specifying at least one location for at least one time-shifted advertisement;

said operator of said content network broadcasting said program with at least one broadcast advertisement in accordance with said at least one broadcast segmentation message, while ignoring said at least one time-shifted segmentation message; and

said operator of said content network making said program available to a subscriber at a time after said broadcasting, with at least one time-shifted advertisement in accordance with said at least one time-shifted segmentation message, while ignoring said at least one broadcast segmentation message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in said obtaining step, said broadcast segmentation message and said time-shifted segmentation message conform to American National Standards Institute and Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers ANSI/SCTE 35 standard.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, in said obtaining step, said broadcast segmentation message and said time-shifted segmentation message each have a message type field, further comprising:

responsive to said program being broadcast, said operator of said content network giving effect to said at least one broadcast segmentation message inserted therein by said external programming source, and ignoring said at least one time-shifted segmentation message, based on a value of said message type field indicating a broadcast type; and

responsive to said program being made available to said subscriber at said time after said broadcasting, said operator of said content network giving effect to said at least one time-shifted segmentation message inserted therein by said external programming source, and ignoring said at least one broadcast segmentation message, based on a value of said message type field indicating a time-shifted type.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one time-shifted segmentation message specifies a start time and an end time for said at least one time-shifted advertisement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one time-shifted segmentation message comprises a first time-shifted segmentation message specifying a start of said at least one time-shifted advertisement; and

said program further includes a second time-shifted segmentation message specifying an end of said at least one time-shifted advertisement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, in said step of making said program available to said subscriber at said time after said broadcasting, with said at least one time-shifted advertisement in accordance with said at least one time-shifted segmentation message, said at least one time-shifted advertisement is targeted.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one time-shifted advertisement is targeted based on calendar time.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one time-shifted advertisement is targeted based on viewer identity.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one time-shifted advertisement is targeted based on contents of said program.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the additional step of soliciting said external programming source of said digital video program to insert therein:

(i) said at least one broadcast segmentation message specifying said at least one location for said at least one broadcast advertisement, and (ii) said at least one time-shifted segmentation message specifying said at least one location for said at least one time-shifted advertisement.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one time-shifted segmentation message specifies said at least one location for said at least one time-shifted advertisement at a location identical to said location for said at least one broadcast advertisement.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one time-shifted segmentation message specifies said at least one location for said at least one time-shifted advertisement at a location different than said location for said at least one broadcast advertisement.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein, in said obtaining step, said digital video program has said at least one broadcast advertisement embedded therein.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein, in said obtaining step, said digital video program does not have said at least one broadcast advertisement embedded therein, further comprising the additional step of inserting said broadcast advertisement therein, in accordance with said at least one broadcast segmentation message.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one time-shifted segmentation message comprises a business logic field specifying business rules for said at least one time-shifted advertisement.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said business rules permanently forbid said at least one time-shifted advertisement replacing said broadcast advertisement.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said business rules forbid said at least one time-shifted advertisement replacing said broadcast advertisement, for a pre-determined time period.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said business rules permit said at least one time-shifted advertisement to replace said broadcast advertisement, provided that said at least one time-shifted advertisement is from a sponsor identical to that of said broadcast advertisement.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said at least one time-shifted advertisement is seasonally adjusted.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said business rules permit said at least one time-shifted advertisement to replace said broadcast advertisement, provided that said at least one time-shifted advertisement is not adverse to business interests of a sponsor of said broadcast advertisement.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein said business rules are specified as codes in said business logic field, with a corresponding look-up table.

22. A method comprising the steps of:

embedding, in a digital video program, by a programming source external to a content network, at least one broadcast segmentation message specifying at least one location for at least one broadcast advertisement, said at least one broadcast segmentation message specifying that it is to be given effect by an operator of a content network during broadcast of said digital video program and ignored when said digital video program is to be made available to a subscriber of said content network after said broadcast;

embedding, in said digital video program, by said programming source external to said content network, at least one time-shifted segmentation message specifying at least one location for at least one time-shifted advertisement, said at least one time-shifted segmentation message being of a different type than said broadcast segmentation message, said type specifying that said at least one time-shifted segmentation message is to be ignored by said operator of said content network during said broadcast of said digital video program and given effect when said digital video program is to be made available to said subscriber of said content network after said broadcast; and

sending said digital video program, from said programming source external to said content network, with both;

(i) said at least one broadcast segmentation message specifying said at least one location for said at least one broadcast advertisement, and

(ii) said at least one time-shifted segmentation message specifying said at least one location for said at least one time-shifted advertisement,

embedded therein, to said operator of said content network.

23. A system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to said memory, and operative to;

obtain, at a facility of an operator of a content network, from an external programming source, a digital video program, said program including;

(i) at least one broadcast segmentation message, inserted therein by said external programming source, specifying at least one location for at least one broadcast advertisement, and (ii) at least one time-shifted segmentation message, of a different type than said broadcast segmentation message, inserted therein by said external programming source, specifying at least one location for at least one time-shifted advertisement;

broadcast said program, from said facility of said operator of said content network, over said content network, with at least one broadcast advertisement in accordance with said at least one broadcast segmentation message, while ignoring said at least one time-shifted segmentation message; and

make said program available to a subscriber at a time after said broadcasting, from said facility of said operator of said content network, over said content network, with at least one time-shifted advertisement in accordance with said at least one time-shifted segmentation message, while ignoring said at least one broadcast segmentation message.

24. A system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to said memory, and operative to;

embed, in a digital video program, at a program source external to a content network, at least one broadcast segmentation message specifying at least one location for at least one broadcast advertisement, said at least one broadcast segmentation message specifying that it is to be given effect by an operator of a content network during broadcast of said digital video program and ignored when said digital video program is to be made available to a subscriber of said content network after said broadcast;

embed, in said digital video program, at said program source external to said content network, at least one time-shifted segmentation message specifying at least one location for at least one time-shifted advertisement, said at least one time-shifted segmentation message being of a different type than said broadcast segmentation message, said type specifying that said at least one time-shifted segmentation message is to be ignored by said operator of said content network during said broadcast of said digital video program and given effect when said digital video program is to be made available to said subscriber of said content network after said broadcast; and

send said digital video program, from said programming source external to said content network, with both;

(i) said at least one broadcast segmentation message specifying said at least one location for said at least one broadcast advertisement, and

(ii) said at least one time-shifted segmentation message specifying said at least one location for said at least one time-shifted advertisement,

embedded therein, to said operator of said content network.

25. A system comprising:

means for obtaining, by an operator of a content network, from an external programming source, a digital video program, said program including;

(i) at least one broadcast segmentation message, inserted therein by said external programming source, specifying at least one location for at least one broadcast advertisement, and (ii) at least one time-shifted segmentation message, of a different type than said broadcast segmentation message, inserted therein by said external programming source, specifying at least one location for at least one time-shifted advertisement;

means for said operator of said content network broadcasting said program with at least one broadcast advertisement in accordance with said at least one broadcast segmentation message, while ignoring said at least one time-shifted segmentation message; and

means for said operator of said content network making said program available to a subscriber at a time after said broadcasting, with at least one time-shifted advertisement in accordance with said at least one time-shifted segmentation message, while ignoring said at least one broadcast segmentation message;

wherein each of said means comprise at least one of;

a hardware module; and

a software module, tangibly embodied in a non-transitory manner on a tangible, computer-readable, recordable storage medium, and executing on at least one hardware processor.

26. A system comprising:

means for embedding, in a digital video program, by a programming source external to a content network, at least one broadcast segmentation message specifying at least one location for at least one broadcast advertisement, said at least one broadcast segmentation message specifying that it is to be given effect by an operator of a content network during broadcast of said digital video program and ignored when said digital video program is to be made available to a subscriber of said content network after said broadcast;

means for embedding, in said digital video program, by said programming source external to said content network, at least one time-shifted segmentation message specifying at least one location for at least one time-shifted advertisement, said at least one time-shifted segmentation message being of a different type than said broadcast segmentation message, said type specifying that said at least one time-shifted segmentation message is to be ignored by said operator of said content network during said broadcast of said digital video program and given effect when said digital video program is to be made available to said subscriber of said content network after said broadcast; and

means for sending said digital video program, from said programming source external to said content network, with both;

(i) said at least one broadcast segmentation message specifying said at least one location for said at least one broadcast advertisement, and

(ii) said at least one time-shifted segmentation message specifying said at least one location for said at least one time-shifted advertisement,

embedded therein, to said operator of said content network;

wherein each of said means comprise at least one of;

a hardware module; and

a software module, tangibly embodied in a non-transitory manner on a tangible, computer-readable, recordable storage medium, and executing on at least one hardware processor.