Searchable television commercials

• US 8,359,611 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2005
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, David Phillip, Kaminsky, David Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cheng, Peter
• Application Number:
  US11/075,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20060218576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,877 Days
• Field of Search: 725/23, 725 34- 36, 725/42, 725 46- 47, 705/14, 370/420, 370/432, 370/486, 370/487
• US Class Current: 725/32
• 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 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for indexing commercials. A viewer may query a search engine for a particular product or service. The index may include descriptors that are provided within a blanking interval within the media stream or within program guide information associated with the stream. The index information may also include Internet hyperlinks. Commercials may also have associated therewith a value that is relative to a value of media content. A viewer may accumulate value by viewing advertisements. Accumulated value may then be used to acquire more content.

Claims

1. A method, operable on a server, for providing access to advertising within a media stream, the method comprising:

identifying descriptors to be embedded into at least one media stream and to be used for indexing a commercial among a plurality of commercials;

creating an index of the descriptors;

embedding the descriptors into at least one media stream to identify the commercial for indexing among a plurality of commercials and searching the index of the plurality of commercials, the descriptors being embedded within a blanking interval between a program and the commercial;

receiving, at the server, a request for a commercial from a first user, the request including a keyword query;

searching at least one stored media stream for commercials matching the request;

presenting at least one commercial matching the request to the first user;

responsive to selection of one commercial within the at least one commercial, delivering the selected commercial to a user;

recording points earned by the first user for viewing the delivered commercial, wherein the delivered commercial is assigned points;

receiving an assignment of points from the first user for at least a second user; and

assigning the points to the second user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the descriptors are a part of program guide data and allow indexing of the at least one commercial using the descriptors.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, by the server, a point cost for a selected television program.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising providing, by the server, access to the selected television program if the account balance is greater than the point cost.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying, by the television device, a point value for the selected commercial responsive to playing the selected commercial to the first user.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising adding, by the television device, the point value to the account balance of the first user.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising providing, by the television device, access to television content based on the point value.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein responsive to a period of time expiring without the first user accessing content, adding a predetermined point value to an account balance of the user for each period of time expiring, the point value being based on an identification of the first user.

9. A system for providing access to advertising within a media stream, the system comprising:

a server configured for;

identifying descriptors to be embedded into at least one media stream and to be used for indexing a commercial among a plurality of commercials;

creating an index of the descriptors;

embedding the descriptors into at least one media stream to identify the commercial for indexing among the plurality of commercials and searching the index of the plurality of commercials;

at least one stored media stream searchable for commercials matching a request, the at least one stored media stream including a recorded television stream including at least one commercial, the request comprising a keyword query; and

at least one of a server and a television device for presenting at least one commercial matching the request, the at least one of a server and a television device configured to play a selected television commercial to a user and identify a point value for the at least one commercial, the point value being based on identification credentials associated with the user, the at least one of the server and the television device providing access to television content based on the point value, wherein the user assigns points to at least one other user.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one of the server and the television device comprises:

a component for identifying an account balance for the user;

a component for adding the point value to the account balance;

a component for determining a point cost for a selected television program;

a component for providing access to the selected television program if the account balance is greater than the point cost; and

a component, responsive to a period of time expiring without the user accessing television content, for adding a predetermined point value to the account balance for each period of time expiring.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one commercial has descriptors associated therewith, the descriptors being part of program guide data embedded within the blanking interval, the at least one commercial being entered in an index using the descriptors, a predetermined point value being assigned to each commercial, access to media content being based on a point value assigned to the media content.

12. A computer usable storage medium device having computer usable program code embodied therein to allow access to advertising, the computer usable storage medium device comprising:

computer usable program code configured to identify descriptors to be embedded into at least one media stream and to be used for indexing a commercial among a plurality of commercials;

computer usable program code configured to create an index of the descriptors;

computer usable program code configured to embed the descriptors into at least one media stream to identify the commercial for indexing among the plurality of commercials and searching the index of the plurality of commercials, the descriptors being embedded within a blanking interval between a program and the commercial;

computer usable program code configured to receive a request from a first user for a commercial viewable on one of a television, a computing device and a communications device;

computer usable program code configured to search for any commercial corresponding to the request;

computer usable program code configured to present any commercial corresponding to the request to the first user; and

computer usable program code configured to record points earned for viewing any commercial with assigned points

computer usable program code configured to receive assignments of points from the first user for at least a second user; and

computer usable program code configured to assign the points to the second user.

13. The computer usable storage medium device according to claim 12, further comprising computer usable program code configured to search for any commercial corresponding to the request using an index.

14. The computer usable storage medium device according to claim 12, further comprising computer usable program code configured to search for any commercials indexed using a descriptor in program guide data.

15. The computer usable storage medium device according to claim 12, further comprising computer usable program code configured to determine a value associated with any commercials that may be used to exchange for media content.

16. The computer usable storage medium device according to claim 12, further comprising computer usable program code configured to exchange earned points for one of viewing media content, goods and services.