System and method for digital program insertion in cable systems

• US 9,060,200 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FreeWheel Media Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visible World Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Niemeijer, Gerrit
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bantamoi, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US11/202,283
• Time in Patent Office: 3,596 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725 34- 36, 375/240, 370/412
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• 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 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 21/60 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 21/633 Control signals issued by server directed to the network components or client management of faults, events, alarms in data networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream

Abstract

Alternative approaches to the insertion of local commercials and messages into networks feeds are provided. Embodiments include digital commercial insertion for cable operators and others that not only offer more flexibility and features, but may also be significantly cheaper to implement. The actual “insert” of the local commercial or message into the digital program is performed by a standard set top box, with several methods of providing the local commercial to the set top box at the proper insertion time. Another embodiment allows a cable operator to significantly save on equipment in the form of splicers and ad inserters, by allowing easy and dynamic mapping of local commercials to insertion zones.

Claims

1. A system for allowing a plurality of different local messages to be inserted across a plurality of insertion zones, comprising:

a plurality of splicing components at a network head-end configured to receive a common network feed, the plurality of splicing components comprising one splicing component for each of the plurality of different local messages, each of said plurality of splicing components comprising an ad server component configured to play out at least one of the plurality of different local messages, wherein each of said plurality of splicing components are configured to transmit to at least one of the plurality of insertion zones;

a programmable switch at the head-end having an input port for each of said plurality of splicing components and having an output port for each of said plurality of insertion zones, wherein said programmable switch is capable of mapping any input port to one or more output ports; and

a controller configured to;

determine an expected local avail message and preprogram the programmable switch to divide up the insertion zones by the plurality of splicer components,

receive a local avail message from said plurality of splicer components informing the controller when there is a local avail,

determine which of the plurality of different local messages are to be inserted in each of the plurality of insertion zones,

assign each of the plurality of different local messages to at least one of the plurality of splicing components, and

control said programmable switch to map the plurality of splicing components to provide the plurality of different local messages to the plurality of insertion zones based on said assignment.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said controller includes a prioritizing function to determine the best allocation of local messages to insertion zones in case there are more local messages than splicing components.

3. The system of claim 1 further including an initial switch providing said common network feed to said plurality of splicing components, said initial switch to provide for changing said common network feed to a network which will subsequently include an insertion point for inserting local messages.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein before a local message is complete, said controller instructs said programmable switch to cause at least one insertion zone to start receiving media from a different splicing component.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said ad server plays out the at least one of the plurality of different local messages responsive to receiving an insert message.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said controller comprises an internal database configured to store scheduling information.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said controller interfaces with a traffic and billing system configured to communicate the scheduling information to the controller.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of splicer components detect local avails for at least one of said plurality of different local messages through digital insertion messages.