Systems and methods for providing a network link between broadcast content and content located on a computer network

• US 9,094,721 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kokernak, Michael, Noland, Madeleine, Campbell, Colin, Bechtel, Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): IDOWU, OLUGBENGA O
• Application Number:
  US12/913,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20110072450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 725/25, 725/30, 725/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/814 comprising emergency warnings arrangements specially adapted for emergency or urgency in broadcast systems H04H20/59; arrangements for providing alarms, notifications, alerts to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The invention relates, in various aspects, to systems and methods for linking content stored on a computer network with content broadcast over a television network. The system includes a database, a trigger mechanism, a communications interface, and a packet generator. The database stores tokens representative of links to the stored content and delivery information representative of at least a duration for delivering the token. The trigger mechanism indicates an instruction to deliver a token over the television network, generating a signal indicating a respective one of the stored tokens and a time for starting the delivery of the respective token. The communications interface has a channel in communication with a television set top box device for transferring the respective token to the television set top box device. The packet generator generates packets within a stream of television content to be broadcast over the television network.

Claims

1. A system for linking content stored on a computer network with content broadcast over a television network, the system comprising:

a broadcast data stream server including a database storing tokens representative of links between the content broadcast over the television network and the content stored on a computer network, and accesses delivery information representative of at least a duration for delivering the token;

a token registry for creating a respective token, registering the respective token, assembling one or more tokens into a token playlist, and storing the respective token and playlist in the database, the token registry allowing a content producer to at least one of create the respective token and track the respective token;

wherein the tokens are authorized for use by a token registry;

a trigger mechanism for indicating an instruction to deliver a playlist of tokens over the television network, the trigger mechanism generating a signal indicating the respective playlist of tokens and indicating a time for starting the delivery of the playlist of tokens, wherein the playlist of tokens includes at least one of the respective tokens and a time for starting the delivery of the respective token;

a communications interface having a channel in communication with a television set top box device for transferring the respective token to the television set top box device;

a storage, traffic, and automation system in communication with the broadcast data stream server for managing delivery of content to a multiplexer whereby content from the broadcast data stream server and content delivery triggered by the storage, traffic, and automation system are transformed into a stream of intermixed packages to be played out on the set top box;

a packet generator for generating the packets within a stream of television content to be broadcast over the television network;

the multiplexer coupled to the packet generator and the server for multiplexing a set of tokens stored in the database with the stream of television content, and

a feedback monitor for receiving information sent from the set top box and checking to make sure that the received information matches the content that was sent to the set top box,

wherein the token registry and the feedback monitor are on a same system,

wherein the feedback monitor reports back to the content producer successful insertion of token data and successful delivery of token data, and

wherein the token registry and the feedback monitor are part of a same device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the packet generator generates data packets carrying the token data.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interactive event decision maker for interfacing with the broadcast data stream server to determine the playlist of tokens.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the packet generator generates packets conforming to the MPEG-2 transport stream standard.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the packet generator generates packets having token data and inserts said packets into a private data section or packetized elementary stream associated with a program of a transport stream and being representative of the content being broadcast over the television network.

6. The system of claim 5, further including an identifier control coupled to the packet generator for controlled insertion of packets carrying token data into a selected port identified to the set top box devices associated with a respective broadcaster.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the identifier control includes means for inserting packets carrying token data to two or more different ports of a set top box device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the trigger mechanism interacts with the storage, traffic, and automation system to create and distribute a playlist representative of a schedule of time slots with associated programming content for the time slots.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein an automation interface listens for incoming messages transmitted by the storage, traffic, and automation system.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein an automation interface listens for communications between at least two devices in the television or computer networks.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein an automation interface is configured for monitoring log files generated by the storage, traffic, and automation system.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein an automation interface is configured for periodically requesting information from the storage, traffic, and automation system.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the trigger mechanism includes a scheduled playout system having a data file representative of a time schedule for delivering respective tokens.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the trigger mechanism includes a switch of the type operated by a user and coupled to the broadcast data stream server.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the trigger mechanism is configured to

identify within a program stream a pointer representative of a token playlist and responding to the identification of the pointer by having the packet generator insert the respective tokens into the stream of television content.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the trigger mechanism is configured to receive an instruction from a second broadcast data stream server in at least one of the computer network and the television network.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of tokens includes an identifier carrying data representative of at least one of a network location of the packet generator, a date for inserting the respective token into the stream, a time for inserting the respective token into the stream, and an application or script that the set top box can execute, and for inserting such data packets into the stream of television content being broadcast to the set top box devices.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedback monitor monitors the intermixed stream of television content being broadcast to the set top box devices for verifying that the inserted token data is associated with the respective television content.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a time stamp for stamping data packets carrying token data to the user site to mark portions of the television content with timing information.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising

monitoring the television content being delivered to the user site and coordinating the delivery of the television content with triggering delivery of the respective token.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein monitoring includes monitoring a playlist of scheduled television content, monitoring a command manually generated by an operator, monitoring a command generated by the database, monitoring the television content for previously inserted token trigger data, and monitoring a second broadcast data stream server for insertion instructions.

23. The system of claim 15, further comprising

multiplexing token data with television data to generate an intermixed stream of data for the user site.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the set of tokens includes an identifier carrying data representative of at least one of a network location of the packet generator, a date for inserting the respective token into the stream, a time for inserting the respective token into the stream, and an application or script that the set top box can execute.

25. The system of claim 15, further comprising

time stamping data packets carrying token data to the user site for marking portions of the television content with timing information.

20. A method for linking a content stored on a computer network with content broadcast over a television network, comprising:

analyzing a television network and identifying a network location being adjacent to a channel directly coupling to a user site;

locating a communications interface at the identified location and coupling the communications interface to the channel in communication with the user site;

providing a broadcast data stream server including a database storing a plurality of tokens representative of links between the content broadcast over a television network and the content stored on a computer network, and accessing delivery information representative of at least a duration for delivering a respective token, wherein the tokens are authorized for use by a token registry;

creating, by the token registry, the respective token, registering the respective token, assembling one or more tokens into a token playlist, and storing the respective token and the token playlist in the database;

allowing a content producer to at least one of create the respective token and track the respective token;

managing, by a storage, traffic, and automation system in communication with the broadcast data stream server, delivery of content to the multiplexer, wherein content from the broadcast data stream server and content delivery triggered by the storage, traffic, and automation system is transformed into a stream of intermixed packages to be played out on a consumer set top box; and

triggering delivery of the token playlist over the television network, wherein triggering causes a packet generator at the communications interface to interface with a multiplexer and the server to multiplex a set of tokens stored in the database with packets within a stream of television content to be broadcast over the television network, wherein the packet generator generates the packets within the stream of television content, and wherein the token playlist includes at least one of the respective token and a time for starting the delivery of the respective token,

monitoring a backchannel of the television network for a returned token,

receiving, by a feedback monitor, a token sent from the set top box and comparing the received token to an expected token, and

recording a result of the comparison with respect to whether or not the received token matches the expected token,

wherein the creating the respective token and the receiving the token sent from the set top box are performed on a same system,

wherein the recording the result of the comparison further comprises reporting back to the content producer successful insertion of token data and successful delivery of token data, and

wherein the token registry and the feedback monitor are part of a same device.