Offer inclusion for over the top (OTT) content

• US 9,251,534 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Hooley, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Plucinski, Jami A
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRADY, MARIE P.
• Application Number:
  US13/889,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20140337146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.73
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/10 Usage protection of distributed data files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• 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

Abstract

Inspection of over the top (OTT) content to facilitate offering non-OTT content or other content and/or services as an alternative to the OTT content is contemplated. The OTT content may be inspected at an access point configured to provide a broadband or other connection between a device consuming the OTT content and a device sourcing the content. Data packets or other signaling may be added to the OTT content at the access point in order to announce the offer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a modem, a key from a first device;

receiving, by the modem, encrypted over the top (OTT) content from an OTT source server;

decrypting, by the modem, the encrypted OTT content, using the key and parsing, by the modem, matching information from the decrypted OTT content;

sending, by the modem, the parsed matching information to an offer controller;

receiving, by the modem, an offer from the controller, wherein the offer comprises a link;

transmitting, by the modem, the offer with the decrypted OTT content to the first device; and

receiving, by the modem, a request from the device and directing, by the modem, based on the request, the first device to non-OTT content using the link.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting, by the modem, the offer and the decrypted OTT content to a Web browser operating on the device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the link to the Web browser, the link being user selectable to direct the Web browser to a webpage associated with the offer.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the link to appear as a pop-up within the Web browser during play of the OTT content, the pop-up notifying a user of non-OTT content available through a second device via non-IP signaling unavailable to the first device.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising controlling the first device to command the second device in a manner sufficient to access the non-OTT content.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a plurality of instructions that when executed by a processor of a modem, causes the processor to perform the processes of:

receiving a key from a device;

receiving encrypted over the top (OTT) content from an OTT source server;

decrypting the encrypted OTT content, using the key and parse matching information from the decrypted OTT content;

sending the parsed matching information to an offer controller;

receiving an offer from the controller, wherein the offer comprises a link;

transmitting the offer from the decrypted OTT content to the device; and

receiving a request from the device and direct, based on the request, the device to non-OTT content using the link.

7. A system comprising

an over the top (OTT) source server configured for transmitting OTT content;

and

a modem having a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium with a plurality of instructions that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform the processes of;

i) receiving a key from a device;

ii) receiving encrypted over the top (OTT) content from the OTT source server;

iii) decrypting the encrypted OTT content, using the key and parse matching information from the decrypted OTT content;

iv) sending the parsed matching information to an offer controller;

v) receiving an offer from the controller, wherein the offer comprises a link;

vi) transmitting the offer from the decrypted OTT content to the device; and

vii) receiving a request from the device and direct, based on the request, the device to non-OTT content using the link.