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

• US 9,420,340 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bechtel, Gordon, Kokernak, Michael, Noland, Madeleine, Campbell, Colin
• Primary Examiner(s): Idowu, Olugbenga
• Application Number:
  US14/745,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20150289020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• 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,

a database in communication with the broadcast data stream server, the database storing tokens representative of links between the content broadcast over the television networks and the content stored on a computer network;

a token registry for creating a token, registering the token, assembling the token into a token playlist, and storing the respective token and playlist in the database;

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

a multiplexer coupled to the packet generator for multiplexing the token 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 determine if the received information matches the content that was sent to the set top box at the time the token was detected,

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 further comprising:

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.

9. The system of claim 8, 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.

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

11. The system of claim 9, wherein an automation interface listens for communications between at least two devices in the television or computer networks.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein an automation interface is configured for monitoring log files generated by the storage, traffic, and automation system.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein an automation interface is configured for periodically requesting information from the storage, traffic, and automation system.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the trigger mechanism includes a schedule playout system having a data file representative of a time schedule for delivering respective tokens.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the trigger mechanism includes a switch of the type operated by a user and coupled to the broadcast data stream server.

16. The system of claim 8, 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.

17. The system of claim 8, 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.

18. The system of claim 8, 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.