Satellite-based content targeting

• US 9,628,838 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2013
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Kummer, David, Martch, Henry Gregg
• Primary Examiner(s): Yenke, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Monshi, Samira
• Application Number:
  US14/043,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20150095948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• 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 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite

Abstract

Various arrangements are present for targeting content in a television distribution system. A multiregional television channel may be transmitted to television receivers. A plurality of regional television channels may also be transmitted. Each regional television channel of the plurality of regional television channels may be broadcast to geographically smaller regions than the multiregional television channel. Content among the regional television channels may vary. Data may be transmitted to the television receivers that causes the television receivers to output for presentation as a single television channel: content from the multiregional television channel and content from a regional television channel corresponding to the television receiver'"'"'s location.

Claims

1. A system for managing satellite-based content distribution, the system comprising:

a television service provider system, comprising a multichannel content management system, the multichannel content management system configured to;

compare content of a multiregional television channel to content of a regional television channel, wherein the multiregional television channel is a designated regional television channel distinct from the regional television channel; and

based on the comparison of content, determine whether content of the multiregional television channel matches content of the regional television channel;

the television service provider system being configured to;

transmit, via a non-spot beam broadcast by a first geosynchronous satellite to a first geographic region, the multiregional television channel to a plurality of television receivers;

perform a threshold-based video and audio analysis on content of the multiregional television channel and content of the regional television channel to determine if the multiregional television channel and the regional television channel match;

transmit, via a first spot beam broadcast by a second geosynchronous satellite to a second geographic region located within the first geographic region, the regional television channel to the plurality of television receivers in response to determining content of the multiregional television channel does not match content of the regional television channel, wherein;

the first spot beam and the non-spot beam are different transponder streams transmitted at different frequencies;

the frequency of the first spot beam is reused for a second spot beam for a third geographic region;

the regional television channel is broadcast by the second geosynchronous satellite to a geographically smaller region than the multiregional television channel transmitted by the first geosynchronous satellite, and

content of the regional television channel varies between matching and not matching the multiregional television channel; and

transmit, via the first geosynchronous satellite or the second geosynchronous satellite, data to cause the plurality of television receivers to output for presentation as a single television channel;

the multiregional television channel when content of the multiregional television channel is determined by the multichannel content management system to match content of the regional television channel and the regional television channel when content of the multiregional television channel is determined by the multichannel content management system to not match the regional television channel.

2. The system for managing the satellite-based content distribution of claim 1, wherein television programming is transmitted when content of the multiregional television channel is determined by the multichannel content management system to match content of the regional television channel and locally-targeted television commercials are transmitted when content of the multiregional television channel is determined by the multichannel content management system to not match the regional television channel.

3. The system for managing the satellite-based content distribution of claim 1, wherein the multiregional television channel and the regional television channel are regional affiliates of a national television network.

4. The system for managing the satellite-based content distribution of claim 1, further comprising:

a television receiver, configured to alternatively output for presentation the multiregional television channel and the regional television channel of the plurality of regional television channels to appear as the single television channel.

5. The system for managing the satellite-based content distribution of claim 4, wherein the television receiver is further configured to:

receive the data;

store content from the regional television channel;

output for presentation the multiregional television channel; and

based on the received data, output for presentation the stored content from the regional television channel while continuing to receive and decode the multiregional television channel.

6. The system for managing the satellite-based content distribution of claim 1, wherein the television service provider system is further configured to:

transmit the multiregional television channel and the regional television channel to the plurality of television receivers via different transponders.

18. The system for managing the satellite-based content distribution of claim 1, wherein the first geosynchronous satellite and the second geosynchronous satellite is a same satellite.

7. A method for managing satellite-based content distribution, the method comprising:

transmitting, via a non-spot beam broadcast by a first geosynchronous satellite to a first geographic region, a multiregional television channel to a plurality of television receivers, wherein the multiregional television channel comprises a first set of content;

performing a video and audio analysis on content of the multiregional television channel and content of a regional television channel, wherein the multiregional television channel is a designated regional television channel;

determining whether content of the multiregional television channel matches content of the regional television channel based on the video and audio analysis;

transmitting, via a first spot beam broadcast by a second geosynchronous satellite to a second geographic region located within the first geographic region, the regional television channel in response to determining content of the multiregional television channel does not match content of the regional television channel, wherein;

the first spot beam and the non-spot beam are different transponder streams transmitted at different frequencies;

the frequency of the first spot beam is reused for a second spot beam for a third geographic region;

the regional television channel is broadcast by the second geosynchronous satellite to a geographically smaller region than the multiregional television channel transmitted by the first geosynchronous satellite, and

content of the regional television channel varies between matching and not matching the multiregional television channel; and

transmitting, via the first geosynchronous satellite or the second geosynchronous satellite, data to cause the plurality of television receivers to output for presentation as a single television channel;

the multiregional television channel when content of the multiregional television channel is determined by the multichannel content management system to match content of the regional television channel and regional television channel when content of the multiregional television channel is determined by the multichannel content management system to not match the regional television channel.

8. The method for managing the satellite-based content distribution of claim 7, wherein television programming is transmitted when of the multiregional television channel is determined by the multichannel content management system to match content of the regional television channel and locally-targeted television commercials are transmitted when content of the multiregional television channel is determined by the multichannel content management system to not match the regional television channel.

9. The method for managing the satellite-based content distribution of claim 7, wherein the multiregional television channel and the regional television channel are regional affiliates of a national television network.

10. The method for managing the satellite-based content distribution of claim 7, the method further comprising:

alternatively outputting, by a television receiver, for presentation the multiregional television channel and the regional television channel of the plurality of regional television channels to appear as the single television channel.

11. The method for managing the satellite-based content distribution of claim 10, the method further comprising:

receiving the data;

storing content from the regional television channel;

outputting for presentation the multiregional television channel; and

based on the received data, outputting for presentation the stored content from the regional television channel while continuing to receive and decode the multiregional television channel.

12. The method for managing the satellite-based content distribution of claim 7, the method further comprising:

transmitting the multiregional television channel and the regional television channel to the plurality of television receivers via different transponders.

19. The method for managing the satellite-based content distribution of claim 7, wherein the first geosynchronous satellite and the second geosynchronous satellite is a same satellite.

13. A system for managing content distribution via a satellite system, the system comprising:

means for transmitting a multiregional television channel to a plurality of television receivers via a non-spot beam broadcast by a first geosynchronous satellite to a first geographic region, wherein;

the multiregional television channel comprises a first set of content; and

the multiregional television channel is a designated regional television channel distinct from a regional television channel;

means for performing a video and audio analysis on content of the multiregional television channel and content of the regional television channel;

means for determining whether content of the multiregional television channel matches content of the regional television channel based on the video and audio analysis;

means for transmitting the regional television channel, via a spot beam broadcast by a second geosynchronous satellite to a second geographic region located within the first geographic region, in response to determining content of the multiregional television channel does not match content of the regional television channel, wherein;

the first spot beam and the non-spot beam are different transponder streams transmitted at different frequencies;

the frequency of the first spot beam is reused for a second spot beam for a third geographic region;

the regional television channel is broadcast by the second geosynchronous satellite to a geographically smaller region than the multiregional television channel transmitted by the first geosynchronous satellite, and

content of the regional television channel varies between matching and not matching the multiregional television channel; and

means for transmitting data, via the first geosynchronous satellite or the second geosynchronous satellite, to cause the plurality of television receivers to output for presentation as a single television channel;

the multiregional television channel when content of the multiregional television channel is determined by the multichannel content management system to match content of the regional television channel and regional television channel when content of the multiregional television channel is determined by the multichannel content management system to not match the regional television channel.

14. The system for managing content distribution via the satellite system of claim 13, wherein television programming is transmitted when of the multiregional television channel is determined by the multichannel content management system to match content of the regional television channel and locally-targeted television commercials are transmitted when content of the multiregional television channel is determined by the multichannel content management system to not match the regional television channel.

15. The system for managing content distribution via the satellite system of claim 13, wherein the multiregional television channel and the regional television channel are regional affiliates of a national television network.

16. The system for managing content distribution via the satellite system of claim 13, the system further comprising:

means for alternatively outputting for presentation the multiregional television channel and the regional television channel of the plurality of regional television channels to appear as the single television channel.

17. The system for managing content distribution via the satellite system of claim 16, the system further comprising:

means for receiving the data;

means for storing content from the regional television channel;

means for outputting for presentation the multiregional television channel; and

means for outputting for presentation content from the regional television channel while continuing to decode the multiregional television channel.

20. The system for managing content distribution of claim 13, wherein the first geosynchronous satellite and the second geosynchronous satellite is a same satellite.