Allowing presentation control of immediate content interrupting digital television channel programming

• US 9,998,780 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2012
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hurd, David W., Supakkul, Tassanee K., Thomas, Mathews, Wong, Julio
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, CAI Y
• Application Number:
  US13/441,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20130268969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,255 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• 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

Abstract

A channel programming associated with a channel can be selected. The channel can be associated with a programming broadcasting system. The channel programming can be displayed upon a presentation device. An immediate content from a content delivery entity interrupting the presentation of the channel programming can be received. The channel programming and the immediate content can be simultaneously presented on the presentation device.

Claims

1. A system for controlling immediate content presentation comprising:

a content engine configured to simultaneously receive a channel programming and an immediate content, wherein the channel programming is presented upon a presentation device communicatively linked to the content engine, wherein the immediate content interrupts the channel programming presentation;

a data store able to persist at least one of an immediate content, a channel content, and a preference associated with the immediate content; and

a presentation manager configured to automatically determine presentation preferences for the immediate content with the channel programming, wherein at least one of the presentation preferences is a time of presentation, and wherein the automatic determination is performed based on heuristics.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a content selector configured to determine an immediate content based on a previously established preference;

a content distributor able to convey at least one of the channel programming and the immediate content to a plurality of proximate devices; and

the presentation manager configured to customizably display the immediate content within the presentation device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the manager can affect at least one of the position, the transparency, and the aspect ratio presentation of the immediate content.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the engine is configured to timeshift the immediate content.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the engine is a component of a content delivery server.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the immediate content is at least one of a news bulletin.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the content distributor conveys the channel programming on a first sub-channel of a digital broadcast channel and the immediate content on a plurality of sub-channels of the digital broadcast channel.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio and video portion of the immediate content is separately conveyed to a plurality of presentation devices.

9. An apparatus for controlling immediate content comprising:

a tangible memory storing at least one computer program product;

a processor operable to execute the computer program product to cause the interface window to be displayed by the display hardware; and

the computer program product when processed by the processor being operable to select a channel programming associated with a channel, wherein the channel is associated with a programming broadcasting system;

the computer program product when processed by the processor being operable to display the channel programming upon a presentation device;

the computer program product when processed by the processor being operable to receive an immediate content from a content delivery entity interrupting the presentation of the channel programming;

the computer program product when processed by the processor being operable to automatically determining presentation preferences for the immediate content with the channel programming, wherein at least one of the presentation preferences is a time of presentation, and wherein the automatic determination is performed based on heuristics; and

the computer program product when processed by the processor being operable to simultaneously present the channel programming and the immediate content on the presentation device.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein at least one of the channel programming and the immediate content is presented within a picture in a picture (PiP) functionality of the presenting device.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the immediate content is timeshifted by a viewer interacting with the computer program product.