System and method for simultaneous broadcast for personalized messages

• US 10,887,658 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 01/05/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Haberman, Seth, Schuler, Chester, van der Burgh, Abeljan, Jansen, Alex, Niemeijer, Gerrit
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, Hsiungfei
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US15/166,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20160277805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32- 36
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• 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 21/2668 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A system and method for the simultaneous creation, assembly and transmission of synchronous multiple personalized messages to specific targeted individuals or other entities. The system can send rich media distinctly personalized messages such as commercials to a small or large group of selected individuals through any appropriate distribution media. A personalized message is created based on segmenting a message into multiple slots, and providing different selectable segments for each slot. The multiple segments are then simultaneously broadcasted over multiple data streams to a receiver, wherein the receiver switches between the data streams to assemble the personalized message in a just-in-time fashion. Other data including overlays, animation, frame transitions etc. may also be transmitted and used to assemble the personalized message.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a plurality of data streams each configured to simultaneously transmit one of a plurality of media segments, wherein end points of each of the plurality of media segments are synchronized and wherein a time gap is arranged between each end point of a media segment and a start point of a successive media segment;

assembling a personalized message, comprising a single message, by switching between the plurality of data streams to retrieve and insert at least one of the plurality of media segments into each of a plurality of consecutive media slots associated with a template for the personalized message such that the personalized message comprises a plurality of media segments arranged consecutively,

wherein each of the plurality of media segments comprises an incomplete part of the personalized message,

wherein a media segment from a first one of the plurality of data streams is inserted into one of the media slots of the personalized message and a media segment from a second one of the plurality of data streams is inserted into a next consecutive media slot of the personalized message, and

wherein the time gap is configured to provide a delay to facilitate switching between the plurality of data streams; and

presenting the personalized message on a display device operatively coupled to a receiver device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the template comprises the plurality of media slots in an ordered sequence, each of the plurality of media slots being configured to receive one of the plurality of media segments.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of received data streams comprises transitional data that defines at least one transition to be played when switching between the plurality of media segments, the method further comprising:

inserting the at least one transition into the personalized message between the end of at least one of the assembled media segments and the start of a successive media segment.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

retrieving the at least one transition from the transitional data received on the at least one of the plurality of data streams and storing the at least one transition in a buffer until required for the inserting into the personalized message.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the inserting the at least one transition into the personalized message comprises switching to the at least one of the plurality of data streams that comprises the transitional data during the time between the end of the at least one of the assembled media segments and the start of the successive media segment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the switching between the plurality of data streams to retrieve and insert the at least one of the plurality of media segments into each of the plurality of media slots is based on a profile associated with a user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the switching between the plurality of data streams to retrieve and insert the at least one of the plurality of media segments into each of the plurality of media slots is based on one or more expert rules.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of media segments comprises one of:

an audio segment, a video segment, a graphics segment, a rendering segment, and a segment of last minute information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the assembling the personalized message comprises a just-in-time process.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of data streams comprises an MPEG encoded data stream.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data streams are received as part of a multiplexed transport stream.

12. A receiving unit configured to:

receive a plurality of data streams each configured to simultaneously transmit one of a plurality of media segments, wherein end points of each of the plurality of media segments are synchronized and wherein a time gap is arranged between each end point of a media segment and a start point of a successive media segment;

assemble a personalized message, comprising a single message, by switching between the plurality of data streams to retrieve and insert at least one of the plurality of media segments into each of a plurality of consecutive media slots associated with a template for the personalized message such that the personalized message comprises a plurality of media segments arranged consecutively,

wherein each of the plurality of media segments comprises an incomplete part of the personalized message,

wherein a media segment from a first one of the plurality of data streams is inserted into one of the media slots of the personalized message and a media segment from a second one of the plurality of data streams is inserted into a next consecutive media slot of the personalized message, and

wherein the time gap is configured to provide a delay to facilitate switching between the plurality of data streams; and

present the personalized message on a display device operatively coupled to the receiver unit.

13. The receiving unit of claim 12, wherein the template comprises the plurality of media slots in an ordered sequence, each of the plurality of media slots being configured to receive one of the plurality of media segments.

14. The receiving unit of claim 12, wherein at least one of the plurality of received data streams comprises transitional data that defines at least one transition to be played when switching between the plurality of media segments, the receiving unit further configured to:

insert the at least one transition into the personalized message between the end of at least one of the assembled media segments and the start of a successive media segment.

15. The receiving unit of claim 14, further configured to:

retrieve the at least one transition from the transitional data received on the at least one of the plurality of data streams and store the at least one transition in a buffer until required for the inserting into the personalized message.

16. The receiving unit of claim 14, wherein the inserting the at least one transition into the personalized message comprises switching to the at least one of the plurality of data streams that comprises the transitional data during the time between the end of the at least one of the assembled media segments and the start of the successive media segment.

17. The receiving unit of claim 12, wherein the switching between the plurality of data streams to retrieve and insert the at least one of the plurality of media segments into each of the plurality of media slots is based on a profile associated with a user.

18. The receiving unit of claim 12, wherein the switching between the plurality of data streams to retrieve and insert the at least one of the plurality of media segments into each of the plurality of media slots is based on one or more expert rules.

19. The receiving unit of claim 12, wherein the receiving unit comprises a set top box.

20. The receiving unit of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of media segments comprises one of:

an audio segment, a video segment, a graphics segment, a rendering segment, and a segment of last minute information.