Method and Apparatus for Alternate Content Scheduling on Mobile Devices

• US 20080052741A1
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GoldSpot Media, Inc. (Japan) (Dentsu Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GoldSpot Media, Inc. (Japan) (Dentsu Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dharmaji, Srinivasa
• Granted Patent: US 8,522,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/02 manually operated with input through keyboard and computation using a built-in program, e.g. pocket calculators
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• 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 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/458 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 : involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Alternate digital content is inserted into mobile devices with a method and apparatus that comprises an alternate content scheduler, an alternate content reporter, and a micro-splicer. The alternate content scheduler further comprises a mobile network interface for interaction with a mobile data and broadcast network, a micro-splicer interface for interfacing with a micro-splicer, a rulebook that is shared with the network which provides the rules for alternate content scheduling, a preference provisioning module comprising an alternate content scheduler library for storing user or network preferences, a scheduler for providing tight synchronization between original program content and alternate content, and a metric recording interface to an alternate content reporter. The micro-splicer works in tandem with the alternate content scheduler to render synchronized display of alternate multimedia content on the mobile device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for inserting alternate digital content into a content stream during the display of original program content on a mobile device having a mobile network interface for interfacing said mobile device with a mobile network, comprising:

a scheduler for providing tight synchronization between the original program content and the alternate digital content;

a micro-splicer, working in tandem with said scheduler, for rendering synchronized display of multimedia content on said mobile device; and

a preference provisioning module comprising a library.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said mobile network comprising any of:

a mobile data network; and

a broadcast network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a rulebook comprising rules for alternate content scheduling.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said rules for alternate content comprise any of:

local rules; and

global rules.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said rulebook comprises a shared rulebook.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said library comprises any of:

user preferences; and

network preferences.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said network preferences comprise any of:

local network preferences; and

global network preferences.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a reporter for recording metrics regarding said alternate digital content.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, said scheduler comprising means for providing said tight synchronization provided to enable precise insertion of the alternate digital content at a desired spot break in the original program content.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said tight synchronization provided by said scheduler enables the precise return to the original program content from the alternate digital content.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said alternate digital content comprises any of:

local alternate content; and

global alternate content.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said scheduler comprises means for performing any of:

rotating among the alternate digital content; and

preventing viewer fatigue by avoiding frequent repetition of the alternate digital content in a specified time interval.

13. A method inserting alternate digital content into a content stream during the display of original program content on a mobile device having a mobile network interface for interfacing said mobile device with a mobile network, comprising the steps of:

pushing said alternate digital content from said mobile network using a point-to-point delivery mechanism;

said mobile device selectively receiving said alternate digital content;

said mobile device selectively storing said received alternate digital content;

notifying a micro-splicer within said mobile device of a file location for said selectively received alternate digital content during a predetermined insertion time; and

rendering said alternate content for display from said selectively received alternate digital content.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of pushing the alternate digital content is performed based upon preferences.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said preferences comprise any of:

user preferences; and

network preferences.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

providing said user preferences with a user interface.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said point-to-point delivery mechanism comprises any of:

HTTP;

WAP; and

SMS.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of selectively receiving comprises the step of:

selectively receiving based on preferences.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of selectively receiving comprises the step of:

receiving from a mobile broadcast network.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of selectively receiving comprises the step of:

receiving from an IP multicast network.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said preferences comprise any of:

user preferences; and

network preferences.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

providing said user preferences with a user interface.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

adjusting the alternate digital content based upon the preferences of a user joining during said insertion time.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

rotating among the alternate digital content.

25. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

avoiding frequent repetition of a same portion of the alternate digital content to prevent viewer fatigue.