METHODS, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIA FOR CONVEYING TELEVISION PROGRAM ADVERTISEMENTS

• US 20090172731A1
• Filed: 03/06/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Manji, Shafiq Shiraz, Ratsch, Peter Werner, Murray, Sean MacLean, HEILBRON, Maarten Boudewijn
• Granted Patent: US 8,522,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• 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 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A method, which comprises identifying a television program whose start time falls within a time window of acceptable viewability relative to a promotional time slot appearing within a first content stream, the television program being carried by a second content stream; causing conveyance during the promotional time slot of an advertisement for the television program; and causing an indication of the second content stream to be transmitted to customer equipment in the form of a marker sent with the first content stream. Also, a method, which comprises identifying a television program whose start time falls within a time window of acceptable viewability relative to a promotional time slot appearing within a first content stream, the television program being carried by a second content stream; causing conveyance during the promotional time slot of an advertisement for the television program; and being attentive to an indication that, during the promotional time slot, a selection has been made by customer equipment to view the second content stream.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying a television program whose start time falls within a time window of acceptable viewability relative to a promotional time slot appearing within a first content stream, the television program being carried by a second content stream;

causing conveyance during the promotional time slot of an advertisement for the television program; and

causing an indication of the second content stream to be transmitted to customer equipment in the form of a marker sent with the first content stream.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the advertisement is conveyed over the first content stream.

3. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the marker is caused to be transmitted to the customer equipment during the promotional time slot.

4. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the marker is caused to be transmitted to the customer equipment in advance of the promotional time slot.

5. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication that a viewer has issued a command to effect a channel change consequent to transmission of the marker.

6. The method defined in claim 5, further comprising recording the received indication.

7. The method defined in claim 5, further comprising charging the provider of the second content stream based on the received indication.

8. The method defined in claim 5, further comprising evaluating an advertisement success rate based on the received indication.

9. The method defined in claim 5, further comprising:

responsive to the received indication, causing conveyance of the second content stream over the customer equipment.

10. The method defined in claim 5, further comprising:

causing conveyance of a marker identifier together with the marker, the marker identifier corresponding to the second content stream.

11. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the received indication comprises the marker identifier.

12. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising causing the customer equipment to present an invitation to the viewer to effect a channel change.

13. The method defined in claim 12, wherein said invitation includes an audio, visual and/or text indication of the second content stream.

14. The method defined in claim 12, wherein the advertisement occurs during airing of a television program falling into a particular programming category and wherein said invitation includes an audio, visual and/or text indication of the particular programming category.

15. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said identifying comprises consulting a program schedule indicative of television programs scheduled to begin airing on respective content streams at respective start times.

16. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising obtaining the advertisement by consulting a database of advertisements.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

means for identifying a television program whose start time falls within a time window of acceptable viewability relative to a promotional time slot appearing within a first content stream, the television program being carried by a second content stream;

means for causing conveyance during the promotional time slot of an advertisement for the television program; and

means for causing an indication of the second content stream to be transmitted to customer equipment in the form of a marker sent with the first content stream.

18. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable program code which, when interpreted by a computing apparatus, causes the computing apparatus to execute a method, the computer-readable program code comprising:

first computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to identify a television program whose start time falls within a time window of acceptable viewability relative to a promotional time slot appearing within a first content stream, the television program being carried by a second content stream;

second computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to cause conveyance during the promotional time slot of an advertisement for the television program; and

third computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to cause an indication of the second content stream to be transmitted to customer equipment in the form of a marker sent with the first content stream.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving a first content stream featuring an advertisement during a promotional time slot, the advertisement identifying a television program whose start time falls within a time window of acceptable viewability relative to the promotional time slot, the television program being carried by a second content stream;

causing conveyance of the first content stream over customer equipment; and

providing an indication of the second content stream to the customer equipment in the form of a marker sent with the first content stream.

20. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising receiving an indication that a viewer has issued a command to effect a channel change consequent to transmission of the marker.

21. The method defined in claim 20, further comprising recording the received indication.

22. The method defined in claim 20, further comprising charging the provider of the second content stream based on the received indication.

23. The method defined in claim 20, further comprising evaluating an advertisement success rate based on the received indication.

24. The method defined in claim 20, further comprising:

responsive to the received indication, causing conveyance of the second content stream over the customer equipment.

25. The method defined in claim 24, wherein causing conveyance of the second content stream comprises sending instructions to the customer equipment to effect a selective admission of the second content stream.

26. The method defined in claim 25, wherein sending instructions to the customer equipment is effected over a network.

27. The method defined in claim 26, wherein the network is the Internet.

28. The method defined in claim 26, wherein the network is a wireless network.

29. The method defined in claim 20, wherein the command is issued using a remote control device.

30. The method defined in claim 29, wherein the received indication is indicative of viewer interaction with a designated hard or soft button of the remote control device pre-configured to allow the command to effect the channel change to be issued.

31. The method defined in claim 20, further comprising:

causing conveyance of a marker identifier together with the marker, the marker identifier corresponding to the second content stream.

32. The method defined in claim 31, wherein the received indication comprises the marker identifier.

33. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising causing the customer equipment to present an invitation to the viewer to effect a channel change.

34. The method defined in claim 33, wherein said invitation includes an audio, visual and/or text indication of the second content stream.

35. The method defined in claim 33, wherein the advertisement occurs during airing of a television program falling into a particular programming category and wherein said invitation includes an audio, visual and/or text indication of the particular programming category.

36. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a first content stream featuring an advertisement during a promotional time slot, the advertisement identifying a television program whose start time falls within a time window of acceptable viewability relative to the promotional time slot, the television program being carried by a second content stream;

means for causing conveyance of the first content stream over customer equipment; and

means for providing an indication of the second content stream to the customer equipment in the form of a marker sent with the first content stream.

37. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable program code which, when interpreted by a computing apparatus, causes the computing apparatus to execute a method, the computer-readable program code comprising:

first computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to be attentive to receipt of a first content stream featuring an advertisement during a promotional time slot, the advertisement identifying a television program whose start time falls within a time window of acceptable viewability relative to the promotional time slot, the television program being carried by a second content stream;

second computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to cause conveyance of the first content stream over customer equipment; and

third computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to provide an indication of the second content stream to the customer equipment in the form of a marker sent with the first content stream.

38. A method, comprising:

identifying a television program whose start time falls within a time window of acceptable viewability relative to a promotional time slot appearing within a first content stream, the television program being carried by a second content stream;

causing conveyance during the promotional time slot of an advertisement for the television program; and

being attentive to an indication that, during the promotional time slot, a selection has been made by customer equipment to view the second content stream.

39. The method defined in claim 38, wherein the advertisement is conveyed over the first content stream.

40. The method defined in claim 38, further comprising recording an occurrence of said indication for purposes of collecting payment from a provider of the second content stream.

41. The method defined in claim 38, further comprising evaluating an advertisement success rate based on receipt of said indication.

42. The method defined in claim 38, further comprising:

responsive to receipt of said indication, causing conveyance of the second content stream over the customer equipment.

43. The method defined in claim 38, further comprising causing the customer equipment to present an invitation to the viewer to effect the selection.

44. The method defined in claim 43, wherein said invitation includes an audio, visual and/or text indication of the second content stream.

45. The method defined in claim 43, wherein the advertisement occurs during airing of a television program falling into a particular programming category and wherein said invitation includes an audio, visual and/or text indication of the particular programming category.

46. The method defined in claim 38, wherein said identifying comprises consulting a program schedule indicative of television programs scheduled to begin airing on respective content streams at respective start times.

47. The method defined in claim 38, further comprising obtaining the advertisement by consulting a database of advertisements.

48. The method defined in claim 38, wherein said selection is made using a remote control device.

49. The method defined in claim 48, wherein said indication is indicative of viewer interaction with a designated hard or soft button of the remote control device pre-configured to allow said selection to be made.

50. The method defined in claim 38, wherein said indication is received from a service provider.

51. An apparatus, comprising:

means for identifying a television program whose start time falls within a time window of acceptable viewability relative to a promotional time slot appearing within a first content stream, the television program being carried by a second content stream;

means for causing conveyance during the promotional time slot of an advertisement for the television program; and

means for being attentive to an indication that, during the promotional time slot, a selection has been made by customer equipment to view the second content stream.

52. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable program code which, when interpreted by a computing apparatus, causes the computing apparatus to execute a method, the computer-readable program code comprising:

first computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to identify a television program whose start time falls within a time window of acceptable viewability relative to a promotional time slot appearing within a first content stream, the television program being carried by a second content stream;

second computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to cause conveyance during the promotional time slot of an advertisement for the television program; and

third computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to be attentive to an indication that, during the promotional time slot, a selection has been made by customer equipment to view the second content stream.

53. A method, comprising:

receiving a first content stream featuring an advertisement during a promotional time slot, the advertisement identifying a television program whose start time falls within a time window of acceptable viewability relative to the promotional time slot, the television program being carried by a second content stream;

causing conveyance of the first content stream over customer equipment; and

being attentive to an indication that, during the promotional time slot, a selection has been made by the customer equipment to view the second content stream.

54. The method defined in claim 53, further comprising recording an occurrence of said indication for purposes of collecting payment from a provider of the second content stream.

55. The method defined in claim 53, further comprising evaluating an advertisement success rate based on receipt of said indication.

56. The method defined in claim 53, further comprising:

responsive to receipt of said indication, causing conveyance of the second content stream over the customer equipment.

57. The method defined in claim 53, further comprising causing the customer equipment to present an invitation to the viewer to effect the selection.

58. The method defined in claim 57, wherein said invitation includes an audio, visual and/or text indication of the second content stream.

59. The method defined in claim 57, wherein the advertisement occurs during airing of a television program falling into a particular programming category and wherein said invitation includes an audio, visual and/or text indication of the particular programming category.

60. The method defined in claim 53, wherein said selection is made using a remote control device.

61. The method defined in claim 53, wherein said indication is indicative of viewer interaction with a designated hard or soft button of the remote control device pre-configured to allow said selection to be made.

62. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a first content stream featuring an advertisement during a promotional time slot, the advertisement identifying a television program whose start time falls within a time window of acceptable viewability relative to the promotional time slot, the television program being carried by a second content stream;

means for causing conveyance of the first content stream over customer equipment; and

means for being attentive to an indication that, during the promotional time slot, a selection has been made by the customer equipment to view the second content stream.

63. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable program code which, when interpreted by a computing apparatus, causes the computing apparatus to execute a method, the computer-readable program code comprising:

first computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to be attentive to receipt of a first content stream featuring an advertisement during a promotional time slot, the advertisement identifying a television program whose start time falls within a time window of acceptable viewability relative to the promotional time slot, the television program being carried by a second content stream;

second computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to cause conveyance of the first content stream over customer equipment; and

third computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to be attentive to an indication that, during the promotional time slot, a selection has been made by the customer equipment to view the second content stream.

64. An apparatus, comprising:

a display device; and

a processing device configured to;

cause the display device to present a first content stream over which is aired an advertisement promoting a television program scheduled to air on a second content stream different from the first content stream;

be attentive to receipt of an indication that a response to the advertisement has been provided by a viewer of the display device; and

cause the display device to present the second content stream in response to receipt of said indication.

65. The apparatus defined in claim 64, further comprising:

an interface; and

a receiver configured to admit a selected content stream received over the interface to the display device in accordance with instructions received from the processing device;

wherein to cause the display device to present the second content stream, the processing entity is configured to issue an instruction to the receiver to admit the second content stream.

66. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable program code which, when interpreted by a computing apparatus, causes the computing apparatus to execute a method, the computer-readable program code comprising:

first computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to cause a display device to present a first content stream over which is aired an advertisement promoting a television program scheduled to air on a second content stream different from the first content stream;

second computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to be attentive to receipt of an indication that a response to the advertisement has been provided by a viewer of the display device; and

third computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to cause the display device to present the second content stream in response to receipt of said indication.