Time shifted interactive television

• US 20090199231A1
• Filed: 02/23/2009
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Richardson, David, Cohen, Einat, Vinokurov, Menachem, Jacobs, Eli, Tirosh, Gadi, Shlissel, Moshe, Wald, Stephanie, Darshan, Ezra, Wachtfogel, Reuven, Tsuria, Yossi, Bastable, Ian, Fink, David
• Application Number:
  US12/380,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20090199231A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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 21/458 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 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for managing, implementing and using interactive applications and content that are digitally recorded and viewed in real-time and/or a time-shifted moded are provided. The interactive applications may be associated with television programs or may be unrelated thereto, and may be transmitted together with television programs or separately therefrom. Interactive applications that are employed in a time-shifted mode can be matched to current conditions and interactive content may be updated to include current data. Users may view and manipulate highlights of television programs and receive alerts of occurrence of real-time events during viewing of recorded material. Additional manipulations of interactive applications and content are also enabled. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Claims

1-99. -99. (canceled)

100. A method for displaying advertisements associated with at least one item of an interactive television application, the method comprising:

transmitting an interactive television application including said at least one item, the interactive television application having an advertising slot adapted to be associated with an advertisement associated with said at least one item;

storing the interactive television application;

transmitting a replacement advertisement; and

associating, in response to said transmitting step, the advertising slot with the replacement advertisement.

101. The method according to claim 100 and also comprising:

providing a user unit, and

wherein the storing and the associating are performed in the user unit.

102. The method according to claim 100 and wherein said at least one item comprises at least one of the following:

a game item;

a background advertisement;

a poster; and

a product for sale.

103. The method according to claim 100 and wherein said transmitting an interactive television application comprises transmitting an initial advertisement in association with the interactive television application;

and

said storing comprises storing the interactive television application and the initial advertisement.

104. The method according to claim 103 and wherein said initial advertisement and said replacement advertisement each comprises one of the following:

a video advertisement;

an audio/video advertisement; and

an audio-only advertisement.

105. The method according to claim 103 and wherein said initial advertisement is associated with a first sponsor and said replacement advertisement is associated with a sponsor other than said first sponsor.

106. A method for displaying advertisements associated with at least one item of an interactive television application, the method comprising:

receiving an interactive television application including said at least one item, the interactive television application having an advertising slot adapted to be associated with an advertisement associated with said at least one item;

storing the interactive television application;

receiving a replacement advertisement; and

associating, in response to said transmitting step, the advertising slot with the replacement advertisement.

107. The method according to claim 106 and also comprising:

providing a user unit, and

wherein the receiving, the storing and the associating are performed in the user unit.

108. The method according to claim 106 and wherein said at least one item comprises at least one of the following:

a game item;

a background advertisement;

a poster; and

a product for sale.

109. The method according to claim 106 and wherein said receiving an interactive television application comprises receiving an initial advertisement in association with the interactive television application;

and

said storing comprises storing the interactive television application and the initial advertisement.

110. The method according to claim 109 and wherein said initial advertisement and said replacement advertisement each comprises one of the following:

a video advertisement;

an audio/video advertisement; and

an audio-only advertisement.

111. The method according to claim 109 and wherein said initial advertisement is associated with a first sponsor and said replacement advertisement is associated with a sponsor other than said first sponsor.

112. The method according to claim 109 and also comprising displaying, upon selection by a user, the stored interactive television application with said initial advertisement or said replacement advertisement.

113. The method according to claim 112 and wherein the at least one item has display boundaries, and

said displaying comprises displaying:

the stored interactive television application; and

one of the following within the display boundaries of the at least one item;

said initial advertisement; and

said replacement advertisement.

114. The method according to claim 112 and wherein said displaying comprises applying parental control to displaying of at least one of:

the initial advertisement; and

the replacement advertisement.

115. The method according to claim 114 and wherein said applying comprises:

displaying the replacement advertisement if a parental control parameter allows display of the replacement advertisement, and displaying the initial advertisement if said parental control parameter does not allow display of the replacement advertisement.

116. Apparatus that displays advertisements associated with at least one item of an interactive television application, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitter transmitting an interactive television application including said at least one item, the interactive television application having an advertising slot adapted to be associated with an advertisement associated with said at least one item;

a memory that stores the interactive television application; and

a processor associating the advertising slot with a replacement advertisement transmitted by said transmitter.

117. Apparatus for displaying advertisements associated with at least one item of an interactive television application, the apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting an interactive television application including said at least one item, the interactive television application having an advertising slot adapted to be associated with an advertisement associated with said at least one item;

means for storing the interactive television application;

means for transmitting a replacement advertisement; and

means for associating the advertising slot with the replacement advertisement.

118. Apparatus that displays advertisements associated with at least one item of an interactive television application, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver receiving an interactive television application including said at least one item, the interactive television application having an advertising slot adapted to be associated with an advertisement associated with said at least one item;

a memory that stores the interactive television application;

a processor associating the advertising slot with a replacement advertisement received at the receiver.

119. Apparatus for displaying advertisements associated with at least one item of an interactive television application, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an interactive television application including said at least one item, the interactive television application having an advertising slot adapted to be associated with an advertisement associated with said at least one item;

means for storing the interactive television application;

means for receiving a replacement advertisement; and

means for associating the advertising slot with the replacement advertisement.