Advertisement insertion techniques for digital video streams

• US 6,704,930 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2000
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E, LLC
• Original Assignee: Expanse Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Eldering, Charles A., Flickinger, Gregory C., Hamilton, Jeffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ma, Johnny
• Application Number:
  US09/553,099
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 725/36, 725/34, 725/35, 725/33, 725/95, 725/63, 725/42, 725/93, 348/385.1, 348/387.1
• US Class Current: 725/36
• 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 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23655 Statistical multiplexing, e.g. by controlling the encoder to alter its bitrate to optimize the bandwidth utilization
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the insertion and transport of advertisements in a digital environment, including methods for directing advertisements (ads) at subscribers and substituting advertisements in a program stream with targeted advertisements. The insertion methods are based on synchronous, plesiochronous, or asynchronous techniques. These methods may operate at constant bit rates or at available bit rates. An ad manager is used to select targeted advertisements, and dynamic ad linking is used to substitute an advertisement in a program stream with an alternative targeted advertisement.

Claims

1. A method for inserting advertisements into one or more digital program streams within a multiplexed digital stream, the method comprising:

receiving a multiplexed digital stream having a plurality of digital program streams, wherein the multiplexed digital stream is allocated a multiplex bandwidth and the multiplex bandwidth is divided among the plurality of digital program streams into program bandwidths, the program bandwidth allocated based on bit rate associated with program contents, and wherein the digital program streams include advertisements opportunities;

accessing a plurality of advertisements and associated advertisement information, wherein the advertisement information includes advertisement bandwidth requirements;

selecting advertisements from the plurality of advertisements to be inserted in the digital program streams, wherein the advertisements are selected based at least in part on the program bandwidth and the advertisement bandwidth; and

inserting the advertisements into the advertisement opportunities within the digital program streams.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement opportunities within the digital program streams are in synchronization with one another.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement opportunities within the digital program streams are plesiouchronous.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement opportunities within the digital program streams are asynchronous.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting includes selecting advertisements where the advertising bandwidth is in close proximity to the program bandwidth.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting includes selecting advertisements having a bit rate in close proximity to bit rate of the digital program stream.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting includes selecting advertisements having a bit rate less than or equal to bit rate of the advertisement opportunity within the digital program stream.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the advertisement so that the advertising bandwidth is in close proximity to the programming bandwidth, and wherein said compressing is done prior to said inserting.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the program bandwidth to a predefined bandwidth prior to said inserting, wherein said inserting includes inserting the advertisement having the predefined bandwidth.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the predefined bandwidth is a bandwidth associated with advertisements.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the predefined bandwidth is a minimum bandwidth for advertisements.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the predefined bandwidth is the advertisement bandwidth.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying bit rate of the digital program stream to a constant bit rate prior to said inserting, wherein said inserting includes inserting the advertisement having the constant bit rate.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the constant bit rate is an advertisement bit rate.

15. A system for inserting advertisements into one or more digital program streams within a multiplexed digital stream, the system comprising:

a receiver to receive a multiplexed digital stream having a plurality of digital program streams, wherein the multiplexed digital stream is allocated a multiplex bandwidth and the multiplex bandwidth is divided among the plurality of digital program streams into program bandwidths, the program bandwidth allocated based on bit rate associated with program contents, and wherein the digital program streams include advertisements opportunities;

an interface to access a plurality of advertisements and associated advertisement information, wherein the advertisement information includes advertisement bandwidth requirements;

an advertisement manager to select advertisements from the plurality of advertisements to be inserted in the digital program streams, wherein the advertisements are selected based at least in part on the program bandwidth and the advertisement bandwidth; and

a multiplexer to insert the advertisements.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising an avail manager to detect the advertisement opportunities within the digital program streams.

17. A method for inserting advertisements into one or more digital program streams within a multiplexed digital stream, the method comprising:

receiving a multiplexed digital stream having a plurality of digital program streams, wherein the multiplexed digital stream has a maximum bit rate it can support and the digital program streams have a fluctuating bit rate based on program contents;

accessing a plurality of advertisements; and

inserting selective ones of the advertisements into the digital program streams, wherein the bit rate of the digital program streams may be dynamically adjusted at point of insertion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said inserting includes inserting advertisement having a bit rate equal to or less than a bit rate of the program at a point prior to said inserting.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said inserting includes inserting advertisements having a bit rate equal to or less than remaining bit rate available within the multiplexed digital stream.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising

determining available bandwidth within the multiplexed digital stream for an advertisement; and

preventing insertion of advertisements exceeding the available bandwidth.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising

determining available bit rate within the multiplexed digital stream for an advertisement;

and

preventing insertion of advertisements exceeding the available bit rate.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising

determining a minimum bit rate for an advertisement;

and

determining available bit rate within the multiplexed digital stream for an advertisement; and

selecting an advertisement for insertion that has a minimum bit rate that is less than or equal to the available bit rate.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising adjusting the bit rate of the digital program stream to a predetermined bit rate prior to said inserting.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the predetermined bit rate is a minimum advertisement bit rate.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the predetermined bit rate is bit rate of the selected advertisement.

26. A system for inserting advertisements into one or more digital program streams within a multiplexed digital stream, the system comprising:

a receiver to receive a multiplexed digital stream having a plurality of digital program streams, wherein the multiplexed digital stream has a maximum bit rate it can support and the digital program streams have a fluctuating bit rate based on program contents;

an advertisement manager to access a plurality of advertisements; and

a statistical multiplexer to insert selective ones of the advertisements into the digital program streams, wherein the bit rate of the digital program streams may be dynamically adjusted at point of insertion.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the statistical multiplexer determines available bandwidth within the multiplexed digital stream for an advertisement and prevents insertion of advertisements exceeding the available bandwidth.

28. The system of claim 26, further comprising an avail manager to determine available bit rate within the multiplexed digital stream for an advertisement, wherein the advertisement manager determines a minimum bit rate for an advertisement and selects an advertisement for insertion that has a minimum bit rate that is less than or equal to the available bit rate.

29. A computer based method for controlling insertion of advertisements into a digitally multiplexed video stream, the method comprising:

receiving a digitally multiplexed video signal containing a plurality of digital program streams, wherein the program streams have a time varying bit rate and at least one advertisement insertion opportunity, and wherein the at least one advertisement insertion opportunity has an advertisement insertion opportunity bit rate;

selecting a digitally compressed advertisement for insertion into the digitally multiplexed video signal, wherein the digitally compressed advertisement has a minimum acceptable bit rate;

determining if the minimum acceptable bit rate is greater than or less than the advertisement insertion opportunity bit rate; and

inserting the digitally compressed advertisement when the minimum acceptable bit rate is less than the advertisement insertion opportunity bit rate.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising halting the insertion of the digitally compressed advertisement when the minimum acceptable bit rate is greater than the advertisement insertion opportunity bit rate.

31. An apparatus for controlling insertion of advertisements into a digitally multiplexed video stream, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving a digitally multiplexed video signal containing a plurality of digital program streams, wherein the program streams have a time varying bit rate and at least one advertisement insertion opportunity, and wherein the at least one advertisement insertion opportunity has an advertisement insertion opportunity bit rate;

an advertisement spooler for selecting a digitally compressed advertisement for insertion into the digitally multiplexed video signal, wherein the digitally compressed advertisement has a minimum acceptable bit rate; and

a statistical multiplexer for determining if the minimum acceptable bit rate is greater than or less than the advertisement insertion opportunity bit rate and inserting the digitally compressed advertisement when the minimum acceptable bit rate is less than the advertisement insertion opportunity bit rate.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said statistical multiplexer halts the insertion of the digitally compressed advertisement when the minimum acceptable bit rate is greater than the advertisement insertion opportunity bit rate.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said statistical multiplexer is coupled to said advertisement spooler and said video source.