Techniques for reinsertion of local market advertising in digital video from a bypass source

• US 7,930,716 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: ACTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Liga, Kevin, DEO, FRANK P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US10/334,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20040128682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,031 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32- 36
• US Class Current: 725/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21815 comprising local storage units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• 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 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• 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 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A method and system for reinserting local content commercials in a digital video format into a customized event data stream. Local content commercials may be inserted at an on-site facility, a national network, a headend, or a local affiliate. Local content commercials may be inserted into the overall data stream, or into one of a plurality of program signals comprising the data stream. Further, markers or software instructions may be inserted into the data stream or program signals instructing a headend, set top box, or personal video recorder to retrieve a stored local content commercial and insert the commercial into the data stream.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of program signals associated with a customized event, the plurality of program signals corresponding to different portions of the customized event;

creating a data stream comprising the plurality of program signals;

from a local affiliate, inserting one or more local content commercials and corresponding suppression commands into a first program signal of the plurality of program signals in the data stream, the first program signal includes a geographic identifier stored in a service identifier (SID) corresponding to a geographic area for which each of the one or more local content commercials is intended, the geographic identifier stored in the SID being used to match a geographic identifier of a headend, program signals not containing matching geographic identifiers being suppressed; and

transmitting the data stream to the headend, wherein a suppression command associated with the first program signal is to suppress other program signals in the data stream associated with the customized event and to enable only the first program signal including the one or more local content commercials to be viewable on a device associated with the headend.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the suppression command associated with the first program signal is to suppress the receiver'"'"'s ability to change between program signals of the plurality of programs signals corresponding to the different portions of the customized event.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the suppression command is to permit the receiver to change between the program signals corresponding to the different portions of the customized event in response to the receiver receiving an end of commercial marker.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic identifier comprises a designated market area identifier.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising based on the headend not matching any geographic identifiers stored in the SID of program signals, sending all SIDs comprising data for the customized event.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising based on the headend not matching any geographic identifiers stored in the SID of program signals, selecting a default SID for transmission.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising based on the headend not matching any geographic identifiers stored in the SID of program signals, selecting a SID having a local content commercial for a closest DMA.

4. A computer-implemented method comprising:

creating a customized event data stream comprising a plurality of program signals, the plurality of program signals corresponding to different portions of a customized event, at least one of the plurality of program signals including a geographic identifier stored in a service identifier (SID) corresponding to a particular geographic area for which a local content commercial is intended, the geographic identifier stored in the SID being used to match a geographic identifier of a headend, program signals not containing matching geographic identifiers being suppressed;

transmitting the customized event data stream to a commercial insertion point;

detecting a commercial marker in a secondary data stream associated with the customized event data stream;

inserting the local content commercial into the customized event data stream at a point identified by the commercial marker; and

inserting a suppression command associated with the local content commercial into the customized event data stream, the suppression command to instruct receivers that receive the customized data stream to prevent switching between the plurality of program signals corresponding to the different portions of the customized event during a time when the local content commercial is presented.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the commercial insertion point is at a headend.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the commercial insertion point is at a local affiliate.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the secondary data stream and the customized data stream are the same.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

creating the secondary data stream by multiplexing one of the plurality of program signals with the commercial marker; and

transmitting the secondary data stream separately from the customized data stream to the headend.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the local content commercial is retrieved from a storage device collocated with the headend.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the local content commercial is retrieved from the secondary data stream.

11. The method of claim 9 or 10, further comprising:

multiplexing the local content commercial and the customized event data stream into a remultiplexed customized event data stream; and

transmitting the remultiplexed customized event data stream to the receivers.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said inserting the local content commercial into the customized event data stream at the point identified by the commercial marker comprises:

calculating an MPEG-4 frame differential between a frame of the customized event data stream immediately prior to the commercial marker and a first frame of the local content commercial; and

using the frame differential to seamlessly insert the local content commercial into the customized event data stream.

13. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

receiving a customized event data stream at a first tuner of a dual receiver, the dual receiver having the first tuner and a second tuner, the customized event data stream having a plurality of program signals each corresponding to a different portion of a customized event;

detecting a commercial marker associated with a first program signal of the customized event data stream;

inserting a local content commercial into the first program signal of the customized event data stream at a point identified by the commercial marker, the first program signal including a geographic identifier stored in a service identifier (SID) corresponding to a geographic area for which the local content commercial is intended, the geographic identifier stored in the SID being used to match a geographic identifier of a headend, program signals not containing matching geographic identifiers being suppressed; and

inserting a suppression signal associated with the local content commercial into the first program signal, the suppression signal to instruct the dual receiver to suppress one or more program signals in the customized event data stream from being presented on a display device operably connected to the dual receiver while the local content commercial in the first program signal is being presented on the display device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the local content commercial is broadcast using digital cable signal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the local content commercial is broadcast using terrestrial broadcast.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the local content commercial is broadcast using satellite broadcast.

17. A data stream processing facility comprising:

a headend configured to execute;

a programmed component to receive a data stream comprising a plurality of multiplexed program signals, each of the multiplexed program signals containing respective supplemental content markers and each program signal corresponding to a different portion of a customized event, at least one of the program signals including a geographic identifier stored in a service identifier (SID) corresponding to a geographic area for which a local content commercial is intended, the geographic identifier stored in the SID being used to match a geographic identifier of the headend, program signals not containing matching geographic identifiers being suppressed;

a programmed component to integrate each one of a plurality of segments respectively into one of the multiplexed program signals at the supplemental content markers to generate a revised data stream, each segment comprising a geographic area identifier for a different one of the geographic areas, a suppression signal, and a content; and

a programmed component to broadcast the revised data stream, wherein a first suppression signal is to cause a receiver that receives the broadcast revised data stream to suppress presenting contents associated with segments not related to the first suppression signal, the receiver being associated with the geographic area corresponding to the geographic identifier associated with the first suppression signal.

18. The data stream processing facility of claim 17 wherein the headend is a headend in the sky (HITS).

19. A computer-implemented method of presenting a customized event to a viewer in a particular geographic area, the method comprising:

receiving a customized event data stream comprising a plurality of multiplexed program signals, at least one of the plurality of multiplexed program signals containing a respective supplemental content marker and an associated suppression signal, each program signal corresponding to a different portion of the customized event;

selecting one of the multiplexed program signals in the customized event data stream in accordance with the viewer'"'"'s preference;

presenting the selected program signal to the viewer, the program signal including a geographic identifier stored in a service identifier (SID) corresponding to a particular geographic area for which a local content commercial is intended, the geographic identifier stored in the SID being used to match a geographic identifier of a headend, program signals not containing matching geographic identifiers being suppressed;

detecting the supplemental content marker in the selected program; and

in response to said detecting, presenting a supplemental content relating to the particular geographic area to the viewer while suppressing contents associated with the plurality of multiplexed program signals in the customized event data stream, the suppressing being based on a suppression signal associated with the detected supplemental content marker.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the customized event data stream is received from a first channel, and further comprising acquiring the supplemental content relating to the particular geographic area from a second channel.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

storing the supplemental content on a storage medium local to the viewer; and

acquiring the supplemental content for the displaying the supplemental content from the storage medium.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising allowing the contents associated with the plurality of multiplexed programs in the customized event data stream to be presented to the viewer upon completion of the presenting of the supplemental content.