175results about "Receiver side switching" patented technology

A method and system for providing targeted advertisements over a networked media delivery system, especially interactive television networks, the system comprising tracking and storing viewer selections, analyzing the selections, and delivering targeted advertisements that appeal to the particular subscriber making the selections, the system including a merge processor, a file server, a profile processor, and a broadcast server contained in a head end in communication with a plurality of set-top boxes through a distribution network. Based on a subscriber's viewing habits and account information, the present invention delivers different, customized advertisements to different viewers watching the same program or channel. The present invention delivers the advertisements as either still frame bit maps or as video streams advertisement insertion in a playlist or a broadcast media program.

Techniques of adapting an advertisement previously broadcast or in the process of being broadcast are disclosed. An advertisement selection factor is generated in order to adapt ads to a particular recipient. The advertisement selection factor can be derived from a database of information concerning the recipient and/or from data input by the recipient. The ad may be adapted in a variety of ways including replacing a broadcast ad segment with another segment. The replacement ad segment may be stored in a local device such as a set-top box or hardware card of a TV or PC and selected according to the advertisement selection factor. The replacement ad segment is synchronized with the on-going broadcast to produce a seamless ad. Alternatively, an ad processing can change audio or visual characteristics of the ad according to the ad selection factor. Such ad processing also includes dynamical texture mapping, object replacement, object addition, and audio/video data layering. The ad processing may also be combined with ad segment replacement. The result is a broadcast advertisement specifically targeted for a recipient and thereby likely to have a greater impact on that recipient's buying patterns. These techniques may also be applied to a variety of content such as sitcoms and sports shows to adapt the content to a particular recipient.

A method of and apparatus for allowing a user using a communications device to interact with first media material that is broadcast on a first broadcast channel y a first broadcast media source and second media material that is broadcast on a second broadcast channel by a second broadcast media source, the first media material and the second media material include a first media item and a second media item, respectively, the first media item and the second media item are associated with a first representation of the first media item and a representation of the second media item, respectively, that are received and presented by a broadcast reception device while the broadcast reception device is tuned to a third broadcast channel. The method includes maintaining in a temporary storage an item identifier, the item identifier identifies one of a first media item-related information and a second media item-related information. Additionally, when the broadcast reception device is tuned to the third broadcast channel and presents the first representation of the first media item, the method includes providing the item identifier as a basis for identifying the first media item-related information, the first media item-related information is a basis for a response to an interactivity activation made in reaction to presentation of the first representation of the first media item by the broadcast reception device. When the broadcast reception device is tuned to the third broadcast channel and presents the first representation of the second media item, the method includes providing the item identifier as a basis for identifying the second media item-related information, the second media item-related information is a basis for a response to an interactivity activation made in reaction to presentation of the representation of the second media item by the broadcast reception device.

A system for inserting viewer-specific advertising content comprises a viewer device. The viewer device identifies viewer characteristics regarding the viewer. Upon receipt of advertising content, the viewer device identifies advertisements matching the viewer characteristics. The viewer device inserts the advertisements matching the viewer characteristics into broadcast content.

A system (10), method (60) and apparatus (14) are provided for updating a first advertisement in a video program stream with a second advertisement, based on temporal metadata replacement rules and instructions embedded in or otherwise associated with the advertisements. The system (10) includes a video stream encoder (12) for embedding temporal metadata into the advertisements. The method (60) includes a step (62) of reading the temporal metadata and a step (66) of updating the advertisements based on the temporal metadata. The apparatus (14) includes a recording device (22) for recording (64) portions of the video program stream, including the advertisements. The apparatus (14) also includes an advertisement reader (18) for identifying and locating suitable replacement advertisements based on the temporal metadata, and an advertisement insertion module (24) for replacing advertisements in the stored video program based on the temporal metadata.

A targeted advertising system selects an asset (e.g., ad) for a current user of a user equipment device (e.g., a digital set top box in a cable network). The system can first operate in a learning mode to receive user inputs and develop evidence that can characterize multiple users of the user equipment device audience. In a working mode, the system can process current user inputs to match a current user to one of the identified users of that user equipment device audience. Fuzzy logic and/or stochastic filtering may be used to improve development of the user characterizations, as well as matching of the current user to those developed characterizations. In this manner, targeting of assets can be implemented not only based on characteristics of a household but based on a current user within that household.

In a targeted advertising system focused advertisements or alternate content is pre-stored on a handheld device, inserted into a multimedia stream at predefined times and points in the content stream for a predefined interval, otherwise referred to as a spot. A micro-splicer, instantiated on a handheld device, enables alternate content insertion into a content buffer, instead of the multicast original content stream, at available advertisement spots during content viewing. The alternate content for the target audience can be downloaded and stored on a handheld device prior to the arrival of the content stream. The micro-splicer uses metadata, transmitted within the content stream or notified by other means, to identify the correct alternate content and insert it into the correct spot for reproduction on the handheld device.

A system and method is provided for use in connection with delivering content that is targeted to users of a broadcast network. In order to select content that is targeted to users of the broadcast network, signals are received from a plurality of customer premise equipment devices (CPEs) of the network users via a broadcast network interface. Based on the received signals, broadcast assets (e.g., programming, advertisements etc.) are selected from a collection of available asset options. Accordingly, at least a portion of the selected assets are inserted into a content stream of the broadcast network. Once the content stream is broadcast over a broadcast network interface, at least a portion of the selected assets area available for receipt by at least a portion of the CPEs. The CPEs generate reports regarding assets delivered such that asset providers can be billed based on guaranteed targeted impressions.

A method and apparatus for correlating the transmission of audio-video segments to digital signatures over a wireless or non-wireless medium to allow for real-time substitution and processing of audio and video programs. In one embodiment at least one digital signature having a correlated audio-video segment is transmitted as a digital waveform within an analog modulated signal representing the audio-video segment. The analog modulated signal is transmitted to a wireless receiver. The wireless receiver demodulates the digital waveforms while concurrently playing the correlated audio-video segment. An electronic user interface enables the wireless receiver to define conditional preferences to actively scan a plurality of channels and Internet addresses to substitute a currently playing audio-video segment with a preferred audio-video segment. In an alternative embodiment, a distributed computer network is the broadcast system transmitting digital signatures to either a wireless or non-wireless computer.

A method of substituting a primary content (110) being transmitted on a primary channel (100) with a secondary content (220), characterized by said secondary content being a summary of a program (210) being currently transmitted on a secondary channel (200). Preferably the method comprises substitution of the secondary content (220) in response to a commercial break (120) being transmitted on the primary channel (100). Preferably the method comprises transmission of the primary content (110) following the substituted secondary content (220) that is time-shifted to allow the secondary content to be presented to its end. Preferably the method comprises subsequent to presenting the secondary content (220), the program being currently transmitted on the secondary channel (210) that is presented instead of the primary content (110). Preferably the method comprises transmission of the secondary content (220) that is prior to changing of the channel currently watched from the primary channel (100) to the secondary channel (200).

A system and method may include providing a media stream via a network, the media stream comprising one or more advertisement content segments, identifying aggregate information associated with a viewer, assigning the one or more advertisement content segments to one or more categories and a category score associated with the one or more categories, filtering the one or more advertisement content segments based at least in part on the one or more categories, the category score associated with the one or more categories and the aggregate information associated with the viewer, and outputting the filtered one or more advertisement content segments to the viewer.

A communication device may receive broadcast signals and personal communication signals and may interleave and/or combine the broadcast content and personal communication content. The interleaved and/or combined content may be displayed and/or played as a single stream of video and/or audio. The personal communication content may comprise directed advertisement and/or other specified content which may be determined based on a user's location and/or a user profile. Advertisements may be monitored. The broadcast signals may comprise radio and/or TV programs and may be received via terrestrial wireless, satellite, cable and/or Internet channels. The personal communication signals may be transmitted and/or received via cellular, personal cable, personal satellite and/or a personal Internet channels. The user may respond via the personal communication signals. Broadcast and/or personal communication signals may be deciphered. Deciphering keys and/or information may be received via the personal communication signals.

Provided herein are systems and related methods for switching to an alternate audio/video signal or stream during advertisement breaks in a media provider's programming signal, or other events detected by the system. The system for switching to alternate stream may include a system to detect an event and switch to an alternate signal or stream. Exemplary components may comprise a client based cue generation system, a server based cue generation system, an advertisement cue handling and stat recorder element, viewer dataminer and categorizer, an alternate signal selector, a personal data backup process and a server based controller and alternate signal storage server.

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.

A targeted advertising system uses a machine learning tool to select an asset for a current user of a user equipment device, for example, to select an ad for delivery to a current user of a digital set top box in a cable network. The machine learning tool first operates in a learning mode to receive user inputs and develop evidence that can characterize multiple users of the user equipment device audience. In a working mode, the machine learning tool processes current user inputs to match a current user to one of the identified users of that user equipment device audience. Fuzzy logic may be used to improve development of the user characterizations, as well as matching of the current user to those developed characterizations. In this manner, targeting of assets can be implemented not only based on characteristics of a household but based on a current user within that household.

Systems, methods and apparatuses are provided for allowing a user to supervise personal exposure to a program exhibited by a consumer electronics device, such as, e.g., a television system. The consumer electronics device includes a facial recognition system and media rating enforcement circuitry that analyzes a program signal and either blocks or passes the program signal based on certain content and viewer based criteria and also, in the alternative, time based criteria. In this connection, a user can program the enforcement circuitry with the content and viewer based criteria in the form of one or more viewing profiles comprising viewer specifications and content-based specifications associated with the viewer specifications, and, which specify a rating and/or a subject matter category. The enforcement circuitry receives one or more viewer indicators from a facial recognition system that are indicative of the viewers present in a viewing area and one or more content-based indicators, which are indicative of a rating and/or a subject matter category of the program. The enforcement circuitry compares the viewer indicators with the viewer specifications and then the content-based indicators with the content-based specifications. Based on this comparison, the enforcement circuitry either passes the program signal to an output device for transformation of the program signal into the program or blocks the program signal from being sent to the output device.