Buried data stream in a wireless home network

Abstract

A method and apparatus is presented for burying a commerce data stream into a network data stream. In the preferred embodiment, the network data stream is an MPEG-2 type video data stream, and the commerce data stream is embedded so that it is neither readily detectable nor easily removable from the network data stream. A home gateway having a wireless transceiver communicates with appliances in the home via this MPEG-2 type video data stream. Non-video data to be transmitted to the appliances is encapsulated in a video data stream, such that the commerce data stream can be buried using the same technique used with video data. The commerce data stream can be embedded with the network data stream either by the content provider, or by the gateway itself at the home. Appliances in the home receive the data stream with the embedded commerce data. At that point, the commerce stream can be removed from the digital data, and is presented to the user in a way appropriate for the appliance. Instructions as to how the commerce stream is to be presented on the appliance can be embedded into the commerce stream itself.

Description

[0001] Cross References to Related Applications [0002] This application claims the benefit of US Patent Application Serial No. 09 / 746,817, filed December 22,2000. technical field [0003] The present invention relates to the use of hidden communication channels in digital communication streams, and more particularly to hidden data channels that can be controlled and hidden in wireless home networks. technical background [0004] Advertising has been one of the main financial supports for the development of new media formats for many years. Before the advent of cable TV and the pay-per-view event, commercials made television services available to the consuming public for free. [0005] The ability to present commercial information to the masses also supports free radio service and greatly reduces consumer spending for newspapers and magazines. [0006] With the advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web, numerous attempts have been made to establish a method of effecti...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0011] Second, since the advertisement is placed on the site, there is no guarantee that the advertisement will be successfully delivered to the user

Unfortunately, since the ad stream to the hardware is neither very secure nor well integrated with the site being viewed, there are some programs that make the hardware "claw" and thus reduce the number of times the ad appears on the user's screen

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