WO2009118757A2

WO2009118757A2 - System and method for displaying customised data/content

Info

Publication number: WO2009118757A2
Application number: PCT/IN2009/000186
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rajendra Kumar Khare
Original assignee: Beonline Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Priority date: 2008-03-19
Filing date: 2009-03-19
Publication date: 2009-10-01
Also published as: WO2009118757A3

Abstract

A system and method of displaying customized data/content on a display screen the method comprising receiving broadcast data (501 ) for a channel including down linked data/content having multimedia audio- video (A/V) program data/content; assigning a relay frequency (502) to said broadcast data/content; receiving interrupting signal (503) from the detected broadcast data/content; accessing the schedule list( 504); replacing downlinked detected broadcast data/content with scheduled data/content 505); receiving interrupting signal (506) from the schedule list; sending downlinked data/content as broadcasted data/content (507).

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING CUSTOMISED DATA/CONTENT

This application claims priority from Indian Provisional Patent Application No 677/CHE/2008... filed on...19^th March 2008

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a method and system for displaying of customized data/content on a display screen capable of displaying broadcast media eg. Television system. More particularly the present invention relates to displaying localized/customized advertisement on display screens using a system at the MSO/cable TV service provider level. More particularly the instant invention relates to a method and system that identifies advertisements on a live feed at the MSO/cable TV service provider level, replaces such advertisements with localized/customized advertisements in a manner that the other portion of the live feed remains unaffected.

Background of the Invention

Ever since its inception television has become an integral part of our daily life. It has become an important medium for entertainment, information, advertising and infotainment.

Moreover, in the present day scenario cable television (TV) has become a widely subscribed commodity. Cable TV typically comprises a plurality of audio/video (AA/) transmissions accumulated for example in a central office of a cable TV service provider. The A/V transmissions may be accumulated in a content server, for example - A content server is an information storage unit adapted to collect, accumulate, package, disseminate, and broadcast multimedia- (AA/) program data/information to clients at various locations remote from the central office. A common central content server may be located in a central office of a service provider.

Typically, cable TV transmissions (channels) are distributed to end-users over cables or wirelessly. The channels may be distributed from a content server located at a local cable TV service provider's location. The service provider's content server is adapted to transmit all of the channels simultaneously on a single shared cable to an end-user location.

Now there's a huge network that enables a user to view a channel of his choice. Clients, end-users and/or customers subscribe to the channels and/or service provided by the content server of the cable TV service provider. Ordinarily, there may be a signal distribution unit situated at the cable TV service provider's location. The signal distribution unit may be adapted to receive all channels via at least one satellite signal-receiving unit, subsequently via at least one satellite. Digital encrypted content is uplinked which is received by the cable TV service provider/MSO that decrypts this content. The MSO decrypts plurality of such contents and then either encrypts it again to be decrypted by a set-top-box (STB) or beams it through his (service providers') network on free to air mode. A television (TV) set and a set-top-box (STB) may be located at the end-user's location to decode and display the channels. The STB provides end-users access to (i.e. decode) only those channels that the end-user subscribes.

The end-user may watch generally one channel provided by the cable TV service provider with advertisements running visuals/texts at a given time. The end-user may select a subscribed channel for viewing by controlling the STB causing the STB to decode and send a particular channel with the live feed of the advertisements to the TV set for display and viewing, Thus, in the conventional TV system, for the most part, only one channel with the live feed of the running advertisement at a time can be viewed.

Though, it is also well known that TV system and media is a powerful advertising medium, providing an opportunity to a person or company to promote and generate awareness about their goods and services resulting into a quick, effective and wider reach into the various segment of the society. However, with the national broadcast channel, the data/content particularly advertisements so displayed remain the same everywhere, irrespective of the geographical locations, climate conditions, language barriers, relevancy of the advertisement being displayed etc. In the sense that it is the same running advertisement displayed to the viewers in different cities irrespective of the fact whether such an advertisement is relevant to such viewer or area at such places or not?. This reduces the effectiveness of this medium as most of the times requirements to reach and attract interest in an advertisement is local centric, for example it may be summers in a town/city and an advertisement of aerated drinks may be perfect for the occasion and the place but the same advertisement would generate little or no results at a place where the winters is at its prime and it may be snowing at that time.

Therefore a need exists for a method and system to enable to detect the advertisements from a live feed, remove and replace them with customized/localized advertisements to generate maximum interest and relevancy in such advertisements.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one skilled in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention. The novel and inventive features believed characteristics of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as preferred modes of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Summary of the Invention

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a method and system that enables displaying of customized data/content on a display screen capable of displaying broadcast media e.g. Television system. Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a mechanism that detect advertisement on a live feed, remove and replace them with customized /localized content.

Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a system and method to enable the customization at MSO/cable TV service provider level.

Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a method and system to enable advertisers to update the database and scheduler of advertisement online using the World Wide Web (Internet) to customize the above mentioned system.

Thus the present invention makes it possible for a cable TV system to provide a_ customized view of the live feed of advertisements to the end-user with a complete-effective relevancy.

Brief description of accompanying drawings

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive, features of the present invention together with its objects and advantages are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the various figures unless otherwise specified and wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrates a block diagram of a channel view available with the live feed of data/content (advertisements) to the end-user according to a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention. .

FIG. 3 illustrates a satellite and/or World Wide Web (Internet) transmission/reception system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG 4. is a block diagram illustrating a audio/video processing system for generating customized and localized live feed of the customized advertisements according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of displaying customized data/content (live feed of customized advertisements) on a display screen capable of displaying broadcast media.

Detailed description of the invention

A method and system for generating displaying of customized data/content (live feed of the customized advertisements) on a display screen capable of displaying broadcast media are provided. In the following description for purposes of explanation, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.

Throughout the specification and claims, the following term take the meaning explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

The expression "service provider" may comprise a cable television (TV) service provider, an Internet service provider, and/or other multimedia-program service providers.

For a detailed explanation reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings.

According to a preferred embodiment^" of the present invention, as depicted by FIGS. 1 and 2, the MSO/cable service provider's server receives^~the broadcasted live channel data/content (default live feed of the advertisements), as well as customized data/content (such as customized/localized advertisements). This customized data/content is either stored in the server of the MSO/Cable operator or is pulled from a centralized server at runtime.

When the MSO server receives an interrupting signal (such as a cue tone) or such signal generated by interpreting means as the server is capable of interpreting, it promptly switches the national data/content having live feed of default advertisement with the localized customized data/content i.e. customized/localized advertisement till such time when the server receives an interrupting signal. The national live feed of the data/content (illustrated as base data in figures) is displayed on the background and customized data/content is kept in foreground.

Thus, in its preferred embodiment the method and system simply tabs between the national (default) and customized/localized data/contents on receipt of an interrupting signal. This methodology enables the system to switch from national to plurality of localized/customized data/content in real-time delivering live display to the end-user. There have been occasions when a similar structure of switching was proposed. But those devices were very expensive and difficult to maintain and update remotely.

The customized/localized data/content so mentioned is either stored in the server located at the MSO/cable service provider level and/or or at a server connected with the MSO's server through a network. This localized/customized data/content is fed live using a schedule list. The list can be updated either at MSO's end i.e. cable service provider end and/or through the World Wide Web (Internet) giving complete flexibility and easy to operate media to the advertisers.

FIG. 3 illustrates a satellite and/or World Wide Web (Internet) transmission/reception system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention A broadcasting uplinking station 301 transmits multimedia- program information to a satellite 302. The satellite transmission/reception system may comprise a plurality of satellites receivers, wherein each satellite 302 may transmit a plurality of multimedia-program channels to a plurality of satellite receivers. The multimedia-program information for all channels that a cable TV service provider offers may be accumulated and encoded together at a satellite 302 receiver array location for further satellite transmission to a plurality of remotely located respective cable TV service provider (MSO) 303 for further dissemination and distribution to the end-users 305.

An end-user can view a live feed of a channel with running advertisements while sitting in his room. A customized and localized element of live feed of the advertisements can be created for delivery to the end-user from various sources. MSO 303 in a preferred embodiment of the present invention may receive the multimedia-program transmissions having the customized data/content (live feed of customized advertisements) from the data server 304 on World Wide Web (Internet) and transmit such multimedia-program transmissions to the end users 305 from the various sources. For example, the end-user can view a list of available TV programs oτi a website associated with a cable TV station whereby customized data/content (live feed of customized advertisements) can be created for- delivery to the end-user that incorporates portions of audio/video-elements from one or more TV channels as per the effective relevancy of the advertisements on display.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of multimedia-program transmissions may comprise a plurality of television channels, a plurality of internet transmissions, etc. The plurality of multimedia-program transmissions may be conveyed to content servers 303 residing at a plurality of cable TV service provider locations.

The multimedia-program transmission transmitted through content servers (MSO) 303 may be received at set-top-box (STB). From STB₁ another media (cable) may connect the STB to the Television (TV) set of the end users 305. The multimedia-program transmission received at an end-user 305 may comprise every channel available with the respective customized data/content (live feed of customized advertisements) for displaying or viewing that a service provider offers.

FIG. 4. is a block diagram illustrating audio/video processing system for generating customized and localized live feed of the customized data/content (advertisements) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, where the system comprises receiving means 401 to receive broadcast data for a channel including down linked data having multimedia audio-video (AA/) program data/content, assigning means 405 for assigning a relay frequency to said broadcast data, interpreting means to interpret a interrupting signal 1 from the detected broadcast data/content, accessing means to access the schedule list, replacing means to replace down-linked detected broadcast data with scheduled data/content; interpreting means to interpret and detect interrupting signal 2 from the schedule list, relaying means to send down-linked data as broadcasted data. The interpreting means generates an interrupting signal (such as a cue tone) or such signal as the MSO server is capable of interpreting. The moment interpreting means generate an interrupting signal the server promptly switches the national data/content having live feed of default advertisement with the localized customized data/content i.e. customized/localized advertisement till such time when the server receives an interrupting signal again. Thus the system simply tabs between the national (default) and customized/localized data/contents on receipt of an interrupting signal. The interrupting signal is thus capable of switching the national (default) data/content with the customized/localized data/content without creating any hindrance in the display of base program at the end user's end even without knowledge of such switching of display by such end user. This methodology enables the system to switch from national to plurality of localized/customized data/content in real-time delivering live display to the end-userr

The system also enables advertisers to update the database and scheduler of. advertisement online using the World Wide Web (Internet) thus affording such advertisers easy operation of displaying customized data/content on a display screen capable of displaying broadcast media.

In one of the preferred embodiment of the instant invention, the content that need to be replaced is done at by the set-top box also referred to as smart IB box (306) . In such a case all the MSO server simply acts as a trans-reciever., transmitting the broadcasted data and the data received from the data server to the smart IB's , receiving the users response and the schedule changes (proof of play from the smartlB and transmitting these responses to the data server for further analytics. _ .

FIG. 5 depicts a flow diagram illustrating a method of displaying customized- data/content on a display screen capable of displaying broadcast media according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a channel may be selected for viewing at an end-user location with the live feed of advertisements. The end- user's electronic device (STB) may transmit a channel request to the service provider's location (MSO). The channel request may be received at the content server. The content server may process the channel request. The present invention provides a mechanism that detects advertisement on a live feed, remove and replace them with customized /localized content

The method of detecting, removing and replacing advertisement on a live feed with the, customized/localized content may comprise receiving broadcast data for a channel including down linked data/content having multimedia audio-video (A/V) program data/content 501 , assigning a relay frequency to said broadcast data/content 502, receiving interrupting signal 1 from the detected broadcast data/content 503, accessing the schedule list 504, replacing downlinked detected broadcast data/content with scheduled data/content 505, receiving interrupting signal 2 from the schedule list 506, sending downlinked data/content as broadcasted data/content 507.

Thus a method of creating and relaying a custom display of customized data/content on a display screen is illustrated in FIG. 5. The method starts at block 501 ; the MSO may receive broadcast data for at least one channel relay preferably having national broadcast data being transmitted from the satellite/internet. The MSO may assign a relay frequency to said national broadcast data/content at block 502 and receive interrupting signal 1 generated by interrupting means from the detected broadcast data/content at block 503. At the next block 404, the schedule list is accessed for customized and localized data/content. The schedule list may also include plurality of local feeds of customized/localized advertisement data/content stored preferably in the server of the MSO/cable service provider and/or extracted ^"from a centralized server connected with the MSO's server through a -network at runtime. The server at block 405 may replace downlinked detected broadcast data/content with scheduled data/content having customized/localized advertisement and relays such data/content for display at the user's end. The moment the interrupting signal 2 received at block 506, the method starts- sending downlinked data/content as broadcasted data/content at block 507.

Although, the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many forms without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the invention. Preferred embodiments of this -invention have been described herein, including the best mode known to the inventor for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. For example there may be-means and system wherein the viewer may use a desktop or laptop instead a television.. as a display screen. Thus, other modifications are apparent.

Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Claims

Claims:

1. A method of displaying customized data/content on a display screen capable of displaying broadcast media, the method comprising: receiving broadcast data for a channel including down linked data/content having multimedia audio-video (AA/) program data/content; assigning a relay frequency to said broadcast data/content; receiving interrupting signal 1 from the detected broadcast data/content; - accessing the schedule list; replacing downlinked detected broadcast data/content with, scheduled data/content; receiving interrupting signal 2 from the schedule list; sending downlinked data/content as broadcasted data/content.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the customized data/content comprises national data/content and/or localized customized data/content.

_3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the customized data content stored Jn the server of the MSO/cable service provider.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the customized data content stored in the SmartlB box.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the customized data/content extracted from a centralized server connected through a network at runtime.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the interrupting signal switches the national data/content with the localized customized data/content.

7. System for displaying customized data/content on a display screen capable of displaying broadcast media, the system comprising: receiving means to receive broadcast data for a channel including down linked data/content; assigning means for assigning a relay frequency to said broadcast data/content; interpreting means to interpret a interrupting signal 1 from the detected broadcast data/content; accessing means to access the schedule list; replacing means to replace downlinked detected broadcast data/content with scheduled data/content; interpreting means to interpret and detect interrupting signal 2 from the schedule list; relaying means to send downlinked data/content as broadcasted data/content.

8. System for displaying customized data/content on a display screen as substantially herein described with reference to the drawing and figures.

9. _. Method for displaying customized data/content on a display screen as substantially herein described with,.reference to the drawing and figures.