WO2000048394A1 - Method and apparatus for presenting a program - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for presenting a selected program. The method comprises a step of receiving and storing additional data related to the selected program, such as messages or advertisements related to the selected program. The method further comprises a step of receiving content data constituting the selected program, i.e. the audio and video information, and a step of generating a presentation schedule including said additional data and said content data. The selected program and the additional data are then presented in accordance with said presentation schedule. Even if the user selects the program when it is already running for a while, the additional data is presented, for example, at the start and/or the end of the presentation. It is thus guaranteed that the additional messages reach the viewer.

Description

Method and apparatus for presenting a program.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for presenting a selected program.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Such a method and apparatus are well known. For example, known television receivers and set-top boxes are capable of presenting programs selected from a plurality of receivable programs. Thereto, the known apparatuses receive and decode the content data, i.e. the audio and video information, constituting the selected program. It is further known to receive and decode program data related to programs which will be transmitted in the near future. For example, electronic program guide (EPG) information is received and stored in the receiver. Upon request, the EPG is presented to the user. Generally, such an EPG shows a list of program titles and the clock-times, indicating at which time and by which channel the programs will be transmitted. It is further known to broadcast messages, such as commercials, before, during and after a broadcasted program. Often these commercials are provided by sponsors of the broadcasted program. A disadvantage of the known method and apparatus is, that the messages, e.g. advertisements, related to the programs often don't reach the viewer, for example, because the viewer started viewing half-way the program. Hence, the 'advertisement exposure time' is not optimal.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a method and arrangement of the type defined in the opening paragraph whereby the advertisement exposure time is increased. To that end, the method according to the invention is characterized by comprising a step of receiving and storing additional data related to the selected program, a step of receiving content data constituting the selected program, a step of generating a presentation schedule including said additional data and said content data, and a step of presenting the selected program and the additional data in accordance with said presentation schedule. Messages or advertisements are thus separately transmitted and stored. Such messages may be related to particular programs or particular program categories, etc. When the user selects a program, the messages or advertisements are scheduled to be presented in such a way that the exposure time is optimized. For example, the message may be presented before the actual program is presented, even if the selected program is already running for a while. In addition or alternatively, the message is presented multiple times, for example, interrupting the program or after the end of the program. Also, multiple different messages may be presented before, after or during the selected program in a similar way.

A preferred embodiment applies to the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) standard, which is widely applied. This embodiment is characterized in that the broadcast stream is a stream conformant to the Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) specifications. The EPG data and further program related are then transmitted along with the DVB Service Information (SI).

The invention is particularly suitable for television receivers and set-top boxes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated by way of a non-limitative example with reference to a drawing in which:

Figure 1 shows a diagram of a television receiver as an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention,

Figure 2 shows a flow chart of an embodiment of the method according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a digital television receiver as an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention. Digital broadcast streams, modulated upon radio frequency (RF) signals, are received from the ether by an antenna 1 or, alternatively, from a cable network. The broadcast streams may be formatted, for example, in accordance with the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) standard. A tuner 2 comprises a standard analog RF receiving device which is capable of receiving said RF signals and selecting one of them to be output to a demodulator 3. Which signal tuner 2 selects is dependent upon control data received from a central processing unit (CPU) 5. A demodulator 3 converts the analog signal into a digital packet stream, based on control signals received from the CPU 5. This packet stream is then output to a demultiplexer 4, which selects packets belonging to a particular program in accordance with control data received from the CPU 5, and decomposes the packet stream into elementary video, audio or data streams.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the packet stream is output from demodulator 3 directly to the CPU 5. In this embodiment, the CPU 5 performs the tasks of the demultiplexer 4, thereby eliminating the need for the demultiplexer 4.

In addition to broadcast signals, the television receiver may be adapted to receive signals from other sources too, for example, from a (digital) video recorder or DVD, from Internet, or from a digital subscriber line. Programs and program attributes need not be obtained from the same source. For example, attributes and attribute values relating to broadcast programs may be obtained from an internet site.

A video processor 8 decodes the video stream received from the demultiplexer 4 or from the CPU 5. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the video processor 8 is an MPEG-2 decoder; however, any decoder may be used as long as the decoder is compatible with the type of coding used to code the video data. Decoded video data is then transmitted to a display screen 9. An audio processor 6 decodes the audio stream received from the demultiplexer 4. Again, any decoder may be used as long as the decoder is compatible with the type of coding used to code the audio data. Decoded audio data is then transmitted to a speaker system 7.

The demultiplexer 4 outputs the elementary data stream to the CPU 5. The elementary data stream has two types of data: control data and content data. Content refers to, for example, interactive programs; control refers to tables in the multiplex which specify matters like the structure of the multiplex, the (RF) frequencies at which the channels are modulated, and the addresses at which the various content components and the (other) tables in the multiplex can be found. The CPU 5 comprises one or more microprocessors capable of executing program instructions stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 12. These program instructions comprise parts of software modules including, inter alia, a command module 13, an EPG module 14 and a scheduler 15. Data processed by said software modules, e.g. DVB- SI data and user profile information, may be stored in a non-volatile memory 11. The command module 13 is capable of controlling functions of the TV-set, like tuning and demultiplexing selection, and transmitting data to the video processor 8 to be presented on the screen 9. A user command unit 10 receives user commands, e.g. through a remote control (not shown), and transmits them to the command module 13 to be processed. For example, when the user enters a channel number, the command module 13 controls the tuner 2 and the demultiplexer 4 to select the corresponding broadcast stream and data packets therein, and sends graphical data to the video processor 8 to present feedback on the screen 9, e.g. the preset number, the channel name being displayed for a few seconds. The EPG module 14 interprets the DVB-SI data received from the demultiplexer 4 to collect information about the channels ('services' in DVB terminology) available in the received broadcast streams and about the programs ('events' in DVB terminology) scheduled for those channels.

Furthermore, the EPG module 14 is capable of decoding and storing messages, such as advertisements, which are related to programs. The scheduler 15 generates a presentation schedule, in response to the user selecting a particular program, the schedule including said program and one or more messages related to the selected program. Irrespective of whether the program is viewed from the beginning, a related message is presented before the presentation of the (part of the) selected program. Additionally, the same message is presented after the end of the program and in response to the user selecting another program or switching the apparatus off or to another activity. In this way it is achieved that the related message reaches the user. In conventional apparatuses, such messages are often missed because the user selects the program when it is already running for a while, or selects another program or activity before the actual end of the program.

The scheduler 15 may schedule multiple instances of the same message, e.g. before and after the related program. If there are multiple messages related to a program, the scheduler 15 may schedule them all before and after the presentation of the program, or distribute them in other ways, e.g. one message before the presentation of the program and another message after the presentation.

A program may be selected from the EPG or just by zapping with the up/down keys of the a remote control or direct entering the channel number. A program may also be received from a recording device. In that case the related messages may be stored separately and scheduled just before reproduction of the program, or the generated presentation may be recorded as a whole, i.e. including the related messages.

A message may be related to a specific program, or to a group of programs, e.g. programs of a particular genre. For example, if a sports program is selected, a sports related advertisement may be scheduled at the start of the presentation of the sports program. Figure 2 shows a flow chart of an embodiment of the method according to the invention. After an initial step 200, wherein the apparatus is switched on and a default program is selected, the selected program is presented in a step 201. In a step 202 it is checked whether a program selection event has taken place. If not, the presentation of the selected program goes on, otherwise, it is checked in a step 203 whether a message related to the newly selected program exists, e.g. stored in a memory. If so, this message is displayed in a step 204 before presenting the newly selected program in the step 201. Otherwise, it is checked in a step 205 whether a message related to the category or genre of the newly selected program exists. If so, this message is displayed in a step 206 before presenting the newly selected program in the step 201.

In an alternative embodiment, messages related to the genre of the selected program and messages specifically related to the selected program are both presented before, and possibly also after and/or during, the presentation of the selected program.

In summary, the invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for presenting a selected program. The method comprises a step of receiving and storing additional data related to the selected program, such as messages or advertisements related to the selected program. The method further comprises a step of receiving content data constituting the selected program, i.e. the audio and video information, and a step of generating a presentation schedule including said additional data and said content data. The selected program and the additional data are then presented in accordance with said presentation schedule. Even if the user selects the program when it is already running for a while, the additional data is presented, for example, at the start and/or the end of the presentation. It is thus guaranteed that the additional messages reach the viewer.

Although the invention has been described with reference to particular illustrative embodiments, variants and modifications are possible within the scope of the inventive concept. The word 'comprising' does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps than those listed in a claim.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method of presenting a selected program, comprising a step of receiving and storing additional data related to the selected program, a step of receiving content data constituting the selected program, a step of generating a presentation schedule including said additional data and said content data, and a step of presenting the selected program and the additional data in accordance with said presentation schedule.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, the additional data including advertisement data.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 or 2, the content data comprising audio and/or video data.

4. A method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, the additional being scheduled at least at the start of the selected program.

5. A method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4, the additional being scheduled at least at the end of the selected program.

6. An apparatus for presenting a selected program, comprising receiving means for receiving additional data related to the selected program, further receiving means for receiving content data constituting the selected program, scheduling means for generating a presentation schedule including said additional data and said content data, and presentation means for presenting the selected program and the additional data in accordance with said presentation schedule.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, the additional data including advertisement data.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 6 or 7, the content data comprising audio and/or video data.

9. An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 6 to 8, the additional being scheduled at least at the start of the selected program.

10. An apparatus as defined in any one of claims 6 to 9, the additional being scheduled at least at the end of the selected program.

11. A television receiver as an apparatus as defined in any one of claims 6 to 10.