Abstract:
A method wherein contents of DVDs may be restricted based upon purchased certificates is provided. The certificates allow for secured information on playback. Specifically, whenever a DVD is to be played, a certificate is consulted to determine whether the content of the DVD should be played with or without commercial interruptions. If the certificates provide for commercial interruptions, then commercials can be obtained from an online service that renders commercials on demand, or from the DVD itself. In such a case, the content of the DVD may be interspersed with commercials.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Technical Field  
         [0002]     The present invention is directed generally to digital video or versatile disk (DVD). More specifically, the present invention is directed to a system and method of providing advertising during DVD playback.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     Commercial enterprises spend millions of dollars each year to promote brand recognition, tout benefits and features of their products, market promotional offers to consumers etc. on television. This makes television advertising just in the U.S.A., for instance, a multi-billion dollar industry.  
         [0005]     With the advent of cable television (cable TV), a new form of advertising (i.e., addressable advertising) has emerged. Addressable advertising is the ability to deliver customized advertisements to individual set-top boxes within a household based on specific knowledge about that household (e.g., income, ethnicity, presence of children, purchase habits, etc.). This enables operators of cable broadcast systems to increase advertising revenues by charging advertisers a higher “per-viewer” rate in order to reach a particular (i.e., target) audience.  
         [0006]     Typically, an addressable advertising system uses a set-top box in a viewer&#39;s home to switch original advertisements with customized ones. For example, when a viewer is watching cable TV, the set-top box is tuned to a channel (selected by the viewer) and transmits a regular broadcast television signal provided by a cable company to the television set. When a commercial break is to occur in the regular broadcast television signal, the cable company transmits a “switch” signal to the set-top box that causes the set-top box to tune to another channel in which audience-specific commercial advertisements are broadcast. After a certain number of targeted commercials are played on the viewer&#39;s television set, a second “switch” signal is sent to the set-top box to make it tune back to the regular broadcast television signal.  
         [0007]     The set-top box (or any other device) may be used to monitor viewing habits of viewers. The viewer information gathered in this manner is transmitted back to the broadcaster in order to allow for data mining. The information collected is typically remote control data indicating viewer channel selections and time stamps indicating the time spent viewing each channel. The gathered data may then be sold to advertisers that may use it to improve target advertisements.  
         [0008]     DVD programs (e.g., movies on DVDs), however, do not allow for advertising. According to the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG), DVD sales (films, television series, special interests, etc.) totaled more than $15 billion in 2004. Thus, DVDs may be a great source of advertising revenues that are not being tapped. Further, revenues from DVD advertising may contribute to the reduction in cost of the DVDs.  
         [0009]     Thus, what is needed is a system and method of providing advertising during DVD playback.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The present invention provides a DVD player for, computer program product for, and method of, playing back contents of DVD with commercial interruptions. When a DVD is to be played, a certificate is consulted to determine whether the content of the DVD should be played with or without commercial interruptions. If the certificates provide for commercial interruptions, then commercials can be obtained from an online service that renders commercials on demand, or from a storage device in the DVD player or from the DVD itself. In the case where commercials are obtained from the DVD itself, the commercials may be interspersed with the content or programming on the DVD.  
         [0011]     Further, DVDs that play back with commercial interruptions may be bought at a lower price than those that do not. In addition, if a user decides to update to a no-commercial-interruptions DVD, the user may do so without having to obtain a new disk. In such a case, an updated certificate may be downloaded to the user&#39;s DVD player or Internet Protocol Television (IP TV) or any device (i.e., digital video recorder (DVR), TiVo etc.) or entered in the DVD player by the user.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a television set (TV) connected to an exemplary DVD player in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates a block diagram of a DVD player in accordance with the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  contains a table having two columns into which DVD IDs are cross-referenced with purchase certificates.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4   a  is a flow chart of a first process that may be used by the invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 4   b  is a process that may be used when a DVD is to be played back.  
         [0018]      FIG. 4   c  is a process that may be used during a DVD playback.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0019]     Turning to the figures,  FIG. 1  illustrates a television set (TV)  112  connected to an exemplary DVD player  102  in accordance with the present invention. As shown in the figure, DVD player  102  may be in communication with an on-line service provider through connection line  108 . Obviously, the connection to the service provider may be via Internet, public switched telephone network (PSTN), cable, satellite, conventional radio frequency (FR) antenna etc. Therefore, the signal on connection line  108  may be digital (including IP packets) or analog.  
         [0020]     The DVD player  102  is also connected to the TV  112  via connection line  110 . The DVD player  102  includes infrared (IR) sensor  104  that receives commands such as “play”, “fast forward” (FFW), “rewind” (RW), “menu” etc. from a remote control device operated by a viewer. Likewise, TV  112  contains an IR sensor  114  that receives commands (such as channel up, channel down, volume up, volume down, power ON/OFF etc.) from a remote control device operated by the viewer. The viewing habits of the viewer as indicated by when the TV  112  is turned on/off, channels tuned in (in the case where the TV  112  receives signals without a decoder set-top box) etc. may be sent to the service provider through DVD  112  for data mining purposes.  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  illustrates a block diagram of a DVD player in accordance with the invention. The DVD player includes a hard disk drive  202  in a two-way communication link with a controller  204 . The controller  204  is in a two-way communication link with an audio/video processor  208  and memory  206 . Further, audio/video controller  208  is in a two-way communication link with disk drive  212 . Note that for simplicity reasons only components needed to explain the invention are shown in  FIG. 2 . Thus, the components should not be taken as being all inclusive of a DVD player or limited by the illustrated components.  
         [0022]     The controller  204  may request and receive data from a service provider over connection line  214 . The data may represent certificates, advertisements, software programs (e.g., operating system (OS) and application programs) and updates thereof etc. The controller  204  generally stores the certificates, advertisements, software programs and updates on a disk in hard disk drive  202 . When the DVD player is turned on, the controller  204  loads the OS and any needed application programs into memory  206 . Users insert DVDs into disk drive  212  for playback.  
         [0023]     Each DVD may contain an identification (i.e., a DVD ID). The DVD ID is used to find the certificate with which the DVD is associated. For example, when a DVD is inserted into disk drive  212 , the audio/video processor  208  reads data and processes the data and outputs audio and video signals to the TV to which the DVD player is connected along communication line  210 . However, before audio/video controller  208  transmits the audio and video signals to the TV, the audio/video controller  208  passes to controller  204  the DVD ID. Using the DVD ID, the controller  204  may locate or retrieve the certificate with which the DVD is associated from the disk in hard disk drive  202 . If the DVD ID is not on the disk, then the DVD has not yet been played on the DVD player. Consequently, the user may be prompted to enter the certificate. Alternatively, the DVD player may obtain the certificate directly from the service provider using the DVD ID. In any case, once the controller  204  obtains the certificate, the controller  204  will cross-reference it with the DVD ID and store the result into a table as shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  contains a table having two main columns into which DVD IDs are cross-referenced with purchase certificates. One column (column  310 ) is used to cross-reference DVD IDs with certificates that allow for DVD playback with commercial interruptions. The other column (column  320 ) is used to cross-reference DVD IDs with certificates that do not allow for DVD playback with commercial interruptions.  
         [0025]     Generally, a list of certificates that allow for commercial interruptions as well as one of those that do not allow for commercial interruptions may be downloaded in advance from the service provider over line  214  and stored. When a user enters a certificate or when the controller downloads a certificate from the service provider, the two lists of certificates previously downloaded from the service provider are consulted to determine whether or not the certificate is one that allows for commercial interruptions. If the certificate allows for commercial interruptions, it, along with the cross-referenced DVD ID, is entered in column  310 . If, on the other hand, the certificate does not allow for commercial interruptions, it and its cross-referenced DVD ID will be entered in column  320 .  
         [0026]     When and if the user updates to a non-commercial-interruptions DVD, the user will be given a new certificate (i.e., a certificate that does not allow for commercial interruptions). The user may insert the DVD in disk drive  212  and, using the remote control, access an option that allows the user to enter the new certificate into the DVD player. Upon receiving the new certificate, the controller  204  will search the table to see whether the DVD ID has already been cross-referenced with a certificate (that allows for commercial interruptions) in the table. If so, the controller will erase the DVD ID from that column (i.e., column  310 ) and cross-referenced the DVD ID with the new certificate in the other column (i.e., column  320 ). If the DVD ID is not already cross-referenced with a certificate, the controller will do so and store the result in column  320 .  
         [0027]     If the certificate allows for DVD playback with commercial interruptions, then periodically the playback of the DVD will be interrupted with commercial advertisements. Note that certain DVD player control operations such as the fast forward, skip, and rewind (FFW/NEXT/RW), of the DVD player may be inoperative during the commercials.  
         [0028]     Note further that if the certificate entered by the user is not in the list of certificates that do not allow for commercial interruptions previously downloaded from the service provider, the DVD will be played back with commercial interruptions. Further, if the certificate is not any one of the two lists, the DVD may not be played at all. This may reduce the number of DVD movies that are pirated.  
         [0029]     The onset of a commercial interruption may be based on a signal embedded in the recording on the DVD. The end of a commercial interruption may also be based on a signal. But, this signal may be from controller  204 . Further, for every onset of commercial interruption signal on a DVD, there is a resumption signal.  
         [0030]     In operation, when the commercial interruption onset signal is encountered, the audio/video processor  208  stops reading data from the DVD in disk drive  212  and requests that controller  204  forward data representing the commercials. When controller  204  determines that it should end a commercial interruption (this may be time-based or algorithm based), the controller may insert a signal into the data being passed to audio/video processor  208 . Upon receiving the signal, the audio/video processor  208  may resume reading data from the DVD at the point where the resumption signal (that accompanies that particular onset of a commercial interruption signal) is embedded in the data on the DVD.  
         [0031]     The controller  204  may determine which commercials to provide (as well as how frequent to provide a commercial) to the audio/video processor  208  based on an algorithm or from commands received from the service provider over line  214 . As mentioned before, the service provider may provide the commercials that are stored on the disk in hard disk drive  202  in real-time or ahead of time. The commercials may be commercials targeted for that particular household based on data collected from that household (i.e., ethnicity, viewing habits, income etc.). Furthermore, the frequency of the commercials or the content of the commercials may be targeted based on a graduated fee schedule, such that for the payment of a higher fee, less commercial interruptions are presented, or the content of the commercials may be commensurate to the paid fee. The certificate may contain information to identify any paid fee.  
         [0032]     If the certificate does not allow for DVD playback with commercial interruptions, then the playback of the DVD will not be interrupted with commercial advertisements. That is, when the DVD is inserted into disk drive  212 , the DVD ID is read to controller  204  by audio/video processor  208 . The controller  204  consults the table to determine whether the certificate to which the DVD ID is cross-referenced allows for commercial interruptions. If not, the controller  204  provides the end of commercial interruption signal as soon as it receives a request from the audio/video processor  208  for commercials.  
         [0033]     In cases where commercial interruptions are interspersed in the DVD itself, the DVD may have a specific DVD ID. Each commercial interruption onset signal is inserted just before a commercial interruption is to occur and each resumption signal is inserted where a commercial interruption ends. The specific DVD ID, when not cross-referenced with a certificate in the table in  FIG. 3  instructs the audio/video processor  208  to ignore the commercial interruption onset signal. Therefore, the DVD will playback with commercial interruptions.  
         [0034]     When and if the user upgrades to a non-commercial interruptions certificate, the user will have to enter the certificate into the DVD player. The certificate and the special DVD ID is cross-referenced in column  320  in  FIG. 3 . Then, as described above, upon encountering the onset of a commercial interruption signal, the audio/video processor  208  requests that the controller  204  provide the commercials. However, since the certificate and specific DVD ID are cross-referenced in column  320 , the controller  204  provides the end of commercial interruption signal as soon as it receives a request for commercials from the audio/video processor  208 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 4   a  is a flow chart of a first process that may be used by the invention. The process starts the first time a DVD player is turned on while connected to a service provider (step  400 ). At that point the controller  204  downloads and stores all the certificates (both the ones that allow for commercial interruptions and the ones that do not) from the service provider (step  402 ). A check may be made to determine whether a DVD is in the drive  212  (step  404 ). If a DVD is in the drive  212 , the audio/video processor  208  obtains the DVD ID from the DVD and forwards it to controller  204  (step  406 ). At that point, it will be determined whether the DVD ID is a specific ID (step  408 ). If it is not a specific ID, another check is done to determine whether the ID is already in the table in  FIG. 3  (step  410 ). If the DVD ID is already in the table, then the process ends (step  418 ).  
         [0036]     If the ID is not already in the table, the user will be prompted to enter the purchase certificate (step  412 ). After the certificate has been entered, it will be determined whether or not it is a certificate that allows for commercial interruptions (step  414 ). Depending on the result, the certificate will be cross-referenced with the ID in the proper column of the table in  FIG. 3  (steps  420  and  416 ) before the process ends (step  418 ).  
         [0037]     If the ID is a specific ID, it is determined whether the user is entering a certificate (step  422 ). If so, the process jumps to step  414 . If not, the process ends (step  418 ).  
         [0038]      FIG. 4   b  is a process that may be used by audio/video processor  208  when a DVD is to be played back. The process starts when the user presses “play” (step  430 ). At that point, the processor  208  starts reading data from the DVD (step  432 ). A check is made to determine whether the data read is a commercial interruption signal (step  434 ). If it is not a commercial interruption signal, the data is converted into audio/video signals and provided to the TV (step  436 ) before the process jumps back to step  432  where more data will be read from the DVD.  
         [0039]     If the data read is a commercial interruption signal, another check is made to determine whether the DVD ID of the DVD is a specific ID (step  438 ). If the ID is specific, a check is made to determine whether the ID is in column  320  in the table of  FIG. 3  (step  440 ). If the ID is in column  320 , the processor  208  requests a commercial from the controller  204  (step  442 ). The controller  204  provides the data representing the commercial to the processor  208  which upon receiving the data (step  444 ) checks it to determine whether it is an “end of commercial interruption signal” (step  446 ). If the data is an “end of commercial interruption signal” (which in this case it will be) the process jumps back to step  432 . If the data is not an “end of commercial interruption signal”, the processor  208  will process it and forwards audio/video signals to the TV (step  448 ) before the process jumps back to step  442  to request another commercial.  
         [0040]     If the DVD ID is specific but not in the table (see step  440 ), then the process will jump back to step  432  in order for the audio/video processor  208  to read more data from the DVD. Note that this will happen when there are commercials interspersed on the DVD and the user has not upgraded to a non-commercial-interruption certificate. Note further that the data read in this case will be advertising data.  
         [0041]     If the DVD ID is not a specific ID (see step  438 ), then a check will be made to determine whether or not the ID is in the table in  FIG. 3  (step  450 ). If the ID is in the table, then it will be determined if commercials are allowed by inspecting the columns in the table (step  454 ). If commercials are allowed as determined based on the inspection, the process will jump to step  442  where the audio/video processor  208  will request commercials from the controller  204 . If commercials are not allowed, the process will jump back to step  432  in order for the audio/video processor  208  to read more data from the DVD. If the ID is not in the table, the user will be prompted to enter the purchase certificate (step  452 ) and the process will jump to step  454 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 4   c  is a process that may be used by controller  204  during a DVD playback. The process starts when the controller receives a request for commercials from audio/video processor  208  (step  460 ). At that point a check will be made to determine whether or not the certificate with which the DVD ID is cross-referenced allows for commercial interruptions (step  462 ). If commercials are allowed, the controller  204  will provide the commercials to the audio/video processor  208  by repeatedly going through steps  464  and  466 . When the controller determines that DVD playback should resume (step  466 ), it will send an end of commercial interruption signal to the audio/video processor  208  (step  468 ). If the certificate does not allow for commercial interruptions, process will jump to step  468  where the controller  204  will immediately send an end of commercial interruption signal to the audio/video processor  208  upon receiving the request for commercials.  
         [0043]     Note that one particular embodiment of the invention is provided above. However, there may be other embodiments. For example, the playback of the DVD with commercial interruptions may be tiered. That is, the cost of the DVD may determine whether the DVD will play back with commercial interruptions, with reduced commercial interruptions or with no commercial interruptions.  
         [0044]     When commercials are embedded in a DVD, the commercials may be refreshed by connecting with the service provider at the point the commercials are programmed to play. This will allow a DVD player to play existing (i.e., embedded) commercials if there is not an available connection to the service provider. It also allows new or different commercials to be played when the DVD player is connected to the service provider.  
         [0045]     Further, the commercials may be tailored to the subject matter of the DVD. Moreover, different commercials may be played at different frequencies. The frequency at which a commercial is played may be based on the viewing habits of the viewer, which may include the number of times the subject DVD is played with or without suspension of playback.  
         [0046]     In addition, the commercials may be tailored to the subject matter of the DVD and the time the DVD is played. Moreover, different commercials may be played at different times of the day. The time of day at which a commercial is played may be based on the viewing time of the DVD, which may include viewing a commercial when playing the DVD during daylight hours, and playing the DVD without commercials during certain days and times such as late nights and holidays.  
         [0047]     Furthermore, the invention can take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer-usable or computer-readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any other instruction execution system. For the purposes of this description, a computer-usable or computer readable medium can be any tangible apparatus that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.  
         [0048]     The medium can be an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system (or apparatus or device) or a propagation medium. Examples of a computer-readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk. Current examples of optical disks include compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), compact disk-read/write (CD-R/W) and Digital Video/Versatile Disk (DVD).  
         [0049]     A data processing system suitable for storing and/or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus. The memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code, bulk storage, and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution.  
         [0050]     The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.