Abstract:
A method is provided for adding extended content data during data stream acquisition. The method includes receiving a request for a transition from a first data stream to a second data stream within a transitioning time period. The method also includes determining whether a timing of the transition is sufficient for insertion of at least a first portion of extended content data during the transition. The method also includes selecting the first portion of the extended content data as insertion content if the timing of the transition is sufficient for insertion of the first portion of the extended content data. The method also includes selecting a second portion of the extended content data as the insertion content if the timing is insufficient for insertion of the first portion of the extended content. The method also includes causing the insertion content to be presented to a user during the transition.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/640,818, filed Dec. 17, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The advertisement industry is always thinking of new methods of reaching the most consumers at a minimal cost. One of these methods involves only distributing select advertisements to consumers who will likely be interested in the products or services in those selected advertisements. This method is called addressable advertising. 
         [0003]      FIG. 1A  illustrates an example conventional distribution system  100 . 
         [0004]    As illustrated in the figure, distribution system  100  includes a set-top box  102  and a service provider  104 . Service provider  104  includes a network content provider  106  and an advertisement library  110 . Network content provider  106  includes network content to be provided to set-top box  102 . Advertisement library  110  contains a plurality of advertisements, including an advertisement content  112 , an advertisement content  114 , an advertisement content  116  and an advertisement content  118 . Set-top box  102  includes a processing portion  120  and an acquisition portion  122 . 
         [0005]    Set-top box  102  is operable to receive information from service provider  104  through a plurality of data streams, including a data stream  126 , a data stream  128 , a data stream  130 , a data stream  132  and a data stream  134 . Set-top box  102  is further operable to output a signal  140  to a television (not shown). A data stream may be any stream of data that flows from a source to a destination, for example video data from a service provider to a set-top box. 
         [0006]    Network content provided by network content provider  106  is arranged to be transmitted though data stream  126 . Advertisement content  112  is arranged to be transmitted through data stream  134 . Advertisement content  114  is arranged to be transmitted through data stream  132 . Advertisement content  116  is arranged to be transmitted through data stream  130 . Advertisement  118  is arranged to be transmitted through data stream  128 . 
         [0007]    Processing portion  120  is arranged to receive and process data from any one of data streams  126 ,  128 ,  130 ,  132  and  134  by way of acquisition portion  122 . Acquisition portion  122  is operable to acquire one of data streams  126 ,  128 ,  130 ,  132  and  134  and to provide content respectively thereon to processing portion  120 . 
         [0008]    In operation, set-top box  102  is used to present desired content, for example a movie, on a specific data stream. To accomplish this, processing portion  120  instructs acquisition portion  122  to acquire a data stream where the desired content, e.g., movie, is being transmitted. When a data stream is acquired, acquisition portion  122  may forward content to processing portion  120  to be processed and output as signal  140  to a television. 
         [0009]    Transitioning may be any known form of changing from one data stream to another data stream, non-limiting examples of which include; a set-top box changing from receiving one frequency to receiving another frequency on a broadcast television system; a service provider changing from providing one frequency to a set-top box to providing another frequency to the set-top box on a switched digital video television system; and changing from one service provider to another service provider on an Internet Protocol television system. The time needed and the actions needed for this transition process are dependent on the type of set-top box and service provider in use. Also, processing portion  122  is not able to present content or advertisements while acquisition portion  122  is transitioning from one data stream to another data stream. For example, if a user is watching a television program and decides to change the data stream, the set-top box will not present anything while it is transitioning to the new data stream. This is called dead air. 
         [0010]    For purposes of explanation, in distribution system  100 , presume acquisition portion  122  is arranged to acquire data stream  126  to receive network content provided by network content provider  106 . Before network content provided by network content provider  106  can be transmitted to set-top box  102 , network content provider  106  arranges the content such that gaps for advertisements are present, creating a network content packet  124 . 
         [0011]    Network content packet  124  includes information set-top box  102  will use to present network content provided by network content provider  106 . This may include audio and video portions of network content provided by network content provider  106 . Network content packet  124  will also include a given time to start the advertisement break. An indicator for set-top box  102  to change data streams, i.e., a transition signaling, is typically contained in a known packet identifier on the data stream that set-top box  102  is currently receiving. This signaling will not be available while transitioning from one data stream to another data stream. An illustration of this can be found in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0012]      FIG. 2  illustrates how content and advertisements are combined in set-top box  102 . 
         [0013]    As illustrated in the figure, an advertisement break  202  is included in network content provided by network content provider  106 . Advertisement break  202  can be of any predetermined length of time to accommodate a predetermined number of advertisements and allocate the appropriate time needed for transitioning from one data stream to another data stream. In this example, advertisement break is long enough to accommodate two advertisements, advertisement content  114  and advertisement content  118 , and three times for transitioning, a transitioning time  204 , a transitioning time  206  and a transitioning time  208 . 
         [0014]    As discussed previously, transitioning times can vary depending on the type of set-top box and the service provider being used, for example, some set-top boxes may have a transitioning time of two seconds, whereas other set-top boxes may have a transitioning time of 1 second. Presume for purposes of discussion, in this example, transitioning times  204 ,  206  and  208  each have a duration of two seconds. In other words, it will take set-top box  102  two seconds to transition from acquiring one data stream to acquiring another data stream. 
         [0015]    When it is time to transition to the first addressable advertisement, processing portion  120  instructs acquisition portion  122 , by way of signal  136  to transition to the data stream where that advertisement can be found. This is illustrated in  FIG. 1B . 
         [0016]      FIG. 1B  illustrates distribution system  100  when set-top box  102  is acquiring to the first target advertisement. 
         [0017]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1B , network content packet  124  is no longer being delivered to set-top box  102 . Processing portion  120  has instructed acquisition portion  122  to transition to data stream  132 , which is now receiving an advertisement content packet  136 . 
         [0018]    Advertisements can be of any length and in reality there are many standard lengths used by the advertising industry. These lengths consider the transitioning time needed by processing portion  120 . For example, advertisements may have a duration of 13 seconds, 28 seconds or 58 seconds, each allowing for a two-second transitioning time. In this example and for purposes of discussion, all advertisements will have a duration of 28 seconds. Returning to  FIG. 2 , since advertisement content  114  and advertisement content  118  each have a duration of 28 seconds, advertisement break  202  will have a duration of 62 seconds. 
         [0019]    Returning to  FIG. 1B , advertisement content packet  136  includes information similar to network content packet  124 . Advertisement content packet  136  includes audio and video portions of advertisement content  114  that will be used by acquisition portion  122  to present advertisement content  114 . Advertisement content packet  136  also includes a predetermined time at which the set-top box will begin to transition to either the next advertisement or to the next content data stream. 
         [0020]    As previously discussed, processing portion  120  will instruct acquisition portion  122  to begin to transition to the next data stream after advertisement content  114  has been presented. Nothing will be presented while acquisition portion  122  is transitioning to the next data stream. 
         [0021]    In this example, after presenting advertisement content  114 , processing portion  120  instructs acquisition portion  122  to begin to transition to the second addressable advertisement. This is illustrated using  FIG. 1C . 
         [0022]      FIG. 1C  illustrates distribution system  100  when acquisition portion  122  has transitioned to the second addressable advertisement. 
         [0023]    As illustrated in the figure, advertisement content packet  136  is no longer being delivered to set-top box  102 . Acquisition portion  122  has transitioned to data stream  128  and is now receiving an advertisement content packet  138 . 
         [0024]    As discussed with reference to advertisement content packet  136 , advertisement packet  138  contains audio and video components of advertisement content  118 , and the predetermined time when processing portion  120  instructs acquisition portion  122  to transition to the next data stream. In this example, processing portion  120  will instruct acquisition portion  122  to transition to data stream  126  after 28 seconds of advertisement content  118  has been presented. Referring to  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 2 , set-top box  102  will continue to present network content provided by network content provider  106  and the process described above may repeat. 
         [0025]    Returning to  FIG. 2 , the string of content and advertisements presented by set-top box  102  is illustrated by final content  210 . As illustrated and described previously, two seconds between each transition results in dead air, wherein nothing is presented. 
         [0026]    What is needed is a method of reducing dead air time while the set-top box is transitioning to the next data stream. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0027]    The present invention provides a system and method of reducing dead air time while the set-top box is transitioning to the next data stream. 
         [0028]    In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a device is provided for use with extended content data on a first data stream and second content data on a second data stream. The device includes a processing portion, an acquisition portion and a buffer. The acquisition portion is in communication with the processing portion. The acquisition portion can acquire the first data stream, can transition from the first data stream to acquire the second data stream to receive the second content data and can provide the second content data to the processing portion. The buffer can receive the extended content data. The processing portion can instruct the acquisition portion to transition from the first data stream to the second data stream to receive the second content data. The buffer can further provide the extended content data to the processing portion based on the acquisition portion transitioning from the first data stream to the second data stream. The processing portion can further process the extended content data portion as received from the buffer. 
         [0029]    Additional advantages and novel features of the invention are set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0030]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings: 
           [0031]      FIG. 1A  illustrates an example conventional distribution system when a set-top box is arranged to receive network content; 
           [0032]      FIG. 1B  illustrates the example conventional distribution system when set-top box has transitioned to a first target advertisement; 
           [0033]      FIG. 1C  illustrates the example conventional distribution system when the set-top box has transitioned to a second addressable advertisement; 
           [0034]      FIG. 2  illustrates how content and advertisements are combined in the set-top box of  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0035]      FIG. 3A  illustrates an example distribution system in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, when arranged to acquire a content data stream; 
           [0036]      FIG. 3B  illustrates an example distribution system in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, after transitioning to a first advertisement data stream; 
           [0037]      FIG. 3C  illustrates an example distribution system in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, after transitioning to a second advertisement data stream; 
           [0038]      FIG. 4  illustrates an example manner of storing content, extended content and advertisements in a set-top box in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; 
           [0039]      FIG. 5A  illustrates an example network content packet in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; 
           [0040]      FIG. 5B  illustrates an example advertisement content packet in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; 
           [0041]      FIG. 5C  illustrates another example advertisement content packet in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; 
           [0042]      FIG. 6  illustrates an advertisement content packet for use with one to two different set-top boxes, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; and 
           [0043]      FIG. 7A /B illustrates an example process of presenting targeting advertising in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0044]    In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a delivery system allows additional content to be delivered to a set-top box, wherein the set-top box may present this content while transitioning to a new data stream. As such, advertisers may have access to additional time for advertising content, which in turn may provide additional revenue for content providers. 
         [0045]    In an example embodiment, extra content includes a predetermined amount of additional advertising content that may be added to the end of an original advertisement. This would provide a seamless viewing of one advertisement to another advertisement, even while the set-top box changes data streams. 
         [0046]    In one example, the extra content lasts for two seconds. When the set-top box begins transitioning after a 28 second advertisement has presented, the extra content may present as an additional two seconds of the advertisement. This extra content would replace the otherwise dead air time. 
         [0047]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, in the event extra content is not available for the set-top box to present while transitioning from one data stream to another data stream, still images pertaining to the advertisement may be presented. In other words, if the set-top box is unable to download the extra content before the designated transitioning time, a still image would be presented during the otherwise dead air time. 
         [0048]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, in the event extra content corresponding to network content is not available for the set-top box to present while transitioning, still images pertaining to an advertisement may be presented. In other words, if the set-top box is unable to download the extra network content before the designated transitioning time, a still image of an advertisement would be presented during the otherwise dead air time. 
         [0049]    An example method of providing extra content to a set-top box in accordance with an aspect of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to  FIGS. 3A-7 . 
         [0050]      FIG. 3A  illustrates an example distribution system  300  in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 
         [0051]    As illustrated in the figure, distribution system  300  includes a set-top box  302  and a service provider  304 . Service provider  304  includes a network content provider  306  and an advertisement library  308 . Network content provider  306  includes network content and extra network content to be provided to set-top box  302 . Advertisement library  308  contains a plurality of advertisements, including an advertisement content  310 , an advertisement content  312 , an advertisement content  314  and an advertisement content  316 . Set-top box  302  includes a processing portion  318 , an acquisition portion  320  and a buffer  322 . 
         [0052]    Set-top box  302  is operable to receive information from service provider  304  through a plurality of data streams, including data stream  126 , data stream  128 , data stream  130 , data stream  132  and data stream  134 . Set-top box  302  is further operable to output a signal  140  to a television (not shown). 
         [0053]    Network content and extra network content provided by network content provider  306  is arranged to be transmitted though data stream  126 . Advertisement content  310  includes advertisement content  112  as discussed above with referent to  FIG. 1A  in addition to an extra advertisement content component corresponding to advertisement content  112  and a still image component corresponding to advertisement content  112  as will be discussed in greater detail below. Advertisement content  310  is arranged to be transmitted through data stream  134 . 
         [0054]    Advertisement content  312  includes advertisement content  114  as discussed above with reference to  FIG. 1A  in addition to an extra advertisement content component corresponding to advertisement content  114  and a still image component corresponding to advertisement content  114  as will be discussed in greater detail below. Advertisement content  312  is arranged to be transmitted through data stream  132 . 
         [0055]    Advertisement content  314  includes advertisement content  116  as discussed above with referent to  FIG. 1A  in addition to an extra advertisement content component corresponding to advertisement content  116  and a still image component corresponding to advertisement content  116  as will be discussed in greater detail below. Advertisement content  314  is arranged to be transmitted through data stream  130 . 
         [0056]    Advertisement content  316  includes advertisement content  118  as discussed above with referent to  FIG. 1A  in addition to an extra advertisement content component corresponding to advertisement content  118  and a still image component corresponding to advertisement content  118  as will be discussed in greater detail below. Advertisement content  316  is arranged to be transmitted through data stream  128 . 
         [0057]    Set-top box  302  is operable to receive extra content and to present extra content while transitioning to the next data stream. 
         [0058]    Acquisition portion  320  is arranged to receive and process data from any one of data streams  126 ,  128 ,  130 ,  132  and  134 . Processing portion  318  is arranged to receive and process data from any one of data streams  126 ,  128 ,  130 ,  132  and  134  by way of acquisition portion  320 . Acquisition portion  320  is operable to acquire to one of data streams  126 ,  128 ,  130 ,  132  and  134  and to provide content respectively thereon to processing portion  318 . Buffer  322  is operable to receive extra content and image still frames from any one of data streams  126 ,  128 ,  130 ,  132  and  134 . Buffer  322  is further operable to provide acquisition portion  320  with received extended content or image still frames as instructed by processing portion  318 . 
         [0059]    In operation, set-top box  302  is used to present desired content on a specific data stream. To accomplish this, processing portion  318  instructs acquisition portion  320  to acquire a data stream, where the desired content is being transmitted. When the data stream is acquired, acquisition portion  320  may receive and process data and output the processed data as signal  140  to a television for presentation. 
         [0060]    In  FIG. 3A , set-top box  302  is arranged to acquire data stream  126  and is receiving network content packet  324 . As discussed previously, network content provider  306  arranges the content to have advertisement break  202 , creating network content packet  324 . In contrast to distribution system  100  discussed above, in accordance with the present invention, network content packet  324  includes extended content as will be described below. This is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0061]      FIG. 4  illustrates how content, extended content and advertisements are combined in set-top box  302 . 
         [0062]    In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, dead air time is eliminated or greatly reduced by inserting additional content, while the set-top box is transitioning from one data stream to another data stream. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , network content provider provided by network content  306  is first presented until advertisement break  202 . At this time, while set-top box  302  is transitioning to data stream  132  to receive advertisement content  312 , additional content portion  402  is presented. Then, advertisement content  114  is presented until transitioning time  206 . At this point, while set-top box  302  is transitioning to data stream  128  to receive advertising content  316 , extra advertisement portion  404  is presented. In this example, advertisement content  312  includes advertisement content  114  and extra advertisement portion  404 . Then, advertisement content  118  is presented until transitioning time  208 . At this point, while set-top box  302  is transitioning to data stream  126  to receive network content provider provided by network content  306 , extra advertisement portion  406  is presented. In this example, advertisement content  316  includes advertisement content  118  and extra advertisement portion  406 . This process will be described in greater detail below. The string of content and advertisements presented by set-top box  302  is illustrated by final content  410 . 
         [0063]    An example structure for network content packet  324  will be further discussed with reference to  FIG. 5A . 
         [0064]      FIG. 5A  illustrates an example network content packet  324  in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 
         [0065]    As illustrated in the figure, network content packet  324  includes a video component  502  corresponding to the network content, an audio component  504  corresponding to the network content, extra network content component  506  corresponding to the network content, still image components  508 , a transitioning space  510  corresponding to video data and a transitioning space  512  corresponding to audio data. Video component  502  and audio component  504  are components of network content provider provided by network content  306  and will be presented by set-top box  302 . After some predetermined time period as represented by dotted line  514 , acquisition portion  320  will have processed the portion of network content provided by network content provider  306  up to advertisement break  202 . At this point, extra network content component  506  is inserted, wherein audio and video portions of extra network content component  506  will be presented into spaces  510  and  512 , respectively. This figure illustrates a non-limiting example of sending packetized data wherein audio and video portions of extra network content are transmitted separately. However, in other embodiments, audio and video portions of extra network content may be transmitted as a single data packet. 
         [0066]    Extra content may be provided as blocks of video data to be presented back for predetermined periods. For example, extra content may be packaged as 0.5 seconds, 1 second, two seconds, etc., of presentable video. These predetermined extra content packages may be concatenated to accommodate varying transitioning times as will be described in more detail below. 
         [0067]    Extra content may be provided to a set-top box at different rates, which typically increase in cost with an increase in rate. For example, two seconds of extra content may be provided to a set-top box within a time period of 0.5 seconds. This increases delivery rate will require an increased delivery bandwidth, which generally will require an increased operation cost. However, as will be discussed in more detail below, if the extra content is provided at an increased rate, there is an increased chance that the extra content will be delivered before the next transitioning time. For purposes of explanation, presume in the example embodiments discussed with reference to  FIGS. 5A-5C  that extra network content component  506  is provided at slower rate than will be required for presentation. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 5A , extra network content component  506  is larger than the period for which it will present, i.e., spaces  510  and  512 . Further, for purposes of explanation, presume in the example embodiments discussed with reference to  FIGS. 5A-5C  that extra network content component  506  has a presentation duration of 1 second and that the transitioning period of set-top box  302  is 1 second. 
         [0068]    When set-top box  302  receives network content packet  324 , buffer  322  stores extra network content component  506  and still image component  508 , whereas acquisition portion  320  begins processing video component  502  and audio component  504 . Once the transitioning time as represented by dotted line  514  is reached, processing portion  318  will instruct acquisition portion  320  to begin to transition to the next data stream. As discussed previously, the time a particular set-top box takes to transition from one data stream to another data stream depends on the type of set-top box and service provider being used. For this example, as mentioned above, transitioning time  204  will have a duration of 1 second. In other words, it will take acquisition portion  320  1 second to transition from data stream  126  to data stream  132 . In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, acquisition portion  302  will simultaneously instruct buffer  322  to provide extra network content component  506  to acquisition portion  320  while instructing acquisition portion  320  to additionally begin transitioning. 
         [0069]    As discussed previously, with reference to  FIGS. 1A-2 , set-top box  102  in delivery system  100  provided dead air while transitioning to a new data stream. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, for example in distribution system  300 , acquisition portion  320  is able to present extra network content component  506 , while transitioning to the next data stream, thereby greatly reducing or eliminating the dead air time. 
         [0070]    There may be instances where a user may transition to a specific data stream after the content has begun, e.g., a user misses the first few minutes of their favorite television show. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a plurality of instances of extra network content component  506  are included in network content packet  324  to address these types of situations. Presume, for purposes of discussion, that a user arranges set-top box  302  to acquire data stream  126  to watch a television show corresponding to network content provided by network content provider  306  at the time represented by dotted line  516  in  FIG. 5A . In this situation, buffer  322  would not have received any of the first instance of extra network content component  506  and would not have received a large portion of the second instance of extra network content component  506 . Of course, it is uncertain when a user may instruct set-top box  302  to transition to data stream  126 . To account for this uncertainty, many instances of extra network content component  506  are included in network content packet  310 . As such, buffer  322  will receive at least one entire extra network content component  506 . 
         [0071]    There may be instances when set-top box  302  transitions to a data stream before it receives extra content. For example, a user may instruct a set-top box to transition to a specific data stream after an advertisement break has started. In another example, a user may instruct a set-top box to transition to a specific data stream just prior to an advertisement break, wherein there is insufficient time for the extended content to be received. This time period, wherein there is insufficient time for the extended content to be received, is represented in  FIG. 5A  as shaded area  519 . In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a plurality of instances of still image component  508  are included in network content packet  324  to address these types of situations. Presume, for purposes of discussion, that a user instructs a set-top box  302  to transition to data stream  126  to watch a television show corresponding to network content provided by network content provider  306  at the time represented by dotted line  518  in  FIG. 5A . In this situation, extra network content component  506  would not fit in the remaining time slot allotted for acquisition portion  320  to transition to the next data stream. As opposed to presenting dead air, buffer  322  will at least be able to load still image component  508  into acquisition portion  320  for presentation. Of course, it is uncertain when a user may instruct set-top box  302  to transition to data stream  126 . To account for this uncertainty, many instances of still image component  508  are included in network content packet  324 . As such, buffer  322  will receive at least one entire still image component  508 . 
         [0072]      FIG. 3B  illustrates distribution system  300  when transitioned to the first advertisement data stream. 
         [0073]    As illustrated in the figure, network content packet  324  is no longer being transmitted to set-top box  302 . Set-top box  302  has now transitioned to data stream  132  and is receiving an advertisement content packet  326 . Advertisement content packet  326  includes similar elements as advertisement content packet  136 , but further includes an extra advertisement portion. 
         [0074]      FIG. 5B  illustrates an example advertisement content packet  326  in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 
         [0075]    As illustrated in the figure, advertisement content packet  326  includes a video component  520  corresponding to the advertisement content, an audio component  522  corresponding to the advertisement content, extra advertisement content component  524  corresponding to the advertisement content, still image components  526 , a transitioning space  528  corresponding to video data and a transitioning space  530  corresponding to audio data. Video component  520  and audio component  522  are components of advertisement content packet  326  and will be presented by set-top box  302 . After a predetermined time period as represented by dotted line  532 , acquisition portion  320  will have processed advertisement content packet  326  up to transitioning point  532 . At this point, extra advertisement content component  524  is inserted, wherein audio and video portions of extended advertisement component  524  will be presented into spaces  528  and  530 , respectively. 
         [0076]    When set-top box  302  receives advertisement content packet  326 , buffer  322  stores extra advertisement content component  524  and still image component  526 , while acquisition portion  320  begins processing video component  520  and audio component  522 . Once the transitioning time as represented by dotted line  532  is reached, processing portion  318  will instruct acquisition portion  320  to begin to transition to the next data stream. For this example, transitioning time  206  will have a duration of 1 second. In other words, it will take acquisition portion  320  1 second to transition from data stream  132  to data stream  128 . In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, processing portion  318  will concurrently instruct buffer  322  to provide extra advertisement content component  524  to acquisition portion  320 , while instructing acquisition portion  320  to additionally begin transitioning. 
         [0077]    In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, for example in distribution system  300 , acquisition portion  320  is able to present extra advertisement content component  524 , while transitioning to the next data stream, thereby greatly reducing or eliminating the dead air time. 
         [0078]    In the event that extra advertisement content component  524  is not available to be presented, set-top box  302  will instead present still image  526 . 
         [0079]      FIG. 3C  illustrates distribution system  300  when set-top box  302  has transitioned to the second advertisement data stream. 
         [0080]    As illustrated in the figure, advertisement content packet  326  is no longer being transmitted to set-top box  302 . Set-top box  302  has now transitioned to data stream  128  and is receiving an advertisement content packet  328 . Advertisement content packet  328  includes similar elements as advertisement content packet  138 , but further includes an extended advertisement portion for advertisement content  316 . 
         [0081]      FIG. 5C  illustrates an example advertisement content packet  328  in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 
         [0082]    As illustrated in the figure, advertisement content packet  328  includes a video component  534  corresponding to the advertisement content, an audio component  536  corresponding to the advertisement content, extra advertisement content component  538  corresponding to the advertisement content, still image components  540 , a transitioning space  542  corresponding to video data and a transitioning space  544  corresponding to audio data. Video component  534  and audio component  536  are components of advertisement content  316  and will be presented by set-top box  302 . After a predetermined time period as represented by dotted line  546 , acquisition portion  320  will have processed advertisement content  308  up to transitioning point  206 . At this point, extra advertisement content component  538  is inserted, wherein audio and video portions of extended advertisement component  538  will be presented into spaces  542  and  544 , respectively. 
         [0083]    When set-top box  302  receives advertisement content packet  328 , buffer  322  stores extra advertisement content component  538  and still image component  534 , whereas acquisition portion  320  begins processing video component  534  and audio component  536 . Once the transitioning time as represented by dotted line  546  is reached, processing portion  318  will instruct acquisition portion  320  to begin to transition to the next data stream. For this example, transitioning time  208  will have a duration of 1 second. In other words, it will take acquisition portion  320  1 second to transition from data stream  128  to data stream  126 . In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, processing portion  318  will concurrently instruct buffer  322  to provide extra advertisement content component  538  to acquisition portion  320 , while instructing acquisition portion  320  to additionally begin transitioning. 
         [0084]    In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, for example in distribution system  300 , acquisition portion  320  is able to present extra advertisement content component  538 , while transitioning to the next data stream, thereby greatly reducing or eliminating the dead air time. 
         [0085]    In the event that extra advertisement content component  538  is not available to be presented, set-top box  302  will instead present still image  540 . 
         [0086]    As previously discussed, the time needed for set-top box  302  to transition to another data stream depends on the type of set-top box and service provider being used. For instance, there may be situations where a set-top box is able to transition to the next data stream in more than one second, such as in two seconds. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, advertising content may be provided with a plurality of portions of extra content, wherein additional portions of extra content may be concatenated to accommodate a specific transitioning speed of a set-top box. An example of this aspect will be further discussed with reference to  FIG. 6 . 
         [0087]      FIG. 6  illustrates an advertisement content packet  600  for use with either set-top box  302  or another set-top box (not shown), which requires two seconds to transition to the next data stream. 
         [0088]    As illustrated in the figure, advertisement packet  600  includes the elements of advertisement content packet  326  as illustrated in  FIG. 5B , in addition to an extra advertisement content  602 . In this example, all advertisements are 28 seconds in length. Extra advertisement content  602  includes an additional 1 second of audio and video pertaining to advertisement content packet  326 . 
         [0089]    By using advertisement packet  600 , set-top box  302  may present extra network content  506  for one second while transitioning to a new data stream as discussed above. Further, the other set-top box (not shown), which requires two seconds to transition to the next data stream, may present extra network content  506  for one second and then extra content  602  for one second while transitioning to the new data stream. More specifically, after 28 seconds as represented by dotted line  514 , the content for advertisement content packet  326  will be complete. At this point, the other set-top box will present dead air for one second. Then, as represented by dotted line  608 , present extra content component  602  is inserted, wherein audio and video portions will be presented into space  604  and  606 . 
         [0090]    An example process of presenting targeting advertising in accordance with an aspect of the present invention will now be discussed with reference to  FIG. 7A /B. 
         [0091]    As illustrated in the figure, example process  700  starts (S 702 ) and set-top box  302  receives content (S 704 ). As discussed with reference to  FIG. 3A , set-top box  302  is arranged to acquire data stream  126  and receives a network content packet  324  from service provider  304 . At this point, as illustrated in  FIG. 5A , extended network content component  506  and still image component  508  are stored in buffer  322 . 
         [0092]    Set-top box  302  then presents network content provided by network content provider  306  within network content packet  324  (S 706 ). In this example, acquisition portion  320  processes video component  502  and audio component  504 . The processed components are sent as signal  140  to a device (not shown) to present the content for a user. Set-top box  302  can use any known devices (not shown) that is operable to present the content, a non-limiting example of which includes a television. 
         [0093]    While set-top box  302  is presenting network content provided by network content provider  306 , it determines whether there is an advertisement break in network content provided by network content provider  306  (S 708 ). If there is no advertisement break, set-top box  302  continues to present network content provided by network content provider  306 . 
         [0094]    If it is determined that there is an advertisement break, for example at advertisement break  202 , processing portion  318  instructs acquisition portion  320  to transition to the appropriate advertisement data stream (S 710 ). As discussed previously, the advertisements that will be presented during the advertisement break have been predetermined. 
         [0095]    Once acquisition portion  320  has transitioned to the appropriate data stream, it begins to receive the advertisement content packet (S 712 ), for example as discussed above with reference to  FIG. 3B . 
         [0096]    As set-top box  302  is receiving the advertisement packet, it begins to present the advertisement content (S 714 ). 
         [0097]    It is then determined whether acquisition portion  320  should transition to a new data stream (S 716 ). If not, as previously discussed, acquisition portion  320  continues to process the current advertisement packet until the predetermined transitioning time for the next advertisement packet. 
         [0098]    If it is determined that it is time to transition to the new data stream, it is then determined whether acquisition portion  320  should transition to a new advertisement data stream or back to the network content data stream (S 718 ). 
         [0099]    In the instance there are more advertisements to be presented, set-top box  302  begins to transition to the next advertisement data stream (S 720 ). Processing portion  318  instructs acquisition portion  320  to transition to the next data stream. 
         [0100]    After processing portion  318  begins transitioning, it is then determined whether is extra advertisement content to be presented (S 722 ). In the event buffer  322  includes the extra advertisement content, the extra advertisement content is provided to acquisition portion  320  for processing (S 726 ). Otherwise, buffer provides the still image to acquisition portion  320  for processing (S 724 ). 
         [0101]    Returning to step S 718 , if it is determined that acquisition portion  320  should transition back to the network content data stream, processing portion  318  instructs acquisition portion  320  to transition back to the network content data stream (S 728 ). 
         [0102]    After processing portion  318  begins transitioning, it is then determined whether is extra advertisement content is to be presented (S 730 ). In the event buffer  322  includes the extra advertisement content, the extra advertisement content is provided to acquisition portion  320  for processing (S 734 ). Otherwise, buffer provides the still image to acquisition portion  320  for processing (S 732 ). 
         [0103]    At this time set-top box resumes presenting the network content and process  700  stops (S 736 ). 
         [0104]    In example embodiments discussed above with reference to  FIGS. 3A-3C , service provider  304  provides five (5) data streams to set-top box  302 . Of course service provider  304  may provide any number of data streams to set-top box  302 . 
         [0105]    In accordance with aspects of the present invention, data streams  126 ,  128 ,  130 ,  132  and  134  may be wired or wireless. 
         [0106]    In example embodiments discussed above with reference to  FIGS. 3A-3C , service provider  304  provides content, extra content and still images on a single data stream, e.g., data stream  126 . In accordance with aspects of the present invention content, extra content and still images may be provided on different data streams, e.g., wherein data stream  126  includes a plurality of data streams. 
         [0107]    In accordance with aspects of the present invention, extra content may be spliced onto the end of corresponding content such that the extra content is presented during a transitioning operation. The splicing operation may be performed by any known method. 
         [0108]    In some non-limiting example embodiments, the extra content may be an additional portion of the current content. For example, for a pre-recorded network broadcast, the transitioning time will be known. Further, the following two seconds of the pre-recorded network broadcast will additionally be stored. In this example situation, the known extra network content may be spliced onto the end of the network content at the transitioning time. This would seem to extend the network broadcast while concurrently reducing dead air time. 
         [0109]    In some non-limiting example embodiments, the extra content may be different from the current content. For example, for a live network broadcast such as a sporting event, there would be no way to predict what will happen after the transitioning time. In this example situation, different content, such as an advertisement, may be spliced onto the end of the network content at the transitioning time. This would, at the very least, reducing dead air time and provide an additional source of revenue to service providers. 
         [0110]    In example embodiments discussed above with reference to  FIGS. 3A-3C , processing portion  318 , acquisition portion  320  and buffer  322  are illustrated as distinct items. However, in other embodiments, at least one of processing portion  318 , acquisition portion  320  and buffer  322  may be combined as a unitary device. In still other embodiments, the function of at least one of processing portion  318  and acquisition portion  320  may be performed by a single processing device. In these embodiments, the single processing device may receive instructions from a media, having processing device readable instructions thereon. The device readable instructions may instruct the processing device to perform the functions of at least one of processing portion  318  and acquisition portion  320 . 
         [0111]    In example embodiments discussed above with reference to  FIGS. 3A-3C , service provider  304  provides extra content to set-top box  302 . In other non-limiting example embodiments in accordance with aspects of the present invention, set-top box  302  may obtain extra content from other sources. For example, set-top box  302  may have extra content loaded therein, wherein the extra content is presented during every transitioning process. Further, set-top box  302  may have its own database of extra content to present during every transitioning process. In such situations, service provider  304  need not provide extra content to set-top box  302 . 
         [0112]    In a conventional system and method of providing addressable advertising to a set-top box, dead air was created when the set-top box transitions from one data stream to the next. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, extra content is provided to the set-top box. This extra content will present while the set-top box is transitioning to a new data stream. This additional content may be a source of additional revenue of service providers. 
         [0113]    The foregoing description of various preferred embodiments of the invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiments, as described above, were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.