Patent Publication Number: US-2006010476-A1

Title: Method for concurrently presenting multiple content types in a tv platform

Description:
The invention relates to the video arts. It finds particular application in conjunction with providing additional content along with advertisement content in an interactive TV platform, such as overlaying user-selected information content on advertisement content, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the invention is also amenable to other applications. For example, the invention also contemplates overlaying information content on program content and presenting audio advertisements with program content when the program content has trivial or no accompanying audio.  
      The basic architecture and communications standards for interactive TV are known in the art. The TV-Anytime (TVA) Forum, for example, is an association of organizations that defines specifications to enable applications to exploit persistent personal media storage in consumer electronic (CE) platforms, such as interactive TV platforms. The TVA Forum is network independent with regard to the means for content delivery to the CE platform, including various digital TV (DTV) delivery mechanisms, as well as the Internet and enhanced TV systems. The TVA Forum has established fundamental specifications for the services, systems, and devices to provide interoperable and integrated systems from content creators/providers, through service providers, to consumers.  
      The current specification produced by the TVA Forum includes five “S-series” documents: 1) S-1 Benchmark Features, 2) S-2 System Description, 3) S-3 Metadata, 4) S-4 Content Referencing, and 5) S-5 Rights Management. The S-1 specification enables search, select, acquire, and rightful use of content on local and/or remote personal storage systems from both broadcast and online services. The S-2 specification identifies the behavior of a TVA broadcast system with an interaction channel used for consumer response. The S-3 specification defines metadata schemas and how they are used within the end-to-end TVA system. Metadata, as defined by TVA, includes descriptive data about content, such as program title and synopsis, referred to as “attractors,” as well as information about user preferences and history. The S-4 specification defines the content referencing process that begins after a content item has been selected by a consumer through to, but not including, the actual acquisition of the desired content item.  
      The Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) specification, published jointly by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), for example, provides a standardized technical solution for a user terminal or platform that enables the reception and presentation of applications in a vendor, author, and broadcaster neutral framework. Under the MHP specification, applications from various service providers are interoperable with different MHP platforms. Thus, applications, networks, and MHP terminals can be made available by multiple independent providers.  
      Chapter 13 of the MHP specification defines the graphics reference model implemented. Via the graphics reference model, MHP provides tools to control the positioning of video on an output device, interface components, such as buttons and lists, as well as raw graphical primitives. A screen constructed under MHP has three planes which are, from back to front, a background plane, a video plane, and a graphics plane. An application is provided with a contiguous rectangular region of the graphics plane in which it can draw. An application can place video, interface elements, and graphics inside its rectangle on the graphics plane. An application can also control video outside of an abstract windowing toolkit (AWT) hierarchy on the video plane, and place still images or solid color in the background plane. The MHP specification enables terminals to support multiple applications at any one time, each of which can have a sub area of the screen to which it can draw. The specification enables the areas to overlap. If the presentations of different applications overlap, the areas obscured by other applications are clipped. Therefore, where an application is translucent it will be blended with the video or background image behind it rather than being blended with another application.  
      Moreover, the distribution of advertisement via television is well established. Advertisers typically purchase advertisement time on a specific channel and time period with the rate being set by the popularity of programs airing within the time period. The more popular the underlying program or time slot, the more expensive the advertising rate. With the increase in the number of network stations, advertisers are confronted with the task of determining which stations are appropriate for their products or services. It is also difficult for advertisers to select a type of advertisement that will appeal to a broad cross section of the population (e.g., males, females, young and old).  
      Furthermore, from a consumer&#39;s perspective, the inability of the consumer to control the content of advertisement information is one of the most irritating aspects related to advertising. The user can only watch what is presented and cannot switch between different advertisements as he can with programs or interact with the advertisement.  
      New technology makes skipping commercials even easier than before. Consumers today often skip commercials that they do not want to see. However, commercials pay for almost everything on commercial television. High-priced shows are paid for by the value that advertisers perceive in displaying their ads during the show. As commercials become less effective, more ad dollars are being devoted to product placement within the television shows. For example, advertisers pay high prices for an actor to use their product in a show. Ideally, advertisers want to deliver a message appropriate for each user. Advertisers are willing to pay higher costs for even better user focus than merely a group of people watching a specific show.  
      There is, therefore, a need for a method to keep users interested during advertisements so that they do not switch to another channel.  
      In one aspect of the invention, a method for concurrently presenting multiple content types on a video platform is provided. A first content associated with a first content type is received. A second content associated with a second content type is also received. The first and second content are presented to the user concurrently. In one embodiment of this method, the first content is program content and the second content is audio advertisement content.  
      In another embodiment of the invention, a video platform for concurrently presenting multiple content types is provided. The video platform includes: a means for receiving a first content associated with a first content type, a means for receiving a second content associated with a second content type, and a means for concurrently presenting the first content and the second content in a human viewable display.  
      One advantage of the invention is that viewers of an interactive television (TV) platform are provided incentives to continue to watch advertisement content rather than change the channel to another program during an advertisement.  
      An additional advantage is that viewers of an interactive TV platform are provided with an option of continuing to watch program content while also interacting with additional content.  
      Another additional advantage is that service providers benefit from viewers continuing to watch advertising content and program content when they may have otherwise discontinued watching.  
      Another additional advantage is that service providers can combine audio advertisement content with program content when there is no audio associated with the program content or when the audio normally associated with the program content is trivial.  
      Other advantages will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description. 
    
    
      The drawings are for purposes of illustrating exemplary embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention to such embodiments. It is understood that the invention may take form in various components and arrangement of components and in various steps and arrangement of steps beyond those provided in the drawings and associated description. Within the drawings, like reference numerals denote like elements and similar reference numerals (e.g.,  116 ,  216 ) denote similar elements.  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a communications environment for interactive television (TV) incorporating the invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a diagram showing a method of screen composition in a TV platform incorporating the invention.  
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an embodiment of an interactive TV incorporating the invention.  
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for presenting multiple content types in an interactive TV platform.  
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart of another embodiment of the method for presenting multiple content types in an interactive TV platform.  
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for presenting multiple content types in a compatible TV platform.  
    
    
      With reference to  FIG. 1 , a communications environment  10  includes a content/service provider subsystem  12 , a transport method subsystem  14 , and an interactive television (TV) platform  16 . Generally, the content/service provider subsystem  12  provides the interactive TV platform  16  with access to scheduled and on-demand content via the transport method subsystem  14 .  
      The content/service provider subsystem  12  includes multiple types of content, including free access programs  32 , subscription programs  34 , pay-per-view (PPV) programs  36 , video-on-demand (VOD) programs  38 , advertisements  40 , E-mail  42 , downloadable files  44 , and information  46 . The information content  46  can be any form of information, including topics such as news, weather, travel, and entertainment. In particular, information content  46  is intended to encompass the variety of information available via Web browsing. Preferably, a communications environment  10  incorporating the invention includes at least one type of scheduled (e.g., free access, subscription, or PPV) or on-demand (e.g., VOD) program content ( 32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ), advertisement content  40 , and at least one type of additional content (e.g., E-mail, downloadable files, or information) ( 42 ,  44 ,  46 ). This subsystem includes any of the various types of content from terrestrial broadcasters, cable and satellite TV service providers, residential/commercial, cellular, and satellite telephone service providers, and Internet service providers. Any type of service provider may offer interactive TV services. A service provider offering such services is subsequently referred to as an interactive TV service provider.  
      The transport method subsystem  14  includes at least one of cable  48 , satellite  50 , terrestrial  52 , and telephone  54 . The cable transport method  48  is primarily associated with cable TV service providers. The satellite transport method  50  is primarily associated with satellite TV and satellite telephone service providers. The terrestrial transport method is primarily associated with terrestrial broadcasters and cellular telephone service providers. The telephone transport method is primarily associated with residential/commercial telephone service providers. Internet service providers may utilize any type of the transport method. Likewise, an interactive TV service provider may utilize any type of the transport method. In particular, an interactive TV service provider may provide users with links to content from other service providers, such as Internet service providers.  
      The interactive TV platform  16  includes a decoder  18 , a controller  20 , middleware  22 , a display device  24 , and an input device  26 . The interactive TV platform  16  may also include a storage device  28  and a recorder  30 . The basic module of the interactive TV platform  16  may be packaged in various configurations. For example, all of the modules may be packaged in an interactive TV. Alternatively, the decoder  18 , controller  20 , and middleware  22  may be packaged in a set-top box. In this alternative, the display device  24  may be an analog or digital TV, the input device  26  may be a remote or wired control associated with the set-top box, and the storage device  28  and recorder  30  may be a personal video recorder. Many other configurations are possible. The invention does not require or rely on any particular packaged configuration. In particular, control functions of the controller  20  may be divided between a set-top box and a TV.  
      Typically, in between segments of program content (e.g.,  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ) an interactive TV service provider transmits advertisement content  40 . The interactive TV service provider may also periodically or selectively transmit enabling and control commands. For instance, the interactive TV service provider may transmit enabling and control commands associated with advertisement content  40  that permit a subscriber with a compatible interactive TV platform  16  to select additional content to be viewed during the time the advertising content  40  is transmitted. The additional content may include E-mail  42 , downloadable files  44 , information  46 , or other viewable material.  
      The decoder  18  receives all transmission from the interactive TV service provider and communicates decoded content and commands to the controller  20 . The controller  18  parses commands from the interactive TV service provider. The controller  20  operates according to software modules within the middleware  22 . When commands are received from the interactive TV service provider, the commands are acted upon by the controller  20  according to the middleware  22 . Similarly, the controller  20  receives and parses user commands from the input device  26  and acts upon such commands according to the middleware  22 . The controller  20  creates composite screens for presentation on the display device  24  based on various combinations of middleware software modules  22 , service provider commands, and user commands.  
      Within this framework, the interactive TV service provider can enable user selection of additional content during the viewing of advertising content either automatically or selectively. Selection of the additional content may be based on service provider commands or a combination of service provider and user commands. For example, the screens presented on the display device  24  at the beginning of advertising content may include menus, icons, or other types of controls with which the user can interact to select alternate content for viewing along with the advertisement content. Once selected, the additional content is overlaid on the advertising content. In alternate embodiments, the additional content may placed in a portion of the screen on top of or adjacent to the advertising content.  
      The menus, icons, and controls may be retained, updated, or removed once additional content is selected. Where they are retained or updated, the user may close the additional content and/or select alternate additional content. Once the advertising content is complete, the middleware may stop the display of the additional content or the service provider may terminate transmission of the additional content or transmit disabling commands.  
      The additional content makes the advertisement content more attractive to users. Typically, the background associated with the additional content is transparent so that the advertisement is still clearly visible to users on the display device  24 . Similarly, the additional content can be presented in a portion of the screen (e.g., scrolling stock ticker or news headlines bands). The additional content, for example, can come from the Internet, from teletext, or from terrestrial broadcast. The additional content can be information content related to the program content preceding the advertisement content, such as interesting facts about actors or show or a textual version of the latest news. Each of these variations of the invention gives the user an extra reason to keep watching the advertisement content.  
      In another embodiment, the interactive TV service provider can enable user selection of additional content during the viewing of program content either automatically or selectively. In still another embodiment, the interactive TV service provider can automatically provide audio advertisement content in combination with video from program content for a segment of the program where either the normal audio provided with the program content is trivial or no audio is provided. For example, during an interactive program (e.g., a game show) during a period set aside for the user to interact with the program. Shows with live audiences can show the stage preparations that only the live audience sees during commercial breaks as the background with the advertising content on the foreground.  
      In any of the various embodiments, the interactive TV service provider can transmit commands in the normal content stream to indicate to the controller  20  associated with the interactive TV platform  16  that it can overlay interesting information (e.g., information related to scheduled or on-demand program content) on the display device  24 . Also, the interactive TV service provider could include a software application in the middleware  22  that displays some interesting extra facts related to program content on top of the advertisement content. To receive the extra information, the user continues to watch and listen to the advertisement content. Hence, the extra information provides an incentive to users to not change channels during the advertisement.  
      With reference to  FIG. 2 , a composite screen  60  composed by the controller  20  based on the middleware software modules in combination with service provider and user commands includes multiple planes. When viewed from a direction  68  (i.e., a user perspective), the composite screen includes at least a first plane  62  and a second plane  64 . The composite screen  60  may include many additional planes, for example, a third plane  66 . The graphics reference model implemented for Multimedia Home Platform (MHP), for example, includes three planes which are referred to as a graphics plane, a video plane, and a background plane from a user&#39;s perspective.  
      The multiple planes of the composite screen  60  offer a number of options to the middleware  22 , service provider, and user for construction of the screen. For example, images, such as motion video, still frame video, graphics, and text, can by positioned, scaled, and cropped on any plane. Images can simultaneously be placed on multiple planes. Images can be selectably solid or translucent to create a desired affect with respect to overlapping images.  
      For example, a solid image on the first plane  62  will cover overlapping regions of an image on the second plane  64 , while a translucent image on the first plane  62  will be merged with the image on the second plane  64 . Similarly, a background of an image can be transparent, while a foreground can be solid or translucent. This alternative is typically associated with text objects. For example, a text object on the first plane can have a transparent background and the solid foreground. This results in the text being overlaid on overlapping portions of the image on the second plane  64 .  
      With reference to  FIG. 3 , an interactive TV platform  16  includes the display device  24  ( FIG. 1 ), input device  26  ( FIG. 1 ), a content source interface  70 , a service provider command parser  72 , a middleware software application  74 , a user command parser  76 , a screen composition module  78 , and a return channel interface  80 . The content source interface  70  and return channel interface  80  are typically associated with the decoder  18  ( FIG. 1 ). The service provider command parser  72 , user command parser  76 , and screen composition module  78  are typically associated with the controller  20  ( FIG. 1 ). The middleware software application  74  is associated with the middleware  22  ( FIG. 1 ). However, elements  70 - 80  may also be arranged in various combinations between the decoder  18 , controller  20 , and display device  24 .  
      The content source interface  70  receives content from service providers or storage devices  28  ( FIG. 1 ). Multiple content source interfaces  72  may be utilized simultaneously, for example, when an interactive TV service provider permits a subscriber to also receive content from the Internet via a different service provider. Content is communicated from the content source interface  70  to the screen composition module  78 .  
      The service provider command parser  72  receives commands from service providers. Service provider commands are communicated to the middleware software application  74 . Similarly, the user command parser  76  receives commands from the input device  26  and user commands are communicated to the middleware software application  74 .  
      The middleware software application  74  controls the screen composition module  78  according to programmed instructions contained in modules of the application and service provider and user commands. The screen composition module  78  positions, scales, and crops images from the content source interface within the multiple planes of the composite screen  60  ( FIG. 2 ) to produce a desired layout for the images. The screen composition module  78  also controls attributes of the images (e.g., solid, translucent, transparent background, color, shading, etc.) to produce a desired presentation of the composite screen  60  ( FIG. 2 ) on the display device  24 .  
      With reference to  FIG. 4 , a method  100  for presenting multiple content types in an interactive TV platform begins at a step  102 . Next, at a step  104 , advertisement content is received from a service provider. At a step  106 , a determination is made as to whether the interactive TV platform is compatible with providing additional content along with the advertisement content. This can involve an identity check to determine if the interactive TV is compatible or a security type check to determine if the user is a valid subscriber and in good standing with the service provider. If the interactive TV platform is not compatible, the process advances to a step  108  where the advertisement content is presented in a normal mode and the process ends when the advertisement content ends.  
      If the interactive TV platform is compatible, the process advances to a step  110  where the advertisement content is presented in a composite mode. Typically, a menu, icons, or other controls are presented to a user along with the advertisement content. At a step  112 , the process determines if a user has selected additional content. If the user never selects additional content, the process merely continues presenting the advertisement content until it ends where the process also ends.  
      If the user selects additional content, the selected content is overlaid on the advertisement content at a step  112 . The advertisement content and additional content form a composite screen that may be controlled in various manners, such as those described above in reference to  FIGS. 1-3 . If the user performs no further actions, the process ends when the advertisement content ends. Typically, additional content being viewed when the advertisement content ends is also ended.  
      Optionally, while the advertisement content and additional content are being viewed the user may interact with the selected content (step  116 ) or close the selected content (step  118 ). Interacting with the selected content in the step  116  may include browsing or scrolling through the additional content or selecting alternate additional content. Of course, if alternate additional content is selected the process returns to step  114  to overlay the selected content. If the user closes the selected content in the step  118 , the process returns to step  112  to determine when the user selects additional content.  
      With reference to  FIG. 5 , a method  200  for presenting multiple content types in an interactive TV platform begins at a step  102 . The method  200  is similar to the method  100  of  FIG. 4 . Method  200  incorporates an alternate embodiment of the invention by presenting the additional content in combination with scheduled or on-demand program content (e.g., free access programs  32 , subscription programs  34 , PPV programs  36 , VOD programs  38 ). As shown, the unique steps in method  200  are steps  204 ,  208 , and  210 . At the step  204 , program content rather than advertisement content is received from a service provider. At the steps  208  and  210 , the program content rather than the advertisement content is presented All other steps are performed in the same manner in method  200  as described above for method  100 .  
      With reference to  FIG. 6 , a method  300  for presenting multiple content types in a TV platform begins at a step  302 . Next, at a step  304 , program content with trivial or no audio is received from a service provider. At a step  306 , a determination is made as to whether the TV platform is compatible with providing additional content along with the program content. Like for method  100 , in method  300  this can involve an identity check of the TV or a security type check of the user. If the TV platform is not compatible, the process advances to a step  308  where the program content is presented in a normal mode and the process ends when the program content ends.  
      If the TV platform is compatible, the process advances to a step  310  where an audio advertisement is presented in combination with the image(s) associated with the program content is presented. The process continues until either the program content ends or the audio associated with the program content becomes meaningful. This type of change in the audio content may either be recognized by the service provider or by middleware  22  ( FIG. 1 ) associated with the TV platform. If the change is recognized by the service provider, the service provider may end the audio advertisement or transmit a command to disable the audio advertisement. If the change is recognized by the middleware  22  ( FIG. 1 ), the middleware disables the audio advertisement.  
      While the invention is described herein in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the embodiments of the invention in the preceding description are intended to be illustrative, rather than limiting, of the spirit and scope of the invention. More specifically, it is intended that the invention embrace all alternatives, modifications, and variations of the exemplary embodiments described herein that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.