Apparatus and method for blocking television commercials with a content interrogation program
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsCraig William Fellenstein, Rick Allen Hamilton II
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method is disclosed for blocking specific television commercials from the viewer's television based upon the characteristics of the television commercial and replacing the commercial with television content located by a content interrogation program. The content interrogation program seeks out television content based upon a user search term specifically for use as contingent programming to replace the blocked commercial. The content interrogation program can have multiple search terms and provide prioritized multiple searches to identify multiple segments to play in spaces created by blocked commercials.
Claims38
A method for displaying a television segment in place of a blocked television commercial based on interrogation of a television signal comprising:
- receiving a first television signal;
- recognizing said first television signal in a logical unit;
- blocking said first television signal by the logical unit;
- buffering a second television signal;
- specifying at least one search parameter;
- searching said second television signal for a data that matches said search parameters;
- responsive to finding the data that matches said search parameters, identifying a contingent television segment as a third signal;
- and
- displaying the third signal in place of the first television signal.
An apparatus for identifying an alternate viewing segment to replace a blocked television commercial comprising:
- a logical unit with a memory;
- a program stored in said memory;
- said memory, so configured by said program, causes said logical unit perform operations comprising:
- receiving a first television signal;
- recognizing said first television signal in the logical unit;
- blocking said first television signal by the logical unit;
- buffering a second television signal;
- specifying at least one search parameter;
- searching said second television signal for data that matches said search parameters;
- responsive to finding a data that matches said search parameters, identifying a contingent television segment as a third signal;
- displaying the third signal in place of the first television signal.
An apparatus for identifying an alternate viewing segment to replace a blocked television commercial comprising:
- means for receiving a first television signal;
- means for recognizing said first television signal in the logical unit;
- means for blocking said first television signal by the logical unit;
- means for buffering a second television signal;
- means for specifying at least one search parameter;
- means for searching said second television signal for data that matches said search parameters;
- means for responsive to finding a data that matches said search parameters, identifying a contingent television segment as a third signal;
- and
- means for displaying the third signal in place of the first television signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.