Program insertion in real time IP multicast
OwnerJohn Thomas Brassil, Sukesh Kumar Garg +1inventors
InventorsJohn Thomas Brassil, Sukesh Kumar Garg, Henning Gunther Schulzrinne
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Abstract
A system for broadcasting television programs over the Internet. A content provider, such as a broadcaster of a sports event, packages a television program into digital packets, and transmits the packets over the Internet to subscribers, from a first location. The content provider periodically pauses in transmitting the packets, to allow advertisers to transmit advertising messages during the pauses, from a second location. Arrangements are provided to synchornize the content provider and the advertisers.
Claims15
A program insertion system, comprising:
- a) a primary program provider;
- b) a first system for
- i) transmitting a primary program from said primary program provider to subscribers, and
- ii) receiving and scheduling at least one request for insertion of a secondary program during a pause in said transmission of said program;
- c) a secondary program provider for providing said secondary program;
- d) a second system for
- i) transmitting said secondary program from said secondary program provider to subscribers, and
- ii) issuing scheduling requests to said first system to insert said secondary program during said pause in said transmission of said primary program;
- and
- e) an insertion protocol governing
- i) the scheduling of transmission of said primary and secondary programs, and
- ii) transfer of control between said first and said systems.
A method, comprising:
- a) receiving program content from a content provider;
- b) transmitting the program content over an Internet to a destination;
- c) suspending transmission of the program content, to thereby suspend display of the program content at the destination, to allow an advertiser to send advertising over said Internet to said destination;
- and
- d) resuming transmission of the program content to the destination.
A method, comprising:
- a) from a first location, transmitting program content over an Internet to a destination;
- b) from the first location, sending a suspension signal to a second location indicating that transmission of the program content is to be suspended;
- c) from the second location, in response to the suspension signal, transmitting advertising content over the Internet to the destination;
- d) from the second location, transmitting a termination signal to the first location indicating that transmission of the advertising content is to be terminated;
- and
- e) repeating the processes of paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) at least once.
A method, comprising:
- a) from a first location, transmitting program content over an Internet to a destination;
- b) from a second location, transmitting advertising content over the Internet to the destination;
- c) coordinating the transmissions from the first and second locations so that the transmissions arrive at the destination in the approximate chronological order of program—advertising—program—advertising—program—advertising, and so on,
- thereby enabling equipment located at the destination to play the program content in a chronological sequence, interrupted periodically by the advertising content.
A method, comprising:
- a) from a first location, transmitting program content over an Internet to a destination;
- b) from a second location, transmitting advertising content over the Internet to the destination;
- c) coordinating the transmissions from the first and second locations so that equipment located at the destination is able to construct both types of content in a chronological order following the following pattern:
- program—advertising—program—advertising—program—advertising, and so on.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.