Apparatus and method for preventing switching from a channel during an advertisement display
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsPHILIP STEVEN NEWTON, DECLAN PATRICK KELLY
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Abstract
An apparatus and method is disclosed for preventing a viewer from switching from a channel when an advertisement is being displayed on the channel. The apparatus and method comprises an advertisement controller in a video playback device that (1) prevents a viewer of a direct (non-recorded) broadcast from switching channels when an advertisement is displayed, and (2) prevents a viewer of a recorded program from fast forwarding the recorded program in order to skip past advertisements that were recorded with the program. A viewer may either watch the advertisements or pay a fee in order to be able to change channels or fast forward when the advertisements are being displayed.
Claims16
An apparatus in a video display system that is capable of at least one of:
- displaying video programs with advertisements on a plurality of channels and of preventing a viewer of a video program with advertisements from switching from a first channel;
- or
- of displaying a recorded video program with advertisements and of preventing a viewer of said recorded video program from fast forwarding said recorded video program to skip past advertisements in said recorded video program;
- wherein said video display further being capable of receiving commands from a remote control operated by a viewer through remote control key events, characterized in that said apparatus comprises:
- an advertisement controller;
- a memory coupled to said advertisement controller;
- advertisement control software within said memory;
- wherein said advertisement controller is capable of executing said advertisement control software to obtain exclusive access to one or more of said remote control key events for taking exclusive control of one of a channel switching function or a fast forwarding function of said video display system.
A video display system that is capable of displaying video programs with advertisements on a plurality of channels, said video display system comprising an apparatus according to any of the preceding claims.
A method for requiring a viewer of a video program to watch advertisements in said video program, said method comprising at least one of the steps of:
- displaying video programs with advertisements on a plurality of channels in a video display system and preventing said viewer from switching from a first channel to a second channel when an advertisement is displayed on said first channel;
- or
- displaying a recorded video program with advertisements on said video display system, and preventing a viewer of said recorded video program from fast forwarding said recorded video program to skip past advertisements in said recorded video program;
- wherein said video display system is capable of receiving commands from a remote control operated by a viewer through remote control key events, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of:
- executing an advertisement control software stored in a memory coupled to an advertisement controller of said apparatus to obtain exclusive access to one or more of said remote control key events for taking exclusive control of one of:
- a channel switching function of said video display system or a fast forwarding function of said video display system.
Computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium for requiring a viewer of a video program to watch advertisements in said video program, said computer-executable instructions comprising at least one of the steps of:
- displaying video programs with advertisements on a plurality of channels in a video display system and preventing said viewer from switching from a first channel to a second channel when an advertisement is displayed on said first channel;
- or
- displaying a recorded video program with advertisements on said video display system, and preventing a viewer of said recorded video program from fast forwarding said recorded video program to skip past advertisements in said recorded video program;
- wherein said video display system is capable of receiving commands from a remote control operated by a viewer through remote control key events, characterized in that said computer-executable instructions further comprise the steps of:
- accessing advertisement control software that is located within a memory coupled to an advertisement controller in said video display system;
- and
- executing said advertisement control software with said advertisement controller to cause said advertisement controller to obtain exclusive access to one or more of said remote control key events for taking exclusive control of one of:
- a channel switching function of said video display system and a fast forwarding function of said video display system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.