GB2540192A - Broadcast system and method - Google Patents

Broadcast system and method Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2540192A
GB2540192A GB1512001.7A GB201512001A GB2540192A GB 2540192 A GB2540192 A GB 2540192A GB 201512001 A GB201512001 A GB 201512001A GB 2540192 A GB2540192 A GB 2540192A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
content
local
unit
custom content
custom
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
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GB1512001.7A
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GB201512001D0 (en
Inventor
Laing Michael
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Individual
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Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB1512001.7A priority Critical patent/GB2540192A/en
Publication of GB201512001D0 publication Critical patent/GB201512001D0/en
Publication of GB2540192A publication Critical patent/GB2540192A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04HBROADCAST COMMUNICATION
    • H04H20/00Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast
    • H04H20/10Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
    • H04H20/103Transmitter-side switching
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04HBROADCAST COMMUNICATION
    • H04H20/00Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast
    • H04H20/38Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04HBROADCAST COMMUNICATION
    • H04H20/00Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast
    • H04H20/10Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04HBROADCAST COMMUNICATION
    • H04H20/00Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast
    • H04H20/40Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04NPICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/20Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/23Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
    • H04N21/234Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
    • H04N21/23424Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04NPICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/20Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/25Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies
    • H04N21/266Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
    • H04N21/2668Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04NPICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/43Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
    • H04N21/433Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
    • H04N21/4331Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04NPICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/43Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
    • H04N21/44Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to encoded video stream scene graphs
    • H04N21/44016Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to encoded video stream scene graphs involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04NPICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/43Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
    • H04N21/442Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk
    • H04N21/44213Monitoring of end-user related data
    • H04N21/44222Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity
    • H04N21/44224Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
    • H04N21/44226Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing on social networks
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04NPICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/45Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
    • H04N21/4508Management of client data or end-user data
    • H04N21/4532Management of client data or end-user data involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04NPICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/45Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
    • H04N21/458Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04NPICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/80Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
    • H04N21/81Monomedia components thereof
    • H04N21/812Monomedia components thereof involving advertisement data

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Marketing (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Social Psychology (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)

Abstract

A broadcast system includes a central broadcasting station 120 producing a stream of common broadcast content for transmission to a plurality of local units 140 which may be in venues such as licensed premises, hotels, leisure or retail centres or workplaces, and may have a storage unit 170. The common broadcast content may be distributed to the local units via a central unit 130. A custom content unit, which may be the central unit, stores custom content items for the local units. A production studio 180 may create the custom content items such as news items or promotional messages, and the local items may then download specific items of content or packages of content from the central unit, which are then stored in the local units storage unit 170. For example, an operator may decide locally to select certain promotional messages for playback at his particular location, from a menu of such items prepared by the studio 180 and stored on the central unit 130. A signal from the broadcast unit 110 controls when the local units cease to play common content and instead play the custom content that they have stored in their storage units.

Description

Broadcast System and Method
The present invention relates to a broadcast system, and to a method of broadcasting.
Current broadcasting systems offer the delivery of programme content from a broadcasting station to individual receivers or subscribers. Radio stations, for example, broadcast either nationally or locally/regionally, and there are examples where a national broadcast can be made to include some local content, for example in the form of news or promotional messages, by inserting local content into a national broadcast manually or automatically at a local broadcast station that re-transmits the content to receivers in the local area.
However, the previously considered broadcast systems are unable to deliver content that is specifically tailored to a specific location or an individual receiver.
The present invention is defined in the attached independent claims, to which reference should now be made. Further, preferred features may be found in the sub-claims appended thereto.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a broadcasting system comprising a plurality of local units, a broadcast station for transmitting a common broadcast content to the plurality of local units and a custom content unit for storing a plurality of custom content items for the local units, wherein the plurality of local units is arranaed to receive common content and custom content, and is arranged to play both types of content.
Preferably one or more of the local units has a content player or playing common content and/or custom content. The content player may be arranged in use to play both the common content and the custom content according to a programme schedule.
At least one of the local units has a storage unit arranged in use to store custom content.
The or each local unit may be arranged in use to download custom content items from the custom content unit.
Preferably the local unit is arranged in use to download a selection of custom content items from a menu of custom content items .
Alternatively or in addition, the local unit may be arranged in use to download a preselected package of custom content items from the custom content unit.
The broadcast unit may be arranged to initiate the playing of custom content by the local unit.
The system may also comprise a data collection unit arranged in use to collect data from one or more of the local units.
The broadcast unit may broadcast common content to the, or each, local unit by any of a number of means, such as digital means, including but not limited to all standards of interconnected computer networks, for example those that use the standard internet protocol suite (TCP/IP).
The or each local unit may receive custom content from the custom content unit by any of a number of means, such as digital means, including but not limited to all standards of interconnected computer networks, for example those that use the standard internet protocol suite (TCP/IP).
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of broadcasting, wherein the method comprises broadcasting common content from a central station to a plurality of local units, sending custom content to one or more of the local units, storing the custom content in the one or more local units, and playing both common content and custom content at the one or more local units.
Preferably the method comprises sending a signal from the broadcast station to at least one of the local units, which signal is arranged in use to control the playing of stored custom content at the local unit.
The signal may be arranged in use to initiate the playing of custom content at the, or each, local unit.
The method may comprise selecting one or more custom content items for storage at the local unit. The method may include downloading the custom content from a custom content unit to the, or each, local unit.
In a preferred arrangement the method comprises broadcasting the common content to the or each local unit by any of a number of means, such as digital means, including but not limited to all standards of interconnected computer networks, for example those that use the standard internet protocol suite (TCP/IP).
The method may comprise receiving custom content from the custom content at the or each local unit by any of a number of means, such as digital means, including but not limited to all standards of interconnected computer networks, for example those that use the standard internet protocol suite (TCP/IP).
The invention also comprises a program for causing a device to perform a method according to any statement herein.
The invention also comprises a computer program product, storing, carrying or transmitting thereon or therethrough a program for causing a device to perform a method according to any statement herein.
The invention may include any combination of the features or limitations referred to herein, except such a combination of features as are mutually exclusive, or mutually inconsistent. A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows schematically a broadcast system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
Figure 2 shows an embodiment of programme schedule for the broadcast method of Figure 1.
Turning to Figure 1, this shows, schematically, generally at 100, a broadcast system according to an embodiment of the present invention. A central broadcasting station 120 produces a stream of common broadcast content, such as audio content, for example in the form of music and speech. The common broadcast content is distributed via a central unit 130 to a plurality of local units 140, which are located in individual venues, such as licensed premises, hotels, leisure or retail centres or workplaces. Each of the local units plays the common content received from the broadcast unit via the central unit, on a content player device 150. One of the local units is shown in an enlarged view. Each local unit 140 has on-board circuitry 160 including among other things an electronic processor and a power supply, together with a storage unit 170. A production studio, represented at 180, creates and provides custom content for the local units 140. The custom content may include news items or promotional messages, for example. The local content is stored in the central unit, and the local units are able to download specific items of content or packages of content from the central unit which are then stored in the storage units 170. For example, an operator may decide locally to select certain promotional messages for playback at his particular location, from a menu of such items prepared by the studio 180 and stored on the central unit 130. A signal from the broadcast unit 110 controls when the local units cease to play common content and instead play the custom content that they have stored in their storage units .
In more detail, the commercial production studio 180 compiles venue-specific data, including audio messages to be played at specific venues - ie where the local units are based. Each piece of data is stored at the local unit 140 and will be call into play when required by a remote switch which will be activated by bespoke software, under the control of the broadcast unit 120.
From the central broadcast unit, or station, 120 a stream of "radio type" transmission is introduced to the venues using digital means (this includes but is not limited to, all standards of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP)). This,common broadcast content may be "live",
Into the live broadcast common content audio messages are inserted at predefined intervals (e.g. for the use of information & advertising purposes) controlled by the broadcast station 120.
The central unit 130 comprises a central distribution/collation server, and is a multi-functional facility that is able to send live, common content music/voice and audio messages to code-protected local units 140, and can place individual/multi product data on to the storage units 170, which will respond to a remotely originated switching signal, issued from the broadcast station 120 to place individual/multi voice over's and audio messages into the music schedule.
The central unit 130 is also arranged to collect data, such as for analytical purposes, from the local units 140, using any of various communication methods (including but not limited to local wifi, Bluetooth and Near Field communication (NFC)). Where there is no login from local user devices, the local unit will "ping" these devices (e.g. smart phones, tablets, laptops and others) using any of various forms of wireless communication (including but not limited to local wifi, Bluetooth and near field communication (NFC) for example) and return the number of incoming responses to the server. This data will be for the use of real time analytics and the management of such things as staffing levels, advertisement targeting, promotions and so on. In addition this will also allow the monitoring of the response of ads/promotions in real time. No personal information will be collected or stored.
Where a local user device has logged in, i.e. if a customer registers to a user page, the local unit can be used to "push" ads/promotions to that customer's device once a returning "ping" of a registered device is detected.
At each of the local units 140, a networked receiver allows incoming music and audio messages to be received as common content, which can then be played in the local venue using a content player, conveniently connected for example by an audio jack plug. The local, on-board storage 170 uses software that is designed specifically to store and insert upon request (switch type) the audio and other messages forming the custom content downloaded from the central unit.
The software is also able to collect information of all types wirelessly. The storage 170 is digital in nature, and may be one or more of, but not limited to, HDD, SSD or RAM.
The content player 150 is the local sound equipment used in each venue. It is able to play the common broadcast content and the custom items in a seamless programme, tailored for the individual venue.
Figure 2 shows a typical thirty minute playlist for a local unit 140, including a schedule with common broadcast content items, labelled A, and intervals to allow the playing of custom content items, labelled B, in the form of centrally placed advertisements that are specific to a particular local unit 140 or to a group of units 140. Each of the items has an allocated time period T.
The system and method described above allows for a radiotype broadcast to be delivered to all classifications of commercial premises via a digitally encrypted data stream, utilising digitally networked audio distribution equipment. The common broadcast content can readily be interrupted by venue-specific audio messages at specific or predetermined times, either automatically or else upon the control of a trigger signal from the broadcast station.
Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance, it should be understood that the applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features referred to herein, and/or shown in the drawings, whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims (16)

1. A broadcasting system comprising a plurality of local units, a broadcast station for transmitting a common broadcast content to the plurality of local units and a custom content unit for storing a plurality of custom content items for the local units, wherein the plurality of local units is arranged to receive common content and custom content, and is arranged to play both types of content.
2. A system according to Claim 1, wherein one or more of the local units has a content player or playing common content and/or custom content.
3. A system according to Claim 2, wherein the content player is arranged in use to play both the common content and the custom content according to a programme schedule.
4. A system according to any of Claims 1-3, wherein at least one of the local units has a storage unit arranged in use to store custom content.
5. A system according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the or each local unit is arranged in use to download custom content items from the custom content unit.
6. A system according to Claim 5, wherein the local unit is arranged in use to download a selection of custom content items from a menu of custom content items.
7. A system according to any of Claims 1- 6, wherein the local unit is arranged in use to download a preselected package of custom content items from the custom content unit.
8. A system according to any of Claims 1-7, wherein the broadcast unit is arranged to initiate the playing of custom content by the local unit.
9. A system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the system also comprises a data collection unit arranged in use to collect data from one or more of the local units.
10. A method of broadcasting, wherein the method comprises broadcasting common content from a central station to a plurality of local units, sending custom content to one or more of the local units, storing the custom content in the one or more local units, and playing both common content and custom content at the one or more local units.
11. A method according to Claim 10, wherein the method comprises sending a signal from the broadcast station to at least one of the local units, which signal is arranged in use to control the playing of stored custom content at the local unit.
12. A method according to Claim 10 or 11, wherein the signal is arranged in use to initiate the playing of custom content at the or each local unit.
13. A method according to any of Claims 10 - 12, wherein the method comprises selecting one or more custom content items for storage at the local unit.
14. A method according to any of Claims 10 to 13, wherein the method includes downloading the custom content from a custom content unit to the or each local unit.
15. A program for causing a device to perform a method according to any of Claims 10 - 14.
16. A computer program product, storing, carrying or transmitting thereon or therethrough a program for causing a device to perform a method according to any of Claims 10 to 14.
GB1512001.7A 2015-07-09 2015-07-09 Broadcast system and method Withdrawn GB2540192A (en)

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1512001.7A GB2540192A (en) 2015-07-09 2015-07-09 Broadcast system and method

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1512001.7A GB2540192A (en) 2015-07-09 2015-07-09 Broadcast system and method

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GB201512001D0 GB201512001D0 (en) 2015-08-19
GB2540192A true GB2540192A (en) 2017-01-11

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Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20010021994A1 (en) * 2000-03-10 2001-09-13 U.S. Philips Corporation Television
GB2365649A (en) * 2000-06-21 2002-02-20 Gerard Macnamee Communications system which allows advertisements to be stored at receiver
US20020129367A1 (en) * 2001-03-02 2002-09-12 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Method and apparatus for personalized presentation of television/internet contents
WO2008025578A1 (en) * 2006-08-31 2008-03-06 International Business Machines Corporation Personalized advertising in mobile television
EP1914989A1 (en) * 2006-10-18 2008-04-23 Gemplus Personalized video segment in broadcast world
US20090183210A1 (en) * 2008-01-16 2009-07-16 Apple Inc. Filtering and tailoring multimedia content based on observed user behavior

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20010021994A1 (en) * 2000-03-10 2001-09-13 U.S. Philips Corporation Television
GB2365649A (en) * 2000-06-21 2002-02-20 Gerard Macnamee Communications system which allows advertisements to be stored at receiver
US20020129367A1 (en) * 2001-03-02 2002-09-12 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Method and apparatus for personalized presentation of television/internet contents
WO2008025578A1 (en) * 2006-08-31 2008-03-06 International Business Machines Corporation Personalized advertising in mobile television
EP1914989A1 (en) * 2006-10-18 2008-04-23 Gemplus Personalized video segment in broadcast world
US20090183210A1 (en) * 2008-01-16 2009-07-16 Apple Inc. Filtering and tailoring multimedia content based on observed user behavior

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