IP Library Granted Patent US 8,434,103
Granted Patent B2
US 8,434,103 · App. 09/963,136 · Granted Apr 30, 2013

Method of substituting content during program breaks

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,434,103
App. No.
09/963,136
Filed
Sep 24, 2001
Granted
Apr 30, 2013
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2421
USPC
725/32
Abstract

A method of substituting content during a program break, includes: detecting a break in a broadcast program, and in response to the break, showing substitute content. A method of substituting broadcast content displayed on a screen, includes: determining an occurrence of a break in a broadcast content; and in response to the occurrence of the break, displaying substitute content on the screen. The method may further include: displaying the broadcast content when the break terminates.

Claims (56)

1. A method for performing a substitution for a broadcast content, the method comprising:

receiving broadcast content and one or more user-selectable triggers associated with the broadcast content, the one or more user-selectable triggers comprising addresses to respective interactive sites corresponding to the broadcast content;

marking, during a presentation of the broadcast content, at least one of the one or more user-selectable triggers in the broadcast content in response to a user command, wherein marking comprises, without first displaying information from a selected interactive site associated with the at least one marked trigger, storing address information for the selected interactive site associated with the at least one marked trigger;

detecting a break in the broadcast content, wherein the break comprises one or more of a commercial segment, a broadcast stoppage, or non-activity in a broadcast event; and

automatically displaying without user intervention, the information from the same selected interactive site associated with the at least one trigger that was marked during the presentation of the broadcast content in response to the break in the broadcast content.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying the broadcast content when the break terminates.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the broadcast content comprises live programming content.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the broadcast content comprises buffered programming content.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the broadcast content comprises video telecast content.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the broadcast content comprises teleconference content.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the teleconference content comprises remote learning session broadcast content.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the teleconference content comprises video conference content.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the break in the broadcast content also comprises a commercial skip segment.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information from the selected interactive site comprises live broadcast content.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information from the selected interactive site comprises buffered broadcast content.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information from the selected interactive site comprises recorded broadcast content.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information from the selected interactive site comprises Internet Protocol channel content.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the Internet Protocol channel content comprises streaming video.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the Internet Protocol channel content comprises electronic mail interaction.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information from the selected interactive site is displayed in full screen mode.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information from the selected interactive site is displayed as a main screen view and the broadcast content is displayed as a picture-in-picture.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information from the selected interactive site is displayed in the screen foreground and the broadcast content is displayed in the screen background.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information from the selected interactive site is displayed in a first screen area and the broadcast content is displayed in a second screen area.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying a timer to indicate a time length for showing the information from the selected interactive site.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

recording the broadcast content when the information from the selected interactive site is displayed.

22. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

pausing the broadcast content when the break ends.

23. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

including a tag to prevent disruption of the display of the broadcast content during the occurrence of the break.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

paying an operator to include the tag in the broadcast content.

25. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

paying an operator to disable the tag.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information from the selected interactive site is loaded prior to the break in the broadcast content.

27. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

aggregating at least one substitute content based upon a viewer preference.

28. The method of claim 1 , wherein the broadcast content is recorded to permit viewing of a missed segment in the broadcast content when the display of the information from the selected interactive site terminates.

29. The method of claim 1 , wherein a pre-selected segment of the broadcast content is recorded during display of the information from the selected interactive site.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the pre-selected segment is content replayed during the showing of the broadcast content.

31. The method of claim 29 , wherein the pre-segment is viewed while displaying close caption text from the broadcast content.

32. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interactive site can receive a purchase or request from the viewer.

33. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions to:

receive broadcast content;

receive a user-selectable trigger associated with the broadcast content, the user selectable trigger comprising an address corresponding to a location of information associated with the broadcast content;

mark, during a presentation of the broadcast content, the user-selectable trigger in the broadcast content in response to a user command, wherein marking comprises storing the address corresponding to the location of information associated with the broadcast content;

identify an occurrence of a break in the broadcast content, wherein the break comprises one or more of a commercial segment, a broadcast stoppage, or non-activity in a broadcast event; and

delay, until the occurrence of the break, using the marked trigger to automatically download, without user intervention, the information associated with the broadcast content from the same location corresponding to the stored address marked during the presentation of the broadcast content.

34. An apparatus for substituting broadcast content displayed on a screen, the apparatus comprising:

means for displaying broadcast content and at least one trigger associated with the broadcast content;

means for marking, during the display of the broadcast content, the at least one trigger in the broadcast content in response to a user command, wherein marking comprises downloading, without displaying, information from an address corresponding to the broadcast content;

means for determining an occurrence of a break in the broadcast content, wherein the break comprises one or more of a commercial segment, a broadcast stoppage, or non-activity in a broadcast event; and

means for automatically displaying, without user intervention, the same downloaded information associated with the trigger that was marked during the presentation of the broadcast content in response to the occurrence of the break.

Assignments (12)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL/FRAME 049905/0504 Recorded Dec 19, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC (F/K/A ARRIS ENTERPRISES, INC.); ARRIS TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ARRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.; COMMSCOPE, INC. OF NORTH CAROLINA; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; RUCKUS WIRELESS, LLC (F/K/A RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.)
Reel/Frame 071477/0255 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 17, 2024
From: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; COMMSCOPE INC., OF NORTH CAROLINA; OUTDOOR WIRELESS NETWORKS LLC; RUCKUS IP HOLDINGS LLC
To: APOLLO ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY LLC
Reel/Frame 069889/0114 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2021
From: ARRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.; ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; COMMSCOPE, INC. OF NORTH CAROLINA; RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST
Reel/Frame 060752/0001 →
ABL SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2019
From: COMMSCOPE, INC. OF NORTH CAROLINA; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC; ARRIS TECHNOLOGY, INC.; RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.; ARRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049892/0396 →
TERM LOAN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2019
From: COMMSCOPE, INC. OF NORTH CAROLINA; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC; ARRIS TECHNOLOGY, INC.; RUCKUS WIRELESS, INC.; ARRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049905/0504 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2019
From: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049820/0495 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 25, 2019
From: ARRIS ENTERPRISES, INC.
To: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC
Reel/Frame 049586/0470 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Apr 8, 2019
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: ARRIS GROUP, INC.; ARRIS ENTERPRISES, INC.; ARRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.; ARRIS KOREA, INC.; ARRIS HOLDINGS CORP. OF ILLINOIS, INC.; BIG BAND NETWORKS, INC.; TEXSCAN CORPORATION; POWER GUARD, INC.; 4HOME, INC.; ACADIA AIC, INC.; AEROCAST, INC.; BROADBUS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; GENERAL INSTRUMENT CORPORATION; GENERAL INSTRUMENT AUTHORIZATION SERVICES, INC.; GENERAL INSTRUMENT INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; IMEDIA CORPORATION; JERROLD DC RADIO, INC.; LEAPSTONE SYSTEMS, INC.; MODULUS VIDEO, INC.; MOTOROLA WIRELINE NETWORKS, INC.; NETOPIA, INC.; NEXTLEVEL SYSTEMS (PUERTO RICO), INC.; QUANTUM BRIDGE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; SETJAM, INC.; SUNUP DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC.; UCENTRIC SYSTEMS, INC.; GIC INTERNATIONAL HOLDCO LLC; GIC INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL LLC; CCE SOFTWARE LLC; THE GI REALTY TRUST 1996
Reel/Frame 048825/0294 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 14, 2017
From: ARRIS ENTERPRISES INC
To: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC
Reel/Frame 041995/0031 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 28, 2013
From: ARRIS GROUP, INC.; ARRIS ENTERPRISES, INC.; ARRIS SOLUTIONS, INC.; ARRIS KOREA, INC.; ARRIS HOLDINGS CORP. OF ILLINOIS; BIGBAND NETWORKS, INC.; TEXSCAN CORPORATION; POWER GUARD, INC.; 4HOME, INC.; ACADIA AIC, INC.; AEROCAST, INC.; BROADBUS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; GENERAL INSTRUMENT CORPORATION; GENERAL INSTRUMENT AUTHORIZATION SERVICES, INC.; GENERAL INSTRUMENT INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; IMEDIA CORPORATION; JERROLD DC RADIO, INC.; LEAPSTONE SYSTEMS, INC.; MODULUS VIDEO, INC.; MOTOROLA WIRELINE NETWORKS, INC.; NETOPIA, INC.; NEXTLEVEL SYSTEMS (PUERTO RICO), INC.; QUANTUM BRIDGE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; SETJAM, INC.; SUNUP DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC.; UCENTRIC SYSTEMS, INC.; GIC INTERNATIONAL HOLDCO LLC; GIC INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL LLC; CCE SOFTWARE LLC; THE GI REALTY TRUST 1996
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 030498/0023 →
MERGER Recorded Apr 16, 2013
From: ARRIS GROUP, INC.
To: ARRIS ENTERPRISES, INC.
Reel/Frame 030228/0388 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 20, 2011
From: DIGEO, INC AND VULCAN VENTURES, INC.
To: ARRIS GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 026621/0258 →