Method and apparatus for displaying branded video tags
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for displaying branded video tags. An advertiser provides additional content associated with broadcast advertising content to a service provider that downloads the additional content to a digital video recorder (DVR). The service provider inserts command tags into the content that are intercepted by the DVR and interpreted as commands that instruct the DVR to perform specific actions when the DVR receives the stream from a broadcaster. The DVR intercepts and translates any tags inserted into the content stream while the DVR is playing the content stream. Tags can cause the DVR to display a branded video tag to the user which is a displayed icon that requests an interaction by the user and has an advertiser's logo(s) displayed in its vicinity.
1. A method for displaying a branded video tag using a digital video recorder (DVR), comprising:
displaying a content stream to a user on a display screen;
monitoring the content stream for command tags inserted in the content stream;
interpreting a command tag encountered in the content stream;
in response to interpreting the command tag:
selecting an advertiser's branding graphic, from a plurality of branding graphics stored on one or more storage devices at the DVR, specified by the command tag;
selecting a user-interface portion, representing a DVR action, specified by the command tag;
the DVR using a reference number identified by the command tag to select a branded video tag listed in a reference list, the branded video tag comprising a displayed icon that includes the advertiser's branding graphic and the user-interface portion;
subsequent to the DVR selecting the branded video tag, displaying the branded video tag on the display screen, the branded video tag indicating that additional content associated with the advertiser's branding graphic is available.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the advertiser pays a fee to a service provider for the DVR to display the advertiser's branding graphic.
3. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the monitoring step monitors the content stream as it is being received by the DVR.
4. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the content stream is stored on a local storage device at the DVR.
5. A method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the monitoring step monitors the content stream as it is being retrieved from the local storage device.
6. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising determining, based on the command tag, a size of the branded video tag.
7. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising determining, based on the command tag, a duration of time the branded video tag is displayed.
8. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving user input associated with the branded video tag;
responsive to receiving user input associated with the branded video tag:
displaying video content from the advertiser, the video content associated with the branded video tag;
pausing or recording an original programming content from the content stream.
9. An apparatus for displaying a branded video tag using a digital video recorder (DVR), comprising:
one or more processors;
a logic for displaying a content stream to a user on a display screen;
a logic for monitoring the content stream for command tags inserted in the content stream;
a logic for interpreting a command tag encountered in the content stream;
in response to interpreting the command tag:
a logic for selecting an advertiser's branding graphic, from a plurality of branding graphics stored on one or more storage devices at the DVR, specified by the command tag;
a logic for selecting a user-interface portion, representing a DVR action, specified by the command tag;
a logic for the DVR using a reference number identified by the command tag to select a branded video tag listed in a reference list, the branded video tag comprising a displayed icon that includes the advertiser's branding graphic and the user-interface portion;
a logic for, subsequent to the DVR selecting the branded video tag, displaying the branded video tag on the display screen, the branded video tag indicating that additional content associated with the advertiser's branding graphic is available.
10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein the advertiser pays a fee to a service provider for the DVR to display the advertiser's branding graphic.
11. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein the logic for monitoring module monitors the content stream as it is being received by the DVR.
12. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein the content stream is stored on a local storage device at the DVR.
13. An apparatus as recited in claim 12 , wherein the logic for monitoring step monitors the content stream as it is being retrieved from the local storage device.
14. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 , further comprising a module for determining, based on the command tag, a size of the branded video tag.
15. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 , further comprising a module for determining, based on the command tag, a duration of time the branded video tag is displayed.
16. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 , further comprising a module for:
receiving user input associated with the branded video tag;
responsive to receiving user input associated with the branded video tag:
displaying video content from the advertiser, the video content associated with the branded video tag;
recording an original programming content from the content stream.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions for displaying a branded video tag using a digital video recorder (DVR), which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:
displaying a content stream to a user on a display screen;
monitoring the content stream for command tags inserted in the content stream;
interpreting a command tag encountered in the content stream;
in response to interpreting the command tag:
selecting an advertiser's branding graphic, from a plurality of branding graphics stored on one or more storage devices at the DVR, specified by the command tag;
selecting a user-interface portion, representing a DVR action, specified by the command tag;
the DVR using a reference number identified by the command tag to select a branded video tag listed in a reference list, the branded video tag comprising a displayed icon that includes the advertiser's branding graphic and the user-interface portion;
subsequent to the DVR selecting the branded video tag, displaying the branded video tag on the display screen, the branded video tag indicating that additional content associated with the advertiser's branding graphic is available.
18. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17 , wherein the advertiser pays a fee to a service provider for the DVR to display the advertiser's branding graphic.
19. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17 , wherein the monitoring step monitors the content stream as it is being received by the DVR.
20. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17 , wherein the content stream is stored on a local storage device at the DVR.
21. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20 , wherein the monitoring step monitors the content stream as it is being retrieved from the local storage device.
22. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to further carry out the step of determining, based on the command tag, a size of the branded video tag.
23. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to further carry out the step of determining, based on the command tag, a duration of time the branded video tag is displayed.
24. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to further carry out the steps of:
receiving user input associated with the branded video tag;
responsive to receiving user input associated with the branded video tag:
displaying video content from the advertiser, the video content associated with the branded video tag;
recording an original programming content from the content stream.
25. A method for displaying branded video tag to a user, comprising:
receiving an advertiser's branding graphic at a service provider;
distributing the advertiser's branding graphic to a plurality of digital video recorders (DVRs);
a DVR of the plurality of DVRs, in response to interpreting a command tag encountered in a content stream:
selecting an advertiser's branding graphic, from a plurality of branding graphics stored on one or more storage devices at the DVR, specified by the command tag;
selecting a user-interface portion, representing a DVR action, specified by the command tag;
using a reference number identified by the command tag to select a branded video tag listed in a reference list, the branded video tag comprising a displayed icon that includes the user-interface portion and the advertiser's branding graphic; and
subsequent to the DVR selecting the branded video tag, displaying the branded video tag on a display screen, the branded video tag indicating that additional content associated with the advertiser's branding graphic is available.