Message delivery mechanism

1. A method performed by a server device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the server device, a video stream, wherein the video stream is divided into a sequence of video segments and includes one or more cue messages, and wherein the video stream is being sent to a customer device;

receiving, by the server device, a request to insert a message into the video stream;

determining, by the server device and independently of the one or more cue messages, a particular video segment after which to insert the message into the video stream, responsive to detecting a scene change between the particular video segment and a next video segment in the sequence of video segments based on histograms of at least one of color or luminance in the particular video segment;

pausing, by the server device, the video stream after the particular video segment;

inserting, by the server device, the message into the video stream after the particular video segment;

sending, by the server device, the message in the video stream to the customer device; and

resuming, by the server device, sending of the video stream to the customer device with the next video segment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message includes an advertisement.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message includes one or more of:

a message from a billing system, wherein the message comprises a billing reminder that is not associated with a particular time in the video stream for inserting the message;

a message from a customer; or

a message from an emergency messaging system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a particular video segment after which to insert the message into the video stream includes:

determining a time at which to insert the message into the video stream;

determining a duration of a video segment;

determining a current video segment; and

determining the particular video segment based on the time at which to insert the message, the duration of a video segment, and the current video segment.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting another scene change between the particular video segment and the next video segment based on changes in shapes in the particular video segment and the next video segment.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a plurality of video streams;

determining one or more customers that are to receive the message;

determining at least one of the plurality of video streams that is associated with the determined one or more customers; and

inserting the message into the at least one of the plurality of video streams.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the determining one or more customers that are to receive the message includes:

identifying a location associated with the message; and

determining the one or more customers that are to receive the message based on the identified location.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending the message in the video stream to the customer device includes sending the message in the video stream to a first plurality of customer devices, the method further comprising:

sending the video stream to a second plurality of customer devices without inserting the message into the video stream sent to the second plurality of customer devices; and

synchronizing sending of the video stream to the first plurality of customer devices and the sending of the video stream to the second plurality of customer devices, wherein the synchronizing causes a same video segment to be sent to the first plurality of customer devices and to the second plurality of customer devices at a same time.

9. A system comprising:

one or more server devices configured to:

receive a video stream, wherein the video stream is divided into a sequence of video segments and includes one or more cue messages, and wherein the video stream is being sent to a customer device;

receive a request to insert a message into the video stream;

determine, independently of the one or more cue messages, a particular video segment after which to insert the message into the video stream, responsive to detecting a scene change between the particular video segment and a next video segment in the sequence of video segments based on histograms of at least one of color or luminance in the particular video segment;

pause the video stream after the particular video segment;

insert the message into the video stream after the particular video segment;

send the message in the video stream to the customer device; and

resume sending of the video stream to the customer device with the next video segment.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the video stream is received from at least one of:

a content delivery server device that delivers a television broadcast to the one or more server devices;

an on-demand server device that delivers on-demand video content to the one or more server devices; or

an interactive server device that provides interactive video content to the one or more server devices.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the customer device includes at least one of:

a set-top box;

a personal computer; or

a mobile communication device.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the message is received from at least one of:

an advertisement server device that provides advertisements to the one or more server devices;

a billing system that generates bills for customer accounts associated with the one or more server devices;

a service system that provides service or maintenance for customer accounts associated with the one or more server devices;

a customer messaging system that enables a first customer associated with the one or more server devices to send a message to a second customer associated with the one or more server devices; or

an emergency messaging system that provides emergency messages or public announcements to the one or more server devices.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein, when the one or more server devices determine the particular video segment after which to insert the message into the video stream, the one or more server devices are further configured to:

determine a time at which to insert the message into the video stream;

determine a duration of a video segment;

determine a current video segment; and

determine the particular video segment based on the time at which to insert the message, the duration of a video segment, and the current video segment.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more server devices are further configured to:

detect another scene change between the particular video segment and the next video segment based on changes in shapes in the particular video segment and the next video segment.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more server devices are further configured to:

receive a plurality of video streams;

determine one or more customers that are to receive the message;

determine at least one of the plurality of video streams that is associated with the determined one or more customers; and

insert the message into the at least one of the plurality of video streams.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more server devices are configured to send the message in the video stream to a first plurality of customer devices, and wherein the one or more server devices are further configured to:

send the video stream to a second plurality of customer devices without inserting the message into the video stream sent to the second plurality of customer devices; and

synchronize sending of the video stream to the first plurality of customer devices and the sending of the video stream to the second plurality of customer devices, wherein the synchronizing causes a same video segment to be sent to the first plurality of customer devices and to the second plurality of customer devices at a same time.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more processors, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

one or more instructions to receive a video stream, wherein the video stream is divided into a sequence of video segments and includes one or more cue messages, and wherein the video stream is being sent to a customer device;

one or more instructions to receive a request to insert a message into the video stream;

one or more instructions to determine, independently of the one or more cue messages, a particular video segment after which to insert the message into the video stream, responsive to detecting a scene change between the particular video segment and a next video segment in the sequence of video segments based on histograms of at least one of color or luminance in the particular video segment;

one or more instructions to pause the video stream after the particular video segment;

one or more instructions to insert the message into the video stream after the particular video segment;

one or more instructions to send the message in the video stream to the customer device; and

one or more instructions to resume sending of the video stream to the customer device with the next video segment.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more instructions to determine the particular video segment after which to insert the message into the video stream include:

one or more instructions to determine a time at which to insert the message into the video stream;

one or more instructions to determine a duration of a video segment;

one or more instructions to determine a current video segment; and

one or more instructions to determine the particular video segment based on the time at which to insert the message, the duration of a video segment, and the current video segment.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more instructions to determine the particular video segment after which to insert the message into the video stream include:

one or more instructions to detect another scene change between the particular video segment and the next video segment based on changes in shapes in the particular video segment and the next video segment.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more instructions to determine the particular video segment after which to insert the message into the video stream include:

one or more instructions to detect a customer initiation of another video stream.