System and method for media inserts in a media distribution system
View Patent ↗A predefined advertising service identifier, or trigger code, is broadcast along with the digital media in a media distribution system, to give explicit insert triggers to re-distributors in a multi-tiered distribution system. These service identifiers are encrypted so that other parties without access to the triggers that are receiving the broadcast cannot identify ad insert time slots and therefore cannot insert ads without prior agreement. In one embodiment, the triggers are contained within pre-existing conditional access control word packets.
1. A method of transmitting program material, comprising the steps of:
receiving a signal from a signal distributor in the first tier of a distribution system, the signal having the program material including a first message and a first trigger delineating the first message;
generating conditional access information, the conditional access information for providing conditional access to at least a portion of the program material;
detecting the first trigger in the signal;
inserting a second message in place of the first message according to the detected first trigger;
determining that a third message is permitted to be inserted in place of the second message by a second tier of the distribution system:
inserting a second trigger delineating the third message into the conditional access information;
encrypting the conditional access information having the second trigger; and
transmitting the program material and the encrypted conditional access information to a second tier of the distribution system.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conditional access information provides conditional access to the second message.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conditional access information provides conditional access to the third message.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the conditional access information is contained in a control word packet; and
the second tier comprises a receiver having a conditional access module for decrypting the control word packet to obtain the second trigger.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second trigger comprises a duration code specifying a duration of the third message.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving the program material and the conditional access information in the second tier;
decrypting the conditional access information to detect the second trigger; and
inserting the third message in response to the detection of the second trigger.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second message replaces the first message inserted by the signal distributor.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the third message replaces the second message inserted by the first tier.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the conditional access information is contained in a data packet and the steps of decrypting the conditional access information to obtain the second trigger comprises the steps of:
routing the data packet to a conditional access module; and
decrypting the data packet in the conditional access module.
10. A method of receiving program material, comprising the steps of:
receiving a signal in a second tier of a multi-tier distribution system from a first tier of the multi-tier distribution system, the signal comprising:
program material having a first message inserted by a signal distributor or a second message inserted by the first tier; and
encrypted conditional access information for controlling access to at least some of the program material, the encrypted control access information comprising a first trigger inserted by the first tier in response to detection of a second trigger placed into the program material by the signal distributor and according to a determination that a third message is permitted to be inserted in place of the second message by a second tier of the distribution system;
decrypting the encrypted conditional access information;
detecting the second trigger in the decrypted conditional access information; and
inserting a third message for the second message according to the detected second trigger.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the conditional access information is contained in a control word packet; and
the second tier comprises a receiver having a conditional access module for decrypting the control word packet to obtain the second trigger.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second trigger comprises a duration code specifying a duration of the second message.
13. An apparatus for transmitting program material, comprising:
a first tier receiver for receiving a signal from a signal distributor in a first tier of a multi-tier distribution network, the signal having the program material including a first message and a first trigger delineating the first message;
a conditional access system, for generating conditional access information for providing conditional access to the program material;
an automation system for detecting a first trigger in the signal and for inserting a second message in place of the first message according to the detected first trigger;
an encoder for inserting a second trigger into the conditional access information according to the detected first trigger, wherein the encoder inserts the second trigger into the conditional access information according to a determination that a third message is permitted to be inserted in place of the second message by a second tier of the distribution system and wherein the conditional access system encrypts the conditional access information and the second trigger to produce encrypted conditional access information; and
a transmitter for transmitting the program material and the encrypted conditional access information to a second tier of a multi-tier distribution network.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the conditional access information provides conditional access to the second message.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein:
the conditional access information is contained in a control word packet;
the second tier comprises a second tier receiver having a conditional access module for decrypting the control word packet to obtain the second trigger.
16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second trigger comprises a duration code specifying a duration of the second message.
17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second tier further comprises:
a second tier receiver, for receiving the program material and the conditional access information, for decrypting the conditional access information to obtain the second trigger, and for inserting a second message in response to the detection of the first trigger.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the second tier receiver replaces the first message with the second message.
19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the second tier receiver replaces a third message inserted by the first tier with the second message.
20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the conditional access information is contained in a data packet and wherein the second tier receiver comprises:
a transport module for routing the data packet; and
a conditional access module for receiving the routed data packet and decrypting the data packet.
21. An apparatus for transmitting program material comprising:
a receiver, for receiving a signal in a second tier of a multi-tier distribution system from a first tier of the multi-tier distribution system, the signal comprising:
program material having a first message inserted by a signal distributor or a second message inserted by the first tier;
encrypted access control information for controlling access to the program material, the encrypted access control information comprising a second trigger inserted by the first tier in response to detection of a first trigger placed into the program material by the signal distributor and according to a determination that a third message is permitted to be inserted in place of the second message by a second tier of the distribution system;
a conditional access module for decrypting the encrypted access control information; and
an automation module for detecting if the second trigger is detected in the decrypted control access information and inserting a third message for the first message or the second message only if the second trigger is detected in the decrypted control access information.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein:
the control access information is contained in a data packet; and
the receiver comprises a conditional access module for decrypting the data packet to obtain the second trigger.
23. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the second trigger comprises a duration code specifying a duration of the third message.