Media substitution triggered by broadcast watermark
An attention marker can be transmitted to a radio receiver using an out-of-band transmission. One or more watermarks can be inserted in an over-the-air broadcast. A radio can include a tuner for receiving the over-the-air broadcast; an out-of-band receiver to receive substitute media content and the attention marker; memory to store the substitute media content; a user interface to play out media content to a user; and processing circuitry implementing multiple modules such as a marker detection module, a watermark detection module, and a local playout control module. The marker detection module can detect the out-of-band attention marker, and in response to detection of the attention marker trigger or schedule activation/deactivation of the watermark detection module. If the watermark detection module detects a watermark, the substitute content stored in the memory can be played out in place of the broadcast content.
1. A radio receiver comprising:
a tuner configured to receive an over-the-air radio broadcast on a tuned frequency;
at least one radio frequency receiver configured to receive, via one or more out-of-band transmissions, replacement media items associated with particular watermarks;
out-of-band attention markers;
a memory configured to store the replacement media items and information associating the replacement media items with the particular watermarks;
processing circuitry coupled to the tuner and the memory, the processing circuitry including:
watermark detection circuitry configured to operate in a low-power state during a first period of time, wherein during the low-power state the watermark detection circuitry does not search for watermarks in broadcast content;
marker detection circuitry configured to:
detect receipt of an out-of-band attention marker received during the first period of time;
a wait timer activated in response to detection of the out-of-band attention marker;
the watermark detection circuitry configured to:
change from the low-power state to an active state in response to expiration of the wait timer, wherein during the active state the watermark detection circuitry searches for watermarks in the broadcast content;
attempt to detect received watermarks during a period in which the watermark detection circuitry is in the active state;
local playout control circuitry configured to:
determine whether a stored replacement media item is associated with a detected watermark;
make a validity determination regarding whether the stored replacement media item is a currently valid replacement media item;
in response to determining that the stored replacement media item is associated with the detected watermark, and subject to a positive result of the validity determination, generate a control signal indicating that the stored replacement media item is to be played out in place of a corresponding broadcast media item; and
a user interface configured to switch from playing out the corresponding broadcast media item to playing out the stored replacement media item in accordance with the control signal.
2. The radio receiver of claim 1 , wherein:
the tuner is further configured to receive a rejoin signal embedded in the over-the-air radio broadcast; and
the local playout control circuitry is further configured to control the user interface to switch back from playing out the stored replacement media item to playing out the corresponding broadcast media item in response to the rejoin signal.
3. The radio receiver of claim 1 , wherein the detected watermark includes information instructing the local playout control circuitry when to switch back from playing out the stored replacement media item to playing out the corresponding broadcast media item.
4. The radio receiver of claim 1 , wherein the period in which the watermark detection circuitry is in the active state is terminated upon expiration of a detection timer.
5. The radio receiver of claim 1 , wherein the local playout control circuitry is further configured to transmit a playout verification via the at least one radio frequency receiver.
6. A method for use in a radio frequency (RF) receiver, the method comprising:
receiving broadcast content via a first radio frequency signal carrying an over-the-air radio broadcast
receiving, replacement media items associated with particular watermarks via a second radio frequency signal having a frequency different from the first radio frequency signal;
storing, in a memory accessible to the RF receiver, the replacement media items and information associating the replacement media items with the particular watermarks;
operating a watermark detection module in a low-power state during a first period of time, wherein during the low-power state the watermark detection module does not search for watermarks in the broadcast content;
receiving, during the first period of time, an out-of-band attention marker, the out-of-band attention marker indicating that at least one watermark is scheduled to be transmitted in the over-the-air radio broadcast within a designated period of time;
activating a wait timer in response to receiving the out-of-band attention marker;
in response to expiration of the wait timer, activating watermark detection circuitry from the low-power state to an active state, for a period of time corresponding to a detection window, wherein during the active state the watermark detection circuitry searches for watermarks in the broadcast content;
detecting a broadcast watermark in the broadcast content, using the watermark detection circuitry, during the detection window;
determining whether a stored replacement media item is associated with the broadcast watermark;
making a validity determination regarding whether the stored replacement media item is a currently valid replacement media item;
in response to determining that the stored replacement media item is associated with the broadcast watermark, and subject to a positive result of the validity determination, generating a control signal indicating that the stored replacement media item is to be played out in place of a corresponding broadcast media item; and
initiating a break-away from playing out the corresponding broadcast media item and playing out the stored replacement media item, in accordance with the control signal.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving a rejoin signal embedded in the via a first radio frequency signal; and
returning from the break-away in response to the rejoin signal.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving the out-of-band attention marker via an in-band-on-channel (IBOC) sideband of the first radio frequency.
9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving the replacement media items via a mobile carrier network.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein a detected watermark includes information about a length of the break-away.
11. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
transmitting a playout verification via the second radio frequency.
12. A broadcasting system for use with a radio receiver, the broadcasting system comprising:
a media automation system coupled via a communication network to an over-the-air broadcast system, and to an advertisement system;
the advertisement system configured to deliver replacement advertisements to the radio receiver, particular replacement advertisements being associated with particular watermarks;
the media automation system configured to insert an actionable watermark into media items to generate watermarked media items, and to provide the watermarked media items to the over-the-air broadcast system, the actionable watermark signaling the radio receiver to substitute a replacement advertisement for at least one broadcast advertisement;
a server device configured to transmit an attention marker to be delivered to the radio receiver via an out-of-band transmission, the attention marker controlling the radio receiver to activate a wait timer, and the wait timer controlling activation of a watermark detection module included in the radio receiver from a low-power state to an active state, wherein during the low-power state the watermark detection module does not search for watermarks in broadcast content, and during the active state the watermark detection circuitry searches for watermarks in the broadcast content; and
the over-the-air broadcast system configured to broadcast at least one of the watermarked media items as part of a station broadcast, the at least one of the watermarked media items being broadcast subsequent to the attention marker being transmitted via the out-of-band transmission.
13. The broadcasting system of claim 12 , wherein the over-the-air broadcast system configured to is further configured to broadcast a rejoin signal signaling the radio receiver to stop playing out replacement advertisements and begin playing out broadcast content.
14. The broadcasting system of claim 12 , wherein the media automation system is further configured to insert multiple actionable watermarks into one or more of the media items.
15. The broadcasting system of claim 12 , wherein the actionable watermark is inserted into a media item broadcast prior to the at least one broadcast advertisement.
16. The broadcasting system of claim 12 , wherein the actionable watermark is inserted into the at least one broadcast advertisement.
17. The broadcasting system of claim 12 , wherein the advertisement system is further configured to:
deliver the replacement advertisements via a secondary communications channel.
18. The broadcasting system of claim 12 , wherein the media automation system receives play-out verification from the radio receiver.