"SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE INCLUSION OF ADVERTISING MESSAGES IN SUBSCRIPTION TV AND DIGITAL TV DECODERS"

PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION Inclusion of a functionality for the pre-programmed presentation of interchangeable advertising messages in the form of text and/or audio and/or video, embedded into the subscription TV decoder (antenna, cable, DTH or satellite) or decoder or converter of conventional or high definition (HDTV) Digital TV, every time the device is first turned on. A similar functionality can be applied to broadcast TV over cellular telephones.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The market of subscription TV, also known as pay TV, has considerably increased in the last few years. With the introduction of digital broadcasting and high definition digital TV (HDTV) an even bigger growth is expected in the future. Due to this fact, it was conceived the idea of introducing interchangeable commercial advertisements, to be remotely pre-programmed and broadcast when the decoder is first turned on.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Another patent exists (Pl 9305338-0) with a similar concept, by the same author of this patent, but is applied only to TV sets.

Many subscription TV systems use a decoder at the customer's end, in order to enable the delivery of specific programming packages, in accordance with the customer's contract. These decoders are employed in cable TV, satellite TV and DTH (Direct to Home) TV systems and they are known in the market as "setup boxes". In the case of digital transmission and digital TV (paid and free to air), this decoders are also known as "converters" and, besides the capability of restricting access to the channels, they also convert the HDTV (High Definition TV) digital signal received by antenna, cable, satellite or DTH into an analog signal compatible with conventional TV devices.

At the service provider's end, we already have the technical conditions to remotely program in a selective way every single decoder in the service provider's

network, i.e. releasing or blocking channels, due to the fact that each unit has a unique address. The servers can be located in the Control Center or in the regional units (Head End) and the scheduling of commercial broadcasts (advertisements) and the listing of selected decoders can also be remotely set in the servers, via the Internet or satellite.

The inclusion of the functionality described in this document in the decoders and the converters can be performed by means of additional external circuits or by adapting the decoders' internal circuits and programs.

The same functionality can be extended to cellular telephony, as it will be possible to program the pre-broadcasting of the advertising messages, which will be exhibited in any pre-selected cellular telephone when the TV service is selected, thus subsidizing the user's service costs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig.1 schematically shows the ideal configuration of the present request, illustrating the broadcasting of the advertisements for antenna (RF), satellite, cable, DTH (Direct to Home) or cellular telephone TV signal broadcasting systems.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to Fig.1, (A) is a server, containing the advertisements to be broadcast to the Customers and the list of decoders, converters or cell phones which will receive these advertising messages.

(B) is the medium connecting the Control Center (1) to the customer's residence (2) (antenna, cable, satellite, DTH, cellular telephone), a cable infrastructure in this example.

(C) is the decoder, remotely controlled by the Control Center (1), which is connected between the cable infrastructure and the TV in the customer's home (2). This decoder (C), besides executing its normal functions, will be responsible for receiving the advertising messages from the Control Center (1), keeping them into storage and then sending them to the TV (D) at due time, in accordance with Control Center's scheduling (normally when the TV is first turned on). Another option, in the case of simpler decoders (C) or simple HDTV Digital-to-Analog converters, is to let the decoder (converter) (C) detect when the TV is first turned

on and to have it request the broadcasting of the advertising message to the customer's (2) TV (D);

(D) is the Customer's TV receiver (2);

(E) is the satellite antenna or the Broadcasting Station's tower antenna. An extension of this patent's concept is to employ the same idea in satellite pay TV or in conventional or High Definition digital TV systems;

(F) is the satellite or DTH receiver and decoder. The function of this device is identical to the cable signal decoder (C).

(G) is the cellular telephone with TV reception. As an extension of this patent's concept, cellular telephones will be able to receive TV images and will be totally addressable by the Control Center (1). In this way, the Control Center (1) will be able to program the broadcasting to all previously registered cellular telephones (G) of advertising messages which will be shown in the telephone at a pre-set time. The process starts by scheduling the programming to be shown and digitalizing it into a text and/or audio and/or images server computer (A). This process can be remotely performed via the Internet or satellite. In the same server (A) or in a different one there will be the lists of existing advertisements and the list of the addresses of each decoder (C) to which the advertising messages will be broadcast.

A specific program will control which commercial (or all of them) will be sent to which decoder (C) (or to all of them), constantly replacing the broadcast commercial.

After that, the server computer (A) sends to all previously selected decoders (C) the texts, the audio and/or images of the advertisements, storing them in the decoders (C) or into external circuits, waiting for exhibition.

Optionally, it is possible to use less sophisticated decoders (C) or HDTV Digital-to-Analog converters, which simply detect when the TV (D) is first turned on and request to the Control Center the broadcast of an advertisement in real time. When the decoder (C) and/or the TV (D) are first turned on, the Customer

(1) will receive an advertisement before the start of the normal programming.

The same scheme is applicable to cellular telephones (G), where the advertisement to be shown can be previously stored in the cell phone or broadcast in real time, when the TV function is enabled.

In this way the proposed goal of the invention, which is to provide the capacity of showing advertising messages to subscription TV or conventional digital TV or High Definition (HDTV) or cell phone TV Customers, is achieved. Thus:

-the present system distinguishes itself for the following innovation: it uses a cable TV infrastructure to send text and/or audio and/or video advertising messages, addressed to an existing list of Customers' decoders (set-up Boxes).

This message will be shown in a pre-determined moment, set by the Control

Center, preferably when the decoder and the TV are first turned on.

-the present system distinguishes itself for the following innovation: it uses a satellite TV infrastructure to send text and/or audio and/or video advertising messages, addressed to an existing list of Customers' decoders. This message will be shown in a pre-determined moment, set by the Control Center preferably, for example, when the decoder and the TV are first turned on.

-the present system distinguishes itself for the following innovation: it uses a

DTH ("direct to home") type TV infrastructure to send text and/or audio and/or video advertising messages, addressed to an existing list of Customers' decoders.

This message will be shown in a pre-determined moment, set by the Control

Center preferably, for example, when the decoder and the TV are first turned on.

-the present system distinguishes itself for the following innovation: it uses a conventional or high definition (HDTV) digital TV infrastructure to send text and/or audio and/or video advertising messages, addressed to an existing list of Customers' decoders. This message will be shown in a pre-determined moment, set by the Control Center preferably, for example, when the decoder and the TV are first turned on.

-the present system distinguishes itself for the following innovation: it uses a cellular telephony infrastructure with TV images broadcasting capability, to send text and/or audio and/or video advertising messages, addressed to an existing list of Customers' cellular telephones. This message will be shown in a pre-

determined moment, set by the Control Center preferably when the cellular telephone is first turned on or when a TV program is selected.

-the present system distinguishes itself for the following innovation: it is capable of remotely programming, via the Internet or satellite, into any server located in the Control Center or in the regional units (Head End), the list of text and/or audio and/or video advertising messages selectively addressed to a list of

Customers.

-the present system distinguishes itself for the following innovation: it is capable of pre-setting a presentation of text and/or audio and/or video advertising messages at pre-programmed times or events.

As it will be evident to skilled technicians, various modifications, adaptations and variations to the previously shown specific instructions could be applicable without deviating from the purpose of the invention claimed in the present document. The many characteristics and the described elements of the invention will allow different combinations besides those described or claimed in the present document, without deviating from the purpose of the invention.