Television – Image signal processing circuitry specific to television – Special effects
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-12
2001-02-20
Harvey, David E. (Department: 2714)
Television
Image signal processing circuitry specific to television
Special effects
C348S589000, C348S586000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06191825
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to electronic/virtual billboard replacement switching systems and more particularly to method and apparatus for detecting and controlling the switching of electronic replacement billboards.
In known systems a real billboard present in a stadium can be replaced electronically in a video image by a replacement billboard selected from a plurality of billboards stored in a billboard store. In this manner a viewer at home is able to view a different billboard which may be more relevant to the particular market place in which the viewer resides. The present systems have a number of disadvantages and in particularly are extremely inflexible with respect to billboard changes.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic billboard replacement system which is extremely flexible with respect to billboard changes and which is acceptable both to the viewer and to the broadcaster.
The system according to the present invention allows a billboard to be changed several times during a defined period. The period may be, for example, a half or quarter during a football (soccer or American football) game.
The billboard may be one of a plurality of billboards or may be a complete series of billboards each carrying the same advertisement or message.
In the prior art systems the billboard is changed to one of a plurality of different boards selected from a memory but is maintained constant throughout the entire game or at least each period (quarter or half) of the game.
In the present invention it is proposed to allow switching of a billboard from a first replacement to a second and further replacement, as required at selected time intervals. Thus a first advertisement may be displayed, for example, for five minutes, a second for the next five minutes and so throughout the game.
Selected billboards may be changed at different time intervals dependent on the amount of time paid for by an advertiser. Alternatively, even if a single advertiser sponsors the whole game, the adverts may be changed to display different products or different messages.
A problem which arises from such a flexible system, particularly if there are a large number of boards is that the changing over of the boards will be unacceptable to the broadcaster since it will detract the viewer from the sports event, possibly at a critical time thereby substantially detracting from the enjoyment.
It is therefore a first object of the present invention to provide an electronic billboard switching system in which a replacement billboard can be present for a predetermined period of time.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide an electronic billboard switching system in which a plurality of billboards can be present for individually selected periods of time.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide an electronic billboard switching system in which the switching over from one billboard to the next is not seen by the viewer.
In such a case the system, according to the present invention, monitors the presence of a billboard on a TV picture which is being transmitted. This may be only a single feed or may be more than one if an inset picture is being transmitted. Only when a camera is not transmitting the billboard to be substituted will a change be allowed and thus the viewer will not see a change.
In such cases an advertiser will pay for a billboard to be displayed for a predetermined period, such as five minutes. However, if the billboard remains in view for a further period then the advertiser will have the billboard displayed for that further period which could be substantial. Also, the next advertiser may either not have the full period, particularly if his allocated period is at the end of a game.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a time recording system for recording the length of the time that the billboard is on display. This time recordal system can in a preferred embodiment record the actual time that a billboard is displayed on the TV outgoing feed and also the length of time that it was potentially on display, i.e. the length of time until the next advertisement is switched in. This recordal can be done for every billboard, thereby giving the advertiser valuable information on the exposure of his product.
The present invention therefore provides an electronic billboard replacement system for use in a TV broadcast system including electronic billboard storage means for storing a plurality of replacement billboards and comprising electronic sequencer means for controlling the time period that each one of said plurality of replacement billboards is displayed to a TV viewer.
The present invention also provides an electronic billboard replacement system including a timer for each billboard, said timer being settable for each said billboard to a desired time period during an event and including means for starting said timer and means for detecting when said desired time period for the billboard has elapsed and including means for detecting the presence of the said billboard on a video image as transmitted to a viewer and means for inhibiting the change over of the said billboard to a next successive billboard whilst the said billboard is visible by the viewer.
The present invention also provides a method of controlling replacement of electronic billboards in a TV broadcast system comprising the steps of:
a. storing in a memory a plurality of replacement billboards;
b. storing in a predetermined sequence in a sequencer a set of billboards selected from said plurality of replacement billboards
c. allocating to each billboard in said set a predetermined time period for display;
d. storing in a co-operative manner each predetermined time period with each selected billboard in said set;
e. starting a timer for each billboard;
f. detecting the end of the predetermined time period for the billboard; and
g. following detection of the end of the predetermined time period switching from said billboard to the next billboard in the sequence.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4724491 (1988-02-01), Lambert
patent: WO 95/10919 (1995-04-01), None
patent: WO 95/12282 (1995-05-01), None
Sharir Avi
Sprogis Peter
Tamir Michael
Wilf Itzhak
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Harvey David E.
Orad Hi-Tech Systems Limited
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