WO2002051137A1

WO2002051137A1 - Television broadcast system and method for broadcasting television commercials

Info

Publication number: WO2002051137A1
Application number: PCT/FI2001/001108
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carina Stenvall; Antero Hoffman
Original assignee: Alma Media Oyj
Priority date: 2000-12-18
Filing date: 2001-12-17
Publication date: 2002-06-27
Also published as: FI20002771A0; AU2002219254A1; FI20002771L; FI115186B

Abstract

The invention relates to a television broadcast system and a method for broadcasting television commercials. According to the invention, at least one teletext page containing additional information relating to these commercials is broadcast along the television commercials. A television commercial preferably comprises a prompt (21) recommending a user to change over to a teletext mode. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, during a commercial break, the additional information is placed on a teletext starting page (32) displayed by default when the user activates the teletext mode. The additional information displayed on the teletext page changes according to the television commercials.

Description

TELEVISION BROADCAST SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BROADCASTING TELEVISION COMMERCIALS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention generally relates to television broadcast sys- terns, and particularly to broadcasting television commercials between other programmes on a television channel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In the broadcasts of commercial television companies, television commercials or advertisements are broadcast during special commercial breaks or periods between other programmes. It is a long and expensive process to produce a television commercial. Typically, the production costs of a television commercial range from FIM 100,000 to 500,000 in Finland, and the process typically takes even 6 to 8 weeks. Since it is so expensive to produce a commercial film, it would be desirable that the commercial film could be broadcast more than once. Possible changes have to be carried out directly to the commercial films, usually weeks before a particular commercial is to be broadcast. It is also relatively expensive to change the commercials films. On one hand, due to the costs, the aim is also to keep the original commercial film as short as possible, which is why the amount of information embedded in the film is limited. The fact that the commercial must be as clear and unambiguous as possible also restricts the amount of information shown in the commercial. On the other hand, the aim is to provide topical commercials and commercials customized for local or short campaigns, or to react quickly to the needs of an advertiser. A need has thus arisen for a technology that enables the cost- effectiveness and informative versatility of a television commercial to be enhanced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] An object of the invention is to provide a technology for broadcasting commercials to enable additional information to be added to tele- vision commercials.

[0004] This object is achieved by a method as claimed in claim 1 , and a television broadcast system as claimed in claim 13.

[0005] According to the basic principle of the invention, when commercials are broadcast in the course of a television programme, additional in- formation relating to these commercials is simultaneously broadcast on the television channel along the commercials on at least one teletext page. The television commercial preferably comprises a prompt for a user to change over to a teletext mode or to a particular teletext page in order to obtain the addi- tional information relating to a commercial. The invention thus enables various additional information to be readily provided along the television commercial film constituting the basic commercial. The additional information may include changing information, such as offers, product information, address information or other contents that would not normally be included in the commercial film for one reason or another. The commercials produced by an advertiser can thus be utilized in a more versatile and cost-effective manner. The contents of the basic television commercial does not need to comprise all information; neither does the production unit have to produce several versions of the basic film. The teletext advertising according to the invention enables the volume of spe- cial offer advertising to be increased since different offers can be added to the basic commercial for different campaigns. The additional information can also be local, in which case teletext pages with different contents are broadcast along the basic commercial in different areas. Furthermore, the contents of the teletext page broadcast along the commercial film may vary according to the broadcasting moment or another criterion.

[0006] In an embodiment of the invention, the additional information is always broadcast on a particular teletext page or particular teletext pages whose contents are dynamically changed in dependence on the commercials broadcast on the television channels. In other words, a small number of teletext pages is used for presenting the additional information of different commercials. Additional information relating to a particular commercial session may exist on the pages e.g. only for the duration of a commercial film or a commercial break and possibly for a while after the commercial break. This enables a great amount of changing advertising to be implemented using a small number of teletext pages. In this manner, capacity is more effectively used than when a teletext page is permanently reserved for the additional information of each advertiser.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the teletext page containing additional information is a page to which a receiver directly changes over from a television programme or a commercial when the user activates the teletext mode by a predetermined button in a remote controller of the receiver. This page is preferably a starting page or a basic page of a teletext service, displayed by default by a receiver apparatus when the user activates the teletext mode. This starting page can be used for displaying additional information during commercials and possibly for a while thereafter; at other times, the starting page displays its ordinary contents, such as the main menu of teletext pages. An example of such a starting page in the existing analogue television systems is page 100, to which the receiver changes over if not otherwise configured by the user. Alternatively, the receiver may start the teletext mode from several alternate pages, depending on which predetermined button in the re- mote controller the user presses. These embodiments of the invention provide the user with access to the desired additional information simply by activating the teletext mode.

[0008] In yet another embodiment of the invention, when the teletext mode is activated during commercials, a starting page will be opened which indicates which predetermined button in the remote controller of the receiver the user is to press in order to access the teletext page containing the additional information relating to a particular commercial.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In the following, the invention will be described by means of the preferred embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0010] Figure 1 illustrates a television broadcast system according to the invention,

[0011] Figure 2 illustrates a television screen displaying a television commercial,

[0012] Figure 3 illustrates a television screen displaying a television commercial and a superteletext page containing information relating to the commercial,

[0013] Figure 4 illustrates a remote controller of a digital television receiver or a Set Top Box,

[0014] Figure 5 illustrates a television screen displaying a television commercial and a superteletext starting page having a link to a page containing additional information relating to the commercial, and [0015] Figure 6 illustrates a television screen displaying a television commercial and a superteletext page containing additional information relating to the commercial.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION [0016] The invention can be applied both in analogue television systems and in digital television systems comprising a teletext service.

[0017] The teletext system is used as an added value service, or supplementary service, which carries additional information through the television broadcast system. In the conventional analogue television systems, teletext information is placed in a television signal. In fact, it is included among such video information that is not shown on a television screen, which is why the teletext information does not necessitate an additional bandwidth in the television system. To be more precise, the teletext information is placed in the horizontal lines of a Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI) that do not show on the television screen. These horizontal lines are lines 6 to 22 and lines 320 to 335. [0018] Teletext information is often presented as a page. In the present application, a teletext page generally refers to information contents to be presented on a television screen at one time. The conventional teletext system supports 800 pages. Each main page may comprise a number of sub-pages. For instance, an indication "2/4" may be shown at the upper part of the screen to indicate that the particular main page comprises four sub-pages and that the user is viewing the second sub-page. The use of sub-pages enables the total number of pages to be increased; simultaneously, however, the pages are less frequently updated. A conventional teletext page comprises 24 lines, each line comprising 40 characters. This only enables poor-quality graphics to be presented. Consequently, the existing information services are often text-based services. Examples of information services typically provided through the teletext system include news, weather forecasts, stock exchange rates and flight schedules. [0019] The receiving end needs a teletext decoder to separate the teletext information from the received video information stream and to display the teletext information on the screen of a television receiver. Typically, the teletext decoder is integrated in the television receiver. The user can access a desired page by selecting a three-digit number by means of a control panel, usually a remote controller of the receiver. The teletext decoder then separates the selected page from the received video information. After this short period of time, which is necessary for receiving the entire page, the teletext information (page) is presented on the screen. Preferably, a certain number of pages before and after the selected page is stored in the memory at the same time. If the user selects e.g. the next page, it can be read directly from the memory and presented immediately. This enables the delay necessary for receiving pages to be avoided and the browsing of the pages to be quickened. In addition, in order speed up the process of changing over to the teletext mode, the teletext decoder in modern television receivers stores at least a particular start- ing page or a page selected by the user in the memory already while in the television mode, in which case the starting page can be displayed on the television screen in the teletext mode without delay when the user activates the teletext mode.

[0020] Figure 1 schematically shows an exemplary television sys- tern whereto the present invention is applied. A television programme and advertising unit 3 generally represents all devices and units necessary for producing analogue or digital video information VIDEO to be broadcast. What kind of devices these devices are or the way in which the video information is produced is irrelevant to the invention. A teletext contents updating unit 1 generally represents all devices, units or functions necessary for producing the contents of teletext pages. What kind of devices these devices are or the way in which and by whom the teletext pages are produced is irrelevant to the invention. The updating unit 1 arranges the teletext pages in a desired order (1 to 800) in a carousel-type broadcasting buffer 2 provided with a location 2A for each page to be broadcast. The carousel 2 "rotates", and a page to be broadcast is transferred to a combiner 5 to be inserted into the video information VIDEO, i.e. in the horizontal lines of the video signal, received from the unit 3. The pages in the carousel 3 are thus broadcast in a fixed order. The video signal generated by the combiner 5 is supplied to a television broadcasting unit 6 and the radio-frequency television broadcasting signal is broadcast through a broadcast network 7 to television receivers 8 and 9. In the receivers 8 and 9, the teletext decoder separates the page selected by the user from the video information and displays the page on the screen. The user controls the television receivers 8 and 9 by remote controllers 10 and 11. [0021] The apparatus and operation described above are according to the existing teletext system. According to the basic principle of the invention, the teletext system is arranged to broadcast additional information relating to a television commercial being broadcast substantially simultaneously. This operation is coordinated by an appropriate control mechanism, which, in the embodiment of Figure 1 , is illustrated by a programme management unit 4. When the programme management unit 4 times the programme and advertising unit 3 to broadcast a particular television commercial, it also times the teletext unit 1 to simultaneously place additional information relating to the particular commercial in the carousel 2 in the location of a particular teletext page. The video signal supplied from the combiner 5 thus comprises both the television com- mercial (actual video information) and the teletext information relating to the same commercial. Typically, several commercials are broadcast during a commercial break, which means that additional information relating to one or more such commercials can also be broadcast during the commercial break. If the same teletext page is used for different commercials, the information relat- ing to the different commercials can be broadcast alternately as separate sub- pages. Most preferably, the additional information is always broadcast on a particular teletext page or particular teletext pages whose contents are dynamically changed in dependence on the commercials shown on the television channels. This means that when commercials change (typically no later than when a next commercial begins), the programme management 4 instructs the teletext updating unit 1 to place the information relating to a new commercial on the particular page or pages. In an embodiment of the invention to be implemented in an analogue television system, the additional information is placed on the starting page of the particular teletext system, typically on page 100, during a commercial break. The additional information is displayed on this starting page all through the commercial break and possibly for a short while thereafter. The user is thus provided with easy access to the additional information relating to the commercial or commercials simply by activating the teletext mode by the remote controller 10 of the receiver 8. The shown televi- sion commercial preferably comprises a prompt for the user to retrieve additional information from the teletext. Between the commercial breaks, during the actual programme, the starting page contains its ordinary contents, typically consisting of a main menu of the teletext. This ordinary starting page may also be provided with a commercial banner to refer to a page or pages containing additional information between the commercial breaks. The contents of these pages, as well as the commercial banners on the starting page, preferably change according to the commercials shown during the commercial breaks. All these changes to the contents of the pages can easily be carried out by means of the contents updating unit 1 and the carousel 2 under the control and timing of the programme management 4. In an embodiment of the invention, the start- ing page is ordinary also during a commercial break, except for the dynamically changing commercial banners or links that guide the user to the above- described page containing dynamically changing commercial information.

[0022] New digital broadcast networks have been developed throughout the world for delivering television broadcasts. Such networks in- elude e.g. a Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) network. The DVB system utilizes Moving Picture Expert Group (MPEG) standards for source-encoding and multiplexing audiovisual signals. Each audio signal and video signal and each of other information signals is packaged separately to generate a corresponding packet stream, which is called a Packetized Elementary Stream (PES). The elementary streams PES are multiplexed into a standardized data stream, which is called a Transport Stream (TS). The transport stream TS, which is also called a multiplex, may comprise elementary streams relating to several programmes. TS packets and PES packets also comprise header fields that enable a receiver to identify different programme streams. The DVB system also comprises a teletext. Teletext data is carried in the above-described PES packets, which, in turn, are transferred in the TS packets. A requirement for the digital teletext system of the DVB system is that it has to be capable of carrying the information of the analogue teletext systems in the DVB bit streams. At least in the beginning, conventional analogue television receivers are used for receiving digital television broadcasts by means of a special supplementary device called a Set Top Box (STB). The STB converts the received digital video information into an analogue video signal. In addition, the STB transcodes the digital teletext data into the format of the analogue teletext system and places the teletext information in a video signal such that the resulting signal is compatible with the conventional television receiver equipped with a teletext decoder. In this case, the additional information relating to commercials can be added to the teletext pages in a similar manner to that described above in connection with the analogue television system. The user is also able to produce a teletext page by means of a remote controller of a receiver in a similar manner to that described above. [0023] However, the high-rate digital data transmission of the DVB system enables the teletext service to be implemented without the limitations of the conventional analogue teletext system. The digital teletext system enables e.g. higher-quality graphics to be used, more information to be displayed, more colours to be used and windowing to be employed, etc. It is also possible to divide the television screen such that part of the screen displays a video image (the actual television broadcast) while another part of the screen displays teletext information. Such an improved digital teletext system is called a superteletext. [0024] The invention can also be applied in connection with such a superteletext. The broadcasting apparatus is basically similar, i.e. the operation of the teletext contents updating unit 1 and the programme and advertising unit 3 is controlled and timed by the programme management unit 4 such that together with the digital commercial video information supplied from the unit 3, digital teletext information relating to the particular commercial is broadcast simultaneously. The teletext information and the video information are processed and broadcast as determined for each digital television system. A digital television receiver or a Set Top Box STB receives the digital signal and separates the audiovisual information and the digital superteletext information from each other.

[0025] Assume that STB equipment is integrated into a digital receiver 8. A corresponding functionality can also be achieved by a separate STB device, which generates a video signal to be supplied to a conventional analogue television receiver. Assume first that the receiver apparatus is in the television mode, i.e. the superteletext mode is not activated. A television commercial is then presented on the screen of the digital or analogue television receiver 8, as illustrated in Figure 2. The television commercial comprises a prompt 21 recommending the user to retrieve information on the offer of the day by pressing the "TELETEXT" button in the remote controller. The digital television receiver or the STB then changes over to the superteletext mode, wherein e.g. the contents according to Figure 3 are displayed on the screen of the receiver 8. The actual television broadcast is displayed in a small area 31 at the upper right corner of the screen. Starting page 32 of the superteletext will then open up to cover the rest of the screen. In the case of Figure 3, addi- tional information relating to the television commercial displayed in a square 31 or another television commercial broadcast during the same commercial break is placed on the starting page, according to the principles of the invention. Starting page 32 may further comprise a superteletext main menu or links.

[0026] Figure 4 shows a remote controller 10 of a digital receiver specified by the NorDig group. The remote controller 10 comprises certain ba- sic functions. Buttons 41 are numeric buttons. Buttons 42 comprise an ON/OFF switch, volume level control (V+, V-), programme selection (P+, P-) and television mode selection button (TV). A button group 43 comprises arrow buttons and an acknowledgement button (OK). A button group 44 comprises a teletext activation button (teletext) and activation buttons for other operating modes, which are irrelevant to the invention. The bottom of the remote controller 10 is further provided with four coloured function keys 45, 46, 47 and 48. Assume that button 45 is red, button 46 green, button 47 yellow and button 48 blue.

[0027] It was assumed in the example shown in connection with Figure 3 that the additional information relating to the television commercial is shown already on the starting page displayed by default when the user presses the "teletext" button. However, using e.g. a remote controller of the type shown in Figure 4, access to the additional information can be implemented also in other ways without making the process difficult for the user. [0028] For example, it is possible that each function key 45 to 48 is arranged to activate the teletext mode but only with different starting pages. During a commercial break, for instance, the additional information relating to a first commercial can be accessed by pressing button 45, the additional information relating to a second commercial can be accessed by pressing button 46, etc.

[0029] In yet another embodiment of the invention, the user activates the teletext mode in the situation of Figure 2 by pressing the "teletext" button, but now it is the contents according to Figure 5 that are presented on the screen. The upper left corner of the screen still displays a miniature of the actual television broadcast within an area 51. Another area 52 displays a superteletext starting page that may contain e.g. a main menu. The starting page further shows e.g. coloured rectangles 53, 54, 55 and 56 representing buttons 45, 46, 47 and 48 of the remote controller. In connection with the blue rectangle 56, it is indicated that the rectangle is a link to additional information relat- ing to a commercial. When the user presses a corresponding function key 48 of the colour blue in the remote controller 10, the receiver displays the contents according to Figure 6 on the screen. Again, the upper right corner of the screen displays a television broadcast (television commercial) within an area 61 whereas another area 62 displays information relating to the commercial and an offer contained therein in a similar manner to that shown in Figure 3. In this case, the user has to press two buttons in order to access the additional information; this, however, is probably still acceptable.

[0030] In the digital television system, it is also possible that configuration information is broadcast on a television channel to define the teletext page a receiver is to display as the starting page when the user activates the teletext mode or presses a particular button in the remote controller during a commercial.

[0031] The drawings and the related description are only intended to illustrate the present invention. The invention is not, however, restricted to the embodiments disclosed but the implementation of the invention may vary within the spirit and scope of the attached claims.

Claims

1. A method for broadcasting a television commercial in a television system comprising a teletext service, in which method television commercials are broadcast between other television programmes on a television channel, characterized in that when commercials are broadcast as the television programme, at least one teletext page containing additional information relating to at least one of these commercials is broadcast simultaneously.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said additional information is broadcast on a particular teletext page or particu- lar teletext pages whose contents are changed dynamically in dependence on the commercials broadcast on the television channels.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that a receiver changes over from a television programme or a commercial to directly display said particular page when a user activates a teletext mode by means of a remote controller of the receiver.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the receiver changes from the television programme to directly display one of said particular pages, depending on which predetermined button the user presses in the remote controller of the receiver.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the receiver displays said particular page when the user presses a corresponding predetermined button in the remote controller of the receiver when the receiver is in the teletext mode.

6. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the television commercial comprises a prompt for the user to change over to the teletext mode in order to obtain additional information.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said prompt indicates which button in the remote controller of the receiver the user is to press in order to access the teletext page containing the additional information relating to the commercial.

8. A method as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7, characterize d in that configuration information is broadcast on the television channel to determine which teletext page the receiver is to display when the user acti- vates the teletext mode or presses a particular button in the remote controller during the commercial.

9. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterize d in that one of the pages of the teletext service is a starting page displayed by default by a receiver apparatus when the user activates the teletext mode, and when commercials are broadcast as the television programme, additional information relating to one or more of these commercials is simultaneously broadcast on said starting page.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the starting page contains the additional information relating to the commercials only substantially during the commercials and possibly for a short while thereafter, and that at other times, the starting page contains its ordinary con- tents, preferably a main menu of the teletext pages.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that said ordinary starting page comprises a commercial banner indicating the page containing the additional information relating to the commercials when the commercials are not broadcast on the television channel.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9, 10 or 11, characterized in that said starting page is teletext page 100.

13. A television broadcast system broadcasting teletext pages along a television programme on a television channel, characterized in that when commercials are broadcast in the course of the television programme, the television broadcast system is arranged to simultaneously broadcast additional information relating to at least one of these commercials on at least one of said teletext pages.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the system is arranged to broadcast said additional information on a preset teletext page or preset teletext pages whose contents are dynamically changed in dependence on the commercials shown on the television channels.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that said preset page is a page to which a receiver directly changes over from a television programme or a commercial when a user activates a teletext mode by a predetermined button in a remote controller of the receiver.

16. A system as claimed in any one of claims 13, 14 or 15, characterized in that the television commercial comprises a prompt recommending the user to change over to the teletext mode in order to obtain additional information.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that said prompt indicates which button in the remote controller of the receiver the user is to press in order to access the teletext page containing the additional information relating to the commercial.

18. A system as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 17, charac- terized in that the system broadcasts configuration information on the television channel to determine which teletext page the receiver is to display when the user activates the teletext mode or presses a particular button in the remote controller during the commercial.

19. A system as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 18, charac- terized in that the system broadcasts teletext pages along the television programme on the television channel, one such teletext page being a starting page displayed by default by a receiver apparatus when the user activates the teletext mode, and when commercials are broadcast in the course of the television programme, the system is arranged to simultaneously broadcast the additional information relating to one or more of these commercials on said starting page.

20. A system as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that the starting page comprises additional information relating to the commercials only substantially during the commercials and possibly for a while thereafter, and that at other times, the starting page contains its ordinary contents, preferably a main menu of the teletext pages.

21. A system as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that said ordinary starting page comprises a commercial banner indicating the page containing the additional information relating to the commercials when the commercials are not broadcast on the television channel.

22. A system as claimed in claim 19, 20 or 21, characterized in that said starting page is teletext page 100.