Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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' CA 02298357 2000-02-11
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r
A Process for the Diaital Transmission of Compressed
Television Signals
The present invention relates to a process for the digital
transmission of compressed television signals to a
television receiver of a viewer, wherein information data
packets alternate with advertising data packets.
The invention further relates to a decoder for
decompressing compressed television signals so that they
can be displayed on a television receiver of a viewer,
wherein information data packets alternate with advertising
data packets.
Finally, the invention relates to a memory card, comprising
a memory element, for a decoder for decompressing
compressed television signals so that they can be displayed
on a television receiver of a viewer, wherein information
data packets alternate with advertising data packets.
Processes of the type referred to in the introduction are
known from the prior art. The television signals to be
transmitted are firstly digitalized. The digitalized data
are subdivided into data packets and then transmitted. As
a result of the subdivision of the digitalized data, it is
possible for the television signals of a plurality of
television programmes to be transmitted across one channel
using multiplex procedures. To be able to increase the
transmission rate of the digitalized data to be
transmitted, the data are compressed prior to transmission.
Various compression methods are known from the prior art.
The viewer possesses a corresponding device to be able to
decompress the compressed data. It is also known to encode
the television signals to be transmitted, in order to be
able to restrict the transmission to a specific group of
viewers. The encoded television signal can be received
only by those viewers who are in possession of an
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appropriate device for decoding the encoded data. The
device for decompressing the compressed data and the device
for decoding the encoded data are normally contained in a
decoder. In accordance with the prior art, the device for
decoding the encoded data is activated for example by a
memory card, the memory element of which contains a
specific code for the time-limited release of the decoding
device.
The digital television signals contain information data
packets and advertising data packets which are alternately
transmitted. The information data packets contain the data
of the actual television programme, and the advertising
data packets contain the data of an advertising broadcast
or of advertisement spots shown during an interval in the
actual television programme. The viewers can be subdivided
into target groups on the basis of their age, family
status, and/or profession. The content of the advertising
data packets is normally the same for all.viewers and
appeals to the individual viewer to a greater or lesser
extent depending upon the target group to which he/she
belongs. The content of the advertising data packets
appeals particularly to viewers when the advertised goods
or services conform to the viewers' consumer requirements.
It is conceivable to increase this conformity by
transmitting the advertising data packets in television
programmes having a specific content or at specific times.
However, in accordance with the prior art it is not
possible to further influence this conformity in the case
of the transmission of television signals which are
directed to all viewers and thus not to a specific,
selected group of viewers.
Therefore the object of the present invention is to design
and develop a process of the type referred to in the
introduction, such that the content of the advertising data
CA 02298357 2000-02-11
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packets shown on a viewer's television receiver can be
deliberately adapted to the viewer's consumer requirements.
To achieve this object, commencing from the process of the
type referred to in the introduction, the invention
proposes that specific advertising data packets are
selected and displayed on the television receiver as a
function of a target group code which is dependent oh the
viewer.
In the process according to the invention, a particularly
high degree of conformity can be achieved between the goods
and services advertised in the advertising data packets and
the viewer's consumer requirements. Each viewer sees only
the contents of those advertising data packets which are
considered to be of interest to him in accordance with his
target group code. Although, as previously, the process
according to the invention relates to a transmission of
television signals directed to all viewers, and thus not to
a specific group of viewers, the individual viewer can be
individually supplied with precisely those advertising data
packets whose contents are adapted to the particular target
group code which he is assigned.
The process according to the invention is implemented in
that the advertising data packets comprise a plurality of
groups of advertising data packets in each case assigned to
a target group code. In the advertising broadcast, the
individual viewer is shown only the content of the group of
advertising data packets allocated to his target group
code. The other transmitted advertising data packet groups
are disregarded for this viewer.
Basically the process according to the invention can be
used in the case of any digital transmission medium (DVB,
Internet, digital cable networks) in which individual data
packets can be individually marked via their packet
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identifiers (PID, a type of address header), whereupon they
can be selectively supplied from a decoder, which is anyhow
used to decompress the general transmission, to those
viewers who have the relevant target group codes, and can
be displayed on their display terminal (television
receiver, monitor etc.). In accordance with an
advantageous further development of the present invention,
the television signals are compressed in accordance with a
compression method which utilizes packet identifiers
(PIDs). Preferably, the television signals are compressed
in accordance with the Moving-Picture-Expert-Group-2
(MPEG2) method. This compression method permits a high
compression rate, in particular of moving images, without a
great loss of quality.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention,
it is proposed that the target group code is input in a
decoder for decompressing the compressed television
signals. Preferably, the target group code is input into
the decoder by the viewer via a keyboard. It is
conceivable for the keyboard to be marked with symbols
representing the individual target groups. By depressing
one of the keys, the viewer is allocated the corresponding
target group code.
Alternatively, it is proposed that the target group code is
stored in the memory element of a memory card, and the
target group code is input into the decoder by reading-in
the content of the memory element. The content can be
read-in for example in that the memory card is inserted
into an input slot of the decoder and the content of the
memory element is read into a memory of the decoder by
means of a corresponding reading device of the decoder. It
would be conceivable for decoders sold with such a memory
card to be subsidized by the advertising industry from a
part of their additional revenue resulting from the
particularly effective advertising, or by the broadcasting
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companies from a part of their additional revenue resulting
from their increased income from advertising. The reduced
purchase price of decoders could lead to the more
widespread use of digital reception technology.
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Another object of the present invention is to design and
further develop a decoder of the type referred to in the
introduction such that the content of the advertising data
packets shown on a viewer's television receiver can be
deliberately adapted to the viewer's consumer requirements.
To achieve this object, commencing from the decoder of the
type referred to in the introduction, the invention
proposes that a target group code which is dependent upon
the viewer is stored in the decoder, and that specific
advertising data packets can be selected and displayed on
the television receiver as a function of the target group
code.
The decoder according to the invention has been provided
with the additional capability of sorting received
advertising data packets on the basis of the target group
codes and selectively displaying selected advertising data
packets on the viewer's television receiver. The normal
function of the decoder, in particular the decompression of
the transmitted television signals, remains unaffected by
this additional capability. The decoder contains, for
example, an internal data allocation table which allocates
specific advertising data packets to the set/stored target
group code, when said advertising data packets have the
appropriate PIDs. Only advertising data packets of this
type are then displayed on the viewer's television
receiver.
Due to the use of the decoder according to the invention,
it is possible for the first time to transmit television
signals intended for all viewers, thus not merely for a
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specific group of viewers, and nevertheless deliberately to
appeal to the individual viewer. By means of the decoder
according to the invention, the individual viewer can
deliberately be shown the content of only those groups of
advertising data packets which are allocated to the target
group code which the relevant viewer is assigned, without
having to interfere with the character of the superordinate
broadcast (transmission). The effectiveness of the
advertising broadcasts can thus be decisively improved as
the advertised goods and services are ideally aligned to
the requirements of the individual viewers.
The more detailed the subdivision of the target group
codes, the better the goods and services can be adapted to
the viewers' consumer requirements. Therefore, in
accordance with an advantageous further development of the
invention, it is proposed that the target group code is
subdivided into target group profiles. The target group
codes are advantageously subdivided into a public section
and a protected section. Preferably, information about the
viewer which is unobjectionable in terms of data protection
law is stored in the public section. This information
comprises for example the name, address, gender, age and/or
family status of the viewer. Preferably, information about
the viewer which is protected in terms of data protection
law is stored in the protected section. This information
comprises for example the viewer's available annual income,
special medical requirements, specific preferences or
habits, or other information about the particular viewer
not accessible to everyone.
Finally, an object of the present invention is to design
and further develop a memory card of the type referred to
in the introduction, such that the content of the
advertising data packets shown on a viewer's television
receiver can be deliberately adapted to the viewer's
consumer requirements.
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To achieve this object, commencing from the decoder of the
type referred to in the introduction, the invention
proposes that a target group code, which is dependent upon
the viewer, is stored in the memory element, and that
specific advertising data packets can be selected and
displayed on the television receiver as a function of the
target group code.
In accordance with an advantageous further development of
the invention, the target group code is subdivided into
target group profiles. Advantageously, the target group
profiles are subdivided into a public section and a
protected section. Preferably, information about the
viewer which is unobjectionable in terms of data protection
law is stored in the public section. Preferably,
information about the viewer which is protected in terms of
data protection law is stored in the protected section.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be
explained in detail in the following with reference to the
drawing in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic flow diagram of the process
according to the invention in a preferred
embodiment.
Figure 1 is a schematic flow diagram of a process according
to the invention for the digital transmission of compressed
television signals 1 to a television receiver 2 of a viewer
(not shown). In the transmission of the television
signals 1, information data packets 3 containing the data
of the actual television programme alternate with
advertising data packets 4 containing the data of an
advertising broadcast or of advertisement spots shown
during an interval in the actual television programme. The
information data packets 3 are generally substantially
longer than the advertising data packets 4.
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The television signals 1 are transmitted from a
transmitting station 5 via a transmitting antenna 6. The
transmitted television signals 1 are received by a
receiving antenna 7. From the receiving antenna 7, the
received television signals l are forwarded to a decoder 8.
The decoder 8 decompresses the television signals 1. If
the television signals 1 have been additionally transmitted
in encoded form, the decoder 8 can also decode the received
television signals 1. From the decoder 8, the television
signals 1 pass to the television receiver 2 of a viewer and
are displayed thereon. Alternatively, it would also be
conceivable for the television signals 1 to reach the
viewer via a television cable network (not shown).
The viewers are subdivided into a plurality of target group
codes. In the exemplary embodiment according to Figure 1,
the viewers are subdivided into four target group codes,
namely "single", "married without children", "married with
young children" and "married with older children". The
target group codes can be subdivided as finely as required
into further target group profiles. The target group codes
can also be subdivided into publicly accessible contents
and confidential contents. The advertising data packets 4
are in each case allocated to a specific target group code.
Only the contents of those advertising data packets 4
allocated to the target group code assigned to a viewer are
displayed on the viewer's television receiver 2 during the
advertisement intervals. In this way, the contents of the
advertising data packets 4 shown on the viewer's television
receiver 2 can be deliberately adapted to the consumer
requirements of the individual viewer.
The target group code can be input into the decoder 8 for
example via a keyboard. '-In the embodiment shown in
Figure 1, the target group code is stored in a memory
element 9 of a memory card 10. It would be conceivable for
a viewer, on purchasing a decoder 8, also to acquire a
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memory card 10 containing a specific target group code
corresponding to the viewer. If the decoder 8 functions
only when the memory card 10 is inserted, the decoder 8 can
select advertising data packets for the viewer which are
especially adapted to him and to his target group code and
can display these on the viewer's television receiver 1.
In this way, the efficiency of the advertising can be
decisively increased. The financial benefit gained by the
advertising companies as a result of the more efficient
advertising can be at least partially passed on by them to
the viewers in the form, of a subsidization of the purchase
price of decoders 8.
