Seamless Arbitrary Data Insertion for Streaming Media

Abstract

An arrangement for inserting advertisement media into a streaming multimedia file destined for an end-user uses a caching inserter including a first cache for storing a loaded advertisement file and a second cache for holding the streaming multimedia file that needs to be buffered as the advertisement file is sent to the end-user. The advertisement file may be inserted at the beginning of the multimedia file, the end, or at any point during the stream. Once the advertisement begins to be sent to the end-user, the incoming multimedia stream is cached and then is played out of the cache once the advertisement has ended. As a result of the time delay associated with the advertisement, the remainder of the multimedia file must be cached then played out until the stream is complete.

1 . (canceled)  
   
   
       2 . An arrangement for inserting an alteration media into a streaming multimedia file destined for at least one predetermined end-user, the arrangement comprising 
 a first cache for storing a received alternative media file;    a second cache for storing a streaming multimedia file;    a control unit for receiving as a first input a control signal from said first cache and generating as an output a switching control signal indicative of the presence or absence of a complete alternative media file being stored in said first cache; and    a switching mechanism, coupled to each one of said control unit, said first cache, said second cache and said streaming multimedia file for providing as an output, directed to the at least one end-user, a stream selected from one of said first cache, said streaming multimedia file and said second cache, as controlled by said switching output signal from said control unit so as to insert the alternative media file at a predetermined location in the stream, including either one of the beginning and the end of the streaming multimedia file,    wherein the control signal output from the first cache indicates that a complete alternative file is stored and is ready for transmission to the predetermined at least one end-user, or will be ready in time to transmit.    
   
   
       3 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 2  wherein the control output from the first cache indicates that an alternative file is available to be streamed to said first cache from an external server and is ready to begin transmission to the predetermined at least one end-user.  
   
   
       4 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 2  wherein the switching mechanism supplies as an output the streaming multimedia file in the absence of a signal from the control unit that an alternative file is ready to transmit.  
   
   
       5 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 2  wherein the switching mechanism supplies as an output the cached alternative file stored in said first cache response to a signal from the control unit that an alternative file is ready to transmit.  
   
   
       6 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 2  wherein the control signal input to said control unit indicates that the alternative media file transfer to the predetermined at least one end-user is completed, the control unit thereafter supplying a switching output signal to said switching mechanism requesting said switching mechanism to supply as the output the cached streaming multimedia file from the second cache.  
   
   
       7 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 2  wherein the arrangement further comprises a billing system coupled to the control unit for receiving information from said control unit regarding the identity of each alternative media file transmitted, the identity of the at least one end-user, and related statistics regarding the transmission of various alternative media files to a plurality of different end-users.  
   
   
       8 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 7  wherein the related statistics include the number of times each alternative media file was requested during a predetermined period of time.  
   
   
       9 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 7  wherein the related statistics includes the time of day and date that each alternative media file was requested.  
   
   
       10 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 2  wherein the alternative file is defined as an advertisement file.  
   
   
       11 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 2  wherein the alternative file is defined as an emergency information file.  
   
   
       12 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 2  wherein the arrangement is disposed at a local point of presence in a communication network.  
   
   
       13 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 12  wherein the arrangement is disposed at a headend location in an HFC communication network.  
   
   
       14 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 12  wherein the arrangement is disposed between a wide area data network and a local distribution network.  
   
   
       15 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 12  wherein the arrangement is disposed between a telecommunications central office and a DSL communication network.  
   
   
       16 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 12  wherein the arrangement is disposed between a telecommunications central office and wireless communication network.  
   
   
       17 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 12  wherein the arrangement is disposed in a communication is device at an end-user location.  
   
   
       18 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 17  wherein the communications device comprises a residential set-top box.  
   
   
       19 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 17  wherein the communications device comprises a residential gateway device.  
   
   
       20 . The arrangement as defined in  claim 2  wherein the arrangement further comprises a rule server for retrieving information related to the predetermined at least one end-user and selecting the alternative media file based on said retrieved information and the specific content of the streaming multimedia file.  
   
   
       21 - 30 . (canceled)