US 12,273,598 B2
Automated identification of video program content
Robert Drew Major, Orem, UT (US); Christopher Boyd Tirpak, Monument, CO (US); and Steven Michael Casagrande, Castle Rock, CO (US)
Assigned to DISH Technologies L.L.C., Englewood, CO (US)
Filed by DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C., Englewood, CO (US)
Filed on Oct. 3, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/959,033.
Application 17/959,033 is a continuation of application No. 15/393,548, filed on Dec. 29, 2016, granted, now 11,463,785.
Application 15/393,548 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/836,688, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, granted, now 10,212,490, issued on Feb. 19, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/274,106, filed on Dec. 31, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/800,847, filed on Mar. 15, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2023/0024837 A1, Jan. 26, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04N 21/81 (2011.01); H04L 67/02 (2022.01); H04N 21/233 (2011.01); H04N 21/44 (2011.01); H04N 21/472 (2011.01); H04N 21/8352 (2011.01); H04N 21/845 (2011.01)
CPC H04N 21/812 (2013.01) [H04L 67/02 (2013.01); H04N 21/233 (2013.01); H04N 21/44016 (2013.01); H04N 21/47217 (2013.01); H04N 21/8352 (2013.01); H04N 21/8456 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system to monitor viewing of television advertisements appearing in broadcast television programs received by a plurality of playback devices coupled to a network, the system comprising:
a database management system configured to store, prior to distribution of the broadcast television programs to the plurality of playback devices, identifying information about the advertisements appearing in the broadcast television programs on a non-transitory digital storage medium; and
a content server system in communication with each of the plurality of playback devices via the network and configured to receive subsequent automated messages that are automatically sent via the network by each of the plurality of playback devices when the advertisements in the broadcast television programs are encountered by the playback device, wherein:
each of the subsequent automated messages comprises the identifying information associated with the advertisement and an indication that the identified advertisement in the broadcast television program has been presented to a viewer of the playback device;
the content server system is configured to monitor dates and times that the automated messages from the playback device are received by the content server system to thereby monitor time shifted playback of the television advertisements by the plurality of playback devices in real time as the playback devices perform time shifted playback of the television advertisements; and
the content server system is configured to identify geographical locations from which the automated messages are sent and to track place shifted viewing, from a first location to a remote location, of the television advertisements in the broadcast television programs based on the identified geographical locations.