DOWNSTREAM CONTROL OF ELECTRONIC BILLBOARD

摘要

A system and method are disclosed for authorizing, controlling and monitoring the insertion of advertising indicia and other video images into a broadcast video stream by an Electronic Billboard system (22) operated at a location remote from a video program origination location. The disclosed control means will be implemented in the form of a user key (15) which is resupplied to an operator of the remote Electronic Billboard system (22), a broadcast key (18) supplied to that operator at or near the time of transmission of the broadcast video stream, and a verification means (25) operated in conjunction with the remote Electronic Billboard system (22) to verify that those keys correspond to a predetermined criterion. Upon such verification the remote Electronic Billboard system (22) is enabled to operate on the broadcast video stream. The control means may also be applied for maintaining the integrity of either or both the products being advertised and the event being broadcast.