Systems and methods for providing targeted advertisements based on current activity

• US 20020042914A1
• Filed: 10/09/2001
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lopp, Stephen C., Ellis, Michael D., Walker, Todd A., Thomas, William L.
• Application Number:
  US09/974,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20020042914A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/10 Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/41 for identifying broadcast space, i.e. broadcast channels, broadcast stations or broadcast areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

An interactive television application is provided in which advertisements may be targeted based on current media. Targeted advertisements may be displayed in displays such as program guide information screens and video overlays. Advertisements are targeted and selected for display or excluded from display based on identifying which advertisements are associated with a current media or recently watched media. Media groupings are provided to associate media with groups of advertisements. Selection of advertisements for each media grouping can be based on programs, channels, network affiliation, sponsorship, genre or other suitable criteria.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising user equipment on which an interactive television application is implemented to configure the user equipment to:

display media on the user equipment;

target an advertisement to the current media by identifying an advertisement that is related to a current media that is being displayed; and

display the advertisement in an interactive television application display when the current media is displayed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the current media is a program and the user equipment is configured to identify the advertisement for display based on that program.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user equipment is configured to identify the advertisement for display based on the channel for that media.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user equipment is configured to identify the advertisement for display based on the network for that media.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein attributes are associated with the current media and the user equipment is configured to identify the advertisement for display based on the attributes.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user equipment configured to identify an advertisement that is related to a current media that is being displayed comprises user equipment configured to identify the advertisement from among a group of advertisements associated with the current media.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interactive television application display is a flip overlay.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interactive television application display is a browse overlay.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interactive television application display is a substantially full-screen display screen.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interactive television application display is a picture-in-guide display screen.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interactive television application display is a display screen invoked when the user accesses a particular interactive television application feature.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user equipment is configured to automatically display the interactive television application display.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user equipment is configured to display the interactive television application display in response to a user selection.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user equipment comprises a set-top box.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user equipment is configured to identify the advertisement from a group of advertisements based on a link that exists between the group of advertisements and the current media.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the current media is a program and the means for targeting comprises means for identifying the advertisement for display based on that program.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the means for targeting comprises means for identifying the advertisement based on the channel for the media.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the means for targeting comprises means for identifying the advertisement based on the network for that media.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the means for targeting comprises means for associating attributes with the current media and identifying the advertisement for display based on those attributes.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the means for targeting comprises means for identifying the advertisement from among a group of advertisements associated with the current media.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the interactive television application display is a flip overlay.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the interactive television application display is a browse overlay.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein the interactive television application display is a substantially full-screen display screen.

25. The system of claim 16 wherein the interactive television application display is a picture-in-guide display screen.

26. The system of claim 16 wherein the interactive television application display is a display screen invoked when the user accesses a particular interactive television application feature.

27. The system of claim 16 wherein the means for displaying the advertisement in the interactive television application display comprises means for automatically displaying the interactive television application display.

28. The system of claim 16 the means for displaying the advertisement in the interactive television application display comprises means for displaying the interactive television application display in response to a user selection.

29. The system of claim 16 wherein the user equipment comprises a set-top box.

30. The system of claim 16 wherein the means for identifying the advertisement comprises means for identifying the advertisement from among a group of advertisements is based on a link that exists between the group of advertisements and the current media.

16. A system for using an interactive television application to provide targeted advertisements comprising:

means for displaying media on user equipment;

means for targeting an advertisement to the current media by identifying an advertisement that is related to a current media that is being displayed; and

means for displaying the advertisement in an interactive television application display when the current media is displayed.

31. A method for targeting advertisements comprising:

displaying media on user equipment;

targeting an advertisement to the current media by identifying an advertisement that is related to a current media that is being displayed; and

displaying the advertisement in an interactive television application display when the current media is displayed.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the current media is a program and the identifying is based on that program.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the targeting comprises identifying the advertisement based on the channel for the media.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein the targeting comprises identifying the advertisement based on the network for that media.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein the targeting comprises associating attributes with the current media and identifying the advertisement for display based on those attributes.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein the targeting comprises identifying the advertisement from among a group of advertisements associated with the current media.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein the interactive television application display is a flip overlay.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein the interactive television application display is a browse overlay.

39. The method of claim 31 wherein the interactive television application display is a substantially full-screen display screen.

40. The method of claim 31 wherein the interactive television application display is a picture-in-guide display screen.

41. The method of claim 31 wherein the interactive television application display is a display screen invoked when the user accesses a particular interactive television application feature.

42. The method of claim 31 wherein the displaying comprises means for automatically displaying the interactive television application display.

43. The method of claim 31 wherein the displaying comprises displaying the interactive television application display in response to a user selection.

44. The method of claim 31 wherein the user equipment comprises a set-top box.

45. The method of claim 31 wherein the targeting comprises identifying the advertisement from among a group of advertisements based on a link that exists between the group of advertisements and the current media.