Advertising delivery method

• US 20020049968A1
• Filed: 06/08/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Invidi Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Invidi Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Torrieri, Sandro A., Michaels, Dean T., Boulet, Daniel A., Wilson, Daniel C.
• Application Number:
  US09/877,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049968A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/103 Transmitter-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and apparatus for delivering targeted assets to subscribers using communication media, wherein each subscriber has a set top box, the method comprising the steps of generating a profile of each subscriber at the set top box associated with the respective subscriber, broadcasting an asset to all subscribers along with target information; and delivering the asset only to subscribers whose profiles match the target information. The delivery of the asset, and accumulated information from delivery of the asset to other subscribers, is reported to a user using an asset delivery notification, without identifying the subscriber to the user. A privacy manager is used to strip identification information from the asset delivery notification. The profile, which may include real time information, for example on whether the subscriber set is on and what it is tuned to, is generated by monitoring the viewing habits of the subscriber and storing the information at a set top box.

Claims

1. A method of delivering targeted assets to subscribers using communication media, wherein each subscriber has a set top box, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a profile of each subscriber at the set top box associated with the respective subscriber;

broadcasting an asset to all subscribers along with target information; and

delivering the asset only to subscribers whose profiles match the target information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of reporting to a user the delivery of the asset.

3. The method of claim 2 in which reporting to a user the delivery of the asset does not identify the subscriber to which the asset was delivered.

4. The method of claim 2 in which reporting to a user the delivery of the asset identifies a group of subscribers and does not identify a different group of subscribers.

5. The method of claim 2 in which reporting the delivery of the asset comprises the steps of, for each subscriber:

forwarding an asset delivery notification from the set top box to a privacy manager, in which the asset delivery notification contains information on the identity of the subscriber; and

forwarding information from the asset delivery notification to an information manager after removing the information on the identity of the subscriber.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of compiling information on asset delivery from plural subscribers.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of delivering compiled information on asset delivery to a user.

8. The method of claim 1 in which generating the profile of each subscriber comprises, for each subscriber, monitoring the viewing habits of the subscriber.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of storing an indication of a characteristic of the subscriber that is derived from the viewing habits of the subscriber.

10. The method of claim 1 in which the profile of each subscriber includes stored and real-time information identifying a realtime viewer.

11. A communication system for delivery of advertisements to subscribers, the system comprising:

a communication network including an information manager and a source of advertisements;

a set top box associated with each subscriber and each set top box being connected to the communication network;

each set top box being configured to include a profiler containing profile information about the subscriber;

each set top box being configured to include a targeter for receiving advertisement delivery requests containing constraints, for delivering an advertisement to the subscriber when the constraints match the profile information and for reporting delivery of an advertisement by generating an advertisement delivery notification; and

a privacy manager interfacing between the set top box and the communication network, the privacy manager being configured to strip information identifying the subscriber from advertisement delivery notifications and forward information on the delivery of the advertisement to the information manager.

13. The method of claim 12 in which the quote request is provided to multiple service providers and the multiple service providers each provide a response selected from the group consisting of a no quote response and a quote.

14. The method of claim 13 in which whether an advertisement is shown to a subscriber is determined by profile information describing the subscriber.

15. The method of claim 14 in which the determination of whether to show an advertisement to a subscriber is carried out by a targeter at the subscriber premises.

16. The method of claim 12 in which advertisement delivery statistics are generated and returned to the buyer.

17. The method of claim 16 in which the advertisement delivery statistics returned to the buyer are anonymous with respect to the subscriber.

18. The method of claim 17 in which each subscriber is connected to a service provider through a privacy manager that strips subscriber identification information from advertisement delivery information generated at the subscriber premises.

20. The method of claim 19 in which the message contains a set of one or more constraints and further comprising the steps of:

broadcasting an advertisement to the plural subscriber set top boxes; and

showing the advertisement only at subscriber premises at which the subscriber set top boxes have profiles that satisfy the set of constraints.

21. The method of claim 20 in which delivery of the message is constrained by geographic constraints.

12. A method of delivering advertisements, the method comprising the steps of:

forwarding a quote request from a buyer to a service provider, wherein the quote request contains a set of one or more constraints on the subscribers to be shown the advertisement;

generating a cost estimate for the quote based on audience size, wherein the audience size is controlled by the set of constraints;

returning the cost estimate to the buyer; and

sending the advertisement for delivery to the subscribers defined by the set of constraints.

19. A method of broadcasting messages in a network composed of plural geographically distinct communication nodes and plural subscriber set top boxes connected to some but not all of the communication nodes, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a message containing fields identifying user specified communication nodes of the network;

delivering the message to a first communication node in the network;

forwarding the message from the first communication node in the network only to the user specified communication nodes; and

forwarding the message from the user specified communication nodes to all subscribers set top boxes connected to the user specified communication nodes.

22. A method of delivering advertisements to subscribers to a network, the subscribers having subscriber sets, the method comprising the steps of:

broadcasting an advertisement to plural subscriber sets in the network; and

showing the advertisement only at subscriber sets that have corresponding profiles that satisfy a set of constraints associated with the advertisement.