Targeted promotion deployment

• US 20020069404A1
• Filed: 06/04/2001
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navic Systems, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Cosgrove, Martin S., Kanojia, Chaitanya, Copeman, Ian
• Application Number:
  US09/873,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20020069404A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital

Abstract

A system for targeting promotions to one or more network device, such as set top boxes. The system includes a program manager server or scheduler which generates a promotion schedule for the display of promotions on individual network devices. The scheduler creates the schedule by matching a viewership profile of the network device with membership criteria describing a particular demographic, viewership history, or geographic location, for example. The system also includes a promotion agent which receives the schedule from the scheduler, and then processes the schedule information. The promotion agent may transmit the processed schedule information to a bulk manager agent which may receive the promotions from a bulk manager server. The bulk manager server may actually store the promotions prior to downloading them to the bulk manager agent, or may retrieve the promotions from a database. The schedule information may, for example, include the time schedule for displaying the specified promotions and the location on a viewing device where the promotion is to be displayed.

Claims

1. A system for targeting promotions to at least one network device, comprising:

a scheduler which develops schedules for the display of promotions on the network device, the schedules being generated by matching membership criteria with viewership profiles of the network device; and

a promotion agent that receives a promotion schedule from the scheduler, wherein the promotion agent processes the schedule information for the display of promotions.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a bulk manager server.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the bulk manager server stores promotions to be scheduled for display on the network device.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the bulk manager server downloads the promotions to a bulk manager agent.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the scheduler sends schedule information to the promotion agent which processes the schedule information and transmits the processed schedule information to the bulk manager agent.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the schedule information includes a time schedule for displaying the promotions.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the schedule information includes specified promotions for displaying the promotions.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the schedule information includes locations for displaying the promotions.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a bulk manager server that retrieves the promotions from a database.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the promotions are stored in a cache.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the scheduler instructs the bulk manager server to retrieve the promotions from the database and send the promotions to designated network devices.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the promotions are displayed at a designated time.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the promotions are displayed when the viewers watch designated shows.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the membership criteria are based on demographics of the viewers who use the network devices.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the membership criteria are based on geographic locations of the viewers who use the network device.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the membership criteria are based on channel and promotion history data.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the scheduler schedules the promotions for delivery to specific promotion groups.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the promotions groups are collections of network devices.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the promotion groups are based on matching the membership criteria to the viewership profiles.

20. A method for targeting promotions to at least one network device, comprising the steps of:

generating viewership profiles of the network device;

developing a schedule based on matching the viewership profiles with membership criteria; and

sending promotions based on the schedule to selected network devices.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of storing the promotions in a bulk manager server.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of downloading the promotions to a bulk manager agent.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of instructing the bulk manager agent to display selected promotions.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of retrieving the promotions from a database.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein a bulk manager server retrieves the promotions.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of storing the promotions in a cache.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of displaying selected promotions at a designated time on selected network devices.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of displaying selected promotions when designated programs are watched by the viewers.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the program includes a trigger in the broadcast.

30. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of displaying promotions based on viewer behavior.

31. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of retrieving the promotions across a unicast medium.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of developing includes matching the viewership profiles with the membership criteria to generate promotion groups.