System for rescheduling and inserting advertisements

• US 20020083439A1
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E, LLC
• Original Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E, LLC
• Inventors: Eldering, Charles A.
• Application Number:
  US09/742,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20020083439A1
• 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: H04H 20/10 Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• 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 21/26233 involving content or additional data duration or size, e.g. length of a movie, size of an executable file
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• 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 21/42684 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17363 : at or near the user terminal

Abstract

A system for inserting advertisement into channels of media programming are disclosed for improving effectiveness in targeted advertising. The system includes an ad scheduler for identifying a predetermined order in which the advertisements are to be inserted into the channels of media programming. The ad scheduler stores an ordered list corresponding to the identified order and modifies the stored ordered list whenever a modification requiring event occurs. The system further includes an ad insertion module which inserts the advertisements into the programming channels according to the stored ordered list. The system may be implemented at the subscriber'"'"'s side, e.g., in a set top box or personal video recorder.

Claims

1. A subscriber system for inserting advertisements into at least one channel of media signals, the system comprising:

an ad scheduler for identifying a predetermined order in which the advertisements are to be inserted into the at least one channel, storing an ordered list corresponding to the identified order, and modifying the stored ordered list whenever a modification requiring event occurs; and

an ad insertion module, coupled to the ad scheduler, for inserting the advertisements into the at least one channel according to the stored ordered list.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber system is implemented using a set top box and the at least one channel is a television program channel.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the modification requiring event is at least one or a combination of the following events:

a channel change, a viewer change, a change in the type of program being watched, and a change in the size of an upcoming avail in the at least one channel.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a watchdog module, coupled to the ad scheduler, for detecting a channel change, a change in the type of program being watched and a change in the size of an upcoming avail in the at least one channel, and outputting results of the detection to the ad scheduler, so that the ad scheduler modifies the stored ordered list based on the results of the detection.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a remote control device for directing to the watchdog module a program channel selection by a viewer, wherein the watchdog module detects the channel change based on outputs from the remote control device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the watchdog module detects the change in the type of program being watched based on program information and the channel selection received from the remote control device.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a profiling module, coupled to the remote control device and the ad scheduler, for receiving viewing information from the remote control device and detecting the viewer change using prestored viewer profile information and the viewing information received from the remote control device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the profiling module defects the viewer change using at least one of the following information included in the prestored viewer profile information:

volume control information for each viewer in a subscriber household, time-of-day information associated with each viewer, programs watched by each viewer, and channel change information pertaining to each viewer.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit, controlled by the ad scheduler, for storing therein the ordered list in the form of a queue.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the ordered list stored in the storage unit is a stacked list of advertisement resource locators (ARLs) corresponding locations where the advertisements are stored.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the order in the ordered list stored in the storage unit is dictated by tags included in the ARLs.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the tags identify one or more of the following parameters:

viewer identity, program being watched, type of program being watched, and serial numbers assigned to the ARLS.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiving module, coupled to the ad insertion module, for receiving the at least one channel from a communications network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the communications network is a television service network.

15. The system of claims 13, wherein the communications network is an Internet service network.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the receiving module receives the at least one channel by one of the following means:

analog cable, digital broadcast satellite (DBS), digital cable, switched digital video (SDV), digital subscriber line (DSL), very high speed digital subscriber line (VDSL), hybrid fiber coax (HFC) cable, or the Internet.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one channel is a television program channel.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the modification requiring event is at least one or a combination of the following events:

a channel change, a viewer change, a change in the type of program being watched, and a change in the size of an upcoming avail in the at least one channel.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

third means, coupled to the first means, for detecting an occurrence of the modification requiring event, and outputting results of the detection to the first means, so that the first means modifies the stored ordered list based on the results of the detection.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a channel selection device, coupled to the third means, for selecting a program channel for viewing by a viewer, wherein the third means detects the channel change based on outputs from the channel selection device.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the third means detects the viewer change using prestored viewer profile information.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the third means detects the viewer change using at least one of the following information included in the prestored viewer profile information:

volume control information for each viewer in a subscriber household, time-of-day information associated with each viewer, programs watched by each viewer, and channel change information pertaining to each viewer.

24. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a channel selection device, coupled to the third means for selecting a program channel for viewing by a viewer, wherein the third means detects the change in the type of program being watched based on outputs from the channel selection device and program information.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the first means includes a memory for storing the ordered list in the form of a queue.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the ordered list stored in the memory is a stacked list of advertisement resource locators (ARLs) corresponding locations where the advertisements are stored.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the order in the ordered list stored in the memory is dictated by tags included in the ARLs.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the tags identify one or more of the following parameters:

viewer identity, program being watched, type of program being watched, and serial numbers assigned to the ARLs.

29. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

fourth means, coupled to the second means, for receiving the at least one channel from a communications network.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the communications network is a television service network.

31. The system of claims 29, wherein the communications network is an Internet service network.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the fourth means receives the at least one channel by one of the following means:

analog cable, digital broadcast satellite (DBS), digital cable, switched digital video (SDV), digital subscriber line (DSL), very high speed digital subscriber line (VDSL), hybrid fiber coax (HFC) cable, or the Internet.

51. The system of claim 1, wherein the ordered list identifies one or more linked advertising parameters for providing linked advertising.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein the linked advertising parameters identify at least one of time dependence, program dependance, and viewer dependence of advertisements.

17. A subscriber system for inserting advertisements into at least one channel of media signals, the system comprising:

first means for identifying a predetermined order in which the advertisements are to be inserted into the at least one channel, storing an ordered list corresponding to the identified order, and modifying the stored ordered list whenever a modification requiring event occurs; and

second means, coupled to the first means, for inserting the advertisements into the at least one channel according to the stored ordered list.

33. A method of inserting advertisements into at least one channel of media signals using an advertisement insertion system of a subscriber, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a predetermined order in which the advertisements are to be inserted into the at least one channel;

storing an ordered list corresponding to the identified order in the advertisement insertion system to produce a stored ordered list;

modifying the stored ordered list whenever a modification requiring event occurs; and

inserting the advertisements into the at least one channel according to the stored ordered list.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the at least one channel is a television program channel.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein, in the modifying step, the modification requiring event is at least one or a combination of the following events:

a channel change, a viewer change, a change in the type of program being watched, and a change in the size of an upcoming avail in the at least one channel.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the modifying step includes:

detecting an occurrence of the modification requiring event; and

modifying the stored ordered list based on results of the detecting step.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein, in the detecting step, the channel change is detected based on outputs from a channel selection device coupled to the advertisement insertion system.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein, in the detecting step, the viewer change is detected using prestored viewer profile information.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the viewer change is detected using at least one of the following information included in the prestored viewer profile information:

volume control information for each viewer in the household of the subscriber, time-of-day information associated with each viewer, programs watched by each viewer, and channel change information pertaining to each viewer.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein, in the detecting step, the change in the type of program being watched is detected based on outputs from a channel selection device coupled to the advertisement insertion system and program information.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein, in the storing step, the ordered list is stored in a queue in a memory accessible by the advertisement insertion system.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the ordered list stored in the queue is a stacked list of advertisement resource locators (ARLS) corresponding to locations where the advertisements are stored.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the order in the ordered list stored in the queue is dictated by tags included in the ARLs.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the tags identify one or more of the following parameters:

viewer identity, program being watched, type of program being watched, time of day, and serial numbers assigned to the ARLs.

45. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

prior to the inserting step, receiving the at least one channel from a communications network.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the communications network is a television service network.

47. The method of claims 45, wherein the communications network is an Internet service network.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein, in the receiving step, the at least one channel is received by one of the following means:

analog cable, digital broadcast satellite (DBS), digital cable, switched digital video (SDV), digital subscriber line (DSL), very high speed digital subscriber line (VDSL), hybrid fiber coax (HFC) cable, or the Internet.

49. The method of claim 33, wherein the ordered list identifies one or more linked advertising parameters for providing linked advertising.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the linked advertising parameters identify at least one of time dependence, program dependance, and viewer dependence of advertisements.