Queue-based head-end advertisement scheduling method and apparatus

• US 20020083442A1
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E, LLC
• Original Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E., Inc.
• Inventors: Eldering, Charles A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,039,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/26225 involving billing parameters, e.g. priority for subscribers of premium services
• 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 21/4532 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for scheduling and inserting advertisements into a plurality of presentation channels in a communications network in which the presentation channels contain the same programming, but different advertisements. A single programming channel is split into a plurality of presentation channels. Different advertisements are inserted into the different presentation channels. The advertisements to be inserted into advertising avails are they are detected are determined by utilizing queues stored in memory corresponding to each presentation channel. Each queue comprises an ordered list of advertisement resource locators (ARLs), in which the order dictates which advertisement is to be inserted in the next advertising avail and in which the ARLs indicate at least the location from which the advertisement can be retrieved.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting television programming and advertising from a head end to a plurality of subscriber nodes, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) creating a plurality of subscriber groups, members of said subscriber groups being based on at least one characteristic of said subscribers relevant to advertising;

(2) receiving at least one channel of television programming;

(3) forming from said at least one channel of television programming a plurality of presentation channels of television programming identical to said at least one programming channel, each presentation channel corresponding to a subscriber group;

(4) storing a plurality of advertisements for insertion into advertising avails in said presentation channels;

(5) storing for each presentation channel a queue comprising an ordered list of advertisement resource locators (ARLs), said ARLs comprising a pointer to a location of a corresponding advertisement;

(6) determining advertising avails in each of said presentation channels;

(7) for each presentation channel, determining from said queue corresponding to said presentation channel an advertisement to be inserted in each avail in said presentation channel;

(8) inserting said advertisement determined in step (7) into said corresponding avail; and

(9) transmitting said plurality of presentation channels to subscriber systems.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each subscriber group comprises a set of subscribers that is mutually exclusive of each other subscriber group.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmitting step comprises transmitting each of said presentation channels to at least those subscribers in said subscriber group corresponding to said presentation channel.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(10) assigning each subscriber to a subscriber group.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein step (10) comprises:

(10.1) creating an advertising group map disclosing an advertising group to which each subscriber belongs; and

(10.2) transmitting said advertising group map to said subscribers.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein step (10) further comprises:

(10.3) responsive to receipt of said advertising group map, said subscriber nodes determining to which advertising group they belong;

(10.4) creating a presentation channel map disclosing to which advertising group each presentation channel corresponds;

(10.5) transmitting said presentation channel map to said subscriber nodes;

(10.6) responsive to receipt of said presentation channel map, said subscriber nodes creating an individual channel map dictating which of said plurality of presentation channels corresponding to each of said programming channels said subscriber node is to select when a user of said subscriber node selects a channel to view.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein step (9) comprises:

(9.1) transmitting all of said presentation channels to all of said subscribers.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

(11) responsive to a user making a channel selection corresponding to one of said programming channels, said subscriber systems selecting a one of said presentation channels corresponding to said programming channel selected by said user in accordance with said individual channel maps.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said programming channel includes indicators that identify the start of an avail in said channel and wherein step (6) comprises detecting said indicators.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said advertisements are stored in digital form.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said advertisements are stored in MPEG form.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said at least one programming channel and said presentation channels are in digital format.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said advertisement insertion circuit and said advertisement management circuit comprise digital circuits.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said advertisement insertion circuit and said advertisement management circuit comprise digital processors.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein each presentation channel is assigned to one of a plurality of subscriber groups, members of said subscriber groups being based on at least one characteristic of said subscribers relevant to advertising.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein each subscriber group comprises a set of subscribers that is mutually exclusive of each other subscriber group.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said transmitter transmits each of said presentation channels to at least those subscribers in said subscriber group to which said presentation channel corresponds.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said advertisement management circuit further generates an advertising group map disclosing an advertising group to which each subscriber belongs, and causes said transmitter to transmit said advertising group map to said subscriber systems.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said subscriber nodes comprise:

a receiver for receiving at least some of said presentation channels and said advertising group map;

a circuit for determining, based on said received advertising group map, to which advertising group it belongs.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said advertisement management circuit further generates a presentation channel map disclosing to which advertising group each presentation channel corresponds, and causes said transmitter to transmit said advertising group map to said subscriber nodes.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said advertising management circuit further generates a presentation channel map disclosing to which advertising group each presentation channel corresponds, and causes said transmitter to transmit said presentation channel map to said subscriber nodes.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said subscriber nodes further comprise:

a circuit for generating, responsive to receipt of said presentation channel map, an individual channel map dictating which of said plurality of presentation channels corresponding to each of said programming channels said subscriber node is to select when a user of said subscriber system selects a channel to view.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said transmitter transmits all of said presentation channels to all of said subscriber nodes.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said subscriber nodes further comprise:

a circuit for selecting, responsive to a user making a channel selection corresponding to one of said programming channels, a one of said presentation channels corresponding to said programming channel selected by said user in accordance with said individual channel map.

26. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said programming channel includes indicators that identify the start of an avail in said channel and wherein said advertisement insertion circuit detects said indicators.

27. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said advertisement insertion circuit comprises a video switch.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein step (2) comprises enabling with respect to one and only one of said plurality of presentation channels corresponding to said programming channel.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said programming channel comprises television programming and advertising avails and said plurality of presentation channels corresponding to said programming channel contain identical programming and different advertising within said advertising avails.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein step (1) comprises storing at said subscriber node data indicating said one of said plurality of presentation channels transmitted by said television service delivery system corresponding to said programming channel that corresponds to said advertising group.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein step (1) comprises receiving said data via said television service delivery system.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein step (1) comprises receiving said data in a dedicated channel of said television service delivery system.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein step (2) comprises the steps of:

(2.1) receiving a presentation channel map disclosing for each presentation channel how said subscriber node can select said channel for reception and display on a monitor; and

(2.2) creating an individual channel map for said subscriber node indicating which presentation channel to select for enablement in step (2).

35. The method of claim 31 wherein said television service delivery system transmits a plurality of said presentation channels corresponding to a programming channel to said subscriber node simultaneously and wherein step (2) comprises selecting one of said presentation channels based on said assignment in step (1).

36. The method of claim 35 wherein step (1) comprises storing data indicating a frequency of said presentation channel corresponding to said advertising group and step (2) comprises tuning to a particular frequency corresponding to said selected presentation channel.

37. The method of claim 28 wherein step (1) comprises receiving a map via said television service delivery system mapping said subscriber node to an advertising group.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein step (1) comprises the steps of:

(1.1) receiving a map mapping a plurality of subscribers to advertising groups; and

(1.2) determining from said map to which advertising group said subscriber node belongs.

39. The method of claim 31 wherein said television service delivery system is a switched digital video system that transmits a particular presentation channel to said subscriber responsive to a request received from said subscriber node and wherein step (2) comprises requesting one of said presentation channels corresponding to said programming channel based on said assignment in step (1) when a user of said subscriber node chooses to view said programming channel.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein step (1) comprises storing data indicating a VPI/VCI of said presentation channel corresponding to said advertising group and step (2) comprises requesting said VPI/VCI when a user of said subscriber node chooses to view said programming channel.

41. The method of claim 31 wherein there are a plurality of programming channels, each having a plurality of corresponding presentation channels, that said subscriber node could be enabled to receive and display.

49. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said television service delivery system is a switched digital video system that transmits a particular presentation channel to said subscriber responsive to a request received from said subscriber node and wherein said circuit for selecting comprises circuitry for requesting a one of said presentation channels corresponding to said programming channel based on said individual advertising group map when a user of said subscriber node chooses to view said programming channel.

13. An apparatus for transmitting television programming and advertising from a head end of a communications system to a plurality of subscriber systems comprising:

a receiver for receiving a plurality of channels of television programming;

a plurality of splitters, each coupled to receive one of said channels of television programming and split said channel into a plurality of presentation channels;

a first memory storing a plurality of advertisements for insertion into advertising avails in said presentation channels;

a second memory storing, for each presentation channel, a queue comprising an ordered list of advertisement resource locators (ARLs), said ARLs comprising a pointer to a location of an advertisement;

a circuit for determining advertising avails in each of said presentation channels;

an advertising management circuit coupled to said second memory and adapted to consult said queues to determine which advertisements are to be inserted in which avails in said presentation channels;

an advertisement insertion circuit coupled to said presentation channels and adapted to insert said advertisements into said avails in accordance with the schedules as dictated by said queues; and

a transmitter adapted to transmit said plurality of presentation channels to said subscriber systems.

28. A method of receiving at a subscriber node at least one channel of television programming and advertising from a head end of a television service delivery system, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) assigning said subscriber node to an advertising group;

(2) based on said assignment, enabling said subscriber node to receive and cause to be displayed on a monitoring device a one of a plurality of presentation channels transmitted by said television service delivery system corresponding to a programming channel.

42. An apparatus for receiving at a subscriber node a plurality of channels of television programming and advertising from a head end of a television service delivery system, said channels comprising a plurality of presentation channels, each corresponding to one of a plurality of programming channels, wherein each of a plurality of presentation channels corresponding to one of said programming channels comprises the same programming content, but different advertising content, said apparatus comprising:

a memory at said subscriber node;

an individual advertising group map stored in said memory indicating for each of said programming channels, a one of said corresponding presentation channels;

a circuit for enabling said subscriber node to select a presentation channel dictated by said individual advertising group map responsive to an instruction indicating a programming channel selected for viewing; and

a circuit for causing said selected presentation channel to be displayed on a monitoring device.

43. The apparatus of claim 42 wherein each of said programming channels comprises television programming and advertising avails and each of said presentation channels corresponding to a programming channel contains identical programming and different advertising within said advertising avails.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 further comprising:

a circuit for receiving data via said television service delivery system from which said individual advertising group map can be created; and

a circuit for generating said individual advertising group map from said received data.

45. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein said circuit for receiving comprises circuitry for receiving said data in a dedicated channel of said television service delivery system.

46. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein said data received by said circuit for receiving comprises a system wide advertising group map mapping each of said subscribers to an advertising group and a presentation channel map disclosing for each presentation channel how said subscriber node can select said channel and wherein said circuit for creating comprises circuitry for correlating said advertising group map and said presentation channel map with said individual advertising group map to create said individual advertising group map.

47. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said television service delivery system transmits said plurality of said presentation channels corresponding to a programming channel to said subscriber node simultaneously and wherein said circuit for selecting selects one of said presentation channels based on said individual advertising group map.

48. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein said individual advertising group map indicates a frequency of said presentation channels and said circuit for causing said selected presentation channel to be displayed tunes to said frequency of said selected presentation channel as indicated by said individual advertising group map.

50. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein said individual advertising group map includes data indicating a VPI/VCI of each presentation channel listed therein and said circuit for selecting requests said VPI/VCI when a user of said subscriber node chooses to view said corresponding programming channel.