User selective advertising

• US 20020087402A1
• Filed: 01/02/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Eyer, Mark Kenneth, Candelore, Brant L., Zustak, Fred J., Shintani, Peter Rae, Colsey, Nicholas, Proehl, Andrew M., Golden, Dayan Ivy, Krishnan, Aditya, Chang, Matthew S., Yang, David K.L.
• Application Number:
  US09/752,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087402A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

An advertisement method and apparatus. A user is presented with a menu of advertisements and/or advertisement types for selection. Upon selection of the desired advertisement and/or advertisement type, advertisements are downloaded to the user'"'"'s set-top box storage for merging with entertainment content for presentation to the user.

Claims

1. A method of advertising, comprising:

presenting a menu possible advertisements to a user to permit the user to select an advertisement to view;

receiving a user selection of an advertisement to view; and

merging the advertisement with the stored entertainment content so that both the advertisement and the stored entertainment content are presented to the user.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the selected advertisement from an advertising server.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising presenting a menu of advertisement types to the user for selection.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the advertisement types include at least one of a conventional commercial segment, a banner advertisement and a watermark advertisement.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein merging the advertisement with the stored entertainment content comprises inserting the advertisement at a location of an advertisement place holder forming a part of the entertainment content.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected advertisement is received via a modem.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected advertisement is received via a television channel.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the menu comprises a scrolling banner menu appearing simultaneously with entertainment content.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the menu is presented without simultaneous entertainment content.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the menu is presented within a window appearing simultaneously with entertainment content.

11. The method according to claim 3, wherein the menu comprises a scrolling banner menu appearing simultaneously with entertainment content.

12. The method according to claim 3, wherein the menu is presented without simultaneous entertainment content.

13. The method according to claim 3, wherein the menu is presented within a window simultaneously with entertainment content.

14. The method according to claim 3, wherein the advertisement and the advertisement type is presented to the user in a single menu.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising caching the selected advertisement in a storage device within a set-top box.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising caching the selected advertisement in a storage device coupled to a set-top box.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the presenting of the menu takes place as a result of receipt of a signal from the user requesting the presentation of the menu.

19. The storage medium according to claim 18, further comprising presenting a menu of advertisement types to the user for selection.

20. The storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the advertisement types include at least one of a conventional commercial segment, a banner advertisement and a watermark advertisement.

21. The storage medium according to claim 18, wherein merging the advertisement with the stored entertainment content comprises inserting the advertisement at a location of an advertisement place holder forming a part of the entertainment content.

22. The storage medium according to claim 18, wherein the selected advertisement is received via a modem.

23. The storage medium according to claim 18, wherein the selected advertisement is received via a television channel.

24. The storage medium according to claim 18, wherein the menu comprises a scrolling banner menu appearing simultaneously with entertainment content.

25. The storage medium according to claim 18, wherein the menu is presented without simultaneous entertainment content.

26. The storage medium according to claim 18, wherein the menu is presented within a window appearing simultaneously with entertainment content.

27. The storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the menu comprises a scrolling banner menu appearing simultaneously with entertainment content.

28. The storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the menu is presented without simultaneous entertainment content.

29. The storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the menu is presented within a window simultaneously with entertainment content.

30. The storage medium according to claim 18, wherein the advertisement and the advertisement type is presented to the user in a single menu.

31. The storage medium according to claim 18, further comprising caching the selected advertisement in a storage device within a set-top box.

32. The storage medium according to claim 18, further comprising caching the selected advertisement in a storage device coupled to a set-top box.

18. An electronic storage medium containing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor carry out a process of advertising, comprising:

presenting a menu of possible advertisements to a user to permit the user to select an advertisement to view;

receiving a user selection of an advertisement to view;

receiving the selected advertisement from an advertising server; and

merging the advertisement with the stored entertainment content so that both the advertisement and the stored entertainment content are presented to the user.

33. A set-top box, comprising:

a programmed processor that presents a user with a menu of advertisements;

means for receiving a user selection of a selected advertisement from the menu of advertisements;

advertisement receiving means for receiving the selected advertisement from a service provider;

content receiving means for receiving entertainment content from the service provider; and

the programmed processor merging the entertainment content with the advertisement for presentation to the user.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, further comprising a storage device forming a part of the set-top box to store the selected advertisement.

35. The apparatus according to claim 33, further comprising a storage device coupled to the set-top box to store the selected advertisement.

36. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the advertisement receiving means comprises a tuner.

37. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the advertisement receiving means comprises a modem.

38. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the means for receiving a user selection comprises an interface to a remote control device.

39. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the programmed processor further presents a menu of advertisement types to the user for selection.

40. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the advertisement types include at least one of a conventional commercial segment, a banner advertisement and a watermark advertisement.

41. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein merging the advertisement with the stored entertainment content comprises inserting the advertisement at a location of an advertisement place holder forming a part of the entertainment content.

42. The apparatus according to claim 33, further comprising a modem and wherein the selected advertisement is received via the modem.

43. The apparatus according to claim 33, further comprising a tuner and wherein the selected advertisement is received via a television channel tuned by the tuner.

44. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the programmed processor presents a menu comprises a scrolling banner menu appearing simultaneously with entertainment content.

45. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the programmed processor presents the menu without simultaneous entertainment content.

46. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the programmed processor presents the menu within a window appearing simultaneously with entertainment content.

47. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the menu comprises a scrolling banner menu appearing simultaneously with entertainment content.

48. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the menu is presented without simultaneous entertainment content.

49. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the menu is presented within a window simultaneously with entertainment content.

50. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the advertisement and the advertisement type is presented to the user in a single menu.

51. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the means for receiving a user selection further comprises means for receiving a signal from the user requesting the presentation of the menu.

52. A method of advertising, comprising:

presenting a menu of possible types of advertisements to a user to permit the user to select a type of advertisement to view;

receiving a user selection of a type of advertisement to view;

receiving an advertisement of the selected advertisement type from an advertising server; and

merging the advertisement with the stored entertainment content so that both the advertisement and the stored entertainment content are presented to the user.

53. The method according to claim 52, further comprising presenting a menu of advertisements to the user for selection.

54. The method according to claim 52, wherein the advertisement types include at least one of a conventional commercial segment, a banner advertisement and a watermark advertisement.

55. The method according to claim 52, wherein merging the advertisement with the stored entertainment content comprises inserting the advertisement at a location of an advertisement place holder forming a part of the entertainment content.

56. The method according to claim 52, wherein the selected advertisement is received via a modem.

57. The method according to claim 52, wherein the selected advertisement is received via a television channel.

58. The method according to claim 52, wherein the menu comprises a scrolling banner menu appearing simultaneously with entertainment content.

59. The method according to claim 52, wherein the menu is presented without simultaneous entertainment content.

60. The method according to claim 52, wherein the menu is presented within a window appearing simultaneously with entertainment content.

61. The method according to claim 52, further comprising caching the selected advertisement in a storage device within a set-top box.

62. The method according to claim 52, further comprising caching the selected advertisement in a storage device coupled to a set-top box.

63. The method according to claim 52, wherein the advertisement is merged with the stored entertainment content at a service provider.

64. The method according to claim 52, wherein the advertisement is merged with the stored entertainment content at a service provider head end.

65. The method according to claim 52, wherein the advertisement is merged with the stored entertainment content at a set-top box.

66. An electronic storage medium containing instructions which, when carried out by a programmed processor, implements a method of advertising, comprising:

presenting a menu possible types of advertisements to a user to permit the user to select a type of advertisement to view;

receiving a user selection of a type of advertisement to view;

receiving an advertisement of the selected advertisement type from an advertising server; and

merging the advertisement with the stored entertainment content so that both the advertisement and the stored entertainment content are presented to the user.

67. The storage medium according to claim 66, further comprising presenting a menu of advertisements to the user for selection.

68. The storage medium according to claim 66, wherein the advertisement types include at least one of a conventional commercial segment, a banner advertisement and a watermark advertisement.

69. The storage medium according to claim 66, wherein merging the advertisement with the stored entertainment content comprises inserting the advertisement at a location of an advertisement place holder forming a part of the entertainment content.

70. The storage medium according to claim 66, wherein the selected advertisement is received via a modem.

71. The storage medium according to claim 66, wherein the selected advertisement is received via a television channel.

72. The storage medium according to claim 66, wherein the menu comprises a scrolling banner menu appearing simultaneously with entertainment content.

73. The storage medium according to claim 66, wherein the menu is presented without simultaneous entertainment content.

74. The storage medium according to claim 66, wherein the menu is presented within a window appearing simultaneously with entertainment content.

75. The storage medium according to claim 66, further comprising caching the selected advertisement in a storage device within a set-top box.

76. The storage medium according to claim 66, further comprising caching the selected advertisement in a storage device coupled to a set-top box.

77. The storage medium according to claim 66, wherein the advertisement is merged with the stored entertainment content at a service provider.

78. The storage medium according to claim 66, wherein the advertisement is merged with the stored entertainment content at a service provider head end.

79. The storage medium according to claim 66, wherein the advertisement is merged with the stored entertainment content at a set-top box.

80. A set-top box, comprising:

a programmed processor that presents a user with a menu of advertisement types;

means for receiving a user selection of a selected advertisement type from the menu of advertisements;

advertisement receiving means for receiving the selected advertisement from a service provider;

content receiving means for receiving entertainment content from the service provider; and

the programmed processor merging the entertainment content with the advertisement for presentation to the user.

81. The apparatus according to claim 80, further comprising a storage device forming a part of the set-top box to store the selected advertisement.

82. The apparatus according to claim 80, further comprising a storage device coupled to the set-top box to store the selected advertisement.

83. The apparatus according to claim 80, wherein the advertisement receiving means comprises a tuner.

84. The apparatus according to claim 80, wherein the advertisement receiving means comprises a modem.

85. The apparatus according to claim 80, wherein the means for receiving a user selection comprises an interface to a remote control device.

86. An advertising method, comprising:

presenting a television viewer with a menu of advertisements from which to select an advertisement for viewing;

receiving an advertisement selection from the television viewer; and

presenting the television viewer with the selected advertisement.

88. The method according to claim 88, further comprising charging an advertiser for presenting the advertisement based upon a number of times the advertisement is selected by a group of television viewers.

87. The method according to claim 88, further comprising:

presenting the television viewer with a menu of advertisement types;

receiving an advertisement type selection from the television viewer; and

presenting the television view with the selected advertisement according to the selected advertisement type.

89. The method according to claim 87, further comprising charging an advertiser for presenting the advertisement based upon a number of times the advertisement is selected by a group of television viewers and based upon the selected advertisement type presented.

90. An advertising method, comprising:

presenting the television viewer with a menu of advertisement types;

receiving an advertisement type selection from the television viewer; and

presenting the television viewer with the selected advertisement according to the selected advertisement type.

91. The method according to claim 90, further comprising charging an advertiser for presenting the advertisement based upon the selected advertisement type presented.

92. The method according to claim 90, wherein the advertisement type is selected from a first and a second advertisement type, with the first advertisement type being considered more intrusive to the viewer than the second advertisement type.

93. The method according to claim 92, wherein the presenting comprises presenting the first advertisement type for a first period of time if selected, and presenting the second advertisement type for a second period of time if selected, with the first period of time being less than the second period of time.