Method for advertisers to sponsor broadcasts without commercials

• US 20020100055A1
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Firtiva Corporation
• Original Assignee: Robert M. Zeidman
• Inventors: Zeidman, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,316,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 21/435 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method that allows content to be broadcast without commercial interruption, yet lets the company or companies that sponsor the broadcast to offer advertisements and discounts and various special offers to the viewers at a later time. The amount of time a viewer spends watching a particular broadcast is recorded along with information about the sponsoring companies or organizations for the broadcast. The viewer later accesses a central database, which sends back to the viewer advertisements, coupons, discounts, contests, and other enticements to purchase products, based on the amount of time the viewer spent watching broadcasts or segments of broadcasts that were sponsored by the advertiser.

Claims

1. A method for allowing content to be broadcast without commercial interruption, yet letting the company or companies sponsoring the broadcast to offer purchasing incentives to viewers, the method comprising:

a. receiving a broadcast with embedded information about the broadcast;

b. extracting content from said broadcast, for displaying to the viewer;

c. extracting said embedded information from said broadcast;

d. storing said embedded information;

e. sending said embedded information and viewer information to a remote computer;

f. receiving specific incentives based on said embedded information and said viewer information sent.

2. A method for allowing content to be broadcast without commercial interruption, yet letting the company or companies sponsoring the broadcast to offer purchasing incentives to viewers, the method comprising:

a. receiving a broadcast with information about the broadcast imbedded into the broadcast at regular time periods, said information including timestamps;

b. extracting content from said broadcast, for displaying to the viewer;

c. extracting said embedded information from said broadcast;

d. incrementing counters for counting time slices during said time periods;

e. storing said embedded information and said counter values;

f. sending said embedded information and said counter values and viewer information to a remote computer;

g. receiving specific incentives based on said embedded information and said counter values and said viewer information sent.

3. A method for allowing content to be broadcast without commercial interruption, yet letting the company or companies sponsoring the broadcast to offer purchasing incentives to viewers, the method comprising

a. imbedding information about a broadcast along with the broadcast content;

b. broadcasting said content with said embedded information to a remote viewer of the content.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

a. receiving information from said viewer about said broadcast;

b. sending specific incentives to said viewer based on said information received.

5. A method for allowing content to be broadcast without commercial interruption, yet letting the company or companies sponsoring the broadcast to offer purchasing incentives to viewers, the method comprising:

a. imbedding information about the broadcast along with the broadcast content at regular time periods;

b. broadcasting said content with said embedded information to a remote viewer of the content.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

a. receiving information from said viewer about said broadcast;

b. receiving counter values for the number of time slices viewed by said viewer;

c. sending specific incentives to said viewer based on said information received and said counter values received.

7. A method for allowing content to be broadcast without commercial interruption, yet letting the company or companies sponsoring the broadcast to offer purchasing incentives to viewers, the method comprising:

a. receiving information about a broadcast from a remote viewer of said broadcast;

b. sending specific incentives to the remote viewer based on said information received.

8. A method for allowing content to be broadcast without commercial interruption, yet letting the company or companies sponsoring the broadcast to offer purchasing incentives to viewers, the method comprising:

a. receiving information about a broadcast from a remote viewer of said broadcast;

b. receiving counter values for the number of time slices viewed by the viewer;

c. sending specific incentives to the remote viewer based on said information received and said counter values received.

9. A method for allowing content to be broadcast without commercial interruption, yet letting the company or companies sponsoring the broadcast to offer purchasing incentives to viewers, the method comprising:

a. receiving information about a broadcast from a remote viewer of said broadcast;

b. searching a database for information about sponsors of the content of said broadcast and the incentives offered by said sponsors;

c. creating a Web page containing links to all sponsor incentive websites and to specific incentives based on said database information and said information received from said viewer;

d. sending said Web page back to said viewer.

10. A method for allowing content to be broadcast without commercial interruption, yet letting the company or companies sponsoring the broadcast to offer purchasing incentives to viewers, the method comprising:

a. receiving information about a broadcast from a remote viewer of said broadcast;

b. receiving counter values for the number of time slices viewed by said viewer;

c. searching a database for information about sponsors of the content and the incentives offered by said sponsors;

d. creating a Web page containing links to all sponsor incentive websites and to specific incentives based on said database information and said information received and said counter values;

e. sending said Web page back to said viewer.