Method and system for inserting advertisements into broadcast content

• US 20020169540A1
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wildseed Mobile LLC
• Original Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Engstrom, G. Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0058 provided with channel identification means arrangements for monitoring the use made of broadcast services H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/20 Radio receiver with possibility to choose a station with a certain program style
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/09 Arrangements for device control with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time; Arrangements for control of broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 : Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 : biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 : Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 : Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention is directed to providing advertisements for playing on a mobile device based on previously provided information regarding the mobile device user. Information regarding the user is provided to a server, which is also in communication with advertisers that supply advertisements for playing on the mobile device. The server employs the user information to determine which advertisements might be suitable for the mobile device user. The determined advertisements may be cached/recorded on the mobile device for later playback or they can be provided in real time at a scheduled time for the playing of advertisements. Also, advertisements associated/included with the currently playing content could be suppressed in favor of the determined advertisements. Additionally, the currently playing content can be recorded while advertisements are playing on the mobile device; and then the playing of the content can be subsequently resumed from the point where the advertisements started playing.

Claims

1. A method for playing content and advertisements on mobile devices, comprising:

(a) employing a mobile device to provide information associated with a user of the mobile device;

(b) employing the provided information to determine at least one advertisement to be played on the mobile device;

(c) if a determined time interval occurs, stopping the playing of content by the mobile device and playing at least one determined advertisement; and

(d) resuming the playing of content by the mobile device when the playing of at least one determined advertisement is completed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided information further comprises at least a selected one of geographic location, preference, demographic, other source, behavior and content played on the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein playing at least one determined advertisement, further comprises:

(a) recording content while at least one determined advertisement is playing; and

(b) when the playing of at least one determined advertisement is completed, resuming the playing of content from where the stopping of the playing of the content occurred.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein playing at least one determined advertisement, further comprises:

(a) providing at least one determined advertisement to the mobile device prior to playing; and

(b) recording at least one determined advertisement on the mobile device for play back when the determined interval occurs.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) employing at least one determined advertisement as a replacement for an advertisement associated with the content; and

(b) playing the replacement on the mobile device instead of the advertisement associated with the content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising employing the mobile device to receive a stream of content.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a broadcast of content for playing on the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising employing the mobile device to receive a stream for at least one determined advertisement.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a broadcast of at least one determined advertisement for playing on the mobile device.

10. A mobile device for playing content and advertisements, comprising:

(a) a memory for storing logical instructions;

(b) a wireless interface unit for sending and receiving data; and

(c) a processor for executing the logical instructions stored in the memory, the execution of the logical instructions causing actions to be performed, including;

(i) providing information associated with a user of the mobile device;

(ii) receiving at least one advertisement, wherein at least one received advertisement is determined by the provided information;

(iii) if a determined time interval occurs, stopping the playing of content and playing at least one determined advertisement; and

(iv) resuming the playing of content when the playing of at least one determined advertisement is completed.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the provided information further comprises at least a selected one of geographic location, preference, demographic, other source, behavior and content played on the mobile device.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein playing at least one determined advertisement, further comprises:

(a) recording content while at least one determined advertisement is playing; and

(b) if the playing of at least one determined advertisement is completed, resuming the playing of content from where the stopping of the playing of content occurred.

13. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein playing at least one determined advertisement, further comprises:

(a) providing at least one determined advertisement to the mobile device prior to playing; and

(b) recording at least one determined advertisement on the mobile device for play back if the determined interval occurs.

14. The mobile device of claim 10, further comprising:

(a) employing at least one determined advertisement as a replacement for an advertisement associated with the content; and

(b) playing the replacement on the mobile device instead of the advertisement associated with the content.

16. The client of claim 15, wherein the provided information further comprises at least a selected one of geographic location, preference, demographic, other source, behavior and content played on the mobile device.

17. The client of claim 15, wherein playing at least one determined advertisement, further comprises:

(a) recording content while at least one determined advertisement is playing; and

(b) if the playing of at least one determined advertisement is completed, resuming the playing of content from where the stopping of the playing of content occurred.

18. The client of claim 15, further comprising:

(a) employing at least one determined advertisement as a replacement for an advertisement associated with the content; and

(b) playing the replacement on the mobile device instead of the advertisement associated with the content.

20. The server of claim 19, wherein playing at least one determined advertisement, further comprises:

(a) providing at least one determined advertisement to the mobile device prior to playing; and

(b) enabling the mobile device to record at least one determined advertisement for play back if the determined interval occurs.

15. A client for playing content and advertisements on mobile devices, the client causing actions to be performed, comprising:

(a) providing information associated with a user of a mobile device to a server;

(b) receiving from the server at least one advertisement, wherein at least one received advertisement is determined by the server from the provided information;

(c) if a determined time interval occurs, stopping the playing of content by the mobile device and playing at least one determined advertisement; and

(d) resuming the playing of content by the mobile device when the playing of at least one determined advertisement is completed.

19. A server for providing content and advertisements to mobile devices, the server causing actions to be performed, comprising:

(a) receiving information associated with a user of a mobile device;

(b) employing the received information to determine at least one advertisement to be played on the mobile device;

(c) providing at least one determined advertisement to the mobile device, wherein if a determined time interval occurs, the playing of content by the mobile device is stopped and at least one determined advertisement is played on the mobile device; and

(d) enabling the playing of content by the mobile device to be resumed when the playing of at least one determined advertisement is completed.