Targeted advertisement using television viewer information
First Claim
1. A method for targeting advertising using subscriber information, comprising:
- gathering programs watched data from a subscriber;
analyzing the programs watched data to determine a frequency of programs watched by the subscriber;
correlating the analyzed programs watched data with categories of advertisements, wherein each advertisement category includes at least one advertisement;
selecting a first advertisement and a second advertisement from the correlated advertising categories;
transmitting the first advertisement for display to a first subscriber and the second advertisement for display to a second subscriber; and
gathering advertisements watched data from the first and the second subscribers.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A novel multiple channel architecture is designed to allow targeted advertising directed to television terminals connected to an operations center or a cable headend. Advertisements are displayed during commercial breaks in the television programs. Such advertisements may be broadcast on the same channel as the television program. In addition, feeder channels may carry alternate advertising that may be better suited for certain viewing audiences. The operations center or the cable headend generate a group assignment plan that assigns the television terminals to groups, based on factors such as area of dominant influence, household income and other demographic data, and programs watched data gathered by the television terminals. A switching plan is then generated that instructs the television terminals to remain with the program channel or to switch to one of the alternate feeder channels during the program breaks. The television terminals record which channels were viewed during the program breaks, and report this information to the cable headends and the operations center. The reported information is used to generate billing for commercial advertisers, and to analyze viewer watching habits. The invention uses upstream data reception hardware, databases and processing hardware and software to accomplish these functions.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method for targeting advertising using subscriber information, comprising:
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gathering programs watched data from a subscriber;
analyzing the programs watched data to determine a frequency of programs watched by the subscriber;
correlating the analyzed programs watched data with categories of advertisements, wherein each advertisement category includes at least one advertisement;
selecting a first advertisement and a second advertisement from the correlated advertising categories;
transmitting the first advertisement for display to a first subscriber and the second advertisement for display to a second subscriber; and
gathering advertisements watched data from the first and the second subscribers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for targeting advertisements to television viewers based on television viewer information, comprising:
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receiving gathered television viewer information;
analyzing the received viewer information;
correlating the analyzed viewer information to advertisement categories;
selecting a first advertisement from a first advertisement category;
selecting one or more subsequent advertisements from one of the first advertisement category and one or more subsequent advertisement categories;
providing the selected first advertisement and the one or more subsequent advertisements to television terminals;
providing a switching plan that directs the television terminals to display one of the provided first advertisement and the one or more subsequent advertisements during an advertisement spot in a television program. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for targeting advertisements to television viewers in a television program delivery system, comprising:
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determining advertisement categories;
mapping television terminals to the determined advertisement categories, wherein one or more of the television terminals are assigned to groups for one or more of the advertisement categories; and
mapping television programs to the groups. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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Specification