ADVERTISING BASED ON PRE-COMPUTED DISTRIBUTED PLAYLISTS

• US 20030182184A1
• Filed: 11/05/1999
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: rStar Corp. (Gilat Satellite Networks Limited)
• Original Assignee: rStar Corp. (Gilat Satellite Networks Limited)
• Inventors: MORTENSEN, LANCE H., STRASNICK, STEVEN L.
• Application Number:
  US09/435,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182184A1
• 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 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to provide advertising based on pre-computed sub-playlists are described. The sub-playlists are generated based on one or more demographic characteristics. One or more sub-playlists are used to generate a playlist for a particular user or group of users. In one embodiment, the sub-playlists are generated at a network operations center or other location remote from the device on which the ultimate playlist is displayed; however, the sub-playlists can be generated locally or on a local network device. One or more sub-playlists corresponding to the demographic characteristics of a device user or group of users are combined to provide a playlist for the user or group of users. The playlist is displayed to the user or group of users.

Claims

1. A method of generating a playlist, the method comprising:

associating digital content with one or more demographic characteristics to generate sub-playlists for the one or more demographic characteristics;

combining one or more sub-playlists to generated a user playlist based on a user'"'"'s demographic characteristics; and

displaying the digital content associated with the user playlist.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital content comprises one or more advertisements.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital content comprises audio/visual content.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising distributing the sub-playlists to one or more distributed local area networks.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein distribution occurs during off peak hours.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein combining one or more sub-playlists to generated a user playlist based on a user'"'"'s demographic characteristics further comprises:

distributing the one or more sub-playlists from a network operations center to one or more distributed local area networks;

determining a user'"'"'s demographic characteristics at a local area network where the user logs in;

combining the one or more sub-playlists at the local area network where the user logs in.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a script in response to the playlist, the script to control playback of digital content associated with the playlist.

8. An apparatus for generating digital content playlists, the apparatus comprising:

means for associating digital content with one or more demographic characteristics to generate sub-playlists for the one or more demographic characteristics;

means for combining one or more sub-playlists to generated a user playlist based on a user'"'"'s demographic characteristics; and

means for displaying the digital content associated with the user playlist.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the digital content comprises one or more advertisements.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the digital content comprises audio/visual content.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising means for distributing the sub-playlists to one or more distributed local area networks.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein distribution occurs during off peak hours.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein combining one or more sub-playlists to generated a user playlist based on a user'"'"'s demographic characteristics further comprises:

means for distributing the one or more sub-playlists from a network operations center to one or more distributed local area networks;

means for determining the user'"'"'s demographic characteristics at a local area network where the user logs in;

means for combining the one or more sub-playlists at the local area network where the user logs in.

14. A network comprising:

an asset database, the asset database to store play sub-lists corresponding to one or more demographic characteristics; and

a terminal to grant user access to the network, the terminal to communicate identification information indicating demographic characteristics of the user to the asset database and to receive a playlist from the asset database based on demographic characteristics of the user, wherein the playlist is generated from the one or more play sub-lists.

15. The network of claim 14 further comprising a network operations center having an advertisement database, the advertisement database to generate the play sub-lists.

16. The network of claim 15 wherein the advertisement database distributes the play sub-lists to the asset database.

17. The network of claim 15 wherein the advertisement database determines the user'"'"'s demographic information based on the identification information and communicates the user'"'"'s demographic information to the asset database.

18. The network of claim 14 wherein the asset database and the terminal are coupled to a common local area network.

19. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions to, when executed, cause one or more electronic devices to:

associate digital content with one or more demographic characteristics to generate sub-playlists for the one or more demographic characteristics;

combine one or more sub-playlists to generated a user playlist based on a user'"'"'s demographic characteristics; and

display the digital content associated with the user playlist.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the digital content comprises one or more advertisements.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the digital content comprises audio/visual content.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 further comprising sequences of instructions to, when executed, cause the one or more electronic devices to distribute the sub-playlists to one or more distributed local area networks.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein distribution occurs during off peak hours.

24. The machine-readable of claim 19 wherein the sequences of instructions to cause the one or more electronic devices to combine one or more sub-playlists to generate a user playlist based on a user'"'"'s demographic characteristics further comprise sequences of instructions to cause the one or more electronic devices to:

distribute the one or more sub-playlists from a network operations center to one or more distributed local area networks;

determine a user'"'"'s demographic characteristics at a local area network where the user logs in;

combine the one or more sub-playlists at the local area network where the user logs in.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 further comprising sequences of instructions to, when executed, cause the one or more electronic devices to generate a script in response to the playlist, the script to control playback of digital content associated with the playlist.