Demographic/preference sniffer

• US 20040210942A1
• Filed: 10/16/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intellocity USA, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Intellocity USA, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Lemmons, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US10/688,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210942A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/135
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for displaying targeted information based upon preference and/or demographic data. In one embodiment, generalized triggers are sent to a set-top box which contains the preference and/or demographic data. Downloaded addresses of targeted information are selected based upon the trigger and the preference and/or demographic data. Targeted data is then downloaded from a selected site for display to a viewer. In another embodiment, the preference and/or demographic data is stored at an upstream source. In another embodiment, multiple triggers are transmitted to the set-top box which then selects an address of targeted information from the multiple triggers based upon the preference and/or demographic data.

Claims

1. A method of using a trigger in a video stream to access preferred information for displaying targeted information with a video signal comprising:

obtaining said preferred information;

obtaining a list of addresses of said targeted information;

receiving said trigger;

selecting an address from said list of addresses of said targeted information based upon said trigger and said preferred information;

obtaining said targeted information using said address;

combining said targeted information with said video signal for display.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing said preferred information at a viewer location.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

storing said list of addresses of said targeted information at said viewer location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing said preferred information at an upstream source.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

storing said list of addresses of said targeted information at said upstream source.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing said list of addresses by category and identification information;

storing said preferred information by category information;

determining category and identification information of said trigger.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said step of selecting an address further comprises:

selecting said address of said targeted information using said category information of said preferred information, and said category and identification information of said list of addresses and said trigger.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of combining further comprises:

generating a targeted video signal from said targeted information;

combining said targeted video signal with said video signal to generate a combined video signal.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of combining further comprises:

generating an interactive page from said targeted information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of combining further comprises:

combining said interactive page with said video signal.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing said preferred information at a viewer location.

24. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

storing said targeted information at said viewer location.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing said preferred information at an upstream source.

26. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

storing said targeted information at said upstream source.

27. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

classifying said preferred information by key words;

classifying said triggers by key words;

selecting addresses from said triggers by comparing key words of said preferred information and said triggers.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of combining further comprises:

generating a targeted video signal from said targeted information;

combining said targeted video signal with said video signal to generate a combined video signal.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of combining further comprises:

generating an interactive page from said targeted information.

30. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of combining further comprises:

combining said interactive page with said video signal.

11. A method of using a trigger from a group of multiple triggers that are associated with a video signal to access preferred information for display of targeted information with a video signal comprising:

obtaining said preferred information;

obtaining a list of addresses of said targeted information;

receiving said multiple triggers;

selecting an address from said list of addresses by comparing said multiple triggers with said preferred information;

obtaining said targeted information using said address;

combining said targeted information with said video signal for display.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

storing said list of addresses by category and identification information;

storing said preferred information by category information;

determining category and identification information of said trigger.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of selecting an address further comprises:

selecting said address of said targeted information using said category information of said preferred information, and said category and identification information of said list of addresses and said trigger.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of combining further comprises:

generating a targeted video signal from said targeted information;

combining said targeted video signal with said video signal to generate a combined video signal.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of combining further comprises:

generating an interactive page from said targeted information.

16. The method of claim 111 further comprising:

storing said preferred information.

17. A system for displaying targeted information with a video stream comprising:

a trigger embedded in said video stream;

a decoder that separates said trigger from said video stream;

preferred information storage that stores preferred information;

address storage that stores a plurality of addresses of said targeted information;

a processor that selects at least one address from said plurality of addresses based upon said trigger and said preferred information and obtains said targeted information using said address;

a combiner that combines said targeted information with said video signal for display.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said combiner comprises:

a video combiner that combines video signals to generate a combined video signal.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein said combiner comprises:

a combiner that combines HTML pages with a video signal.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein said decoder, said preferred information storage, said address storage, said processor and said combiner are all located at a viewer'"'"'s location.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein said decoder, said preferred information storage, said address storage, said processor and said combiner are all located at an upstream source.

22. A method of using triggers in a video stream to access preferred information for displaying targeted information with a video signal comprising:

obtaining said preferred information;

receiving said triggers;

comparing said triggers to said preferred information;

selecting addresses from said triggers that correspond to said preferred information;

obtaining said targeted information using said addresses;

combining said targeted information with said video signal for display.