iChoose video advertising

• US 20040261100A1
• Filed: 10/17/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intellocity USA, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Intellocity USA, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Huber, Thomas, Lemmons, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US10/688,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20040261100A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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 conditionally presenting selected categories of advertising to viewers. Advertisements may be included as part of a broadcast signal, may be acquired from a channel or MPEG stream different from a viewed program, may be downloaded from network including the Internet and may be stored locally in a set top box. Computer program code operating in a set top box selects an advertisement from a plurality of ads based upon indicator information including category and priority level. Viewer category selections may be entered by the user, may be selected in response to use of a personalized remote control, or may be provided in a pre-programmed set top box. Viewer requests for categories of advertisements or for specific advertisements may be processed by upstream equipment to formulate a broadcast schedule. Viewer may pay an upgrade fee for viewing upgraded advertising and/or advertisers may pay a fee based upon the number of times an ad is displayed.

Claims

1. A method of presenting advertising in a subscriber broadcast system comprising:

offering an upgraded advertising service;

receiving subscriptions to said upgraded advertising service;

delivering set top box computer program code to a plurality of upgraded advertising service subscribers;

receiving a plurality of video feeds including a plurality of advertisements;

providing indicators for at least two advertisements of said plurality of advertisements wherein said indicators include a priority level and a category for a corresponding advertisement;

broadcasting a video signal comprising program content, said plurality of advertisements, and said indicators for at least two advertisements of said plurality of advertisements to a plurality of set top boxes.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request for an advertising category from at least one subscriber of said plurality of subscribers.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

broadcasting an advertising indicator that includes a network address for an advertisement that can be accessed across a network.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

downloading an advertisement and corresponding indicator to local storage of a set top box.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting said plurality of advertisements based upon demographic characteristics of said plurality of set top boxes.

6. A method for displaying user selected advertising in a subscriber broadcast system comprising:

requesting a category of advertisement from a plurality of advertisement categories;

receiving a video signal comprising program content, a standard advertisement, and an advertisement indicator;

determining if said standard advertisement may be replaced with an upgraded advertisement;

accessing upgraded advertisement content if it is determined that said standard advertisement may be replaced with an upgraded advertisement; and

displaying said upgraded advertisement content if it is determined that said standard advertisement may be replaced with an upgraded advertisement.

7. An upgraded advertising production system comprising:

a processor;

an advertisement detector receiving a video feed comprising program content and advertising;

an advertisement indicator editor that can create, modify, and delete at least one advertisement indicator associated with an advertisement contained in said video feed;

a channel multiplexer that receives said program content, at least one advertisement, and said at least one advertisement indicator and that formats said program content, said advertisement and said at least one advertisement indicator for transmission; and

a transmitter that transmits said program content, said advertisement, and said at least one advertisement indicator.

8. A set top box that selectively displays upgraded advertising comprising:

a processor;

an audio/video processor that outputs audio and video signals to a display unit;

a tuner controlled by said processor that receives a video input comprising program content, a first advertisement, a first advertisement indicator, a second advertisement, and a second advertisement indicator wherein said first advertisement indicator and said second advertisement indicator both include a category of the advertisement and a priority level;

first computer program code operating on said processor that detects said first advertisement indicator and said second advertisement indicator and compares the category of said first advertisement and the category of said second advertisement to a stored category value and that compares the priority level of said first advertisement with the priority level of said second advertisement and that selects said first advertisement unless the category of said second advertisement is in agreement with said stored category value and the priority level of said second advertisement is greater than or equal to said priority level of said first advertisement;

second computer program code that provides said first advertisement to said audio/video processor if said first advertisement is selected and that accesses and provides said second advertisement to said audio/video processor if said second advertisement is selected.

9. The set top box of claim 8 further comprising computer program code that processes a user input and stores said stored category value in said set top box.

10. The set top box of claim 8 further comprising computer program code that recognizes a remote control input as being specific to one user and selects said stored category value from a plurality of stored category values based upon an identifier of said one user.

11. The set top box of claim 8 wherein said second computer program code further comprises code that adjusts said tuner to receive said second advertisement.

12. The set top box of claim 8 wherein said second computer program code further comprises code that acquires said second advertisement across a network.

13. The set top box of claim 8 further comprising:

a video combiner that combines a portion of said first advertisement with a portion of said second advertisement.

14. An upgraded advertising production system comprising:

processing means;

means for detecting an advertising period in a video feed;

editing means that can create, modify, and delete an advertisement indicator associated with said video feed to produce an edited video feed;

multiplexer means that receive said edited video feed and accesses advertising content and that formats said edited video feed and said advertising content for transmission; and

transmission means that transmits said edited video feed and said advertising content.

15. A set top box that selectively displays upgraded advertising comprising:

processor means;

audio/video processing means that output audio and video signals to a display unit;

tuning means controlled by said processor means that receive a video input comprising program content, a first advertisement, a first advertisement indicator, a second advertisement, and a second advertisement indicator wherein said first advertisement indicator and said second advertisement indicator both include a category of the advertisement and a priority level;

computer program code means operating on said processor that detect said first advertisement indicator and said second advertisement indicator and that compare the category of said first advertisement and the category of said second advertisement to a stored category value and that compare the priority level of said first advertisement with the priority level of said second advertisement and that select said first advertisement unless the category of said second advertisement is in agreement with said stored category value and the priority level of said second advertisement is greater than or equal to said priority level of said first advertisement;

second computer program code means that provide said first advertisement to said audio/video processor if said first advertisement is selected and that accesses and provide said second advertisement to said audio/video processor if said second advertisement is selected.

16. A method of operating a subscriber broadcast system comprising:

defining a plurality of advertising categories;

receiving user requests for said advertising categories;

transmitting program content and advertisements with advertisement indicators allowing selection of advertisements at a set top box;

determining a count of advertisements viewed in each category of said plurality of advertising categories; and

creating a billing statement reflecting said count of advertisements in each category.