System and method for providing time-based content

• US 20060090185A1
• Filed: 04/11/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Essas, Joseph, Zito, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/437 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/735 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

System and method for providing time-based content. In one embodiment, time-based offers are presented to viewers of broadcast content, and may be presented on the same display device being used to display broadcast programming. In another embodiment, time-based offers are commercial offers inviting the viewer to purchase goods or services at a special rate for a limited time. Time-based offers may also be customized based on programming content being viewed and/or viewer profile data. Responses to presented time-based offers may be used to update viewer profile data and/or merchant conversion profile data, which is a measure of how effective the particular offer is.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing data representative of a plurality of possible offers on a remote server;

selecting an offer from among said plurality of possible offers based on at least one of viewer profile data and current programming data;

transmitting said selected offer to a client-side device for display on a display device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user response to said selected offer; and

,

transmitting to said client-side device information relating to a source of said offer in response to said user response.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said information relating to said source includes a location of an online marketplace for said source.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from said client-side device data representative of a plurality of viewer requests; and

,

updating said viewer profile data based on said plurality of viewer requests.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said plurality of viewer requests include one or more of a set of search criteria, broadcast content viewed, non-broadcast content requested, content selected for recording, channel changing activities, and volume adjustments.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said client-side device is to receive broadcast content from a broadcast source and non-broadcast content over a network, wherein said non-broadcast content includes said selected offer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating said client-side device with said viewer profile data using a unique identification code.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying said selected offer on a display portion of a remote control device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said selected offer is a commercial time-based offer with a predetermined expiration.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving said data representative of the plurality of possible offers from a plurality of merchants.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting said offer comprises selecting said offer from among said plurality of possible offers by matching one or more keywords collected from programming guide data to one or more offer-specific keywords.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting said offer comprises:

identifying one or more user interests from said viewer profile data;

parsing said plurality of possible offers using said identified one or more user interests; and

selecting said offer from among said plurality of possible offers based on said parsing.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user response to said selected offer;

updating one or both of said view profile data and a merchant conversion profile based on said user response.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

modifying said selected offer based on said updating; and

re-transmitting said modified selected offer to the client-side device for display on the display device.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a network connection coupled to said processor; and

a memory coupled to said processor, said memory to include instructions sequences to cause the processor to,

store data representative of a plurality of possible offers on a remote server,

select an offer from among said plurality of possible offers based on at least one of viewer profile data and current programming data, and

transmit, over said network connection, said selected offer to a client-side device for display on a display device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said memory further includes one or more instruction sequences to cause the process to,

receive a user response to said selected offer, and

transmit to said client-side device information relating to a source of said offer in response to said user response.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said information relating to said source includes a location of an online marketplace for said source.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said memory further includes one or more instruction sequences to cause the process to,

receive from said client-side device data representative of a plurality of viewer requests, and

update said viewer profile data based on said plurality of viewer requests.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said plurality of viewer requests include one or more of a set of search criteria, broadcast content viewed, non-broadcast content requested, content selected for recording, channel changing activities, and volume adjustments.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said client-side device is to receive broadcast content from a broadcast source and non-broadcast content over a network, wherein said non-broadcast content includes said selected offer.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said memory further includes one or more instruction sequences to cause the processor to associate said client-side device with said viewer profile data using a unique identification code.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said memory further includes one or more instruction sequences to cause the processor to display said selected offer on a display portion of a remote control device.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said selected offer is a commercial time-based offer with a predetermined expiration.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said memory further includes one or more instruction sequences to cause the processor to receive said data representative of the plurality of possible offers from a plurality of merchants.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said offer is selected from among said plurality of possible offers by matching one or more keywords collected from programming guide data to one or more offer-specific keywords.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said offer is selected from among said plurality of possible offers by,

identifying one or more user interests from said viewer profile data,

parsing said plurality of possible offers using said identified one or more user interests, and

selecting said offer from among said plurality of possible offers based on said parsing.

27. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said memory further includes one or more instruction sequences to cause the processor to,

receive a user response to said selected offer, and

update one or both of said view profile data and a merchant conversion profile based on said user response.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said memory further includes one or more instruction sequences to cause the processor to,

modify said selected offer based on said updating, and

re-transmit said modified selected offer to the client-side device for display on the display device.

29. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer program code embodied therein to display information, the computer program product having;

computer readable program code to store data representative of a plurality of possible offers on a remote server,

computer readable program code to select an offer from among said plurality of possible offers based on at least one of viewer profile data and current programming data, and

computer readable program code to transmit said selected offer to a client-side device for display on a display device.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said computer program product further includes:

computer readable program code to receive a user response to said selected offer, and

computer readable program code to transmit to said client-side device information relating to a source of said offer in response to said user response.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein said information relating to said source includes a location of an online marketplace for said source.

32. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said computer program product further includes:

computer readable program code to receive from said client-side device data representative of a plurality of viewer requests, and

computer readable program code to update said viewer profile data based on said plurality of viewer requests.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein said plurality of viewer requests include one or more of a set of search criteria, broadcast content viewed, non-broadcast content requested, content selected for recording, channel changing activities, and volume adjustments.

34. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said client-side device is to receive broadcast content from a broadcast source and non-broadcast content over a network, wherein said non-broadcast content includes said selected offer.

35. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said computer program product further includes computer readable program code to associate said client-side device with said viewer profile data using a unique identification code.

36. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said computer program product further includes computer readable program code to display said selected offer on a display portion of a remote control device.

37. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said selected offer is a commercial time-based offer with a predetermined expiration.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said computer program product further includes computer readable program code to receive said data representative of the plurality of possible offers from a plurality of merchants.

39. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said computer readable program code to select said offer comprises computer readable program code to select said offer from among said plurality of possible offers by matching one or more keywords collected from programming guide data to one or more offer-specific keywords.

40. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said computer readable program code to select said offer comprises:

computer readable program code to identify one or more user interests from said viewer profile data,

computer readable program code to parse said plurality of possible offers using said identified one or more user interests, and

computer readable program code to select said offer from among said plurality of possible offers based on said parsing.

41. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said computer program product further includes:

computer readable program code to receive a user response to said selected offer, and

computer readable program code to update one or both of said view profile data and a merchant conversion profile based on said user response.

42. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein said computer program product further includes:

computer readable program code to modify said selected offer based on said updating, and

computer readable program code to re-transmit said modified selected offer to the client-side device for display on the display device.