Technique for providing advertisements over a communications network delivering interactive narratives

• US 20060288362A1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boost Video LLC
• Original Assignee: Boost Video LLC
• Inventors: Pulton, Theodore Robert Jr., Huehnergarth, Nils
• Application Number:
  US11/154,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20060288362A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• 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 21/8541 involving branching, e.g. to different story endings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Advertisements associated with actions related to interactive programs are provided over a communications network. Advertisement content is based on information related to interactive program content. Records are maintained in a database for dynamically managing the assignment of advertisement locations within interactive programs to advertisers and their corresponding advertisements, and for managing the distribution of advertisements to the appropriate individuals at the appropriate times. Data items related to a request for advertisement locations from a collection of advertisement locations are associated with various decision points within interactive programs. The data items are disposed in a plurality of fields arranged to reserve advertisement locations so that the appropriate advertisements can be provided at the appropriate times within interactive programs. Advertisement content is based on information related to interactive program content.

Claims

1. A method for providing advertisements over a communications network, the communications network delivering at least an interactive program stream containing interactive program content, the method comprising:

receiving at least an indicator indicative of an action related to the interactive program content;

locating an advertisement within a group of advertisements, the advertisement being associated with the action and including content based on information related to the interactive program content; and

providing at least an advertisement data stream which contains the advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is content about one or more segments proceeding and/or following the action.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is content about one or more decisions points.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is an analysis of one or more segments.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the analysis provides a context of the one or more segments.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the analysis provides a mind-set and/or an emotional state of an individual viewing the one or more segments.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is one or more answers presented.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is behavior patterns revealed by choosing one or more segments.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is a culmination of actions.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is one or more actions.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is related to personality types determined by review and/or analysis of one or more segments.

12. The information of claim 1 wherein the information is determined by an advertiser.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the advertisement data stream is provided in response to the action.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing one or more segments within the interactive program content in response to the action before providing at least an advertisement data stream which contains the advertisement.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the interactive program content is developed to maximize relationships between the interactive program content and advertisements.

13. The method of 1 wherein the information is type-analysis.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the type-analysis includes psychographic preferences or affinities, sociological, psychological and personality typing or aggregating techniques.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the type-analysis includes Myers Briggs Type Indicator®

, DiSC®

, and/or Neuro-Linguistic Programming sorting patterns.

19. A system for providing for providing advertisements over a communications network, the communications network delivering at least an interactive program stream containing interactive program content, the system comprising:

an interface for receiving over the communications network at least an indicator indicative of a an action related to the interactive program content;

a memory for storing at least a group of advertisements; and

a processing device responsive to receipt of the indicator, for locating an advertisement within the group of advertisements stored in the memory, the advertisement being associated with the action and including content based on information related to the interactive program content, and for providing over the communications network at least an advertisement data stream which contains the advertisement.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the information is content about one or more segments proceeding and/or following the action.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the information is content about one or more decisions points.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the information is an analysis of one or more segments.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the information is determined by an advertiser.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the analysis provides a context of the one or more segments.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the analysis provides a mind-set and/or an emotional state of an individual viewing the one or more segments.

26. The system of claim 19 wherein the information is one or more answers presented.

27. The system of claim 19 wherein the information is behavior patterns revealed by choosing one or more segments.

28. The system of claim 19 wherein the information is a culmination of actions.

29. The system of claim 19 wherein the information is one or more actions.

30. The system of claim 19 wherein the interactive program content is developed to maximize relationships between the interactive program content and advertisements.

31. The system of claim 19 wherein the information is related to personality types determined by review and/or analysis of one or more segments.

35. The system of claim 19 wherein the advertisement data stream is provided in response to the action.

36. The system of claim 19 further comprising providing one or more segments within the interactive program content in response to the action before providing at least an advertisement data stream which contains the advertisement.

37. The system of claim 19 wherein the network comprises an interactive cable television network.

38. The system of claim 19 wherein the network comprises Internet.

39. The method of claim 19 wherein the network comprises a wireless component.

32. The system of 19 wherein the information is type-analysis.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the type-analysis includes psychographic preferences or affinities, sociological, psychological and personality typing or aggregating techniques.

34. The system of claim 32 wherein the type-analysis includes Myers Briggs Type Indicator, DiSC®

, and/or Neuro-Linguistic Programming sorting patterns.

40. A method for maintaining records in a database comprising:

receiving at least a collection of first data items, at least one of the first data items related to a request for an advertisement location from a collection of advertisement locations associated with various decision points within an interactive program;

disposing the first data items in a plurality of fields arranged to reserve the advertisement location;

receiving at least a collection of second data items, at least one of the second data items being an advertisement related to the request; and

maintaining a record of the relationship among the first data items and the second data items in the database having a plurality of fields.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the advertisement location is further associated with third data items including content and/or analysis of the interactive program.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein the third data items include information related to segment patterns in the interactive program.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein the third data items include information related to one or more decision points.

45. The method of claim 41 wherein the third data items include information related to type-analysis.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the type-analysis includes Myers Briggs Type Indicator®

, DiSC®

, and/or Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

47. The method of claim 40 wherein the collection of advertisement locations are associated with locations prior to and/or after decisions points, and/or prior to and/or after decisions in the interactive program.

48. The method of claim 40 wherein the collection of advertisement locations are associated with locations prior to and/or after segments in the interactive program.

49. The method of claim 40 wherein the second data items is received via a DVD.

50. The method of claim 40 further comprising receiving a collection of fourth data items, at least one of the fourth data items being a request for an advertisement.

51. The method of claim 50 further comprising providing an address for locating the advertisement.

42. The method of 41 wherein the third data items include information related to segment content of the interactive program.