Method and system for user to user targeted advertising

• US 20070291747A1
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stern, Benjamin J., Subramaniam, Ganesh K.
• Application Number:
  US11/455,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20070291747A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A method and system for user to user targeted advertising using a digital television delivery service, such as Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) or digital cable. Content is received and delivery information is specified via an IP network. The content is then delivered as advertising content based on the delivery information to at least one targeted user as part of a digital data stream. The advertising content and delivery information can be input by a user through a web interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a first user, via an Internet Protocol (IP) network, content and delivery information corresponding to at least one targeted user; and

delivering said content in a digital data stream, as advertising content, to said at least one targeted user in accordance with said delivery information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said delivering step comprises:

delivering said digital data stream including said advertising content over said IP network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said delivering step comprises:

delivering said advertising content as part of an IPTV stream to an IPTV client device associated with said at least one targeted user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said delivering step comprises:

delivering said advertising content as part of a digital cable data stream to a digital cable receiver associated with said at least one targeted user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving step comprises:

providing one or more advertisement templates;

receiving a selection signal from said first user corresponding to one of the one or more advertisement templates;

receiving information from said first user corresponding to customization options of the selected one of one or more advertisement templates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said content comprises video content which is ready be delivered as advertising content to said at least one targeted user when said video content is received.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said delivery information comprises identification information corresponding to said at least one targeted user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said delivery information further comprises at least one of a delivery time and a delivery frequency.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said delivering step comprises:

transmitting said advertising content along with programming content in said digital data stream such that said advertising content is played during a commercial break in said programming content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said delivering step comprises:

transmitting said advertising content in said digital data stream such that said advertising content is played on a dedicated television channel.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting verification of delivery of said advertising content.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering a response to said advertising content to said first user via said IP network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital data stream comprises addressable packets.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving advertisement information and delivery information from a first digital television delivery service client device;

creating an advertisement based on said advertisement information;

delivering said advertisement, as advertising content, to a second digital television delivery service client device based on said delivery information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second digital television delivery service client devices comprise first and second IPTV client devices.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second digital television delivery service client devices comprise first and second digital cable client devices.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said delivering step comprises:

delivering said advertisement along with programming content in one of an IPTV stream and a digital cable data stream.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying a web interface at said first digital television delivery service client device; and

receiving user input corresponding to said advertisement information and said delivery information via said web interface.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said creating step comprises:

loading an advertisement template;

adjusting the advertisement template based on said advertisement information; and

storing the adjusted advertisement template.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said delivering step comprises:

playing said advertisement during a commercial break in television programming.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein said delivering step comprises:

delivering said advertisement to a dedicated channel; and

notifying a user of said second digital television delivery service client device of delivery of said advertisement to said dedicated channel.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a verification signal corresponding to delivery of said advertisement from said second digital television delivery service client device; and

transmitting said verification signal to said first digital television delivery service client device.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying options for responding to delivery of said advertisement at said second digital television delivery service client device; and

responding to said first digital television delivery service client device based on a selected one of the response options at said second digital television delivery service client device.

24. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving, via an IP network, content and delivery information corresponding to at least one targeted user; and

means for delivering said content in a digital data stream as advertising content to said at least one targeted user.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

means for storing said content and said delivery information.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said means for receiving comprises:

means for receiving text, graphic, audio, and video content.