System and method for a video content service monitoring & provisioning architecture

• US 20080016540A1
• Filed: 07/13/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Savoor, Raghvendra G., Li, Zhi, Manthoulis, Orestis, Blackburn, Stuart Lynch, Bellford, Russell B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/112
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application

Abstract

According to one example embodiment there is provided a computer program executable on a computing platform to at least in part analyze data at least in part obtained from one or more data sources of an Internet-protocol television (IPTV) network, wherein the data provided by the data sources includes set-top-box data, subscriber data, demographic data, content server data and network usage data. In another embodiment, the computer program at least in part correlates video provisioning information obtained from the data sources, individual subscriber channel viewing information, subscriber data and demographic data to provide informative views of data. The provisioning information may include information such as what programs or television (TV) commercials are shown on each channel during different time periods and the TV or video-on-demand program category information.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program executable on a computing platform to:

at least in part analyze data at least in part obtained from one or more data sources of an Internet-protocol television (IPTV) network, wherein one of the data sources is Internet-usage data; and

at least in part correlate individual subscriber channel viewing information and the Internet-usage data to provide informative views of data.

2. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 further wherein the data sources are selected from the group:

set-top-box data, subscriber data, demographic data, content server data, Internet-usage data and network usage data; and

the computer program is further executable on a computing platform to at least in part correlate video provisioning information obtained from the subscriber data and demographic data, and the provisioning information includes information relating to which programs or television (TV) commercials are shown on each channel during different time periods and TV or video-on-demand program category information.

3. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the computer program is adapted to analyze the data based on market research results including one or more of the following:

profession, income, or race distribution in at least one geographic area.

4. An article of manufacture according to claim 2 wherein the subscriber data includes subscriber background information including address, profession or income information

5. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the IPTV network includes a plurality of set-top-boxes each having a unique identification (ID), and at least some of the set-top-boxes include digital video recorders, are further adapted to output video service usage information.

6. An article of manufacture according to claim 5 wherein the video service usage information includes digital video recorder usage, video-on-demand service usage, channel change information, and/or channel viewing time information.

7. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the computer program is adapted to predict future video usage information for one or more geographic areas.

8. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 further wherein the computer program is adapted to generate reports including at least three different dimensions of information including property, geographic and time.

9. An article of manufacture according to claim 8 wherein the dimension of information property includes one or more of the following:

(i) IPTV subscribers'"'"' background information including demographic, gender, age, profession, or average household income;

(ii) IPTV channel/program provisioning Information;

(iii) VoD provisioning information;

(iv) subscriber information;

(v) TV channel or program viewing time and set-top-box usage information;

(vi) TV channel change information;

(vii) VoD/PPV/DVR usage information; and

/or (viii) TV commercial viewing information.

10. An article of manufacture according to claim 8 wherein the dimension of geographic information includes one or more of the following:

(i) subscriber/household;

(ii) zip code;

(iii) city or market level;

(iv) regional level; and

/or (v) national level.

11. An article of manufacture according to claim 8 wherein the dimension of time information includes one or more of the following:

(i) hourly;

(ii) daily;

(iii) monthly;

(iv) yearly; and

/or (v) multi-year.

12. An article of manufacture according to claim 8 further wherein the computer program is adapted to enable a user to select a view level, a region, a market, or a zip code.

13. An article of manufacture according to claim 8 wherein the computer program is adapted to enable a user to choose a view level and provide a view of the data at a current view level and a sub-view level'"'"'s current status for each information category.

14. A method comprising:

collecting data from at least one set top box (STB) unit, at least one subscriber database, at least one demographic database, at least one content server and at least one Internet-access data source, wherein at least the STB unit or content servers are a component of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network;

processing the data to provide information for geographic viewing levels; and

wherein the information at each geographic viewing level is categorized differently for at least two different types of users of the data.

15. A method according to claim 14 further including processing the information to enable content providers to accomplish one or more queries to retrieve data selected from the group:

information about viewing groups, viewing time, popular TV programs, pay-per-view (PPV), VoD programs (or channels), the size and/or demographic information of viewing groups.

16. A method according to claim 14 further including processing the information to enable advertisers to perform one or more queries to retrieve data selected from the group:

a viewing time period, background information of viewing subscribers, popular programs and channels, viewing group size and locations, popular commercials, and/or effectiveness of past TV commercials.

17. A system comprising:

a data storage device to store data received from a set top box (STB) unit;

a subscriber database;

a demographic database;

one or more content servers, wherein at least the STB unit and at least one content server is a component of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) distribution system; and

a processing system to process the received data to present data for a plurality of geographic viewing levels wherein each level may be categorized differently for at least two different types of users of the data.

18. A system according to claim 17 further wherein the processing system is further adapted to enable content provider type users to retrieve information relating to at least one interest selected from the group:

viewing groups, viewing time, popular TV, pay-per-view (PPV), VoD programs (or channels), size and/or demographic information of viewing groups.

19. A system according to claim 17 further wherein the processing system is further adapted to enable advertiser type users to accomplish one or more actions relating to queries selected from the group:

the viewing time period, background information of the viewers, popular programs and channels, viewing group size and locations, popular commercials, and/or effectiveness of past TV commercials.

20. A system according to claim 17 wherein the geographic viewing levels include one or more of the following levels:

national, regional, city, or ZIP code.