SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SUPERVISED LEARNING TO ASSOCIATE PROFILES IN VIDEO AUDIENCES

• US 20090055858A1
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ads-Vantage
• Original Assignee: Ads-Vantage
• Inventors: Paker, Alex, Litvak-Hinenzon, Anna, Knoller, Raviv, Cohen, Reuven
• Granted Patent: US 8,930,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for providing supervised learning to associate profiles in video audiences is provided. The method includes: receiving data providing an association of consumer profiles and video decoders to households within a network; recording zapping events (patterns) created by consumers; and associating zapping patterns of consumers with households. The step of associating further includes: collecting external data and converting a format of the external data into an internal format; converting zapping logs into different data models that can be used to provide set top box signatures; providing the set top box signatures; using the set top box signatures with a list of set top boxes and profiles to provide an association rule; and applying the association rule to the set top box signatures to determine a list of profiles of the consumer profiles associated with a specific set top box of the set top boxes.

Claims

1. A method of performing supervised learning to associate consumer profiles in video audiences, comprising the steps of:

receiving data providing an association of consumer profiles and video decoders to households within a network;

recording zapping events created by consumers, also referred to as the zapping patterns of the consumers; and

associating said zapping patterns of said consumers with households.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said data is provided by performing the steps of providing questionnaires to consumers and receiving at least some of said questionnaires filled out by said consumers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said zapping events include events where there is a switching from a current service to another service and/or other means for communicating with said video decoder.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said video decoders are set top boxes.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of associating said zapping patterns of said consumers with households further comprises the steps of:

collecting external data and converting a format of said external data into an internal format;

converting zapping logs into different data models that can be used to provide set top box signatures providing said set top box signatures;

using said set top box signatures with a list of set top boxes and profiles to provide an association rule; and

applying said association rule to said set top box signatures to determine a list of profiles of said consumer profiles associated with a specific set top box of said set top boxes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said external data is selected from the group consisting of a zapping log, a broadcast schedule, set top box information, and sample information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said data is provided by performing the steps of providing questionnaires to consumers and receiving at least some of said questionnaires filled out by said consumers.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of, for any households that did not fill out the questionnaire, using identification functionality to associate set top boxes to remaining consumer profiles, that were not associated via use of said association rule.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a targeted rating of a program per consumer profile.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a total viewership.

11. A system for providing supervised learning to associate consumer profiles in video audiences, wherein the system comprises a head end having a computer and means for communicating therein, wherein the computer has a management application stored therein, and wherein the management application further comprises:

logic configured to receive data providing an association of consumer profiles and video decoders to households within a network; and

logic configured to associate zapping patterns of consumers with households.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said management application further comprises:

logic configured to convert a format of external data into an internal format;

logic configured to convert zapping logs into different data models that can be used to provide set top box signatures;

logic configured to provide said set top box signatures;

logic configured to use said set top box signatures with a list of set top boxes and profiles to provide an association rule; and

logic configured to apply said association rule to said set top box signatures to determine a list of profiles of said consumer profiles associated with a specific set top box of said set top boxes.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said head end is selected from the group consisting of an internet protocol television head end, a cable head end, a satellite head end, and a terrestrial head end.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said means for communicating is selected from the group consisting of an access network multiplexer, a radio frequency interface, and a radio frequency modulation interface.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said zapping patterns include events where there is a switching from a current service to another service and/or other means for communicating with said set top box.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said external data is selected from the group consisting of a zapping log, a broadcast schedule, set top box information, and sample information.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said management application further comprises logic configured to determine a targeted rating of a program per consumer profile.

18. A system for performing supervised learning to associate consumer profiles in video audiences, comprising:

means for receiving data providing an association of consumer profiles and video decoders to households within a network;

means for recording zapping events created by consumers, also referred to as the zapping patterns of the consumers; and

means for associating said zapping patterns of said consumers with households.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said video decoders are set top boxes.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for collecting external data and converting a format of said external data into an internal format;

means for converting zapping logs into different data models that can be used to provide set top box signatures;

means for providing said set top box signatures;

means for using said set top box signatures with a list of set top boxes and profiles to provide an association rule; and

means for applying said association rule to said set top box signatures to determine a list of profiles of said consumer profiles associated with a specific set top box of said set top boxes.