Targeted content delivery system in an interactive television network

• US 20090210901A1
• Filed: 01/26/2009
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Laszlo Borsy, William J. Hawkins
• Original Assignee: Laszlo Borsy, William J. Hawkins
• Inventors: Borsy, Laszlo, Hawkins, William J.
• Application Number:
  US12/321,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20090210901A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• 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 21/25891 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 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• 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 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

An “opt-in” based system for displaying targeted content (e.g., advertisements) to a viewer is described. Viewer profiles and content profiles are automatically generated from forms filled out by viewers and content providers, respectively. In a preferred client-based embodiment, content that best matches a viewer profile is downloaded from a server and stored on the corresponding viewer'"'"'s set top box. When a trigger signifying a content-insertion break (e.g., a commercial break) is detected, locally stored targeted content is selected and displayed to the viewer via the set top box. In a preferred server-based embodiment, content that best matches a viewer profile is embedded in program content and sent to a viewing unit for display to the viewer.

Claims

1-39. -39. (canceled)

40. An interactive opt-in viewing unit for targeting advertisements to a viewer based on information provided by the viewer comprising:

means for receiving a viewer profile from the viewer generated by the viewer in response to one or more questions;

means for receiving program content and advertisements;

means for storing received program content, advertisements ,and said viewer profile;

means for determining a match between said received program content and said advertisements based on the viewer generated profile in response to one or more questions; and

means for selecting an advertisement to be displayed to the viewer based on said match whereby the viewer has at least some control over the advertisement displayed to the viewer.

41. The viewing unit of claim 40 wherein said selecting means includes a trigger embedded in said program content.

42. The viewing unit of claim 40 further comprising

means for storing a play-length and a P-value for one of said advertisements.