METHODS, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS, AND APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING TARGETED CONTENT BASED ON LOCALLY STORED USER DATA

• US 20100058380A1
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, William, Yu, Ke
• Granted Patent: US 8,869,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/6582 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Targeted content is delivered to and received by at least one user device based on user information stored locally at the user device. Program content and targeted content are received. The targeted content received is associated with user information stored locally on the user device, while the program content is broadcast to multiple users. A determination by a scanning process is made at what position or at what time in the program content to include the targeted content. The program content and the targeted content are rendered, with the targeted content included at the determined position or time in the program content, for presentation to the user.

Claims

1. A method for receiving targeted content, the method comprising:

receiving program content and targeted content, wherein the targeted content received is associated with user information stored locally on a user device;

determining at what position or at what time in the program content to include the targeted content;

rendering the program content and the targeted content, with the targeted content included at the determined position or time in the program content, for presentation to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the targeted content is inserted into or overlaid on the program content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the position in the program content to include the targeted content is determined by identifying a portion of the program content containing advertising content, wherein the advertising content is replaced with the targeted content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at what time to include the targeted content in the program content includes identifying a specific time at which to overlay the content, determining when a program is playing during which to overlay the targeted content, or determining a time period during which to overlay the targeted content.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the program content and the targeted content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the program content is broadcast to multiple users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information includes at least one of demographic information, viewing patterns and interactive program guide data or electronic program guide data, and the targeted content includes at least one of an advertisement, a notice, webpage content, a logo, an offer, and an alert.

8. A computer program product that includes a computer readable medium useable by a processor, the medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform a method including:

receiving program content and targeted content, wherein the targeted content received is associated with user information stored locally on a user device;

determining at what position or at what time during the program content to include the targeted content; and

rendering the program content and targeted content, with the targeted content included at the determined position or time in the program content, for presentation to the user.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the targeted content is inserted into overlaid on the program content

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the position in the program content to overlay the targeted content is determined by identifying a portion of the program content containing advertising content, wherein the advertising content is replaced with the targeted content.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein determining at what time to overlay the targeted content on the program content includes identifying a specific time at which to overlay the content, determining when a program is playing during which to overlay the targeted content, or determining a time period during which to overlay the targeted content.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the processor further stores the program content and the targeted content.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the program content is broadcast to multiple users.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the user information includes at least one of demographic information, viewing patterns and interactive program guide data, electronic program guide data, and the targeted content includes at least one of an advertisement, a notice, webpage content, a logo, an offer, and an alert.

15. An apparatus for receiving targeted content, comprising:

an input for receiving program content and targeted content, wherein the targeted content received is associated with user information stored locally on a user device; and

a rendering module for determining at what position or at what time in the program content to include the targeted content and rendering the program content and targeted content, with the targeted content included at the determined position or time in the program content, for presentation to the user.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the targeted content is inserted into the program content or overlaid on the program content.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the position in the program content to include the targeted content is determined by identifying a portion of the program content containing advertising content, wherein the advertising content is replaced with the targeted content.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein determining at what time to include the targeted content in the program content includes identifying a specific time at which to overlay the content, determining when a program is playing during which to overlay the targeted content, or determining a time period during which to overlay the targeted content.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the program content is broadcast to multiple users.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the user information includes at least one of demographic information, viewing patterns and interactive program guide data, electronic program guide data, and the targeted content includes at least one of an advertisement, a notice, webpage content, a logo, an offer, and an alert.