METHODS, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS, AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING TARGETED CONTENT BASED ON USER DATA

• US 20100058382A1
• 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 8,869,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• 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 21/4331 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Targeted content associated with user information stored in a database within a network in communication with a user device is received along with program content. 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 at least one user. This rendering may occur within a network or within a user device.

Claims

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

receiving program content and targeted content, wherein the received targeted content is associated with user information stored in a database within a network in communication with a user device;

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

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 at least one user.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering occurs in the network, and the method further comprises unicasting the rendered program content and the targeted content to multiple user devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering occurs in a user device, and the program content is broadcast to multiple user devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the user information stored in the database within the network with user information stored locally in at least one user device.

7. The method of claim 1, 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.

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 received targeted content received is associated with user information stored in a database within a network in communication with a user device;

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

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 at least one user.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the rendering occurs in the network, and the method further comprises unicasting the rendered program content and the targeted content to multiple user devices.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the rendering occurs in a user devise, and the program content is broadcast to multiple user devices.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the user information stored in the database within the network is updated with user information stored locally in at least one user device.

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 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.

15. An apparatus for providing targeted content, comprising:

an input for receiving program content and targeted content, wherein the received targeted content is associated with user information stored in a database within a network in communication with 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 at least one user.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the rendering module is included in a user device, and the program content is broadcast to multiple user devices.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the rendering module is included in the network, and the rendered program content ad targeted content is unicast to multiple user devices.

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.