METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR TARGETED SECONDARY CONTENT INSERTION

• US 20110016479A1
• Filed: 07/15/2009
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Samame, Eduardo G., Santangelo, Bryan, Tidwell, Justin
• Granted Patent: US 8,813,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/103 Transmitter-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• 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 21/26241 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 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for identification and insertion of content targeted to a particular audience within a content-based network, such as a cable television or satellite network. In one embodiment of the invention, audience qualities are identified and distributed to an advertisement decision maker, which uses the information to fulfill advertisement placement opportunities. Qualifiers about an existing or projected audience are classified utilizing an algorithm for qualifier weight and variance in order to determine the proximity any given qualifier may be to a target audience for an advertisement. Subscriber privacy and anonymity is also optionally maintained via e.g., hashing or encrypting data relating to the CPE and/or subscriber, thus ensuring that audience data is not traceable to a specific user account. Business methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. Content management apparatus for use within a content delivery network, the apparatus comprising:

an advertising subsystem having an advertising content store, said advertising subsystem being configured to store a plurality of advertisements having descriptive information associated therewith, and to identify at least one advertising placement opportunity in delivered content;

a data collection subsystem;

a processing subsystem in data communication with the collection subsystem; and

a data storage subsystem in data communication with said processing subsystem;

wherein said data collection subsystem is configured to gather data related to an audience associated with said placement opportunity; and

wherein said processing subsystem is adapted to utilize said descriptive information relating to said plurality of advertisements and said gathered data to selectively identify ones of said advertisements that are best suited for placement within said opportunity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data related to an audience comprises individual user data, and said individual user data is stored in said data storage subsystem based on at least one respective anonymous identifier.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said at least one anonymous identifier comprises a cryptographic hash of at least one of (i) a MAC address associated with a CPE of a user;

and (ii) a tuner-related variable.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of advertisements comprises advertisements from various different advertisers who have been pre-qualified by an operator of said content management apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said descriptive information comprises a plurality of weighted attributes relating to a desired or target audience of the advertisement with which said descriptive information is associated.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said content delivery network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) network, at least a portion of said advertisements being sent to said store via said IP network.

7. A method of providing targeted advertisements in a content-based network, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality advertisement segments, each one of said plurality of advertisement segments further comprising information descriptive of a target audience thereof;

identifying at least one opportunity for insertion of at least one of said plurality of advertisement segments into a content stream;

characterizing an audience associated with said at least one opportunity;

determining a relationship between said at least one opportunity and said plurality of advertisement segments based at least in part on said information and said characterization of said audience;

selecting for said at least one opportunity at least one of said plurality of advertisement segments; and

inserting said selected at least one advertisement segment at said at least one opportunity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said information comprises a plurality of aspects, each aspect having a weighted value and range of allowable variation associated therewith.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said aspects comprise one or more of psychographic, demographic, and behavioral aspects.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said characterization of said audience comprises characterization according to one or more of psychographic, demographic, and behavioral attributes.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said act of selecting is based at least in part on one or more factors regarding revenue or profit associated with ones of said advertisements.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one opportunity comprises at least one insertion opportunities in a DVR or nPVR presentation of primary content.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one opportunity comprises at least one insertion opportunities in an electronic programming guide (EPG) or telephony user interface.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one opportunity comprises an opportunity for display within only a portion of a display area on a display device displaying a linear broadcast presentation of primary content.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one opportunity comprises at least one insertion opportunities in a VoD presentation of primary content.

16. Computer readable apparatus comprising media adapted to contain a computer program having a plurality of instructions which, when executed:

obtain a request for insertion of an advertisement segment, said request comprising a plurality of attributes;

access a plurality available advertisement segments, said plurality of available advertisement segments each comprising information relating to a respective target audience;

determine a similarity of said plurality of attributes of said request to respective ones of said target audiences of said plurality of available advertisement segments; and

provide at least one of said available advertisement segments having a predetermined threshold of similarity to said plurality of attributes of said request.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said information comprises a profile with a plurality of aspects which correlate to at least some of said plurality of aspects of said request.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said plurality of aspects of said profile each have a mathematical weighing factor assigned thereto, and said review further comprises applying said weighing factors to respective ones of said plurality of aspects for each of said available advertisement segments.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said application of said weighting factor to said plurality of characteristics further comprises permitting a prescribed level of variance.

20. An apparatus for selecting one of a plurality of secondary content for targeted insertion thereof into primary content, said apparatus comprising:

a storage apparatus;

a first interface capable of receiving at least information regarding said plurality of secondary content, said information being stored at said storage apparatus;

a second interface capable of receiving a request for secondary content at an insertion opportunity, said request comprising at least information regarding an audience of said insertion opportunity; and

a processor, said processor being adapted to run at least one computer program which is configured to when executed;

determine a level of similarity of individual ones of said plurality of secondary content to said information regarding said audience at said insertion opportunity; and

select one of said plurality of secondary content based at least in part on said determination.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a third interface adapted to provide information regarding said selected one of said plurality of secondary content to an entity adapted to provide said selected one of said plurality of secondary content to an initiator of said request.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said secondary content comprises advertising or promotional content.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said secondary content comprises an info-mercial that is contextually associated with said primary content.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said information regarding said plurality of secondary content further comprises information regarding one or more restrictions to the selection of said content, and said selection occurs taking into account said one or more restrictions.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein at least one of said one or more restrictions comprises restricting said secondary content to only requests for secondary content to be displayed according to certain ones of a plurality of delivery platforms.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein at least one of said one or more restrictions comprises restricting said secondary content according to a billing scheme.

27. A method of doing business in a content-based network, comprising:

receiving a request for at least one programming segment at a placement opportunity;

determining one or more characteristics of said placement opportunity;

selecting at least one of a plurality of programming segments for insertion at said placement opportunity, said selection being based at least in part on one or more characteristics of said placement opportunity;

inserting said selected at least one of said plurality of programming segments at said placement opportunity; and

receiving consideration from an entity associated with said selected at least one programming segment based at least in part on said inserting.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising receiving one or more characteristics of said plurality of programming segments, said one or more characteristics corresponding to said one or more characteristics of said placement opportunity.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said act of selecting further comprises:

comparing said one or more characteristics of said placement opportunity with said one or more characteristics of said plurality of programming segments; and

identifying individual ones of said plurality of programming segments having a threshold level of similarity to said placement opportunity.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein each one of said one or more characteristics of said plurality of segments is assigned a weighted value and variance, said weighted value and variance being utilized in said act of comparing.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said selected at least one of said plurality of programming segments comprises selection of a programming segment having a highest level of similarity to said placement opportunity.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said selected at least one of said plurality of programming segments comprises selection of a programming segment based at least in part on one or more revenue or profit considerations.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein said plurality of programming segments comprise available advertisements.