PAUSE-BASED ADVERTISING METHODS AND SYSTEMS

• US 20110126102A1
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Archer, Don G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,167,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

An exemplary method includes monitoring an interaction of a user with a media content access subsystem, receiving a command input by the user to pause a media content instance being presented by the media content access subsystem, and dynamically selecting at least one advertisement in accordance with the monitored interaction for presentation to the user by the media content access subsystem while the media content instance is paused. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring an interaction of a user with a media content access subsystem;

receiving a command input by the user to pause a media content instance being presented by the media content access subsystem; and

dynamically selecting at least one advertisement in accordance with the monitored interaction for presentation to the user by the media content access subsystem while the media content instance is paused.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the monitoring while the media content instance is paused.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the monitoring for a predetermined period of time immediately prior to the receiving of the command to pause the media content instance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises detecting a movement of the user within a monitoring zone associated with the media content access subsystem while the media content instance is paused.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the dynamically selecting comprises selecting the at least one advertisement to include at least one audio-based advertisement if the detected movement of the user indicates that the user has moved outside of the monitoring zone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises detecting a handling of a remote control device associated with the media content access subsystem.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the dynamically selecting comprises selecting the at least one advertisement to include at least one audio-based advertisement if the detected handling indicates that the user is not handling the remote control device and selecting the at least one advertisement to include at least one visual-based advertisement if the detected handling indicates that the user is handling the remote control device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises detecting an ambient sound level within a monitoring zone associated with the media content access subsystem.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the dynamically selecting comprises selecting the at least one advertisement to include at least one visual-based advertisement if the detected ambient sound level is higher than a predetermined threshold level and selecting the at least one advertisement to include at least one audible advertisement if the detected ambient sound level is lower than the predetermined threshold level.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises detecting a presence of one or more objects within a monitoring zone associated with the media content access subsystem, and wherein the dynamically selecting comprises selecting the at least one advertisement to include at least one advertisement associated with the one or more objects.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises detecting a number of commands input by the user to change a channel associated with the media content access subsystem during a predetermined period of time immediately prior to the receiving of the command to pause the media content instance.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the dynamically selecting comprises selecting the at least one advertisement to include at least one advertisement having a duration less than or equal to a predetermined threshold duration if the detected number of commands is greater than a predetermined threshold number.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises detecting a trick play pattern during a predetermined period of time immediately prior to the receiving of the command to pause the media content instance.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining an interaction profile associated with the user based on the monitored interaction;

wherein the dynamically selecting is further performed in accordance with the interaction profile.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically selecting at least one additional advertisement in accordance with the monitored interaction for presentation to the user by the media content access subsystem after presentation of the media content instance is resumed.

16. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one tangible computer-readable medium.

17. A system comprising:

a monitoring facility configured to monitor an interaction of a user with a media content access device;

a digital video recording facility configured to receive and execute a command input by the user to pause a media content instance being presented by the media content access subsystem; and

an advertisement facility configured to dynamically select at least one advertisement in accordance with the monitored interaction for presentation to the user by the media content access subsystem while the media content instance is paused.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the monitoring facility is configured to monitor the interaction of the user with the media content access device while the media content instance is paused.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the monitoring facility is configured to monitor the interaction of the user with the media content access device for a predetermined period of time immediately prior to the digital video recording facility receiving the command to pause the media content instance.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the advertisement facility is further configured to dynamically select at least one additional advertisement in accordance with the monitored interaction for presentation to the user after presentation of the media content instance is resumed.

21. A system comprising:

a media content access device configured to present a media content instance on a display; and

at least one sensor communicatively coupled to the media content access device and configured to monitor an interaction of a user with the media content access device;

wherein the media content access device is further configured to

receive and execute a command input by the user to pause the media content instance, and

present at least one advertisement selected in accordance with the monitored interaction to the user while the media content instance is paused.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to monitor the interaction of the user with the media content access device while the media content instance is paused.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to monitor the interaction of the user with the media content access device for a predetermined period of time immediately prior to the media content access device receiving the command to pause the media content instance.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the media content access device is further configured to present at least one additional advertisement selected in accordance with the monitored interaction to the user after presentation of the media content instance is resumed.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a video camera, a microphone, a motion detector, and an accelerometer.