Advertising and content management systems and methods

• US 20110178877A1
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swix, Scott R., Matz, William R.
• Application Number:
  US10/020,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20110178877A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.69
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A method for advertising management is disclosed in which a new pricing methodology is employed whereby advertising and content categorized may be overridden by an advertiser desiring to pay a premium. The method involves an advertiser, desiring to override a scheduled advertisement, contacting a network provider and replacing the scheduled advertisement if a series of checkpoints are satisfied. The method further includes making replacement decisions based upon marketing tools such as programming ratings collection and analysis systems. A system for replacing a scheduled advertisement using an interactive server operable for managing advertisements, receiving and responding to requests, storing data, and inserting advertisements into a schedule based on the new pricing methodology is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An advertisement management method, comprising:

receiving programming content delivered as a scheduled lineup having a scheduled advertisement inserted into a future advertisement time slot, the scheduled lineup broadcasted in the future from a server to a subscriber'"'"'s equipment;

categorizing the scheduled advertisement as overrideable or non-overrideable, the overrideable categorization allowing the scheduled advertisement to be replaced with a different advertisement, and the non-overrideable categorization not allowing replacement of the scheduled advertisement in the scheduled lineup, such that the scheduled advertisement is broadcasted to the subscriber'"'"'s equipment;

receiving a web-based form at the server comprising a request from an advertiser to replace the scheduled advertisement in the scheduled lineup with the different advertisement and a financial premium that the advertiser will pay to replace the scheduled advertisement with the different advertisement;

when the scheduled advertisement is categorized as overridable;

determining the scheduled advertisement and the different advertisement are equal in time length;

determining that the different advertisement has been recorded in a compatible format with the scheduled advertisement;

searching to determine a time of broadcast of a previous advertisement relating to a same type of product as the different advertisement;

when the previous advertisement was broadcast within two hours, then declining to replace the scheduled advertisement with the different advertisement;

accepting the financial premium from the advertiser;

replacing the scheduled advertisement in the scheduled lineup with the different advertisement when the scheduled advertisement and the different advertisement are equal in time length, such that the different advertisement is inserted into the scheduled lineup;

broadcasting the scheduled lineup from the server to the subscriber'"'"'s equipment with the different advertisement replacing the scheduled advertisement in the scheduled lineup;

when the scheduled advertisement is categorized as non-overridable;

declining the financial premium from the advertiser;

declining to replace the scheduled advertisement in the scheduled lineup with the different advertisement; and

broadcasting the scheduled advertisement in the scheduled lineup to the subscriber'"'"'s equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising pricing the overrideable advertisement time slot at a lower cost than the non-overrideable advertisement time slot.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing data regarding viewing habits that distinguishes more-valuable viewers from less-valuable viewers.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising matching advertisements with the more-valuable viewers and with the less-valuable viewers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of broadcasting the scheduled lineup as a television broadcast, broadcasting the scheduled lineup as a radio broadcast, and broadcasting the scheduled lineup over a network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a log of events viewed by potential consumers.

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17. A system for managing advertisement programming, comprising:

an interactive server communicating with a database, the interactive server;

receiving programming content delivered as a scheduled lineup having a scheduled advertisement inserted into a future advertisement time slot, the scheduled lineup to be broadcasted in the future from the interactive server to a subscriber'"'"'s equipment;

categorizing the scheduled advertisement as at least one of overrideable and non-overrideable, an overrideable categorization allowing the scheduled advertisement to be replaced in the scheduled lineup with a different advertisement, and a non-overrideable categorization not allowing replacement of the scheduled advertisement and allowing the scheduled advertisement to be broadcast as scheduled;

receiving a web-based form at the interactive server, the web-based form comprising a request from an advertiser to replace the scheduled advertisement with the different advertisement and a financial premium that the advertiser will pay to replace the scheduled advertisement with the different advertisement;

when the scheduled advertisement is categorized as overridable;

determining whether the scheduled advertisement and the different advertisement are equal in time length;

determining that the different advertisement has been recorded in a compatible format with the scheduled lineup advertisement;

searching to determine a time of broadcast of a previous advertisement relating to a same type of product as the different advertisement;

when the previous advertisement was broadcast within two hours, then declining to replace the scheduled advertisement with the different advertisement;

accepting the financial premium from the advertiser;

replacing the scheduled advertisement in the scheduled lineup with the different advertisement when the scheduled advertisement and the different advertisement are equal in time length such that the different advertisement is inserted into the scheduled lineup;

broadcasting the scheduled lineup from the interactive server to the subscriber'"'"'s equipment with the different advertisement replacing the scheduled advertisement;

when the scheduled advertisement is categorized as non-overridable;

declining the financial premium from the advertiser;

declining to replace the scheduled advertisement in the scheduled lineup with the different advertisement; and

broadcasting the scheduled advertisement in the scheduled lineup to the subscriber'"'"'s equipment.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the interactive server pre-categorizes the scheduled advertisement time slot.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a pricing scheme stored in the database that prices the overrideable categorization at a lower cost than the non-overrideable categorization.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the interactive server provides data regarding viewing habits that distinguishes more-valuable viewers from less-valuable viewers.

21. A method, comprising:

receiving programming content at an interactive server delivered as a scheduled lineup having scheduled advertisement inserted into a future advertisement time slot, the scheduled lineup scheduled to be broadcast in the future to a subscriber'"'"'s equipment;

receiving advertisements from the advertisers and storing the advertisements in memory of the server;

categorizing each of the advertisements as at least one of overrideable and non-overrideable, an overrideable categorization allowing an advertisement to be replaced in the scheduled lineup with a different advertisement upon payment of a financial premium, and a non-overrideable categorization not allowing replacement of the scheduled advertisement in the scheduled lineup;

receiving an advertiser'"'"'s request to replace the scheduled advertisement with the different advertisement and the financial premium that the advertiser will pay to replace the scheduled advertisement with the different advertisement;

determining the scheduled advertisement is categorized as overrideable;

replacing the scheduled advertisement in the scheduled lineup with the different advertisement such that the different advertisement is inserted into the scheduled lineup; and

broadcasting the scheduled lineup from the interactive server to the subscriber'"'"'s equipment with the different advertisement replacing the scheduled advertisement in the scheduled lineup.