AD SELECTION BASED ON PROMOTIONAL COUPON REDEMPTION

• US 20110197221A1
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Rouse, Alan, Dasher, Charles
• Application Number:
  US12/704,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20110197221A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• 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 21/2668 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 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A cable service provider system provides a subscriber of a cable system access to a program in response to the subscriber entering a coupon code, where the program would otherwise not be viewable, or a discount is provided for viewing the program. The cable system can use the coupon code to then select an advertisement to stream with the program, where the ad is associated with a merchant distributing the coupons. The subscriber provides the coupon code to the cable service provider when selecting a video-on demand program, allowing the subscriber to either receive a discount on a pay-per-view movie, or accessing a program that otherwise would not be accessible. The coupon code can be associated with data identifying the merchant and purchasing history of the viewer, and an Ad Selection system uses that data to select an ad.

Claims

1. A system for selecting an advertisement to stream with a selected video program by a video service provider to a viewer, said system comprising:

a) an ad selection system comprising;

a first processor configured to perform the steps of;

i) receive a request for one or more advertisements to be provided to said viewer, said request comprising a coupon code identifier, wherein said coupon code identifier is received from a distribution network connected to a customer premise video processing equipment operated by said viewer,

ii) use a merchant identifier associated with said coupon code identifier to select said advertisement from among a plurality of advertisements,

iii) generate a playlist comprising a first digital video file identifier identifying said advertisement, and

iv) transmit said playlist;

b) a video delivery server comprising;

a second processor configured to receive said playlist, and cause said advertisement and said selected video program to be streamed to said viewer; and

c) a database storing said advertisement as a first digital video file and said selected video program as a second digital video file, said database configured to stream said advertisement and said video program to said viewer.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a coupon system, wherein said first processor is configured to query said coupon system to determine said merchant identifier.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said first processor is configured to further use CPRI data to select said advertisement from among said plurality of advertisements.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein CPRI data includes a product related identifier, and wherein said first processor is configured to use said product related identifier to select said advertisement.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said first processor is configured to generate said playlist comprising said first digital video file identifier as a pre-roll advertisement and a second digital video file identifier as a mid-roll advertisement.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a coupon system comprising;

a coupon system processor configured to perform the steps of;

i) receive said coupon code identifier,

ii) retrieve a coupon record in a coupon file, said coupon record comprising said CPRI,

iii) provide at least a subset of said CPRI or data derived therefrom to said ad selection system; and

a second database comprising said coupon file, further comprising a plurality of coupon records.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said coupon system is capable of receiving CPRI data provided from a merchant system.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said first processor is configured to use said coupon code to identify a coupon record in a coupon file, and retrieve a couponee identifier, wherein said first processor is configured to use said couponee identifier in selecting said advertisement.

9. A method for a video service provider to stream an advertisement and a selected video program to a viewer of a video service provider comprising the steps of:

receiving a coupon code transmitted to said video service provider, said coupon code entered by said viewer for redemption in conjunction with viewing said selected video program;

accessing a coupon record in a coupon file, said coupon record comprising said coupon code and a merchant identifier;

using said merchant identifier by a processor in an ad selection system to generate a playlist comprising at least one video file identifier associated with said advertisement;

transmitting said playlist from said processor to a video delivery server;

streaming said advertisement over a video distribution network followed by said selected video program by said video delivery server to said viewer.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said processor selects said advertisement from a plurality of advertisements, wherein said advertisement is associated with said merchant identifier.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said coupon record comprises Customer Purchasing Related Information (“

CPRI”

) data, and said processor selects said advertisement from a plurality of advertisements further using CPRI data wherein said CPRI data comprises product related data.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said coupon file is stored in a coupon system comprising a first database storing a plurality of coupon records, and further comprising a video delivery server comprising a second database storing a plurality of video files comprising said advertisement and said selected video program.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said coupon file further comprises an expiration date in said coupon record, and a second processor determines that said coupon can be redeemed based on said expiration date having not yet occurred.

13. The method of 12 further comprising the steps of:

receiving by said processor a query from said video delivery server for said playlist;

initiating a query from said processor to said coupon system, said query comprising said coupon code; and

receiving at least one of said merchant identifier or said CPRI data from said coupon system.

15. A computer readable medium comprising instructions causing a processor to perform the steps of:

i) receive a request from a video delivery server for a playlist comprising one or more advertisements to be provided to said viewer in conjunction with a viewer selected video on demand program, wherein said request further comprises a coupon code;

ii) initiate a query to a memory store comprising a coupon file wherein said coupon file comprises a plurality of coupon records, wherein each coupon record is indexed by a coupon identifier number;

iii) receive a merchant identifier in response to said query, wherein said merchant identifier is stored in a coupon record indexed by said coupon code;

iv) select a first advertisement video file identifier to include on said playlist wherein said first advertisement video file identifier identifies an advertisement associated with a merchant identified by said merchant identifier; and

v) transmit in response to said request said playlist comprising said first advertisement video file identifier.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 further comprising the step of:

receiving CPRI data along with said merchant identifier in response to said query, wherein said first advertisement video file identifier is selected based on, in part, using said CPRI data.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein selecting said first advertisement video file identifier comprises selecting a first video file identifier as a pre-roll ad and selecting a second video file identifier as a mid-roll ad, and said playlist comprises said first video file identifier and a second video file identifier.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the CPRI data comprises product related information.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said coupon record comprises an expiration date data, and further comprising the step of determining said coupon can be redeemed based on said expiration date not yet having occurred.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the step of selecting a first advertisement video file identifier is based on couponee information.