TARGETED ADVERTISING

• US 20130091520A1
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Ming
• Granted Patent: US 9,241,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• 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 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/812 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 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A distribution system of programs and ads includes transmitting one or more ad channels to user devices. An ad channel includes ads and ratings that indicate a likelihood of interest of a user for an ad. The ratings are calculated based on ad profiles and user profiles. A user device selects ads to play during an ad insertion period of a program based on the rating.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving ads;

calculating a rating for each ad, wherein the rating indicates a likelihood of interest to a user for an ad;

generating one or more ad channels including the ads and the ratings; and

transmitting the one or more ad channels to a receiving device associated with the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing ad profiles and user profiles, wherein the calculating comprises;

calculating the rating for each ad based on an ad profile and a user profile.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the ad profile includes at least one of a category of an ad or a sub-category of an ad, and the user profile includes demographic data and viewership data pertaining to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating and storing locale profiles, wherein each locale profile is generated based on demographic data and viewership data pertaining to users within a particular geographic region; and

filtering ads based on a locale profile pertaining to a geographic region associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the user based on an identifier associated with the receiving device; and

calculating the rating for each ad based on the identified user, and wherein each of the one or more ad channels including the ads and the ratings includes a consecutive series of rating and ad pairs without a substantial portion of an ad channel including dead content.

6. A method comprising:

receiving one or more ad channels including ads and ratings pertaining to the ads, wherein each rating indicates a likelihood of interest to a user for an ad;

selecting one or more ads based on the one or more ratings;

storing the one or more ads and the one or more ratings;

identifying a cue for an ad insertion;

selecting, in response to the identifying, one or more of the one or more ads stored; and

playing the one or more of the one or more ads selected during an ad insertion time period.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving one or more program channels, wherein the identifying the cue comprises;

identifying the cue based on a signal included in one of the one or more program channels.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein when multiple ad channels are received, the method further comprises:

simultaneously monitoring the ad channels, wherein each ad channel includes a consecutive series of rating and ad pairs without a substantial portion of an ad channel including dead content.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving comprises:

receiving, by a set top box, the one or more ad channels when a television connected to the set top box is turned off.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing one or more user profiles pertaining to one or more users associated with a receiving device that receives the one or more ad channels; and

filtering ads included in the one or more ad channels based on the one or more user profiles.

11. A network device comprising:

a communication interface;

one or more memories that store instructions; and

one or more processors to execute the instructions to;

receive ads via the communication interface;

calculate a rating for each ad, wherein the rating indicates a likelihood of interest to a user for an ad;

generate one or more ad channels having the ads and the ratings; and

transmit the one or more ad channels to a receiving device associated with the user.

12. The network device of claim 11, wherein when calculating, the one or more processors further execute the instructions to:

store ad profiles and user profiles, wherein when calculating, the one or more processors further execute the instructions to;

calculate the rating for each ad based on an ad profile and a user profile.

13. The network device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to:

store locale profiles, wherein each locale profile includes demographic data and viewership data pertaining to users within a particular geographic region; and

filter ads based on a locale profile associated with the user.

14. The network device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to:

identify the user based on an identifier associated with the receiving device; and

wherein when calculating, the one or more processors further execute the instructions to;

calculate the rating for each ad based on the identified user, and wherein each of the one or more ad channels includes a consecutive series of rating and ad pairs without a substantial portion of an ad channel including dead content.

15. The network device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to:

use reinforcement values pertaining to ads transmitted to the user to re-calculate ratings associated with the ads.

16. A device comprising:

a communication interface;

one or more memories that store instructions; and

one or more processors to execute the instructions to;

receive, via the communication interface, one or more ad channels having ads and ratings pertaining to the ads, wherein each rating indicates a likelihood of interest to a user for an ad;

select one or more ads based on the one or more ratings;

store the one or more ads and the one or more ratings;

identify a cue for an ad insertion;

select, in response to the identifying, one or more of the one or more ads stored; and

play the one or more of the one or more ads selected during an ad insertion time period.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein when receiving, the one or more processors further execute instructions to:

receive, via the communication interface, one or more program channels, wherein when identifying the cue, the one or more processors execute the instructions to;

identify the cue based on a signal included in one of the one or more program channels.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein when receiving, the one or more processors further execute instructions to:

receive ad channels; and

simultaneously monitor each ad channel, wherein each ad channel includes a consecutive series of rating and ad pairs without a substantial portion of an ad channel including dead content.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein each ad channel is associated with at least one of an ad category, an ad sub-category, or a user, and wherein when selecting, the one or more processors further execute instructions to:

select the one or more ads based on at least one of the ad category, the ad sub-category, or the user.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors further execute instructions to:

store one or more user profiles pertaining to one or more users associated with a receiving device that receives the one or more ad channels; and

filter ads included in the one or more ad channels based on the one or more user profiles.

21. A non-transitory readable medium storing instructions executable by a device to:

receive one or more ad channels having ads and ratings pertaining to the ads, wherein each rating indicates a likelihood of interest to a user for an ad;

select one or more ads based on the one or more ratings;

store the one or more ads and the one or more ratings;

identify a cue for an ad insertion in relation to a program; and

select, in response to the identifying, one or more of the one or more ads stored to perform the ad insertion.

22. The non-transitory readable medium of claim 21, further storing instructions executable by the device to:

store one or more user profiles pertaining to one or more users associated with the device; and

filter ads included in the one or more ad channels based on the one or more user profiles.