ZONE CONTROL METHODS AND APPARATUS

• US 20140317657A1
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stern, Peter, Gould, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 10,863,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing control over targeted secondary content based on a zone associated with a user. In one exemplary embodiment, a user request for primary content from a non-legacy device results in the delivery of the same secondary content which would have been provided had the request been generated at a legacy device (so-called “zone preservation”). To accomplish this, the devices are associated with a user'"'"'s zone at a zone preservation server in communication with the server providing content to the devices. The zone preservation server associates each user with an advertisement zone identifier, and utilizes the identifier to direct the delivery of primary and secondary content. In another embodiment, a prescribed rule set for one or more zones is employed, such as where certain types of advertisements or secondary content are inserted given a particular device or user context.

Claims

1-45. -45. (canceled)

46. A method of operating a network, comprising:

receiving a preference regarding advertising;

creating a rule based on said preference; and

causing said rule to be implemented with respect to requests for primary content that are received via one or more IP-enabled devices associated to a user that are located at a location different than a location of a premises of said user.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said preference comprises a use context, and said implementation of said rule comprises:

determining that said use context is applicable to a request for primary content;

inserting advertising appropriate to said use context into said primary content; and

delivering said primary content and said inserted advertising to said IP-enabled device.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said use context comprises a work or office context, and said advertising comprises work or office-related advertising.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein said act of determining that said use context is applicable to a request for primary content comprises:

determining a location of said IP-enabled device; and

determining that said location corresponds to said use context.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein said act of delivering of said primary content and said inserted advertising comprises accessing from a storage entity a plurality of segments associated to said primary content, and creating a single stream of content comprising individual ones of said plurality of segments having said advertising inserted therebetween.

51. The method of claim 46, wherein said preference comprises adherence to a time-based requirement associated with said advertising.

52. The method of claim 46, wherein said rule comprises inserting advertising appropriate to a context of said primary content when it is determined that an account associated to said user meets a minimum threshold requirement.

53. An apparatus configured to operate in a network, comprising:

an interface in communication with a mobile user device;

a storage apparatus; and

a processor configured to execute at least one computer program thereon, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed;

receive a request for primary content from a mobile user device;

identify a user associated to said mobile user device;

identify a zone associated to said user; and

cause one or more of a plurality of secondary content elements to be inserted into said requested primary content for delivery to said mobile user device based at least in part on a rule for the insertion thereof;

wherein said rule comprises selection of said one or more secondary content elements selected from among said plurality based at least in part on;

a correspondence of said one or more secondary content elements to said identified zone associated to said user; and

a time-based qualification associated to said one or more secondary content elements.

54. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein said mobile user device comprises an IP-enabled device, and said request for said primary content is received from said mobile device from a geographic location outside a geographic location of said zone associated to said user.

55. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein said time-based qualification comprises an expiration date of said one or more secondary content elements.

56. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein said primary content is stored as a plurality of segments, and said delivery of said plurality of segments to said mobile user device comprises creation of a single stream comprising said segments having said one or more secondary content elements inserted therebetween.

57. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed:

identify a subscription level of said user; and

when said subscription level does not meet a criterion, insert one or more of a plurality of secondary content elements into said requested primary content for delivery to said mobile user device irrespective of said rule for the insertion thereof.

58. Network apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a storage device in data communication with said processor; and

at least one computer program configured to run on said processor and stored in said storage device, said at least one program comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed;

receive a request for primary content originated from a user, said request comprising at least an address, and said primary content comprising a plurality of content segments;

identify individual ones of a plurality of secondary content based on a secondary content zone of said user; and

cause individual ones of said plurality of content segments of said primary content to have said individual ones of said plurality of secondary content inserted therebetween;

wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to;

when said request originated from a legacy device of said user, base said secondary content zone on said address associated with said legacy device; and

when said request originated from an IP-enabled non-legacy device of said user, utilize a secondary content zone associated with said legacy device.

59. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein said apparatus comprises an on-demand server of a content distribution network.

60. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to encapsulate said primary content and individual ones of said plurality of secondary content according to an Internet Protocol (IP) scheme for delivery to said IP-enabled non-legacy device.

61. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein said identification of said individual ones of said plurality of secondary content is further based on an expiration date thereof.

62. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein said identification of said individual ones of said plurality of secondary content is further based on a subscription level of said user.

63. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein when said request originated from a legacy device of said user, said secondary content zone being further associated to a broadcast switched architecture service group to which said legacy device is associated.

64. Network server apparatus, comprising:

a first interface configured to receive a request from at least one of a plurality of user devices associated with said network, said request comprising at least user identification information;

a storage entity configured to store a plurality of records thereon, said plurality of records configured to indicate at least one secondary content zone applicable to individual ones of a plurality of device indicators;

a digital processor, said processor configured to run at least one computer program thereon, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed;

forward said user identification information to a network entity configured to provide a device indicator;

receive said device indicator; and

compare said device indicator to said plurality of records to identify at least one secondary content zone associated therewith; and

a second interface configured to pass data related to said at least one secondary content zone to a content server, said content server configured to provide content to at least said at least one user device.

65. The server apparatus of claim 64, wherein said secondary content zone is further aligned to a service group associated with a geographic area in which said at least one device is located)

66. The sever apparatus of claim 64, wherein said plurality of device indicators comprise a plurality of edge quadrature amplitude modulation (eQAM) identifiers, and said network entity comprises a network controller entity configured to provide an eQAM identifier.

67. The server apparatus of claim 64, wherein said plurality of device indicators comprise a plurality of billing address identifiers, and said network entity comprises a billing entity configured to provide a billing address identifier.

68. The server apparatus of claim 64, wherein said content server comprises a video on-demand (VOD) server.

69. The server apparatus of claim 64, wherein said second interface is further configured to pass data related to an expiration date of individual ones of a plurality of secondary content, a selection of said individual ones of said plurality of secondary content for insertion into said primary content being based at least on said expiration date thereof.

70. The server apparatus of claim 64, wherein said second interface is farther configured to pass data related to a subscription level of said user, a selection of individual ones of a plurality of secondary content for insertion into said primary content being based at least in part on said subscription level.

71. The server apparatus of claim 64, wherein said primary content is stored at said content server as a plurality of segments, and said delivery thereof to said one user device comprises creation of a single stream comprising said segments having one or more secondary content elements inserted therebetween.