DIGITAL CONTENT AUDIENCE MATCHING AND TARGETING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20160094894A1
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Macwan, Sanjay, Inayatullah, Azfar, Gottipati, Sowmya
• Granted Patent: US 10,834,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/103 Transmitter-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• 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 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

Digital content is indexed and available to be provided to a target audience based upon possible interest. Components and/or sensors detect audience-related data indicative of the target audience, possible audience interest, audience behavior, and other audience-related factors. Components and/or sensors detect device-related data indicative of available devices to which available content may be sent, transmission paths for the content, and related factors. An analysis and matching engine matches the available content to the target audience and one or more of the devices and selects content, devices, and transmission paths for directing the selected content for an enhanced audience experience.

Claims

1. A method for providing digital content to a target audience, comprising:

monitoring audience-related data indicative of a specific target audience as an indication of potential interests of the target audience;

monitoring device-related data indicative of a content playback device available to the target audience, the device-related data being collected with respect to a plurality of different device available to the target audience;

referencing content-related data related to available content;

determining whether any element of available content matches the target audience based upon the audience-related data and the device-related data;

prioritizing a particular one of the plurality of different devices available to the target audiences based upon the content-related data, the audience-related data, the device-related data, or any combination thereof; and

providing, at the prioritized particular one of the plurality of different devices, a selected element of the available content based upon a match of the content-related data and upon the audience-related data and the device-related data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the audience-related data comprises historical and/or background data about the target audience stored by a content provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the audience-related data comprises data collected from one or more components and/or sensors present where the audience is located.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the audience-related data comprises data indicative of behavior of the target audience current at the time the matching and providing steps are performed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the audience-related data or the device-related data comprises data indicative of proximity of the target audience to a specific playback device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device-related data comprises data indicative of a transmission path for transmission of content to a specific audience playback device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the audience-related data or the device-related data comprises data indicative of whether the target audience is currently using a specific playback device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content-related data comprises indexed data derived from the available content or metadata associated with the available content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected element of the available content is provided to the same device as base content then being experienced by the target audience.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected element of the available content is provided to a different device from a device on which base content is being experienced by the target audience.

11. A processing system for providing digital content to a target audience, comprising:

a processor, configured to;

receive audience-related data indicative of a specific target audience as an indication of potential interests of the target audience, the audience-related data being collected from one or more components or sensors present in a location with the target audience and detecting data during a time when the target audience is experiencing based content;

receive device-related data indicative of a content playback device available to the target audience, the device-related data being collected with respect to a plurality of different devices available to the target audience, to a plurality of different content transmission paths to such devices, or both;

reference content-related data related to available content;

determine whether any element of available content matches the target audience based upon the audience-related data and the device-related data;

prioritize a particular one of the plurality of different devices available to the target audiences based upon the content-related data, the audience-related data, the device-related data, or any combination thereof; and

provide, at the prioritized particular one of the plurality of different devices, a selected element of the available content based upon a match of the content-related data and upon the audience-related data and the device-related data.

12. The processing system of claim 11, wherein the audience-related data comprises historical and/or background data about the target audience stored by a content provider.

13. The processing system of claim 11, wherein the audience-related data comprises data indicative of behavior of the target audience current at the time the matching and providing steps are performed.

14. The processing system of claim 11, wherein the audience-related data or the device-related data comprises data indicative of proximity of the target audience to a specific playback device.

15. The processing system of claim 11, wherein the audience-related data or the device-related data comprises data indicative of whether the target audience is currently using a specific playback device.

16. The processing system of claim 11, wherein the content-related data comprises indexed data derived from the available content or metadata associated with the available content.

17. A system for providing digital content to a target audience, comprising:

audience-related data components and/or sensors that, in operation, monitor audience-related data indicative of a specific target audience as an indication of potential interests of the target audience;

device-related data components and/or sensors that, in operation, monitor device-related data indicative of a content playback device available to the target audience, the device-related data being collected with respect to a plurality of different device available to the target audience;

processing circuitry configured to;

reference content-related data related to available content;

prioritize a particular one of the plurality of different devices available to the target audiences based upon the content-related data, the audience-related data, the device-related data, or any combination thereof; and

determine a match between the available content, the particular one of the plurality of different devices, and a target audience based upon the content-related data, the audience-related data, and the device-related data; and

output recommendations, instructions, or both for providing selected content from the available content based upon the match.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the audience-related data components and/or sensors are present in a location with the target audience and detect the audience-related data during a time when the audience is experiencing based content.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the device-related data components and/or sensors collect data with respect to a plurality of different devices available to the target audience and/or to a plurality of different content transmission paths to such devices.

20. The system of claim 17, comprising one or more repositories of the available content and a content analysis engine that analyzes the available content to produce indexed data derived from the available content or metadata associated with the available content.