Method and apparatus for broadcasting information over a network

• US 6,411,992 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1999
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, William, Srinivasan, Thiru
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/322,375
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/231, 725/34, 725/35, 725/36, 725/46
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• 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 21/26233 involving content or additional data duration or size, e.g. length of a movie, size of an executable file
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

An apparatus and method provides for the scheduling and broadcast of commercials and other information during transmission of multimedia information over a data network. Demographic information is gathered with regards to potential viewers of the broadcast. Through use of this demographic information, during designated commercial breaks during broadcasts of the audio or video information, advertising information can be broadcast to individuals based on the demographic information. The system includes a number of databases which correlate the broadcast schedule with the available commercials for transmission over the data network.

Claims

1. A method of broadcasting over a data network comprising the steps of:

creating a schedule of programming for broadcast over particular channels at particular times;

identifying commercial breaks in the schedule of programming;

identifying commercials to be broadcast and scheduling the commercials during the commercial breaks, wherein each of the commercials includes a particular demographic group to which it should be broadcast;

broadcasting the commercials during the programming, wherein the step of broadcasting includes the steps of;

detecting a designated commercial break during the broadcast of the programming;

retrieving the commercials scheduled to be broadcast during the designated commercial break;

identifying the demographics for the system users currently receiving the broadcast; and

individually transmitting the commercials based on the demographics of the system user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data network is the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the programming is at least one of:

audio information and video information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one ad hoc commercial is provided which is broadcast to the system users during unscheduled commercial breaks.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the step of broadcasting an interface device with the commercial device which a system user may select to establish a predetermined connection.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the interface device is an icon and selection of the icon transfers the system user to a chosen website.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the interface device is an icon and selection of the icon facilitates an IP telephony connection with a chosen party.

8. The method of claim 1 further including the step of scheduling the commercials during the schedule of programming, said scheduling step comprising:

displaying at least one interface through which the schedule of programming may be accessed;

accessing the memory to view schedule of programming;

identify commercial breaks during the programming;

inserting commercials at designated breaks.

9. The method of claim 1 further including the step of monitoring and counting the system users receiving the broadcast.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the programming is live and is received from a remote source.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of broadcasting includes the system users accessing and uploading multimedia files stored in the memory.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein one of the multimedia files stored in the memory may be accessed and uploaded simultaneously by a plurality of the system users.