System and method for providing demographically targeted information

• US 6,671,736 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2003
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clubcom Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Clubcom Incorporated
• Inventors: Simpson, Todd G., Virine, Lev D.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US10/419,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20030195927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/226, 709/232, 709/238, 709/328, 709/329, 709/231
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/03 Constructional details, e.g. casings, housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/08 Constructional details, e.g. cabinet

Abstract

A system and method for providing demographically targeted information is disclosed. In the preferred embodiment, the system and method of the present invention generates and/or delivers information, such as audio, video and/or the like, to a user, such as a user of an exercise equipment in a gym or club environment, preferably based on the demographics of the user. The information may be provided to the user using one or more of a plurality of channels. A preferred embodiment method for presenting demographically targeted information to the user is disclosed. A preferred embodiment method for automatic generation of a demographic profile of the user in order to provide such demographically targeted information to the user is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for presenting demographically targeted information to a user of an exercise equipment via a personal unit attached to said exercise equipment, wherein said personal unit is communicatively connected to a local server of a local network, comprising the steps of:

allowing said user to log on to said local server;

generating content for delivery to said user based in part on said demographic profile of said user, if there is a channel available for delivery of said demographically targeted information, and switching said user to said channel for receiving said contents;

arranging a plurality of continuously running channels based in part on the content of the channels to match said demographic profile of said user, if a channel is not available for delivery of said targeted information to said user;

selecting a channel from said arranged plurality of channels for presentation to said user, wherein said selection is based in part on a synchronization delay; and

switching said user to said selected channel for receiving said contents.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting step comprises the step of:

selecting a channel with minimum synchronization delay from said arranged plurality of channels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said demographic profile of said user is stored in said local server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said demographic profile of said user has been provided to said local server from a remote central server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said demographic profile of said user is stored in a remote central server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the contents of said plurality of continuously running channels are in analog format.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said contents of said plurality of continuously running channels are in digital format.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said contents are provided to said personal unit from said local server via an analog channel.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

reading contents stored in a storage medium associated with said local server, wherein said contents are stored in said local server in digital format;

decoding, by a digital video decoder of said local server, said read contents;

converting said decoded contents into an analog signal for delivery to said personal unit via said analog channel;

delivering said analog signal to said personal unit via said analog channel; and

presenting said contents to said user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said contents stored in digital format in said local server are selected from the group consisting of MPEG files, MP3 files, and wave files.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said contents are provided to said personal unit from said local server via a digital channel.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

providing contents stored in a storage medium associated with said local server to said personal unit, wherein said contents are stored in said local server in digital format;

decoding said provided information by said personal unit; and

presenting said decoded contents to said user.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

multicasting contents stored in a storage medium associated with said local server to said personal unit and at least another personal unit, wherein said contents are stored in said local server in digital format;

decoding said multicast contents by said personal unit; and

presenting said decoded contents to said user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said generated content for delivery to said user is demographically targeted advertisements selected from a plurality of advertisements.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of advertisements comprises a first plurality of advertisements that can be demographically targeted.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

determining a number of advertisements to be included in a subset of advertisements to be presented to said user; and

calculating a matching coefficient value for each demographically targetable advertisement.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

generating said subset of advertisements based in part on said calculated matching coefficient values.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said subset includes advertisements with the highest matching coefficient values.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the number of advertisements in said subset of advertisements is based in part on a repetition coefficient value (N), wherein said repetition coefficient value determines the frequency of said user being presented with a particular advertisement.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

arranging advertisements in said subset of advertisements such that similar advertisements are separated from one another by (N−

1) advertisements.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

randomly selecting an advertisement from said arranged advertisements as an initial advertisement; and

presenting said user with advertisements from said arranged advertisements starting with said initial advertisement.

22. Computer executable software code stored on a computer readable medium for presenting demographically targeted information to a user of an exercise equipment via a personal unit attached to said exercise equipment, wherein said personal unit is communicatively connected to a local server of a local network, comprising:

code for allowing said user to log on to said local server;

code for generating content for delivery to said user based in part on said demographic profile of said user, if there is a channel available for delivery of said demographically targeted information, and switching said user to said channel for receiving said contents;

code for arranging a plurality of continuously running channels based in part on the content of the channels to match said demographic profile of said user, if a channel is not available for delivery of said targeted information to said user;

code for selecting a channel from said arranged plurality of channels for presentation to said user, wherein said selection is based in part on a synchronization delay; and

code for switching said user to said selected channel for receiving said contents.

23. The computer executable software code of claim 22, wherein said code for selecting comprises:

code for selecting a channel with minimum synchronization delay from said arranged plurality of channels.

24. The computer executable software code of claim 22, wherein said demographic profile of said user is stored in said local server.

25. The computer executable software code of claim 24, wherein said demographic profile of said user has been provided to said local server from a remote central server.

26. The computer executable software code of claim 22, wherein said demographic profile of said user is stored in a remote central server.

27. The computer executable software code of claim 22, wherein the contents of said plurality of continuously running channels are in analog format.

28. The computer executable software code of claim 22, wherein said contents of said plurality of continuously running channels are in digital format.

29. The computer executable software code of claim 22, wherein said contents are provided to said personal unit from said local server via an analog channel.

30. The computer executable software code of claim 29, further comprising:

code for reading contents stored in a storage medium associated with said local server, wherein said contents are stored in said local server in digital format;

code for decoding, by a digital video decoder of said local server, said read contents;

code for converting said decoded contents into an analog signal for delivery to said personal unit via said analog channel;

code for delivering said analog signal to said personal unit via said analog channel; and

code for presenting said contents to said user.

31. The computer executable software code of claim 30, wherein said contents stored in digital format in said local server are selected from the group consisting of MPEG files, MP3 files, and wave files.

32. The computer executable software code of claim 22, wherein said contents are provided to said personal unit from said local server via a digital channel.

33. The computer executable software code of claim 32, further comprising:

code for providing contents stored in a storage medium associated with said local server to said personal unit, wherein said contents are stored in said local server in digital format;

code for decoding said provided information by said personal unit; and

code for presenting said decoded contents to said user.

34. The computer executable software code of claim 32, further comprising:

code for multicasting contents stored in a storage medium associated with said local server to said personal unit and at least another personal unit, wherein said contents are stored in said local server in digital format;

code for decoding said multicast contents by said personal unit; and

code for presenting said decoded contents to said user.

35. The computer executable software code of claim 32, wherein said generated content for delivery to said user is demographically targeted advertisements selected from a plurality of advertisements.

36. The computer executable software code of claim 35, wherein said plurality of advertisements comprises a first plurality of advertisements that can be demographically targeted.

37. The computer executable software code of claim 36, further comprising:

code for determining a number of advertisements to be included in a subset of advertisements to be presented to said user; and

code for calculating a matching coefficient value for each demographically targetable advertisement.

38. The computer executable software code of claim 37, further comprising:

code for generating said subset of advertisements based in part on said calculated matching coefficient values.

39. The computer executable software code of claim 38, wherein said subset includes advertisements with the highest matching coefficient values.

40. The computer executable software code of claim 38, wherein the number of advertisements in said subset of advertisements is based in part on a repetition coefficient value (N), wherein said repetition coefficient value determines the frequency of said user being presented with a particular advertisement.

41. The computer executable software code of claim 40, further comprising:

code for arranging advertisements in said subset of advertisements such that similar advertisements are separated from one another by (N−

1) advertisements.

42. The computer executable software code of claim 41, further comprising:

code for randomly selecting an advertisement from said arranged advertisements as an initial advertisement; and

code for presenting said user with advertisements from said arranged advertisements starting with said initial advertisements.