Method and system for providing targeted advertisements

• US 6,718,551 B1
• Filed: 12/21/1999
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alphonso, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Batten, John C., Stefanik, John R., Swix, Scott R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Demicco, Matthew R
• Application Number:
  US09/467,889
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 725/13, 725/14, 725/16, 725/34, 725/35, 725/36, 725/42, 725/44, 725/46, 725/91, 725/94, 725/131, 725/32, 725/9, 705/10, 705/26, 709/217
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-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: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• 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 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages on a television screen optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/066; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• 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
• 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 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A method and system for providing targeted advertisements over a networked media delivery system, especially interactive television networks, the system comprising tracking and storing viewer selections, analyzing the selections, and delivering targeted advertisements that appeal to the particular subscriber making the selections, the system including a merge processor, a file server, a profile processor, and a broadcast server contained in a head end in communication with a plurality of set-top boxes through a distribution network. Based on a subscriber'"'"'s viewing habits and account information, the present invention delivers different, customized advertisements to different viewers watching the same program or channel. The present invention delivers the advertisements as either still frame bit maps or as video streams advertisement insertion in a playlist or a broadcast media program.

Claims

1. A method for providing targeted advertisements over a media delivery network from a head end during an interactive session, comprising:

collecting event data of a subscriber on a server, wherein the event data comprises the subscriber'"'"'s selection of programs on a set-top box from an interactive menu screen;

analyzing the event data and information of the subscriber to assign a demographic group and a customer profile to the subscriber;

selecting an advertisement that appeals to the customer profile and the demographic group of the subscriber; and

displaying the advertisement to the subscriber upon receiving an advertisement request from the set-top box for an advertisement insertion slot; and

wherein the event data includes latest event data that are uploaded by the set-top box to the head end when a new targeted advertisement is to be inserted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the information of the subscriber includes analyzing account information of the subscriber.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein analyzing the event data and the information of the subscriber comprises invoking an algorithm that looks for patterns in the selections of programs and the account information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the patterns are selected from the group consisting essentially of key words appearing in the selections of programs over a threshold number of times, key words appearing in the account information over a threshold number of times, and amount of time spent viewing a menu over a threshold amount of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the advertisement comprises delivering a bit map to the set-top box of the subscriber, wherein the set-top box displays the bit map on a screen.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the bit map is delivered by the server in response to a request from the set-top box.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the bit map is delivered by the server to the set-top box when the set-top is activated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information of the subscriber includes at least one of accounting information, interactive television information, subscriber registration data, and survey information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering a library of advertisements and instructions to the set-top box, wherein the instructions are used to instruct the set-top box to retrieve and display a certain advertisement of the library of advertisements that meets the customer profile of the subscriber.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement is displayed in the interactive menu screen.

11. A system for providing targeted advertising over a media delivery network during an interactive session comprising:

a head end having a merge processor, a profile processor, a file server, and a broadcast server;

a distribution network connected to the head end; and

at least one set-top box connected to the distribution network,

wherein the merge processor collects viewing selections from the at least one set-top box, wherein the viewing selections are collected from a subscriber'"'"'s selections of programs on the at least one set-top box from an interactive menu screen, and wherein the profile processor receives the viewing selections from the merge processor, analyzes the viewing selections along with account information, assigns a demographic group and a customer profile to the subscriber, and, upon receiving a request for a targeted advertising insert from the at least one set-top box, directs the file server to deliver the targeted advertising to the at least one set-top box based on the analysis of the viewing selections, and

wherein the at least one set-top box uploads the viewing selections to the merge processor when requesting the targeted advertising insert.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each set-top box of the plurality of set-top boxes comprises a navigator, a memory buffer, and an operating system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the navigator is a software application that runs on top of the operating system, generates menu screens, accepts viewer selections, records the viewer selections in the memory buffer, directs the file server to deliver a selected program, and uploads viewer selections to the merge processor.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of set-top boxes is in communication with the broadcast server, the file server, and the merge processor.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the profile processor is in communication with the merge processor and the file server.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of databases in communication with the profile processor.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of databases comprises databases selected from the group consisting essentially of an interactive television database, a subscriber registration database, an accounting database, and a survey database.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the media delivery network is selected from the group consisting essentially of an interactive media delivery system, a cable television network, a wireless cable television network, a satellite television network, and a media delivery system that allows duplex communication with the plurality of set-top boxes.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the file server delivers the targeted advertising in the interactive menu screen.

20. A system for providing targeted advertising over a media delivery network during an interactive session comprising:

a head end comprising;

a file server for delivering advertisements;

a merge processor that stores subscriber event data;

a profile processor that analyzes subscriber event data, determines demographics, assigns customer profiles, and issues display instructions;

a plurality of set-top boxes connected to the head end, each set-top box comprising a processor for;

collecting a plurality of event records that describe selected commands from a subscriber to a particular set-top box, wherein the plurality of event records are collected from the subscriber'"'"'s selections of programs on a set-top terminal from an interactive menu screen, said plurality of event records making up the event data;

uploading latest event data to the merge processor when a new targeted advertisement is to be inserted; and

receiving from the head end targeted advertisements and commands to display certain advertisements,

wherein the file server receives the display instructions from the profile processor and delivers advertisements corresponding to the display instructions to the plurality of set-top boxes for display.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the file server delivers bit map advertising.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the file server delivers video stream advertising.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the file server delivers the advertisements in the interactive menu screen.

24. A method for providing advertisements targeted at individual viewers during an interactive session comprising:

providing a set-top box to each of the individual viewers, wherein the set-top box is connected to a head end;

tracking the individual viewers'"'"' viewing selections and storing the viewers'"'"' viewing selections as event data, wherein the event data comprises the viewer'"'"'s selections of programs on the set-top boxes from an interactive menu screen, and wherein the event data are uploaded to a head end when a new targeted advertisement is to be inserted;

analyzing the event data to compile a profile for each viewer; and

upon receiving a request from the set-top box for inserting targeted advertisements, delivering advertisements targeted to at least one viewer according to the at least one viewer'"'"'s profile.

25. The method of claim 24, comprising recording commands received from a control panel in communication with the set-top box to track the individual viewer'"'"'s program selections.

26. The method of claim 24, comprising downloading bit maps from the head end to the set-top box to deliver targeted advertisements.

27. The method of claim 24, comprising tuning the set-top box to an advertising video stream to deliver targeted advertising.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the advertising video stream is supplied by the head end.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the advertisements are delivered to the set-top box in the interactive menu screen.