Queue-based head-end advertisement scheduling method and apparatus

• US 7,039,932 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E, LLC
• Original Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E., Inc.
• Inventors: Eldering, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHELEHEDA, JAMES R
• Application Number:
  US09/742,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20020083442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• Field of Search: 725/36, 725/34, 725/35
• US Class Current: 725/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/26225 involving billing parameters, e.g. priority for subscribers of premium services
• 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 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• 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 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/6125 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• 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

A method and apparatus for scheduling and inserting advertisements into a plurality of presentation channels in a communications network in which the presentation channels contain the same programming, but different advertisements. A single programming channel is split into a plurality of presentation channels. Different advertisements are inserted into the different presentation channels. The advertisements to be inserted into advertising avails are they are detected are determined by utilizing queues stored in memory corresponding to each presentation channel. Each queue comprises an ordered list of advertisement resource locators (ARLs), in which the order dictates which advertisement is to be inserted in the next advertising avail and in which the ARLs indicate at least the location from which the advertisement can be retrieved.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting television programming and advertising from a head end to subscribers at a plurality of subscriber nodes, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a plurality of subscriber groups, members of said subscriber groups being based on at least one characteristic of said subscribers relevant to advertising;

(b) receiving at least one programming channel of television programming;

(c) forming from said at least one programming channel a plurality of presentation channels of television programming, the plurality of presentation channels having programming identical to said at least one programming channel, each presentation channel corresponding to one of the subscriber groups;

(d) storing a plurality of advertisements for insertion into advertising avails in said presentation channels;

(e) storing for each presentation channel a queue comprising an ordered list of advertisement resource locators (ARLs), said ARLs comprising a pointer to a location of a corresponding advertisement;

(f) determining advertising avails in each of said presentation channels;

(g) for each presentation channel, determining from said queue corresponding to said presentation channel an advertisement to be inserted in the advertising avails in said presentation channel;

(h) inserting said advertisement determined in step (g) into said corresponding avail;

(i) transmitting each of said presentation channels to at least those subscriber nodes in said subscriber group corresponding to said presentation channel; and

(i) assigning each subscriber to one or more of the subscriber groups, wherein the assigning includes creating an advertising group map disclosing an advertising group to which each subscriber belongs and transmitting said advertising group map to said subscriber nodes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each subscriber group comprises a set of subscribers that is mutually exclusive of each other subscriber group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (j) includes creating a presentation channel map disclosing to which advertising group each presentation channel corresponds and transmitting said presentation channel map to said subscriber nodes, wherein, responsive to receipt of said advertising group map, said subscriber nodes determine to which advertising group they belong, and, responsive to receipt of said presentation channel map, said subscriber nodes create an individual channel map dictating which of said plurality of presentation channels corresponding to said at least one programming channel said subscriber node is to select when a user of said subscriber node selects one of said programming channels to view.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein step (i) includes transmitting all of said presentation channels to all of said subscriber nodes.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein, responsive to a user making a channel selection corresponding to one of said programming channels, said subscriber nodes select one of said presentation channels corresponding to said programming channel selected by said user in accordance with said individual channel maps.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one programming channel includes indicators that identify the start of an avail in said at least one programming channel and wherein step (f) includes detecting said indicators.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said advertisements are stored in digital form.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said advertisements are stored in MPEG form.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said at least one programming channel and said presentation channels are in digital format.

10. An apparatus for transmitting television programming and advertising from a head end of a communications system to subscribers at a plurality of subscriber nodes, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving a plurality of programming channels of television programming;

a plurality of splitters, each splitter coupled to receive one of said programming channels and split said programming channel into a plurality of presentation channels;

a first memory storing a plurality of advertisements for insertion into advertising avails in said presentation channels;

a second memory storing, for each presentation channel, a queue comprising an ordered list of advertisement resource locators (ARLs), said ARLs comprising a pointer to a location of an advertisement;

a circuit for determining advertising avails in each of said presentation channels;

an advertisement management circuit coupled to said second memory and adapted to consult said queues to determine which advertisements are to be inserted in which avails in said presentation channels, wherein said advertising management circuit is configured to generate an advertising group map disclosing an advertising group to which each subscriber belongs;

an advertisement insertion circuit coupled to said presentation channels and adapted to insert said advertisements into said avails in accordance with the ordered lists as dictated by said queues; and

a transmitter adapted to transmit each of said plurality of presentation channels to at least those subscriber nodes in at least one of a plurality of subscriber groups, the at least one group corresponding to said presentation channel wherein the advertisement management circuit causes said transmitter to transmit said advertising group map to said subscriber nodes.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said advertisement insertion circuit and said advertisement management circuit comprise digital circuits.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said advertisement insertion circuit and said advertisement management circuit comprise digital processors.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each presentation channel is assigned to one of the plurality of subscriber groups, members of said subscriber groups being based on at least one characteristic of said subscribers relevant to advertising.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein each of the plurality of subscriber groups comprises a set of subscribers that is mutually exclusive of each other subscriber group.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said subscriber nodes comprise:

a receiver for receiving at least some of said presentation channels and said advertising group map;

a circuit for determining, based on said received advertising group map, to which advertising group the subscriber node belongs.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said advertising management circuit generates a presentation channel map disclosing to which advertising group each presentation channel corresponds, and causes said transmitter to transmit said presentation channel map to said subscriber nodes.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said subscriber nodes further comprise:

a circuit for generating, responsive to receipt of said presentation channel map, an individual channel map dictating which of said plurality of presentation channels corresponding to said at least one programming channel said subscriber node is to select when a user of said subscriber node selects one of said programming channels to view.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said transmitter transmits all of said presentation channels to all of said subscriber nodes.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said subscriber nodes further comprise:

a circuit for selecting, responsive to a user making a channel selection corresponding to one of said programming channels, one of said presentation channels corresponding to said programming channel selected by said user in accordance with said individual channel map.

20. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said at least one programming channel includes indicators that identify the start of an avail in said at least one programming channel and wherein said advertisement insertion circuit detects said indicators.

21. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said advertisement insertion circuit comprises a video switch.

22. A method of receiving at a subscriber node at least one channel of television programming and advertising from a head end of a television service delivery system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) assigning said subscriber node to an advertising group;

(b) simultaneously transmitting a plurality of presentation channels via said television service delivery system to said subscriber node, the presentation channels corresponding to a programming channel, said programming channel comprising television programming and advertising avails, wherein said plurality of presentation channels contain identical programming and different advertising within said advertising avails;

(c) storing, at said subscriber node, data indicating one of the presentation channels that corresponds to said advertising group;

(d) based on said assigning, enabling said subscriber node to select, receive and cause to be displayed on a monitoring device said one of the presentation channels;

(e) receiving a presentation channel map disclosing for each presentation channel how said subscriber node can select that presentation channel for reception and display on the monitoring device; and

(f) creating an individual channel map for said subscriber node indicating which presentation channel to select in step (d).

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said data is received via said television service delivery system.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said data is received in a dedicated channel of said television service delivery system.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein step (c) includes storing data indicating a frequency of said one of the presentation channels and step (d) includes tuning to a particular frequency corresponding to said selected one of the presentation channels.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein step (a) includes receiving a map via said television service delivery system mapping a plurality of subscribers to advertising groups and determining from said map to which advertising group said subscriber node belongs.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein the television service delivery system includes a plurality of programming channels, each programming channel having a plurality of corresponding presentation channels for selection, reception and display by said subscriber node.

28. An apparatus for receiving at a subscriber node a plurality of presentation channels of television programming and advertising from a head end of a television service delivery system, each presentation channel corresponding to an individual one of a plurality of programming channels, wherein each of the presentation channels that corresponds to the same one of said programming channels comprises the same programming content as the programming channel to which it corresponds, but different advertising content, said apparatus comprising:

a memory at said subscriber node;

an individual advertising group map stored in said memory indicating, for each of said programming channels, one of said corresponding presentation channels, wherein each of said programming channels comprises television programming and advertising avails, and wherein each of the presentation channels that correspond to the same one of said programming channels contains identical programming as the programming channel to which it corresponds and different advertising within said advertising avails;

a circuit for receiving data via said television service delivery system from which said individual advertising group map can be created, wherein said data received by said circuit for receiving comprises a system wide advertising group map mapping said subscriber node to an advertising group and a presentation channel map disclosing for each presentation channel how said subscriber node can select one of said presentation channels;

a circuit for generating said individual advertising group map from said received data, wherein said circuit for generating comprises circuitry for correlating said system wide advertising group map and said presentation channel map with said individual advertising group map to create said individual advertising group map;

a circuit for enabling said subscriber node to select the one of said presentation channels dictated by responsive to an instruction selecting a programming channel for viewing; and

a circuit for causing said selected presentation channel to be displayed on a monitoring device.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said circuit for receiving comprises circuitry for receiving said data in a dedicated channel of said television service delivery system.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said television service delivery system transmits said plurality of said presentation channels to said subscriber node simultaneously and wherein said circuit for selecting selects the one of said presentation channels based on said individual advertising group map.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said individual advertising group map indicates a frequency of said presentation channels and said circuit for causing said selected presentation channel to be displayed tunes to said frequency of said selected presentation channel as indicated by said individual advertising group map.

32. A method of receiving at a subscriber node at least one channel of television programming and advertising from a head end of a television service delivery system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) assigning said subscriber node to an advertising group and receiving a map via said television service delivery system mapping a plurality of subscribers to advertising groups and determining from said map to which advertising group said subscriber node belongs;

(b) simultaneously transmitting a plurality of presentation channels via said television service delivery system to said subscriber node, the presentation channels corresponding to a programming channel, said programming channel comprising television programming and advertising avails, wherein said plurality of presentation channels contain identical programming and different advertising within said advertising avails;

(c) storing, at said subscriber node, data indicating one of the presentation channels that corresponds to said advertising group; and

(d) based on said assigning, enabling said subscriber node to select, receive and cause to be displayed on a monitoring device said one of the presentation channels.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said data is received via said television service delivery system.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein said data is received in a dedicated channel of said television service delivery system.

35. The method of claim 32 further comprising:

(e) receiving a presentation channel map disclosing for each presentation channel how said subscriber node can select that presentation channel for reception and display on the monitoring device; and

(f) creating an individual channel map for said subscriber node indicating which presentation channel to select in step (d).

36. The method of claim 32 wherein step (c) includes storing data indicating a frequency of said one of the presentation channels and step (d) includes tuning to a particular frequency corresponding to said selected one of the presentation channels.

37. The method of claim 32 wherein the television service delivery system includes a plurality of programming channels, each programming channel having a plurality of corresponding presentation channels for selection, reception and display by said subscriber node.

38. A method of receiving at a subscriber node at least one channel of television programming and advertising from a head end of a television service delivery system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) assigning said subscriber node to an advertising group;

(b) simultaneously transmitting a plurality of presentation channels via said television service delivery system to said subscriber node, the presentation channels corresponding to a programming channel, said programming channel comprising television programming and advertising avails, wherein said plurality of presentation channels contain identical programming and different advertising within said advertising avails;

(c) storing, at said subscriber node, data indicating one of the presentation channels that corresponds to said advertising group; and

(d) based on said assigning, enabling said subscriber node to select, receive and cause to be displayed on a monitoring device said one of the presentation channels, wherein the television service delivery system includes a plurality of programming channels, each programming channel having a plurality of corresponding presentation channels for selection, reception and display by said subscriber node.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein said data is received via said television service delivery system.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein said data is received in a dedicated channel of said television service delivery system.

41. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

(e) receiving a presentation channel map disclosing for each presentation channel how said subscriber node can select that presentation channel for reception and display on the monitoring device; and

(f) creating an individual channel map for said subscriber node indicating which presentation channel to select in step (d).

42. The method of claim 38 wherein step (c) includes storing data indicating a frequency of said one of the presentation channels and step (d) includes tuning to a particular frequency corresponding to said selected one of the presentation channels.

43. The method of claim 38 wherein step (a) includes receiving a map via said television service delivery system mapping a plurality of subscribers to advertising groups and determining from said map to which advertising group said subscriber node belongs.