Method and apparatus for delivery of targeted video programming
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method to deliver customized linear video programming to each of a plurality of individual viewers, comprising:
- receiving at least two simultaneous streams of video programming, each programming stream including a set of discrete alternative video programming segments, the video programming segments defining a plurality of content elements unrelated to one another;
subdividing each video programming stream into its component set of discrete video programming segments, such that sequential display of the video programming segments results in an apparently linear video program;
processing information indicative of preferences of each of the plurality of viewers to develop viewer characteristics target information for each of the viewers;
choosing particular ones of the discrete alternative video programming segments from each of the video programming streams based upon the viewer characteristics information;
configuring the chosen alternative video programming segments for each viewer, such that content elements of one programming stream meet the viewer characteristics target information for each of the viewers and are interspersed with unrelated content elements of the other programming stream which also meet the viewer characteristics target information for each of the viewers; and
assembling the chosen alternative video programming segments from each of the video programming streams into a customized and apparently linear program for linear delivery to each of the plurality of viewers in accordance with the viewer characteristics information, the assembly performed without regard to a characteristic time duration of any one of the chosen alternative video programming segments so long as the apparently linear program runs within a given time period.
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Abstract
A system residing preferably in a television set-top box monitors the television watching habits of one or more viewers and creates one or more profiles for each viewers descriptive of various characteristics of each viewers, including television watching preferences and demographics. The set-top box is able to select among various available video programming segments to create customized and/or targeted video programs for delivery to the viewer or viewers as a linear program. The customized linear video programs may include targeted content, advertising, and other video programming.
528 Citations
116 Claims
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1. A method to deliver customized linear video programming to each of a plurality of individual viewers, comprising:
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receiving at least two simultaneous streams of video programming, each programming stream including a set of discrete alternative video programming segments, the video programming segments defining a plurality of content elements unrelated to one another; subdividing each video programming stream into its component set of discrete video programming segments, such that sequential display of the video programming segments results in an apparently linear video program; processing information indicative of preferences of each of the plurality of viewers to develop viewer characteristics target information for each of the viewers; choosing particular ones of the discrete alternative video programming segments from each of the video programming streams based upon the viewer characteristics information; configuring the chosen alternative video programming segments for each viewer, such that content elements of one programming stream meet the viewer characteristics target information for each of the viewers and are interspersed with unrelated content elements of the other programming stream which also meet the viewer characteristics target information for each of the viewers; and assembling the chosen alternative video programming segments from each of the video programming streams into a customized and apparently linear program for linear delivery to each of the plurality of viewers in accordance with the viewer characteristics information, the assembly performed without regard to a characteristic time duration of any one of the chosen alternative video programming segments so long as the apparently linear program runs within a given time period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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19. The method of claim t8, wherein processing the television program viewing preference profile developed for each of the viewers in accordance with a probabilistic model based on the viewing habits of a sample of the general population comprises:
constructing a Bayesian network to calculate maximum a posteriori values for the parameters of the predictive model to predict television program viewing preferences for each viewer.
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59. A system to deliver customized linear video programming content to each of a plurality of individual viewers, comprising:
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a receiver for receiving at least two simultaneous streams of video programming each programming stream including a set of discrete alternative video programming segments, the video programming segments defining a plurality of content elements unrelated to one another; a processor to process information indicative of preferences of each of the plurality of viewers to develop viewer characteristics target information for each of the viewers; and a programmer operative to subdivide each linear video program sequence into its component set of discrete video programming segments, means for choosing particular ones of the discrete alternative video programming segments from each of the video programming streams based upon the viewer characteristics information, and means for configuring the chosen alternative video programming segments for each viewer, such that content elements of one programming stream meet the viewer characteristics target information for each of the viewers and are interspersed with unrelated content elements of at least one of the other programming stream which also meet the viewer characteristics target information for each of the viewers; and means for assembling the chosen alternative video programming segments from each of the video programming streams into a customized and apparently linear program for linear delivery to each of the plurality of viewers in accordance with the viewer characteristics information. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116)
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Specification