System and method for delivering targeted advertisements using multiple presentation streams

• US 7,228,555 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E, LLC
• Original Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E., Inc.
• Inventors: Schlack, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOYE, MICHAEL W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Manning, John
• Application Number:
  US09/750,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,350 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725 34- 36, 725114-120, 725/138, 725144-148
• US Class Current: 725/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/10 Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
• 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 21/26233 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17363 at or near the user terminal

Abstract

A system and method for delivering channels of presentation streams carrying targeted advertisements in a television service network environment. The system includes a generator for generating a set of presentation streams for each of programming channels, each of the presentation streams in each set having same programming data but different ads directed to advertiser-specific market segments of different advertisers. A plurality of local routing stations receive the generated sets of presentation streams. At least one local routing station processes the sets of presentation streams and selectively switches between the presentation streams in each set to output one presentation stream for a programming channel. As a result, a presentation stream carrying the most appropriate ad is provided to a viewer at any given time for at least one programming channel.

Claims

1. A method of delivering presentation streams carrying targeted advertisements to subscribers in a switched television service network environment, the method comprising:

(a) defining a plurality of market segments;

(b) generating a set of presentation streams corresponding to a programming channel having programming data, each of the presentation streams in the set corresponding to a different one of the plurality of market segments, each of the presentation streams in the set carrying the same programming data as the programming channel and at least one advertisement directed to the market segment to which the presentation stream corresponds, wherein the presentation streams are generated independent of a request for the programming channel by the subscribers;

(c) simultaneously delivering the set of presentation streams to a switching device;

(d) receiving at the switching device a first request for the programming channel from a first subscriber in a first market segment;

(e) switching a first presentation stream corresponding to the first market segment from the set of presentation streams to the first subscriber;

(f) receiving at the switching device a second request for the programming channel from a second subscriber in a second market segment; and

(g) switching a second presentation stream corresponding to the second market segment from the set of presentation streams to the second subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(h) simultaneously transmitting the first and second presentation streams to the first and second subscribers, respectively.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(h) generating a schedule of advertisements to be included in the presentation streams for each market segment; and

(i) storing a library of advertisements to be included in the presentation streams in the set.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the schedule is generated based on market segment information, avail and ad information, and subscriber information for the corresponding market segment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the market segment information identifies advertiser-specific market segments for all advertisers associated with the library of advertisements.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) includes inserting the advertisements into the respective presentation streams in the set by detecting a cue tone present in the presentation streams.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) includes inserting the advertisements into the respective presentation streams in the set based on scheduled avail times in the presentation streams.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) is performed at a head end of the television service network.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the market segments are defined by different advertisers.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the advertisements in the presentation streams are directed to different fixed market segments.