Content customization in asymmetric communication systems

• US 7,720,432 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven M. Colby
• Original Assignee: Steven M. Colby, Tamara S. Colby
• Inventors: Colby, Tamara S., Colby, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US11/155,146
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.02, 455/3.06, 455/309, 455/312, 455/337, 725/110, 725/109, 725/151, 725/38, 725/100, 725/13, 725/131, 725/74, 348/465, 348/468
• US Class Current: 455/3.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing customization in asymmetric communication are disclosed. An excess of information is broadcast from a transmitter to multiple receivers in what is optionally a one-way transmission. The excess of information includes metadata used to select which subset of the excess of information is presented to a user and which subset of the excess of information is discarded. The metadata includes criteria that are compared with various, possibly different, customization factors stored on each of the multiple receivers. This comparison is used to determine which subsets of the excess information are presented and which are discarded. Because the customization factors can be different on different receivers, customization of the presented information is achieved. The customization factors optionally include geographic information resulting in customization based on a receiver location. The excess information optionally includes radio or television signals. In some embodiments, a nationally broadcast signal results in the presentation of advertisements, where the presentation is customized to a specific location.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a signal receiver configured to receive a broadcast signal from one or more transmitters, the broadcast signal including more data than would normally be presented to a user in real time;

a parser configured to identify, within the received broadcast signal, primary data configured to be presented to the user unmodified, auxiliary data for generating customized output data, and criteria for use in selecting, substituting or inserting the auxiliary data to generate the customized output data;

customization factors storage configured to store one or more customization factors; and

an output assembler configured to generate the customized output data by comparing the criteria with the one or more customization factors and selecting, substituting or inserting the auxiliary data responsive to this comparison.

2. The system of claim 1, further including a data buffer configured to store the auxiliary data prior to inclusion in the customized output data.

3. The system of claim 1, further including a geographic location device configured to generate one of the one or more customization factors.

4. The system of claim 1, further including a user input configured for entering an access code or a location of the user.

5. The system of claim 1, further including an output device configured to present the customized output data as a real-time data stream.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the parser is configured to determine a default channel and a secondary channel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the output assembler is configured to substitute a first part of the auxiliary data received in a secondary channel for a second part of the auxiliary data received in a default channel, and to discard the second part of the auxiliary data, responsive to the comparison between the criteria and the one or more customization factors.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary data includes an advertisement.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the customized output data is dependent on the location of a user.

10. A method of generating customized output data, the method comprising:

receiving a broadcast at a receiver, the broadcast signal including more data than would normally be presented to a user in real time;

parsing the received broadcast to identify primary data configured to be presented to a user, to identify auxiliary data configured for generating customized output data, and to identify criteria for use in selecting, substituting or inserting the auxiliary data to generate the customized output data;

accessing one or more customization factors associated with the receiver;

comparing the one or more customization factors with the identified criteria;

selecting, substituting or inserting the auxiliary data responsive to a result of the comparison between the one or more customization factors and the identified criteria, in order to generate the customized output data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting, substituting or inserting the auxiliary data includes substituting one auxiliary data sequence for another auxiliary data sequence, selecting one auxiliary data sequence over another auxiliary data sequence, or inserting an auxiliary data sequence within a primary data sequence.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the identified criteria include geographic relevance data.

13. The method of claim 10, further including identifying a default channel and a secondary channel.

14. The method of claim 10, further including discarding part of the auxiliary data responsive to the one or more customization factors.

15. A method of generating a customized output data stream, the method comprising:

receiving one or more broadcast at a receiver, the one or more broadcast including excess data;

identifying primary and auxiliary sequences within the excess data;

identifying criteria within the excess data, the criteria associated with the auxiliary sequences;

accessing one or more customization factors associated with the receiver;

comparing the identified criteria with the one or more customization factors in order to determine which of the excess data should be included in the customized output data and which of the excess data should be discarded; and

assembling the customized output data responsive to the comparison between the identified criteria and the one or more customization factors.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the customized output data is configured to be presented to a user in real time.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more customization factors include a location of a user.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the one or more broadcast is received from a satellite.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the criteria include access control data.

20. The method of claim 15, further including transmitting the one or more broadcast for receipt at the receiver, the one or more broadcast being configured to be received by a plurality of receivers and to result in a different customized output stream at each member of the plurality of receivers.