Apparatus and method for television viewer interest expression in advertiser goods and services

• US 7,814,523 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2003
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seaman, James Wesley, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Fellenstein, Craig William, Galli, Doreen Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli; Dominic D
• Application Number:
  US10/392,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20040187158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,764 Days
• Field of Search: 725/22, 725/42, 725/60, 725/109, 725/23, 725/34, 725/35, 725/61, 705/14, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 725/110
• 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 21/2668 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method for allowing television viewers to express their interest in goods or services advertised on television. The present invention is comprised of a Viewer Preference Program, a Viewer Interest Program, and a Viewer Expression Program. The Viewer Expression Program interfaces with the viewer database, the advertiser database, and the cable provider program and runs the cable provider program, the Viewer Preference Program, and the Viewer Interest Program. The Viewer Preference Program allows the viewer to input the method by which he/she desires to be contacted and the type of information he/she desires to receive from the advertiser. The viewer may indicate an interest during any commercial or program and the Viewer Interest Program records the time and channel of interest. The Viewer Interest Program then cross-references the advertisement with the advertiser responsible for the advertisement and sends the requested information to the viewer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing a viewer profile in a viewer database;

using a cable provider program, transmitting a plurality of cable television signals embedded with an advertising tag to a television of a viewer;

using a cable box, a program stored in a memory of the cable box, a processor in the cable box, the viewer database, an advertiser database, and a remote device, enabling a television viewer, by pushing one or a combination of buttons, to express an interest in a good or a service related to any program that the viewer is watching from the plurality of cable television signals and at the same time to send the viewer profile to an advertiser associated with a program;

responsive to the viewer pushing the one or a combination of buttons, automatically determining, by the processor in the cable box, the advertiser associated with the program, in which the viewer expressed an interest, by the identifying tag embedded in a cable television signal of the program and sending, by the processor, the viewer preference to the advertiser; and

responsive to sending the viewer profile to the advertiser, receiving, by the processor, an information based on the viewer profile from the advertiser via display on the television in which the viewer interacts with the advertiser via the remote device and the display by means of the program and the processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a confirmation message is sent using the on-screen response system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the confirmation message is sent via an on-screen pop-up message.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a cable box and a remote device connected to a television and to a cable provider, wherein the cable box transmits a plurality of cable television signals embedded with an advertising tag to the television;

a cable provider program and a viewer database stored in a memory of the cable box;

a viewer preference stored in the viewer database;

wherein the cable provider program is configured to enable a viewer, using the cable box and the remote device, to express an interest in a good or a service related to any program that the viewer is watching from the plurality of cable television signals and at the same time to send the viewer profile to an advertiser associated with a program

responsive to the viewer pushing one or a combination of buttons on the remote device, automatically determining, at the cable box, the advertiser associated with a program, in which the viewer expressed an interest, by an identifying tag embedded in a cable television signal of the program and sending the viewer preference to the advertiser; and

responsive to sending the viewer profile to the advertiser, receiving an information based on the viewer profile from the advertiser via an on-screen response system in which the viewer interacts with the advertiser via the cable box and television.

5. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium that does not comprises a signal, the computer readable storage medium containing a plurality of instructions configured to cause a processor of a cable box to enable a viewer, using the cable box and a remote device, to express an interest in a good or a service related to any program that the viewer is watching from the plurality of cable television signals and at the same time to send the viewer profile to an advertiser associated with a program;

responsive to the viewer pushing one or a combination of buttons on the remote device, to automatically determine, at the cable box, the advertiser associated with a program, in which the viewer expressed an interest, by an identifying tag embedded in a cable television signal of the program and to send the viewer preference to the advertiser, and responsive to sending the viewer profile to the advertiser, to receive an information based on the viewer profile from the advertiser via an on-screen response system in which the viewer interacts with the advertiser via the cable box and television.