Methods and systems for network based capture of television viewer generated clickstreams

• US 8,677,384 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alphonso, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brothers, Thomas Jefferson, Gray, James Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US10/735,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20050132419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,749 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234372 for performing aspect ratio conversion
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection

Abstract

Methods and systems provide clickstream captures at a remote component, such as a video control system of a television network, by receiving user commands generated by the viewer that are sent to the remote component concurrently relative to when they are generated by the viewer. The commands are captured and then information related to these commands is stored remotely from the premises of the viewer. Additionally, the user commands may be executed remotely such as at a video control system of a television network or alternatively may be executed at the premises of the viewer such as within a set top box. Information related to these user commands continues to be stored remotely from the premises of the viewer after the user commands have been executed such that the information related to these user commands can be processed as necessary and used for various purposes.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving content from a distribution network;

receiving a command at a viewer appliance;

establishing communication from the viewer appliance to a remotely located component;

when the command is a channel change at the viewer appliance, then immediately upon receipt concurrently forwarding the command from the viewer appliance to the remotely located component for demographic profiling;

when the command is not the channel change, then performing in parallel;

immediately upon receipt concurrently forwarding the command from the viewer appliance to the remotely located component for the demographic profiling; and

executing the command to alter an aspect of the content being viewed by the viewer; and

sending an indication that the command has been executed, whereby local storage of the command at the viewer appliance is eliminated;

sending a request from the viewer appliance for an advertisement in an advertisement insertion slot;

receiving an indication of the advertisement selected based on the demographic profiling; and

causing the advertisement to be displayed in the advertisement insertion slot.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the content at the viewer appliance.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising matching the command to a present context.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising concurrently forwarding the matching to the remotely located component.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining a result of the command and concurrently forwarding the result to the remotely located component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewer appliance comprises a set-top box.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating targeted advertising.

8. A method of capturing commands from a viewer that are related to viewing content, comprising:

receiving the content at a viewer appliance;

establishing communication from the viewer appliance to a remotely located component;

receiving a command at the viewer appliance;

when the command is a channel change, then immediately upon receipt concurrently forwarding the command from the viewer appliance to the remotely located component for demographic profiling remote execution to a new stream of programming;

when the command is not the channel change, then performing in parallel;

immediately upon receipt concurrently forwarding the command from the viewer appliance to the remotely located component for the demographic profiling;

executing the command to alter an aspect of the content being viewed by the viewer; and

sending an indication that the command has been executed at the viewer appliance, whereby local storage of the command at the viewer appliance is eliminated;

sending a request from the viewer appliance for an advertisement in an advertisement insertion slot;

receiving an indication of the advertisement selected based on the demographic profiling;

and causing the advertisement to be displayed in the advertisement insertion slot.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising selecting a volume.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising establishing a broadband connection from the viewer appliance to the remotely located component.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising matching the command to a present context.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising matching the command to a current time when the command is received.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a result of the command.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining an audio format.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the command at the viewer appliance comprises receiving the command at a set-top box.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising choosing the content based upon the command.

17. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions that when executed cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving the content from a distribution network;

establishing communication with a remotely located component;

receiving a command entered during presentation of the content;

concurrently forwarding the command immediately upon receipt to the remotely located component for demographic profiling in response to the command being a channel change;

performing in parallel in response to determining the command is not the channel change;

concurrently forwarding the command immediately upon receipt to the remotely located component for the demographic profiling; and

executing the command to alter an aspect of the content during the presentation; and

sending an indication that the command has been executed, whereby local storage of the command in the memory is eliminated;

sending a request for an advertisement in an advertisement insertion slot;

receiving an indication of the advertisement selected based on the demographic profiling;

and causing the advertisement to be displayed in the advertisement insertion slot.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise determining a result of the command.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise storing a result of the command.

20. A method of capturing commands from a viewer that are related to viewing content, comprising:

receiving the content from a distribution network at a viewer appliance;

establishing communication from the viewer appliance to a remotely located component;

receiving a command at the viewer appliance entered by the a viewer;

concurrently forwarding the command immediately upon receipt to the remotely located component for demographic profiling in response to determining the command is a channel change;

performing in parallel in response to determining the command is not the channel change;

immediately upon receipt concurrently forwarding the command from the viewer appliance to the remotely located component for the demographic profiling; and

executing the command; and

sending an indication that the command has been executed, whereby local storage of the command at the viewer appliance is eliminated;

sending a request for an advertisement in an advertisement insertion slot;

receiving an indication of the advertisement selected based on the demographic profiling;

and causing the advertisement to be displayed in the advertisement insertion slot.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising matching the command to a present context.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining a result of the command.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising targeting the advertisement to the command.