System and method for modifying advertisement responsive to EPG information

• US 8,726,311 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ward, Thomas E. III, Hancock, Kenneth, Macrae, Douglas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEWLIN, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US12/818,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20110035771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/34, 725/35, 725/36
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for utilizing data stored in an EPG database for modifying advertisement information. In this way, a service provider and/or an advertiser can transmit a single advertisement to all the television stations regardless of their geographic location and other user specific information, and need not re-transmit the advertisement even if there is a change in the show'"'"'s program description. When the advertisement is displayed, the correct updated information is retrieved from the EPG database and inserted into the advertisement.

In one aspect, the present invention describes a method for modifying an advertisement in an EPG comprising the steps of: storing television schedule information in a first database; storing advertisement information in a second database; incorporating a portion of the television schedule information into a portion of the advertisement information to form a modified advertisement; and displaying the modified advertisement on a screen.

Claims

1. A method for customizing the real time viewing of advertisements displayed on a television system, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of advertisement channels;

decoding a program signal provided over a source channel;

monitoring the program signal for a source change command, wherein the source change command causes the television equipment to decode a first advertisement channel from the plurality of advertisement channels, and wherein a remote computer selects the first advertisement channel by;

identifying the first advertisement channel as having at least one advertisement transmitted thereon that is suitable to viewer preferences; and

selecting, in response to the identifying, the first advertisement channel; and

decoding the first advertisement channel in response to detecting the source change command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting viewer profile information based on viewer interactions with an electronic program guide in the television system; and

sending the collected viewer profile information to the remote computer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the viewer preferences are based, at least in part, on the collected viewer profile information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the source change command is present in a Vertical Blanking Interval of said program signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first advertisement channel is decoded for a predetermined amount of time, and wherein the predetermined amount of time is specified by the content of the source change command.

6. A system for customizing the real time viewing of advertisements displayed on a television system, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

receive a plurality of advertisement channels;

decode a program signal provided over a source channel;

monitor the program signal for a source change command, wherein the source change command causes the television equipment to decode a first advertisement channel from the plurality of advertisement channels, and wherein a remote computer selects the first advertisement channel by;

identifying the first advertisement channel as having at least one advertisement transmitted thereon that is suitable to viewer preferences; and

selecting, in response to the identifying, the first advertisement channel; and

decode the first advertisement channel in response to detecting the source change command.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

collect viewer profile information based on viewer interactions with an electronic program guide in the television system; and

send the collected viewer profile information to the remote computer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the viewer preferences are based, at least in part, on the collected viewer profile information.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the source change command is present in a Vertical Blanking Interval of said program signal.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the first advertisement channel is decoded for a predetermined amount of time, and wherein the predetermined amount of time is specified by the content of the source change command.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable medium for customizing the real time viewing of advertisements displayed on a television system, comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for:

receiving a plurality of advertisement channels;

decoding a program signal provided over a source channel;

monitoring the program signal for a source change command, wherein the source change command causes the television equipment to decode a first advertisement channel from the plurality of advertisement channels, and wherein a remote computer selects the first advertisement channel by;

identifying the first advertisement channel as having at least one advertisement transmitted thereon that is suitable to viewer preferences; and

selecting, in response to the identifying, the first advertisement channel; and

decoding the first advertisement channel in response to detecting the source change command.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising machine program logic for:

collecting viewer profile information based on viewer interactions with an electronic program guide in the television system; and

sending the collected viewer profile information to the remote computer.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the viewer preferences are based, at least in part, on the collected viewer profile information.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the source change command is present in a Vertical Blanking Interval of said program signal.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first advertisement channel is decoded for a predetermined amount of time, and wherein the predetermined amount of time is specified by the source change command.

16. A method for customizing the real time viewing of advertisements displayed on a television system, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of advertisement channels;

decoding a program signal provided over a source channel;

monitoring the program signal for a source change command, wherein the source change command causes the television equipment to decode a first advertisement channel from the plurality of advertisement channels, wherein the first advertisement channel is selected by a remote computer based on viewer preferences, and wherein the remote computer selects the first advertisement channel by monitoring the first advertisement channel to determine if the first advertisement channel has at least one advertisement transmitted thereon that is suitable to the viewer preferences; and

decode the first advertisement channel in response to detecting the source change command.

17. A system for customizing the real time viewing of advertisements displayed on a television system, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

receive a plurality of advertisement channels;

decode a program signal provided over a source channel;

monitor the program signal for a source change command, wherein the source change command causes the television equipment to decode a first advertisement channel from the plurality of advertisement channels, wherein the first advertisement channel is selected by a remote computer based on viewer preferences, and wherein the remote computer selects the first advertisement channel by monitoring the first advertisement channel to determine if the first advertisement channel has at least one advertisement transmitted thereon that is suitable to the viewer preferences; and

decode the first advertisement channel in response to detecting the source change command.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable medium for customizing the real time viewing of advertisements displayed on a television system, comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for:

receiving a plurality of advertisement channels;

decoding a program signal provided over a source channel;

monitoring the program signal for a source change command, wherein the source change command causes the television equipment to decode a first advertisement channel from the plurality of advertisement channels, wherein the first advertisement channel is selected by a remote computer based on viewer preferences, and wherein the remote computer selects the first advertisement channel by monitoring the first advertisement channel to determine if the first advertisement channel has at least one advertisement transmitted thereon that is suitable to the viewer preferences; and

decoding the first advertisement channel in response to detecting the source change command.