System for and method of targeting broadcast messages

• US 8,732,746 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fourthwall Media Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fourthwall Media Incorporated
• Inventors: Slothouber, Louis P., Johnston, Jeffrey W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheleheda, James R
• Application Number:
  US12/763,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 725/34, 725/35, 725/32
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/64 Addressing network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00; support for multicast or broadcast of one-way stream services H04L65/611
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system for and method of targeting a broadcast message to a subset of potential electronic receivers in a broadcast network is presented. The system and method may comprise collecting identifying information associated with designated electronic receivers of a targeted broadcast message, generating, using a computer processor, a data set structure using the identifying information, associating the data set structure with the targeted broadcast message, and broadcasting the targeted broadcast message and the data set structure to a plurality of electronic receivers, wherein the data set structure provides information allowing at least one of the plurality of electronic receivers to determine whether the targeted broadcast message is targeted to the at least one electronic receiver.

Claims

1. A method for targeting a broadcast message to a subset of electronic receivers in a broadcast network, comprising:

collecting identifying information associated with designated electronic receivers of a targeted broadcast message;

generating, using a computer processor, a data set structure using the identifying information, wherein the data set structure comprises at least a collection of distinct multi-bit hashes generated using a single hash algorithm;

associating the data set structure with the targeted broadcast message;

associating a header with the targeted broadcast message, wherein the header identifies a type of identifying information that was used to generate the data set structure; and

broadcasting the targeted broadcast message and the data set structure to a plurality of electronic receivers, wherein the data set structure provides information allowing each of the plurality of electronic receivers to determine whether the targeted broadcast message is targeted to the electronic receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the targeted broadcast message comprises a TV advertisement.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by at least one of the plurality of electronic receivers, the targeted broadcast message;

comparing, using a processor of the at least one of the plurality of electronic receivers, the data set structure against identifying information associated with the at least one of the plurality of electronic receivers; and

performing an action associated with the electronic receiver in the event that the identifying information associated with the at least one of the plurality of electronic receivers matches identifying information in the data set structure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the action comprises presenting the targeted broadcast message on a device associated with the at least one of the plurality of electronic receivers.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising ignoring, for the at least one of the plurality of electronic receivers, the targeted broadcast message in the event that the identifying information is not associated with the at least one of the plurality of electronic receivers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the data set structure with the targeted broadcast message comprises embedding the data set structure in the targeted broadcast message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast network comprises at least one of:

a terrestrial broadcast TV network, a cable TV network, and a satellite TV network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic receivers comprises at least one of:

a set-top box, a device configured to receive broadcast data integrated with a TV, and a mobile device capable of receiving broadcast data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying information comprises information uniquely identifying a designated electronic receiver including at least one of:

a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a street address, a customer identifier, and a network address.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying information comprises information identifying a collection of designated electronic receivers including at least one of:

a zip code, a city name, a geo-demographic code, a demographic profile identifier, a segment identifier, and a group identifier.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the data set structure comprises a Bloom filter.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the Bloom filter is generated by an operation using a hashing algorithm to generate a hash code of identifying information associated with designated electronic receivers of a targeted broadcast message to a bit address within a fixed-size bit vector, setting a bit corresponding to the bit address to true, and repeating the hashing operation and bit setting using a different hashing algorithm.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the data set structure further comprises a compressed list of receiver information.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising code to perform the acts of the method of claim 1.

15. A method of receiving a targeted broadcast message by an electronic receiver in a broadcast network, comprising:

receiving, by the electronic receiver, the targeted broadcast message;

comparing, using a processor of the electronic receiver, a data set structure associated with the targeted broadcast message against identifying information associated with the electronic receiver, wherein the data set structure comprises at least a collection of distinct multi-bit hashes generated using a single hash algorithm, wherein the targeted broadcast message includes a header identifying a type of identifying information that was used to generate the data set structure; and

performing an action associated with the electronic receiver in the event that the identifying information associated with the electronic receiver matches identifying information in the data set structure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the electronic receiver comprises at least one of:

a set-top box, a device, configured to receive broadcast data, integrated with a TV, a mobile device capable of receiving broadcast data.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying information comprises information uniquely identifying a designated electronic receiver including at least one of:

a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a street address, a customer identifier, and a network address.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying information comprises information identifying a collection of designated electronic receivers including at least one of:

a zip code, a city name, a geo-demographic code, a demographic profile identifier, a segment identifier, and a group identifier.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the data set structure comprises a Bloom filter.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the data set structure further comprises a compressed list of receiver information.

21. A system for targeting a broadcast message to a subset of potential electronic receivers in a broadcast network, comprising:

a network element, wherein the network element is configured to;

collect identifying information associated with designated electronic receivers of a targeted broadcast message;

generate a data set structure using the identifying information, wherein the data set structure comprises at least a collection of distinct multi-bit hashes generated using a single hash algorithm;

associate the data set structure with the targeted broadcast message;

associating a header with the targeted broadcast message, wherein the header identifies a type of identifying information that was used to generate the data set structure; and

broadcast the targeted broadcast message and the data set structure to a plurality of electronic receivers, wherein the data set structure provides information allowing at least one of the plurality of electronic receivers to determine whether the targeted broadcast message is targeted to the at least one electronic receiver.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein associating the data set structure with the targeted broadcast message comprises embedding the data set structure in the targeted broadcast message.

23. An electronic device for receiving a targeted broadcast message in a broadcast network, the electronic device comprising one or more processors configured to:

receive the targeted broadcast message;

compare a data set structure associated with the targeted broadcast message against identifying information associated with the electronic device, wherein the data set structure comprises at least a collection of distinct multi-bit hashes generated using a single hash algorithm, wherein the targeted broadcast message includes a header identifying a type of identifying information that was used to generate the data set structure; and

perform an action associated with the electronic device in the event that the identifying information associated with the electronic device matches identifying information in the data set structure.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of:

a set-top box, a device configured to receive broadcast data integrated with a TV, and a mobile device capable of receiving broadcast data.

25. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein identifying information comprises information uniquely identifying a designated electronic receiver including at least one of:

a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a street address, a customer identifier, and a network address.

26. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein identifying information comprises information identifying a collection of designated electronic receivers including at least one of:

a zip code, a city name, a geo-demographic segment code, a demographic profile identifier, a segment identifier, and a group identifier.

27. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the data set structure comprises a Bloom filter.

28. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the data set structure further comprises a compressed list of receiver information.