System and method for targeted advertisement display responsive to user characteristics

• US 8,732,757 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• 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): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US11/580,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20070033613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,776 Days
• Field of Search: 725/42, 725/34, 725/35
• US Class Current: 725/46
• 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 causing advertisements to be displayed comprising:

receiving a plurality of user commands, wherein;

a first of the plurality of user commands for performing a first type of interaction associated with a first media asset;

a second of the plurality of user commands for performing a second type of interaction associated with a second media asset; and

the first type of interaction is different from the second type of interaction;

storing a history of user interactions, wherein the stored history of user interactions comprises information related to the plurality of user commands, and wherein the information indicates;

for the first user command, the first type of interaction; and

for the second user command, the second type of interaction;

selecting, from a plurality of advertisements stored in an advertisement library, an advertisement that a user is likely to be interested in based on the stored history of user interactions;

retrieving the selected advertisement from the advertisement library; and

causing the retrieved advertisement to be displayed simultaneously with media guidance information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first user command and the second user command comprises a user command for recording a program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the advertisement that the user is likely to be interested in comprises identifying a second user having similar characteristics to the user and identifying an advertisement in which the second user has shown an interest.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second user shows an interest in an advertisement by interacting with the advertisement or viewing the advertisement for at least a predetermined amount of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the advertisement that the user is likely to be interested in comprises identifying a second user having similar characteristics to the user and identifying an advertisement related to a genre, a particular program, a product, or a subject in which the second user has shown an interest.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second user shows an interest in the genre, the particular program, the product, or the subject by viewing or storing a program in the genre, viewing or storing the particular program, viewing or storing a program featuring the product, or viewing or storing a program related to the subject.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first user command and the second user command comprises a user command for setting a favorite channel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first user command and the second user command comprises a user command for responding to an on-screen survey query.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first user command and the second user command comprises a user command for setting a favorite type of programs.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first user command and the second user command comprises a user command for setting a preferred viewing time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first user command and the second user command comprises a user command for selecting a program for viewing by the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction comprises recording.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction comprises a type of interaction associated with Internet.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction comprises a type of interaction related to at least one program theme.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction comprises a type of interaction related to at least one program subject.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction comprises a type of interaction related to at least one actor or actress appearing in a program.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first user command and the second user command comprises a user command for accessing a program guide screen.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the program guide screen is associated with one of a plurality of subject matters.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein selecting the advertisement comprises:

determining a most frequently selected subject matter of the plurality of subject matters, wherein program guide screens related to the most frequently selected subject matter were accessed more frequently than program guide screens related to another subject matter of the plurality of subject matters; and

selecting an advertisement associated with the most frequently selected subject matter.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first user command and the second user command comprises a user command for performing a search based on a user inputted search query.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising searching the Internet based on the user inputted search query.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user commands comprises:

a third of the plurality of user commands for performing the first type of interaction associated with a third media asset; and

a fourth of the plurality of user commands for performing the second type of interaction associated with a fourth media asset.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the advertisement comprises selecting the advertisement based on the first type of interaction indicated for the first user command and the second type of interaction indicated for the second user command.

24. A system for causing advertisements to be displayed, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

receive a plurality of user commands, wherein;

a first of the plurality of user commands for performing a first type of interaction associated with a first media asset;

a second of the plurality of user commands for performing a second type of interaction associated with a second media asset; and

the first type of interaction is different from the second type of interaction;

store a history of user interactions, wherein the stored history of user interactions comprises information related to the plurality of user commands, and wherein the information indicates;

for the first user command, the first type of interaction; and

for the second user command, the second type of interaction;

select an advertisement, from a plurality of advertisements stored in an advertisement library, that a user is likely to be interested in based on the stored history of user interactions;

retrieve the selected advertisement; and

cause the retrieved advertisement to be displayed simultaneously with media guidance information.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein one of the first user command and the second user command comprises a user command for recording a program.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the control circuitry is configured to select the advertisement that the user is likely to be interested in by identifying a second user having similar characteristics to the user and identifying an advertisement in which the second user has shown an interest.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the second user shows an interest in an advertisement by interacting with the advertisement or viewing the advertisement for at least a predetermined amount of time.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the control circuitry is configured to select the advertisement that the user is likely to be interested in by identifying a second user having similar characteristics to the user and identifying an advertisement related to a genre, a particular program, a product, or a subject in which the second user has shown an interest.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the second user shows an interest in the genre, the particular program, the product, or the subject by viewing or storing a program in the genre, viewing or storing the particular program, viewing or storing a program featuring the product, or viewing or storing a program related to the subject.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein one of the first user command and the second user command comprises a user command for setting a favorite channel.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein one of the first user command and the second user command comprises a user command for responding to an on-screen survey query.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein one of the first user command and the second user command comprises a user command for selecting a program for viewing by the user.

33. The system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of user commands comprises a user command for accessing a program guide screen.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the program guide screen is associated with one of a plurality of subject matters.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the control circuitry is configured to select the advertisement by being further configured to:

determine a most frequently selected subject matter of the plurality of subject matters, wherein program guide screens related to the most frequently selected subject matter were accessed more frequently than program guide screens related to another subject matter of the plurality of subject matters; and

select an advertisement associated with the most frequently selected subject matter.

36. The system of claim 24, wherein one of the first user command and the second user command comprises a user command for performing a search based on a user inputted search query.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to search the Internet based on the user inputted search query.

38. The system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of user commands comprises:

a third of the plurality of user commands for performing the first type of interaction associated with a third media asset; and

a fourth of the plurality of user commands for performing the second type of interaction associated with a fourth media asset.

39. The system of claim 24, wherein selecting the advertisement comprises selecting the advertisement based on the first type of interaction indicated for the first user command and the second type of interaction indicated for the second user command.