System and method for modifying advertisement responsive to EPG information

• US 8,918,807 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Alexander, Ronald, Dias, Stephen, Hancock, Kenneth S., Leung, Elsie Y., Macrae, Douglas B., Ng, Arthur Y., Shoaff, P. Christopher, Sutton, Jonathon, Ward, Thomas E., Westberg, Thomas E., Yuen, Henry C., O'Neil, Shawn P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US14/252,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20140229982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725 34- 36, 725 42- 47
• 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 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• 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 21/44224 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 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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 21/488 : Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• 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 21/858 : Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• 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 transmitting advertisements, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a user equipment of a user, a first portion of a video and a second portion of the video;

selecting a primary advertisement information item;

comparing data associated with each of a plurality of supplemental advertisement information items with a user profile information item associated with the user, wherein the plurality of supplemental advertisement information items are associated with the primary advertisement information item;

selecting a first supplemental advertisement information item of the plurality of supplemental advertisement information items when the data associated with the first supplemental advertisement information item matches the user profile information item; and

transmitting, to the user equipment of the user, the primary advertisement information item and the first supplemental advertisement information item after the first portion of the video and before the second portion of the video such that when the video is displayed on the user equipment of the user, wherein the primary advertisement information item and the first supplemental advertisement item are displayed together after the first portion of the video and before the second portion of the video.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile information item is related to a geographic location of the user equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the first supplemental advertisement information item comprises data stored in a packet that comprises the first supplemental advertisement information item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of supplemental advertisement information items is transmitted in a same data stream with the primary advertisement information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary advertisement information item and the first supplemental advertisement item are displayed as an interactive advertisement.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, to the user equipment of the user, the plurality of supplemental advertisement information items, wherein the user equipment of the user is configured to perform the comparing and selecting.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions thereon for transmitting advertisements, the instructions when executed by a processor, perform the steps of:

transmitting, to a user equipment of a user, a first portion of a video and a second portion of the video;

selecting a primary advertisement information item;

comparing data associated with each of a plurality of supplemental advertisement information items with a user profile information item associated with the user, wherein the plurality of supplemental advertisement information items are associated with the primary advertisement information item;

selecting a first supplemental advertisement information item of the plurality of supplemental advertisement information items when the data associated with the first supplemental advertisement information item matches the user profile information item; and

transmitting, to the user equipment of the user, the primary advertisement information item and the first supplemental advertisement information item after the first portion of the video and before the second portion of the video such that when the video is displayed on the user equipment of the user, wherein the primary advertisement information item and the first supplemental advertisement item are displayed together after the first portion of the video and before the second portion of the video.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the user profile information item is related to a geographic location of the user equipment.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the data associated with the first supplemental advertisement information item comprises data stored in a packet that comprises the first supplemental advertisement information item.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of supplemental advertisement information items is transmitted in a same data stream with the primary advertisement information.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the primary advertisement information item and the first supplemental advertisement item are displayed as an interactive advertisement.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions, the instructions when executed by the processor, perform the steps of:

transmitting, to the user equipment of the user, the plurality of supplemental advertisement information items, wherein the user equipment of the user is configured to perform the comparing and selecting.

13. A system for transmitting advertisements, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

select a primary advertisement information item;

compare data associated with each of a plurality of supplemental advertisement information items with a user profile information item associated with the user, wherein the plurality of supplemental advertisement information items are associated with the primary advertisement information item; and

select a first supplemental advertisement information item of the plurality of supplemental advertisement information items when the data associated with the first supplemental advertisement information item matches the user profile information item; and

communications circuitry configured to;

transmit, to a user equipment of a user, a first portion of a video and a second portion of the video;

transmit, to the user equipment of the user, the primary advertisement information item and the first supplemental advertisement information item after the first portion of the video and before the second portion of the video such that when the video is displayed on the user equipment of the user, wherein the primary advertisement information item and the first supplemental advertisement item are displayed together after the first portion of the video and before the second portion of the video.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user profile information item is related to a geographic location of the user equipment.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the data associated with the first supplemental advertisement information item comprises data stored in a packet that comprises the first supplemental advertisement information item.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of supplemental advertisement information items is transmitted in a same data stream with the primary advertisement information.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the communications circuitry is further configured to transmit, to the user equipment of the user, the plurality of supplemental advertisement information items, and wherein the user equipment of the user is configured to perform the comparing and selecting.