System and method for modifying advertisement responsive to EPG information

• US 9,015,749 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Alexander, Ronald, Dias, Stephen, Hancock, Kenneth S., Leung, Elsie Y., Macrae, Douglas B., Ng, Arthur Y., O'Neil, Shawn P., Shoaff, P. Christopher, Sutton, Jonathon, Ward, Thomas E., Westberg, Thomas E., Yuen, Henry C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US14/252,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20140229981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 725 9- 11, 725/13, 725/34, 725/42, 725/46
• 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:

storing a user profile of a user comprising a history of user interactions, wherein the history of user interactions includes information indicating that the user performed a first type of interaction associated with a first media asset and a second type of interaction associated with a second media asset, wherein the second type of interaction associated with the second media asset is an interaction to schedule a future broadcast of the second media asset for recording, and wherein the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction are different;

selecting an advertisement from a plurality of advertisements based at least in part on the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction from the history of user interactions;

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

transmitting, to the user equipment of the user, the selected advertisement 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, the selected advertisement is displayed after the first portion of the video and before the second portion of the video.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the history of user interactions further includes information indicating that the user performed the first type of interaction associated with a third media asset.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first user command to view the first media asset, wherein the information indicating that the user performed the first type of interaction associated with the first media asset is added to the history of user interactions responsive to the first command, and wherein the first type of interaction comprises viewing; and

receiving a second user command to record the second media asset, wherein the information indicating that the user performed the second type of interaction associated with the second media asset is added to the history of user interactions responsive to the second command, and wherein the second type of interaction comprises viewing.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining user characteristics based on the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction from the history of user interactions, wherein selecting the advertisement comprises selecting the advertisement based on the user characteristics.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the user performed the first type of interaction associated with the first media asset during a display of a third media asset;

the user performed the second type of interaction associated with the second media asset during a display of a fourth media asset; and

determining the user characteristics comprises determining that the third media asset is more related to the user characteristics than the fourth media asset based on a comparison of the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying one or more second user profiles similar to the stored user profile, wherein selecting the advertisement comprises selecting an advertisement in which one or more second users associated with the one or more second user profiles have shown an interest.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more second users have shown an interest in the advertisement by interacting with the advertisement.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second type of interaction occurred more recently than the first type of interaction, and wherein the method further comprises:

assigning a first weight to the first type of interaction; and

assigning a second weight to the second type of interaction, wherein the second weight is greater than the first weight to indicate that the second type of interaction occurred more recently than the first type of interaction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first type of interaction is an interaction with an internet resource.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the interaction with the internet resource occurred while the user was viewing a media asset.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the interaction with the internet resource comprises at least one of accessing a website, accessing an e-mail service, and accessing a chatroom.

12. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions thereon for transmitting advertisements, the instructions comprising:

instructions to store a user profile of a user comprising a history of user interactions, wherein the history of user interactions includes information indicating that the user performed a first type of interaction associated with a first media asset and a second type of interaction associated with a second media asset, wherein the second type of interaction associated with the second media asset is an interaction to schedule a future broadcast of the second media asset for recording, and wherein the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction are different;

instructions to select an advertisement from a plurality of advertisements based at least in part on the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction from the history of user interactions;

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

instructions to transmit, to the user equipment of the user, the selected advertisement 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, the selected advertisement is displayed after the first portion of the video and before the second portion of the video.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the history of user interactions further includes information indicating that the user performed the first type of interaction associated with a third media asset.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

instructions to receive a first user command to view the first media asset, wherein the information indicating that the user performed the first type of interaction associated with the first media asset is added to the history of user interactions responsive to the first command, and wherein the first type of interaction comprises viewing; and

instructions to receive a second user command to record the second media asset, wherein the information indicating that the user performed the second type of interaction associated with the second media asset is added to the history of user interactions responsive to the second command, and wherein the second type of interaction comprises viewing.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions to determine user characteristics based on the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction from the history of user interactions, wherein the instructions to select the advertisement comprise instructions to select the advertisement based on the user characteristics.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the user performed the first type of interaction associated with the first media asset during a display of a third media asset;

the user performed the second type of interaction associated with the second media asset during a display of a fourth media asset; and

the instructions to determine the user characteristics comprise instructions to determine that the third media asset is more related to the user characteristics than the fourth media asset based on a comparison of the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions to identify one or more second user profiles similar to the stored user profile, wherein the instructions to select the advertisement comprise instructions to select an advertisement in which one or more second users associated with the one or more second user profiles have shown an interest.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more second users have shown an interest in the advertisement by interacting with the advertisement.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the second type of interaction occurred more recently than the first type of interaction, further comprising:

instructions to assign a first weight to the first type of interaction; and

instructions to assign a second weight to the second type of interaction, wherein the second weight is greater than the first weight to indicate that the second type of interaction occurred more recently than the first type of interaction.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first type of interaction is an interaction with an internet resource.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the history of user interactions further includes information indicating that the user performed the first type of interaction associated with a third media asset.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a first user command to view the first media asset, wherein the information indicating that the user performed the first type of interaction associated with the first media asset is added to the history of user interactions responsive to the first command, and wherein the first type of interaction comprises viewing; and

receive a second user command to record the second media asset, wherein the information indicating that the user performed the second type of interaction associated with the second media asset is added to the history of user interactions responsive to the second command, and wherein the second type of interaction comprises viewing.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine user characteristics based on the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction from the history of user interactions, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to select the advertisement by being configured to select the advertisement based on the user characteristics.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein:

the user performed the first type of interaction associated with the first media asset during a display of a third media asset;

the user performed the second type of interaction associated with the second media asset during a display of a fourth media asset; and

the control circuitry is configured to determine the user characteristics by being configured to determine that the third media asset is more related to the user characteristics than the fourth media asset based on a comparison of the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to identify one or more second user profiles similar to the stored user profile, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to select the advertisement by being configured to select an advertisement in which one or more second users associated with the one or more second user profiles have shown an interest.

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

memory configured to store a user profile of a user comprising a history of user interactions, wherein the history of user interactions includes information indicating that the user performed a first type of interaction associated with a first media asset and a second type of interaction associated with a second media asset, wherein the second type of interaction associated with the second media asset is an interaction to schedule a future broadcast of the second media asset for recording, and wherein the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction are different;

control circuitry configured to select an advertisement from a plurality of advertisements based at least in part on the first type of interaction and the second type of interaction from the history of user interactions; and

communications circuitry configured to;

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

transmit, to the user equipment of the user, the selected advertisement 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, the selected advertisement is displayed after the first portion of the video and before the second portion of the video.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the second type of interaction occurred more recently than the first type of interaction, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

assign a first weight to the first type of interaction; and

assign a second weight to the second type of interaction, wherein the second weight is greater than the first weight to indicate that the second type of interaction occurred more recently than the first type of interaction.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the first type of interaction is an interaction with an internet resource.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the interaction with the internet resource occurred while the user was viewing a media asset.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the interaction with the internet resource comprises at least one of accessing a website, accessing an e-mail service, and accessing a chatroom.