System and method for targeted advertising

• US 9,451,325 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elisha Shah, Rishi Kachrani, Sahil Shah, Samarth Desai, Shefali Mangtani
• Original Assignee: Elisha Shah, Rishi Kachrani, Sahil Shah, Samarth Desai, Shefali Mangtani
• Inventors: Desai, Samarth, Kachrani, Rishi, Mangtani, Shefali, Shah, Elisha, Shah, Sahil
• Primary Examiner(s): SHANG, ANNAN Q
• Application Number:
  US14/231,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20150281776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 725 34- 36, 709217-232
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• 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 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

System and method for transmitting targeted advertisement is provided. The system and method relates audiences and merchants closely to effectively deliver the advertisement to an optimum target audience. A set-top box analyzes a scheduled advertisement broadcasted with a regular programming from a cable box by intercepting the signals. The scheduled advertisement'"'"'s start time and duration is identified from video fingerprinting to synchronize targeted advertisements. The targeted advertisement is transmitted in conjunction with the scheduled advertisement.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting a targeted advertisement to an audience comprising:

a cable box configured to generate signals for a regular programming, wherein the regular programming comprises a scheduled advertisement, received from a broadcasting station, the cable box in communication with a display unit for displaying the generated signals;

a set-top box, comprising at least one computer processor, configured to generate signals for the targeted advertisement to be displayed on the display unit, the set-top box in communication with the cable box; and

the set-top box further comprising;

a video analyzer synchronizing a start time and a duration, of the targeted advertisement with the scheduled advertisement, and the video analyzer identifying a product of the scheduled advertisement; and

an ad decision module in communication with the at least one computer processor and at least one computer-readable storage medium, wherein the ad decision module is configured to assign a merchant advertisement, selected from a plurality of merchant advertisement inputs stored in the at least one computer-readable storage medium, to the targeted advertisement, the merchant advertisement being selected to be assigned to the targeted advertisement based on a merchant preference, audience preference, and the product of the schedule advertisement;

wherein the merchant preference indicates a tendency of merchant'"'"'s target audience, and wherein the merchant advertisement is selected to be assigned to the target advertisement if the ad decision module identifies a similarity between the product of the scheduled advertisement and a product of the merchant advertisement, by comparing the two products.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the audience preference comprises at least one of an audience location, an audience profile, and an audience interest.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the merchant preference comprises at least one of a merchant location, a merchant target audience, and a merchant preferred time to transmit the merchant advertisement to the audience.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the targeted advertisement is selected by the ad decision module based on an analysis of the audience'"'"'s viewing habit of the regular programming by monitoring the frequency of the audience viewing the regular programming.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising an audience user interface operable to receive the audience preference.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a merchant user interface operable to receive the merchant preference and each of the plurality of merchant advertisement inputs.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of merchant advertisements is text banners.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the merchant advertisement is selected to be assigned to the targeted advertisement if the merchant preference of the merchant advertisement at least partially matches the audience preference.

9. A method that uses a set-top box comprising at least one computer processor, for providing a targeted advertisement to an audience, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a start time and a duration of a scheduled advertisement, the scheduled advertisement being broadcasted from a broadcasting station;

identifying a product of the scheduled advertisement;

identifying an audience preference;

identifying a merchant preference for each of a plurality of merchant advertisement inputs, the merchant preference indicating a tendency of merchant'"'"'s target audience;

assigning the targeted advertisement with a merchant advertisement, wherein the merchant advertisement is selected from the plurality of merchant advertisement inputs, based on;

the merchant preference;

the audience preference; and

the product of the scheduled advertisement, wherein the merchant advertisement is selected to be assigned to the target advertisement if the product of the scheduled advertisement is similar to a product of the merchant advertisement;

synchronizing the assigned targeted advertisement with the start time and the duration; and

displaying the synchronized assigned targeted advertisement on a display unit.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of displaying the synchronized assigned targeted advertisement on a display unit comprises positioning the synchronized assigned targeted advertisement on the display unit overlaying the scheduled advertisement.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of displaying the synchronized assigned targeted advertisement on a display unit comprises replacing the scheduled advertisement on the display unit with the assigned targeted advertisement.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the audience preference comprises at least one of an audience location, an audience profile, and an audience interest.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the merchant preference comprises at least one of a merchant location, a merchant target audience, and a merchant preferred time to transmit the merchant advertisement to the audience.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of assigning the targeted advertisement with a merchant advertisement is further based on an audience viewing habits.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of assigning the targeted advertisement with a merchant advertisement is further based on an analysis of the audience'"'"'s viewing habit of a regular programming by monitoring the frequency of the audience viewing the regular programming, the regular programming being the program being broadcasted from the broadcasting station with the scheduled advertisement.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of generating a coupon associated to the assigned targeted advertisement.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of generating a coupon associated to the assigned targeted advertisement comprises electronically transmitting the coupon to the audience.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of generating a coupon associated to the assigned targeted advertisement comprises selecting the coupon based on the audience preference.

19. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of assigning the targeted advertisement with a merchant advertisement comprises assigning the targeted advertisement with a merchant advertisement if the merchant preference of the merchant advertisement at least partially matches the audience preference.