Methods and apparatus for enhanced advertising and promotional delivery in a network
First Claim
1. A method of providing advertising content to a plurality of users associated to a respective plurality of user devices in a content delivery network, said method comprising:
- receiving a plurality of requests to view primary content from said respective plurality of user devices, a triggering event being associated with said primary content;
presenting to each of said plurality of users a list of a plurality of available advertisements for selection;
providing to each of said plurality of users one or more selectable options for viewing and/or delivering said plurality of available advertisements;
enabling each of said of plurality of users to select one or more of said plurality of available advertisements for viewing and/or delivering according to said one or more selectable options;
when none of said one or more of said plurality of available advertisements is selected by said plurality of users within given time period, automatically adding one or more other ones of said plurality of available advertisements for viewing and/or delivering so as to fit within a duration of time before said primary content is set to begin, via evaluating metadata associated with at least one of said plurality of available advertisements with respect to information descriptive of said primary content;
providing a multicast of said requested primary content to said plurality of user devices, said multicast comprising only said primary content without any secondary content inserted therein; and
providing to individual ones of said plurality of user devices respective individual ones of said automatically added one or more other ones of said plurality of available advertisements according to said viewing and/or delivering options.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for enhanced advertising selection and delivery in a communications network. In one embodiment, the network comprises a cable television network, and the methods and apparatus enable a viewer to individually select and view advertisements during real-time broadcast program settings, as well as during “trick mode” operation in recorded program settings. Guess-work associated with skipping commercials via manual fast-forwarding through recorded content is eliminated, and a viewer is presented with several options regarding which advertisements to view and when to view them. In one variant, decoupling of advertising or promotions from a previously recorded program is provided, thus affording the network operator flexibility to insert various advertising content options, or selectively replace dated or expired advertisements, or those having less correlation to a current program content stream. In another variant, advertising or commercial skipping is substantially frustrated by presenting a viewer with several viewing options.
-
Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A method of providing advertising content to a plurality of users associated to a respective plurality of user devices in a content delivery network, said method comprising:
-
receiving a plurality of requests to view primary content from said respective plurality of user devices, a triggering event being associated with said primary content; presenting to each of said plurality of users a list of a plurality of available advertisements for selection; providing to each of said plurality of users one or more selectable options for viewing and/or delivering said plurality of available advertisements; enabling each of said of plurality of users to select one or more of said plurality of available advertisements for viewing and/or delivering according to said one or more selectable options; when none of said one or more of said plurality of available advertisements is selected by said plurality of users within given time period, automatically adding one or more other ones of said plurality of available advertisements for viewing and/or delivering so as to fit within a duration of time before said primary content is set to begin, via evaluating metadata associated with at least one of said plurality of available advertisements with respect to information descriptive of said primary content; providing a multicast of said requested primary content to said plurality of user devices, said multicast comprising only said primary content without any secondary content inserted therein; and providing to individual ones of said plurality of user devices respective individual ones of said automatically added one or more other ones of said plurality of available advertisements according to said viewing and/or delivering options. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A system for delivery of advertisements in a communications network, said system comprising:
-
a processing apparatus, said processing apparatus being adapted to process a real-time broadcast primary content stream to identify one or more markers disposed therein, said markers configured to indicate that one or more advertisements must be selected, and generate a list of available advertisements; a user interface adapted to enable a viewer to select from two or more options, said two or more options being configured to allow said viewer to;
(i) select one or more of said list of available advertisements and identify when during playback of said real-time broadcast primary content said selected one or more advertisements will be viewed, and (ii) select that one or more of said list of available advertisements be delivered to said viewer at a time after said playback of said real-time broadcast primary content;a mechanism adapted to allocate a carrier to deliver advertisement content for said selected one or more advertisements; and a receiving apparatus, said receiving apparatus adapted to receive said advertisement content. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A method of providing primary and secondary content to a plurality of users in a content delivery network, said method comprising:
-
receiving a request to view primary content from a user device; in response to said request, identifying a plurality of secondary content, said secondary content being identified based at least in part on a relationship of a context thereof to one or more attributes of a user associated with said user device; causing at least information relating to said identified plurality of secondary content to be stored at a storage entity associated with said user device; upon a user'"'"'s instantiation of a trick mode functionality at said user device, prompting said user with a plurality of options, said plurality of options comprising;
(i) selecting one or more items of said identified plurality of secondary content and selecting one or more display and/or delivery options, and (ii) selecting none of said one or more items of said identified plurality of secondary content; andcausing display and/or delivery of said selected ones of said one or more items of said identified plurality of secondary content according to said selected one or more display and/or delivery options. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. Computerized apparatus for providing advertising content to a user device associated with a content delivery network, said apparatus comprising:
-
a processor; a data interface in data communication with said processor; and a storage device in data communication with said processor and comprising at least one computer program, said at least one computer program comprising logic configured to, when executed; receive via said data interface a request to view primary content initiated from said user device; cause presentation via said user device of a list of a plurality of available advertisements for selection; cause provision via said user device a selectable option for delivery of said plurality of available advertisements other than presentation with said primary content, thereby enabling selection of one or more of said plurality of available advertisements for delivery according to said selectable option; when one or more of said plurality of available advertisements is selected via said user device within a given time period, cause delivery of said one or more selected advertisements via said selectable option;
orwhen none of said plurality of available advertisements is selected via said user device within said given time period, automatically add one or more other advertisements for delivery, said automatically added one or more other advertisements selected so as to fit within a duration of time before said primary content is set to begin, said selection based at least on an evaluation of metadata associated with said one or more other advertisements with respect to information descriptive of said primary content; cause provision to said user device of said automatically added one or more other advertisements during said duration of time; and cause provision of a multicast of said primary content to said user device, said multicast comprising only said primary content; wherein said selectable option comprises delivery via e-mail.
-
Specification