Targeted television advertisements associated with online users' preferred television programs or channels

• US 9,800,917 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2015
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intent IQ, LLC (AlmondNet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intent IQ, LLC (AlmondNet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shkedi, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Jonathan V
• Application Number:
  US14/796,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20150312614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• 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 21/2668 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 21/458 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• 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 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In an automatic, computer-implemented method, a selected television advertisement is presented automatically in association with a television program or channel, which in turn is selected based at least in part on information from an online user profile that contains information indicating a user'"'"'s preference for that television program or channel. The television advertisement is selected based at least in part on additional information from the online user profile that is unrelated to the selected television program or channel. The selected television advertisement is presented on or during the selected television program or channel via a set-top box, which has a set-top box identifier associated with the online user profile.

Claims

1. An automatic, method implemented by a computer system comprising:

with the computer system,

automatically arranging for or transmitting instructions for presenting, in association with presentation of a first television program or channel, a first television advertisement, and

automatically arranging for or transmitting instructions for presenting, in association with presentation of a second television program or channel, a second television advertisement,

wherein;

(a) (i) a relationship, between the first television program or channel and a first online user profile is identified based at least in part on information from the first online user profile, which information indicates a first user'"'"'s preference for the first television program or channel, to presume a user who watches the first television program or channel, and (ii) a relationship, between the second television program or channel and a second online user profile is identified based at least in part on information from the second online user profile, which information indicates a second user'"'"'s preference for the second television program or channel, to presume a second user who watches the second television program or channel;

(b) the first online user profile and the second online user profile are each one of a plurality of online user profiles associated with an identifier of a first set-top box;

(c) (i) the first television advertisement is selected based at least in part on additional information from the first online user profile that is unrelated to the first television program or channel, and (ii) the second television advertisement is selected based at least in part on additional information from the second online user profile that is unrelated to the second television program or channel;

(d) (i) the information from the first online user profile indicating the first user'"'"'s preference for the first television program or channel has been collected from online activity of the presumed first user through a first online user interface device, and (ii) the information from the second online user profile indicating the second user'"'"'s preference for the second television program or channel has been collected from online activity of the presumed second user through a second online user interface device;

(e) the first television advertisement and the first television program or channel are presented via the first set-top box, and the second television advertisement and the second television program or channel are presented via the first set-top box; and

(f) the first television advertisement is selected for presentation in association with the first television program or channel based on the first online user profile but would not have been selected for presentation in association with the first television program or channel based on the second online user profile.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first television program or channel is a television program and the first online user profile includes an explicit indication of a preference for the television program.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first television program or channel is a television program and the first online user profile includes an implicit indication of a preference for the television program.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the additional information from the first online user profile that is used to select the first television advertisement includes demographic information concerning the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the additional information from the first online user profile that is used to select the first television advertisement includes information concerning online activity of the user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the additional information from the first online user profile that is used to select the first television advertisement includes declared information concerning the user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first online user profile and the first set-top box identifier are associated by each being associated with a common online access identifier.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the online access identifier and the first set-top box identifier are associated by the online access identifier being referenced or included in the first online user profile.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the online access identifier and the first set-top box identifier are associated in a database.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the online access identifier and the first set-top box identifier are associated by an online user interface device that corresponds to the online access identifier and the first set-top box being connected to a common local area network.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first online user profile and the first set-top box identifier are associated without employing personally identifiable information concerning the user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first television advertisement is presented in association with broadcast presentation of the first television program or channel.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first television advertisement is presented in association with delayed presentation of the first television program or channel.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the first television advertisement is spatially combined or temporally interleaved with the first television program or channel.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the first television advertisement is presented immediately before or immediately after presentation of the first television program or channel.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer system performs the act of part (a) by identifying the relationship and performs the act of part (c) by selecting the advertisement.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer system performs the act of part (a) by identifying the relationship and, as to the act of part (c), the computer system receives an indication of selection of the advertisement.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein, as to the act of part (a), the computer system receives an indication of identification of the relationship, and wherein the computer system performs the act of part (c) by selecting the advertisement.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein, as to part (a), the computer system receives an indication of identification of the relationship and, as to part (c), the computer system receives an indication of selection of the advertisement.

20. A computer system comprising at least one computer programmed and connected:

to arrange automatically for or transmit instructions for presenting, in association with presentation of a first television program or channel, a first television advertisement and

to arrange automatically for or transmit instructions for presenting, in association with presentation of a second television program or channel, a second television advertisement,

wherein;

(a) (i) a relationship, between the first television program or channel and a first online user profile is identified based at least in part on information from a first online user profile, which information indicates a first user'"'"'s preference for the first television program or channel, to presume a user who watches the first television program or channel, and (ii) a relationship, between the second television program or channel and a second online user profile is identified based at least in part on information from the second online user profile, which information indicates a second user'"'"'s preference for the second television program or channel, to presume a second user who watches the second television program or channel;

(b) the first online user profile and the second online user profile are each one of a plurality of online user profiles associated with an identifier of a first set-top box;

(c) (i) the first television advertisement is selected based at least in part on additional information from the first online user profile that is unrelated to the first selected television program or channel, and (ii) the second television advertisement is selected based at least in part on additional information from the second online user profile that is unrelated to the second television program or channel;

(d) (i) the information from the first online user profile indicating the first user'"'"'s preference for the first television program or channel has been collected from online activity of the first user through a first online user interface device, and (ii) the information from the second online user profile indicating the second user'"'"'s preference for the second television program or channel has been collected from online activity of the presumed second user through a second online user interface device;

(e) the first television advertisement and the first television program or channel are presented via the first set-top box, and the second television advertisement and the second television program or channel are presented via the first set-top box; and

(f) the first television advertisement is selected for presentation in association with the first television program or channel based on the first online user profile but would not have been selected for presentation in association with the first television program or channel based on the second online user profile.

21. An article comprising a tangible medium that is not a transitory propagating signal encoding computer-readable instructions that, when applied to a computer system comprising at least one computer, instruct the at least one computer

to arrange automatically for or transmit instructions for presenting, in association with presentation of a first television program or channel, a first television advertisement and

to arrange automatically for or transmit instructions for presenting, in association with presentation of a second television program or channel, a second television advertisement,

wherein:

(a) (i) a relationship, between the first television program or channel and a first online user profile is identified based at least in part on information from a first online user profile, which information indicates a first user'"'"'s preference for the first television program or channel to presume a user who watches the first television program or channel, and (ii) a relationship, between the second television program or channel and a second online user profile is identified based at least in part on information from the second online user profile, which information indicates a second user'"'"'s preference for the second television program or channel, to presume a second user who watches the second television program or channel;

(b) the first online user profile and the second online user profile are each one of a plurality of online user profiles associated with an identifier of a first set-top box;

(c) (i) the first television advertisement is selected based at least in part on additional information from the first online user profile that is unrelated to the first television program or channel, and (ii) the second television advertisement is selected based at least in part on additional information from the second online user profile that is unrelated to the second television program or channel;

(d) (i) the information from the first online user profile indicating the first user'"'"'s preference for the first television program or channel has been collected from online activity of the first user through a first online user interface device, and (ii) the information from the second online user profile indicating the second user'"'"'s preference for the second television program or channel has been collected from online activity of the presumed second user through a second online user interface device;

(e) the first television advertisement and the first television program or channel are presented via the first set-top box, and the second television advertisement and the second television program or channel are presented via the first set-top box; and

(f) the first television advertisement is selected for presentation in association with the first television program or channel based on the first online user profile but would not have been selected for presentation in association with the first television program or channel based on the second online user profile.