Digital content audience matching and targeting system and method

• US 10,834,450 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Inayatullah, Azfar, Macwan, Sanjay, Gottipati, Sowmya
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Mushfikh I
• Application Number:
  US14/502,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20160094894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,233 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/103 Transmitter-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• 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 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

Digital content is indexed and available to be provided to a target audience based upon possible interest. Components and/or sensors detect audience-related data indicative of the target audience, possible audience interest, audience behavior, and other audience-related factors. Components and/or sensors detect device-related data indicative of available devices to which available content may be sent, transmission paths for the content, and related factors. An analysis and matching engine matches the available content to the target audience and one or more of the devices and selects content, devices, and transmission paths for directing the selected content for an enhanced audience experience.

Claims

1. A method for providing digital content to a target audience, comprising:

monitoring audience-related data indicative of a specific target audience as an indication of potential interests of the target audience;

monitoring device-related data indicative of a content playback device available to the target audience, the device-related data being collected with respect to a plurality of different devices available to the target audience;

referencing content-related data related to available content associated with base content currently playing on a first device of the plurality of different devices available to the target audience that is selected for playback of the base content;

monitoring a network gateway;

determining, via the monitoring of the network gateway, that network traffic is traversing the network gateway;

identifying, via the network traffic, a source network address corresponding to a second device of the plurality of different devices, wherein the network traffic is indicative of the target audience interacting with the second device;

attributing the network traffic to a shift in the target audience'"'"'s attention from the first device to the second device of the plurality of different devices based on the identification of the source network address via the network traffic; and

targeting the second device for playback of an element of the available content based upon the shift in the target audience'"'"'s attention from the first device to the second device, by;

selecting the element of the available content that matches the target audience based upon the audience-related data and the device-related data; and

providing, at the second device, the selected element of the available content based upon a match of the content-related data and upon the audience-related data and the device-related data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the audience-related data comprises historical and/or background data about the target audience stored by a content provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the audience-related data comprises data collected from one or more components and/or sensors present where the audience is located.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the audience-related data comprises data indicative of behavior of the target audience at the time the matching and providing steps are performed, the behavior comprising gaze, requesting different content, changing a channel at the first device, increasing or decreasing audio volume of the first device, visiting websites or other content during playback of the base content, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the audience-related data or the device-related data comprises data indicative of proximity of the target audience to a specific playback device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device-related data comprises data indicative of a transmission path for transmission of content to a specific audience playback device.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising adapting a matching algorithm used in the selecting the element of available content that matches the target audience, based upon the audience-related data and the device-related data that is available.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

selecting one of a plurality of transmission channels to the second device, based at least upon the device-related data;

wherein the selected element of the available content is provided to the second device via the selected one of the plurality of transmission channels.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, via the monitoring of the network gateway, that network traffic is traversing the network gateway comprises monitoring email traffic via the network gateway.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein providing, at the second device, the selected element of the available content comprises providing the selected element of the available content as an overlay or insertion to an email.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the source network address corresponding to the second device comprises a media access control (MAC) address, an Internet protocol (IP) address, an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), an international mobile station equipment identity (IMEI), or a session identification.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein providing, at the second device, the selected element of the available content comprises interrupting the base content playing on the first device and displaying the selected element of the available content on the second device.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected element of the available content comprises one or more advertisements.

9. A processing system for providing digital content to a target audience, comprising:

a processor, configured to;

receive audience-related data indicative of a specific target audience as an indication of potential interests of the target audience, the audience-related data being collected from one or more components or sensors present in a location with the target audience and detecting data during a time when the target audience is experiencing based content;

receive device-related data indicative of a content playback device available to the target audience, the device-related data being collected with respect to a plurality of different devices available to the target audience, to a plurality of different content transmission paths to such devices, or both;

reference content-related data related to available content associated with base content currently playing on a first device of the plurality of different devices available to the target audience that is selected for playback of the base content;

monitor a network gateway;

determine, via the monitoring of the network gateway, that network traffic is traversing the network gateway;

identify, via the network traffic, a source network address corresponding to a second device of the plurality of different devices, wherein the network traffic is indicative of the target audience interacting with the second device;

attribute the network traffic to a shift in the target audience'"'"'s attention from the first device to the second device of the plurality of different devices based on the identification of the source network address via the network traffic; and

target the second device for playback of an element of the available content based upon the shift in the target audience'"'"'s attention from the first device to the second device, by;

selecting the element of the available content that matches the target audience based upon the audience-related data and the device-related data; and

providing, at the second device, the selected element of the available content based upon a match of the content-related data and upon the audience-related data and the device-related data.

10. The processing system of claim 9, wherein the audience-related data comprises data indicative of behavior of the target audience at the time the matching and providing steps are performed, the behavior comprising gaze, requesting different content, changing a channel at the first device, increasing or decreasing audio volume of the first device, visiting websites or other content during playback of the base content, or any combination thereof.

11. The processing system of claim 9, wherein the content-related data comprises indexed data derived from the available content or metadata associated with the available content.

12. A system for providing digital content to a target audience, comprising:

audience-related data components and/or sensors that, in operation, monitor audience-related data indicative of a specific target audience as an indication of potential interests of the target audience;

device-related data components and/or sensors that, in operation, monitor device-related data indicative of a content playback device available to the target audience, the device-related data being collected with respect to a plurality of different devices available to the target audience; and

processing circuitry configured to;

reference content-related data related to available content associated with base content currently playing on a first device of the plurality of different devices available to the target audience that is selected for playback of the base content;

monitor a network gateway;

determine, via the monitoring of the network gateway, that network traffic is traversing the network gateway;

identify, via the network traffic, a source network address corresponding to a second device of the plurality of different devices, wherein the network traffic is indicative of the target audience interacting with the second device;

attribute the network traffic to a shift in the target audience'"'"'s attention from the first device to the second device of the plurality of different devices based on the identification of the source network address via the network traffic; and

target the second device for playback of an element of the available content based upon the shift in the target audience'"'"'s attention from the first device to the second device, by;

determining a match between the available content, the second device, and a target audience based upon the content-related data, the audience-related data, and the device-related data; and

outputting recommendations, instructions, or both for providing selected content device from the available content, to the second device, based upon the match.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the audience-related data components and/or sensors are present in a location with the target audience and detect the audience-related data during a time when the audience is experiencing based content.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the device-related data components and/or sensors collect data with respect to a plurality of different devices available to the target audience and/or to a plurality of different content transmission paths to such devices.

15. The system of claim 12, comprising one or more repositories of the available content and a content analysis engine that analyzes the available content to produce indexed data derived from the available content or metadata associated with the available content.