Micro-target for broadband content

• US 20020004744A1
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digital Delivery Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digital Delivery Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Peterson, Harold L., Muyres, Matthew R., Williams, James B., Rigler, Joel R.
• Application Number:
  US09/798,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20020004744A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00

Abstract

A system for targeting and delivering digital content to a user on a personal computerized system having a primary storage unit and a communications link. A client in the personal computerized system includes an inventory of local digital content installed in the primary storage unit before the user receives it. The client also includes an infrastructure application that manages the inventory and makes digital content accessible to the user. A user profile is used by a logic to choose remote digital content, which is humanly perceivable either visually or audibly, to become additional local digital content. A logic then receives these additional instances from a remote computer system via a communications link and a logic displays them to the of the personal computerized system.

Claims

1. A method for delivery of digital content for a user of a personal computerized system having a primary storage unit and a communications link, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing in the personal computerized system a client, wherein said client includes;

(1) an inventory of local instances of the digital content which has been initially installed in the primary storage unit before receipt there of by the user; and

(2) an infrastructure application suitable for managing said inventory, and making instances of the digital content accessible to the user of the personal computerized system;

(b) obtaining a profile of the user;

(c) choosing remote instances of the digital content based on said profile to become additional local instances of the digital content for the personal computerized system, wherein said additional local instances are visually or audibly humanly perceivable;

(d) receiving said additional local instances of the digital content from a remote computer system via the communications link; and

(e) displaying said additional local instances of the digital content to the user of the personal computerized system with said infrastructure application of said client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said profile is obtained by at least one member of the set of processes consisting of querying the user, monitoring activity of the user with respect to the personal computerized system generally, and monitoring activity of the user with respect to said inventory of local digital content with said infrastructure application of said client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (c) includes:

transmitting said profile to said remote computer system via the communications link; and

determining at said remote computer system what to include in said additional local instances of the digital content for the personal computerized system.

4. The method of claim 3, further including:

providing an identifier with said profile when it is first transmitted to said remote computer system;

storing said profile as a stored profile in said remote computer system;

transmitting said identifier again to said remote computer system;

accessing said stored profile based on said identifier; and

determining what to include in said additional local instances of the digital content based on said stored profile.

5. The method of claim 4, further including:

transmitting said identifier with a second said profile to said remote computer system at a point in time when said stored profile exists;

accessing said stored profile based on said identifier;

modifying said stored profile based on said second said profile; and

storing said modified said stored profile as said stored profile.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said identifier is unique to the personal computerized system, thereby permitting uniquely targeting the personal computerized system for delivery of particular instances of the digital content.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said identifier is unique to the user of the personal computerized system, thereby permitting uniquely targeting the user for delivery of particular instances of the digital content.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing said additional local instances of the digital content into the primary storage unit of the personal computerized system, thereby permitting performing said step (e) at any time after said step (d).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said additional local instances are stored into said inventory.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the communications link is a broad bandwidth communications link; and

said step (d) and said step (e) are performed essentially contemporaneously, thereby streaming delivery of said additional local instances of the digital content to the user of the personal computerized system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications link is a narrow bandwidth communications link, wherein:

said step (d) includes storing said additional local instances of the digital content in the personal computerized system until a quantity is received which is determined suitable for display to the user as a contiguous block; and

said step (e) includes displaying said additional local instances as said contiguous block, thereby buffering so that display of said additional local instances of the digital content to the user is not interrupted.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (e) includes:

presenting information about said inventory on the display of the personal computerized system to draw attention of the user ostensibly to said information; and

displaying said additional local instances of the digital content concurrently, thereby causing the user to perceive both said information and said additional local instances of the digital content.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said information includes an offer of at least one instance of said digital content which the user would need to take affirmative action to receive.

14. A system for delivering digital content, comprising:

a personal computerized system having a primary storage unit and a communications link;

a client in said personal computerized system, wherein said client includes;

(1) an inventory of local instances of the digital content which has been initially installed in said primary storage unit before receipt by a user there of; and

(2) an infrastructure application suitable for managing said inventory, and making instances of the digital content accessible to said user on said personal computerized system;

a profile of said user;

logic that chooses remote instances of the digital content based on said profile to become additional local instances of the digital content for said personal computerized system, wherein said additional local instances are visually or audibly humanly perceivable;

logic that receives said additional local instances of the digital content from a remote computer system via said communications link; and

logic that displays said additional local instances of the digital content to said user of said personal computerized system with said infrastructure application of said client.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising logic that obtains said profile by at least one member of the set of processes consisting of querying the user, monitoring activity of the user with respect to the personal computerized system generally, and monitoring activity of the user with respect to said inventory of local digital content with said infrastructure application of said client.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising logic that transmits said profile to said remote computer system via said communications link, to permit determination at said remote computer system of what to include in said additional local instances of the digital content for said personal computerized system.

17. The system of claim 16, further including:

logic that provides an identifier with said profile when it is first transmitted to said remote computer system, to permit said remote computer system to store said profile as a stored profile; and

logic that transmits said identifier again to said remote computer system, to permit said remote computer system to access said stored profile based on said identifier and based on said stored profile determine what to include in said additional local instances of the digital content.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising logic that transmits said identifier with a second said profile to said remote computer system at a point in time when said stored profile already exists, to permit said remote computer system to access said stored profile based on said identifier, to modify said stored profile based on said second said profile, and to store said modified said stored profile as said stored profile.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said identifier is unique to said personal computerized system, thereby permitting said remote computer system to uniquely target said personal computerized system for delivery of particular instances of the digital content.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said identifier is unique to said user of said personal computerized system, thereby permitting said remote computer system to uniquely target said user for delivery of particular instances of the digital content.

21. The system of claim 14, further comprising logic that stores said additional local instances of the digital content into said primary storage unit of said personal computerized system, thereby permitting said logic that receives and said logic that displays said additional local instances of the digital content to operate at different times.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said additional local instances are stored into said inventory.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein said communications link is a broad bandwidth communications link, thereby permitting said logic that receives and said logic that displays said additional local instances of the digital content to operate essentially contemporaneously to stream delivery of said additional local instances of the digital content to said user of said personal computerized system.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the communications link is a narrow bandwidth communications link;

said logic that receives said additional local instances of the digital content includes logic that stores them in said personal computerized system until a quantity is received which is determined suitable for display to said user as a contiguous block; and

said logic that displays said additional local instances of the digital content includes logic that displays them as said contiguous block, thereby buffering so that display of said additional local instances of the digital content to said user is not interrupted.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein said logic that displays said additional local instances of the digital content includes logic that concurrently presents information about said inventory on said personal computerized system to draw attention of the user ostensibly to said information thereby causing said user to perceive both said information and said additional local instances of the digital content.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said information includes an offer of at least one instance of said digital content which said user would need to take affirmative action to receive.