Systems, methods and products for assessing subscriber content access

• US 20050283792A1
• Filed: 08/26/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alphonso, Inc.
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., Swix, Scott R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,802,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/78 CATV [Community Antenna Television] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/30 characterised by the use of a return channel, e.g. for collecting users' opinions, for returning broadcast space/time information or for requesting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/97 using uplink of the CATV systems
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for reporting a subscriber'"'"'s content access selections to marketers. One such method stores when content is provided to a subscriber and when that content is displayed by the subscriber. The method then reports when the content is provided and when the content is viewed, thus describing the subscriber'"'"'s content selections.

Claims

1. A method for reporting a subscriber'"'"'s content access selections, comprising:

storing when content is provided to a subscriber;

storing when that content is displayed by the subscriber; and

reporting when the content is provided and when the content is viewed.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising storing a date and time identifier indicating when the content is provided to the subscriber.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising comparing which content is viewed by the subscriber verses what content is provided to the subscriber.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising comparing what content is viewed by the subscriber from an alternate source verses what content is provided to the subscriber.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising comparing when content is recorded by the subscriber verses when that content was provided to the subscriber.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising merging information describing the subscriber'"'"'s actions with information describing the content that is displayed.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a duration of time the subscriber views the content.

8. A system, comprising:

an operating system stored in memory; and

a processor communicating with the memory,

the processor storing when content is provided to a subscriber;

the processor storing when that content is displayed by the subscriber; and

the processor reporting when the content is provided and when the content is viewed.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the processor further stores a date and time identifier indicating when the content is provided to the subscriber.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein the processor further compares which content is viewed by the subscriber verses what content is provided to the subscriber.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein the processor further compares what content is viewed by the subscriber from an alternate source verses what content is provided to the subscriber.

12. A system according to claim 8, wherein the processor further compares when content is recorded by the subscriber verses when that content was provided to the subscriber.

13. A system according to claim 8, wherein the processor further merges information describing the subscriber'"'"'s actions with information describing the content that is displayed.

14. A system according to claim 8, wherein the processor further determines a duration of time the subscriber views the content.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

an analyzer stored on the computer-readable medium, the analyzer comprising computer code for storing when content is provided to a subscriber;

storing when that content is displayed by the subscriber; and

reporting when the content is provided and when the content is viewed.

16. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising computer code for storing a date and time identifier indicating when the content is provided to the subscriber.

17. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising computer code for comparing which content is viewed by the subscriber verses what content is provided to the subscriber.

18. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising computer code for comparing what content is viewed by the subscriber from an alternate source verses what content is provided to the subscriber.

19. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising computer code for comparing when content is recorded by the subscriber verses when that content was provided to the subscriber.

20. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising computer code for merging information describing the subscriber'"'"'s actions with information describing the content that is displayed.