System and method for identifying desirable subscribers

• US 20070118396A1
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alphonso, Inc.
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Matz, William, Swix, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,593,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• 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 21/26233 involving content or additional data duration or size, e.g. length of a movie, size of an executable file
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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
• 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

According to exemplary embodiments, a content-access information database and a subscriber attribute database are merged to create a subscriber information database. A data analyzer, such as a data mining application, provides tools for identifying desirable subscribers within the merged database.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a subscriber as desirable to receive an advertisement based on information relating to the subscriber'"'"'s use of media programming delivered to the subscriber, the method comprising:

collecting data about the subscriber'"'"'s use of the media programming, comprising;

i) identifying a command from the subscriber, and

ii) forming an event record that comprises the command and a time associated with the command;

merging the event record with data describing the media programming to form data representations of the subscriber'"'"'s use of the media programming, the data representations describing the programming selected by the subscriber over a period of time;

matching data from the data representations with at least one relevant criteria describing which subscribers are desirable for receiving the advertisement; and

if data from the data representations matches the at least one relevant criteria, then identifying the subscriber as a desirable subscriber to receive the advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1, the media programming comprising advertising content.

3. The method of claim 1, the media programming comprising television programming content.

4. The method of claim 1, the command comprising a channel change request.

5. The method of claim 1, the at least one relevant criteria comprising demographic information.

6. The method of claim 1, the command comprising invocation of an interactive television application.

7. The method of claim 1, the command comprising use of an ancillary device.

8. The method of claim 1, the at least one relevant criteria comprising data related to at least one questionnaire response.

9. The method of claim 1, the at least one relevant criteria comprising information about a purchase of a good by the subscriber.

10. The method of claim 1, the at least one relevant criteria comprising information about a purchase of a service by the subscriber.

11. The method of claim 1, the command comprising a passive change in programming.

12. A computer-readable medium on which is encoded instructions for performing the following:

collecting data about a subscriber'"'"'s use of media programming, comprising;

i) identifying a command from the subscriber, and

ii) forming an event record that comprises the command of interest and a time associated with the command;

merging the event record with data describing the media programming to form data representations of the subscriber'"'"'s use of the media programming, the data representations describing the programming selected by the subscriber over a period of time;

matching data from the data representations with at least one relevant criteria describing which subscribers are desirable for receiving the advertisement; and

if data from the data representations matches the at least one relevant criteria, then identifying the subscriber as a desirable subscriber to receive the advertisement.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the command comprising a channel change request.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the command comprising invocation of an interactive television application.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the command comprising use of an ancillary device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the command comprising a passive change in programming.

17. A system for identifying a subscriber as desirable to receive an advertisement based on information relating to the subscriber'"'"'s use of media programming delivered to the subscriber, the system comprising:

a programming content database, the programming content database comprising data describing the media programming;

a subscriber-action database, the subscriber-action database comprising subscriber-action data about the subscriber'"'"'s selection and use of the media programming, the subscriber-action data comprising at least one event record that comprises a command and a time associated with the command;

a merge processor connected via means for communication with the programming content database, and the subscriber-action database, the merge processor for forming data representations which describe the media programming selected by the subscriber over a period of time by merging data from the programming content database with data from the subscriber-action database;

a subscriber attribute database, the subscriber attribute database comprising at least one relevant criteria describing which subscribers are desirable for receiving the advertisement; and

a data analyzer connected via means for communication to the subscriber attribute database and the merge processor, the data analyzer for matching data from the subscriber attribute database with data from data representations to identify a desirable subscriber to receive the advertisement.

18. The system of claim 17, the at least one relevant criteria comprising a purchase history database.

19. The system of claim 18, the purchase history database comprising a credit card database.

20. The system of claim 17, the at least one relevant criteria comprising a property ownership database.

21. The system of claim 17, the at least one relevant criteria comprising a survey result database.

22. The system of claim 17, the data analyzer further comprising a report creator.

23. A method for identifying a subscriber as desirable to receive an advertisement based on information relating to the subscriber'"'"'s use of content delivered to the subscriber, the method comprising:

collecting data about the subscriber'"'"'s use of the content, comprising;

i) identifying a command from the subscriber, and

ii) forming an event record that comprises the command and a time associated with the command;

merging the event record with data describing the content to form data representations of the subscriber'"'"'s use of the content over a period of time;

matching data from the data representations with at least one relevant criteria describing a desirable subscriber for receiving the advertisement; and

if data from the data representations matches the at least one relevant criteria, then identifying the matched, desirable subscriber.

24. The method of claim 23, the content comprising national programming content, wherein the national content comprises at least one of national media content and national advertising content.

25. The method of claim 23, the content comprising local programming content, wherein the local programming content comprises at least one of local media content and local advertising content.

26. The method of claim 23, the content comprising interactive programming content, wherein the local programming content comprises at least one of interactive media content and interactive advertising content.

27. The method of claim 23, the content comprising locally stored content.

28. The method of claim 23, the content comprising remotely stored content.

29. The method of claim 23, the command comprising at least one of a command to change a channel, a command to invoke an interactive application, a command to control an interactive application, a command to control a use of an ancillary content presentation device, and a command to identify a passive change of the subscriber'"'"'s use of the content.