CONTENT OVERLAYS IN ON-DEMAND STREAMING APPLICATIONS

• US 20100153990A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genband US LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Ress, David P., Goodwill, Dominic
• Granted Patent: US 9,204,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A personalized content overlay is generated and sent for display to a subscriber. The content overlay may be generated in response to a request by the subscriber, such as a request to watch a program. The content overlay can include personalized information tailored to the subscriber based on subscriber information. The content overlay can also include information obtained from a third party, such as an advertiser, that has a preexisting relationship with the subscriber. The content overlay can include one or more triggers that, when activated by the subscriber, enable interactivity between the subscriber and a third party.

Claims

1. A method for providing an overlay comprising:

generating a personalized content overlay based on information associated with a subscriber; and

effecting presentation of the personalized content overlay as an overlay to a first media item being provided to the subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a media item request of the subscriber, and wherein generating the personalized content overlay based on the information associated with the subscriber is in response to the media item request, and the first media item is a media item associated with the media item request of the subscriber.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a media item request of the subscriber, and wherein generating the personalized content overlay based on the information associated with the subscriber is in response to the media item request, and the first media item is a different media item than a media item associated with the media item request of the subscriber.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first media item is an advertisement.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising determining that the first media item should be provided to the subscriber in accordance with an advertising schedule.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving an on-demand request of the subscriber, and wherein generating the personalized content overlay based on the information associated with the subscriber is in response to the on-demand request, and the first media item comprises a program requested by the on-demand request.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the personalized content overlay corresponds to content in the program and is presented in association with the content being provided to the subscriber.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the personalized content overlay is presented in association with the content being provided to the subscriber based on data embedded in the program.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein effecting presentation of the personalized content overlay as the overlay to the first media item being provided to the subscriber comprises directing a user device to present the personalized content overlay as the overlay to the first media item being provided to the subscriber.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein effecting presentation of the personalized content overlay as the overlay to the first media item being provided to the subscriber comprises displaying the personalized content overlay as the overlay to the first media item being provided to the subscriber on a display device.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a media item request from a set top box, and wherein generating the personalized content overlay based on the information associated with the subscriber is in response to the media item request.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a media item request of the subscriber, and wherein generating the personalized content overlay based on the information associated with the subscriber is in response to the media item request, and wherein the media item request of the subscriber is received from the subscriber.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating an overlay definition defining the personalized content overlay, and wherein generating the personalized content overlay based on the information associated with the subscriber comprises generating the personalized content overlay based on the information associated with the subscriber and the overlay definition.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the personalized content overlay comprises a click-to-call event adapted to initiate a telephone call between the subscriber and an advertiser.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the information associated with the subscriber comprises information derived from a user profile associated with the subscriber.

16. A device comprising:

an interface adapted to communicate with a network; and

a control system adapted to;

generate a personalized content overlay based on information associated with a subscriber; and

effect presentation of the personalized content overlay as an overlay to a first media item being provided to the subscriber.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the control system is further adapted to receive a media item request of the subscriber, and wherein the personalized content overlay based on the information associated with the subscriber is generated in response to the media item request, and the first media item is a media item associated with the media item request of the subscriber.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein the control system is further adapted to receive a media item request of the subscriber, and wherein the personalized content overlay based on the information associated with the subscriber is generated in response to the media item request, and the first media item is a different media item than a media item associated with the media item request of the subscriber.

19. The device of claim 16 wherein the control system is further adapted to receive an on-demand request of the subscriber, and wherein the personalized content overlay based on the information associated with the subscriber is generated in response to the on-demand request, and the first media item comprises a program requested by the on-demand request.

20. The device of claim 16 wherein the control system is further adapted to generate an overlay definition defining the personalized content overlay, and wherein to generate the personalized content overlay based on the information associated with the subscriber the control system is further adapted to generate the personalized content overlay based on the information associated with the subscriber and the overlay definition.