System and method for identifying desirable subscribers

• US 7,212,979 B1
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alphonso, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swix, Scott R., Matz, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US10/017,640
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• 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

Systems and methods for identifying a desirable subscriber by utilizing past subscriber content choices as well as subscriber is described. In one embodiment of the present invention, 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 by a media delivery network, the method comprising:

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

i) identifying a command of interest from the subscriber;

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

transmitting the event record to a merge processor;

merging the event record with data describing the media programming delivered over the media delivery network to form event timelines which describe the programming selected by the subscriber over a period of time;

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

if data from the event timelines 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 of interest 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 of interest comprising invocation of an interactive television application.

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

8. The method of claim 1, 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 the subscriber'"'"'s purchases.

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

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

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

i) identifying a command of interest from the subscriber;

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

transmitting the event record to a merge processor;

merging the event record with data describing the media programming delivered over the media delivery network to form event timelines which describe the programming selected by the subscriber over a period of time;

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

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

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the media programming comprising advertising content.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the media programming comprising television programming content.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the command of interest comprising a channel change request.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the at least one relevant criteria comprising demographic information.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the command of interest comprising invocation of an interactive television application.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the command of interest comprising use of an ancillary device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the at least one relevant criteria comprising data related to at least one questionnaire response.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the at least one relevant criteria comprising information about the subscriber'"'"'s purchases.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the command of interest comprising a passive change in programming.

21. 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 by a media delivery network, the system comprising:

a programming content database, the programming content database comprising data describing the media programming delivered over the media delivery network;

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

a merge processor connected via means for communication with the programming content database, and the subscriber-action database, the merge processor for forming at least one event timeline which describes 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 event timelines to identify a desirable subscriber to receive the advertisement.

22. The system of claim 21, the at least one relevant criteria comprising a purchase history database.

23. The system of claim 22, the purchase history database comprising a credit card database.

24. The system of claim 21, the at least one relevant criteria comprising a property ownership database.

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

26. The system of claim 21, the data analyzer further comprising a report creator.