Personal video recorder for inserting a stored advertisement into a displayed broadcast stream

• US 9,049,471 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2011
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keen Personal Media, Inc. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Keen Personal Media, Inc. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Krapf, Russell M., Elliott, Timothy J., Kapner, L. Jeffrey III
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): MESA, JOSE M
• Application Number:
  US13/279,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20120281963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 386/239
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A personal video recorder is provided for displaying a targeted advertisement on a display in conjunction with displaying of a broadcast stream on the display. A viewer profile of a viewer of the display is defined based on signals received by a controller indicating usage of a viewer control interface by the viewer, for example based on viewer reactions to a broadcast stream or to an advertisement. A targeted advertisement is selected from stored advertisements based on the viewer profile of the viewer of the display. The targeted advertisement is displayed on the display. The viewer profile is updated based on subsequent signals received by the controller indicating usage of the viewer control interface. The signals indicate viewer reactions, for example, a viewer reaction to a broadcast stream or a viewer reaction to an advertisement or a viewer purchase.

Claims

1. A personal video recorder for sending a targeted advertisement to a display for viewing by a viewer in conjunction with viewing a broadcast stream on the display, the personal video recorder comprising:

a viewer control interface configured to allow the viewer to interact with the broadcast stream being displayed on the display by initiating a reaction to the broadcast stream, the reaction selected from the group consisting of;

fast-forwarding the displayed broadcast stream, pausing the displayed broadcast stream, and replaying the displayed broadcast stream;

a storage device for storing a plurality of advertisements; and

a controller responsive to the viewer control interface and connectable to the display, the controller configured to;

receive signals from the viewer control interface indicating the reaction to the broadcast stream, to define a viewer profile of the viewer of the display based on a content of the displayed broadcast stream, the signals received from the viewer control interface, and a timestamp;

select a first advertisement from the plurality of stored advertisements for display during an advertisement interval based on the viewer profile; and

send the first advertisement to the display during the advertisement interval,

wherein, in response to receiving a first additional signal from the viewer control interface indicating a viewer command to avoid a currently displayed advertisement before the currently displayed advertisement is displayed in its entirety during the advertisement interval, the controller is further configured to;

update the viewer profile of the viewer;

select one or more other advertisements from the plurality of stored advertisements based on the updated viewer profile of the viewer; and

send the one or more other advertisements to the display during the advertisement interval until at least one of the one or more other advertisements has been displayed in its entirety on the display during the advertisement interval without the controller receiving a second additional signal from the viewer control interface indicating a viewer command to avoid a currently displayed advertisement.

2. The personal video recorder of claim 1, wherein the storage device is a hard disk drive.

3. The personal video recorder of claim 1, further comprising a remote interface in communication with the controller, the remote interface configured to transmit the viewer profile to a head end.

4. The personal video recorder of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to update the viewer profile based on the signals received from the viewer control interface, to select a second advertisement from the plurality of stored advertisements based on the updated viewer profile, and to send the second advertisement to the display.

5. The personal video recorder of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive signals indicating a viewer purchase of a good/service from the viewer control interface, to update the viewer profile based on the signals received from the viewer control interface indicating the viewer purchase of the good/service, to select a second advertisement from the plurality of stored advertisements based on the updated viewer profile, and to send the second advertisement to the display.

6. The personal video recorder of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive signals indicating a viewer search request from the viewer control interface, to update the viewer profile based on the signals received from the viewer control interface indicating the viewer search request, to select a second advertisement from the plurality of stored advertisements based on the updated viewer profile, and to send the second advertisement to the display.

7. The personal video recorder of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to send to the display the first advertisement immediately prior to displaying a second broadcast stream on the display.

8. The personal video recorder of claim 1, wherein the advertisement interval is adjacent to a time slot for displaying regularly scheduled advertisements within the broadcast stream.

9. The personal video recorder of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to send to the display the first advertisement instead of a regularly scheduled advertisement within the broadcast stream.

10. The personal video recorder of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to send to the display the first advertisement upon request by the viewer.

11. The personal video recorder of claim 1, wherein the broadcast stream is a television broadcast stream.

12. The personal video recorder of claim 1, wherein the broadcast stream is a cable broadcast stream.

13. The personal video recorder of claim 1, wherein the broadcast stream is a satellite broadcast stream.

14. The personal video recorder of claim 1, wherein the broadcast stream is an Internet broadcast stream.

15. A personal video recorder for sending a targeted advertisement to a display for viewing by a viewer in conjunction with viewing a broadcast stream on the display, the personal video recorder comprising:

a viewer control interface configured to allow the viewer to interact with the broadcast stream being displayed on the display by initiating a reaction of the viewer, the reaction selected from the group consisting of;

fast-forwarding the displayed broadcast stream, pausing the displayed broadcast stream, and replaying the displayed broadcast stream;

a storage device for storing a plurality of advertisements; and

a controller responsive to the viewer control interface and connectable to the display, the controller configured to;

receive signals from the viewer control interface indicating the reaction to at least one advertisement displayed on the display, to define a viewer profile of the viewer of the display based on a content of the at least one advertisement,

the signals received from the viewer control interface, and a timestamp;

select a first targeted advertisement based on the viewer profile for display during an advertisement interval; and

send the first targeted advertisement to the display during the advertisement interval,

wherein, in response to receiving a first additional signal from the viewer control interface indicating a viewer command to avoid a currently displayed advertisement before the currently displayed advertisement is displayed in its entirety during the advertisement interval, the controller is further configured to;

update the viewer profile of the viewer;

select one or more other advertisements from the plurality of stored advertisements based on the updated viewer profile of the viewer; and

send the one or more other advertisements to the display during the advertisement interval until at least one of one or more other advertisements has been displayed in its entirety on the display during the advertisement interval without the controller receiving a second additional signal from the viewer control interface indicating a viewer command to avoid a currently displayed advertisement.

16. The personal video recorder of claim 15, wherein the storage device is a hard disk drive.

17. The personal video recorder of claim 15, further comprising a remote interface in communication with the controller, the remote interface configured to transmit the viewer profile to a head end.

18. The personal video recorder of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to update the viewer profile based on the signals received from the viewer control interface, to select a second targeted advertisement from the plurality of stored advertisements based on the updated viewer profile, and to send the second targeted advertisement to the display.

19. The personal video recorder of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to receive signals indicating a viewer reaction to the first targeted advertisement from the viewer control interface, to update the viewer profile based on the signals received from the viewer control interface indicating the viewer reaction to the first targeted advertisement, to select a second targeted advertisement from the plurality of stored advertisements based on the updated viewer profile, and to send the second targeted advertisement to the display.

20. The personal video recorder of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to receive signals indicating a viewer purchase of a good/service from the viewer control interface, to update the viewer profile based on the signals received from the viewer control interface indicating the viewer purchase of the good/service, to select a second targeted advertisement from the plurality of stored advertisements based on the updated viewer profile, and to send the second targeted advertisement to the display.

21. The personal video recorder of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to receive signals indicating a viewer search request from the viewer control interface, to update the viewer profile based on the signals received from the viewer control interface indicating the viewer search request, to select a second targeted advertisement from the plurality of stored advertisements based on the updated viewer profile, and to send the second targeted advertisement to the display.

22. The personal video recorder of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to send to the display the first targeted advertisement immediately prior to displaying a second broadcast stream on the display.

23. The personal video recorder of claim 15, wherein the advertisement interval is adjacent to a time slot for displaying regularly scheduled advertisements within the broadcast stream.

24. The personal video recorder of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to send to the display the first targeted advertisement instead of a regularly scheduled advertisement within the broadcast stream.

25. The personal video recorder of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to send to the display the first targeted advertisement upon request by the viewer.

26. The personal video recorder of claim 15, wherein the broadcast stream is a television broadcast stream.

27. The personal video recorder of claim 15, wherein the broadcast stream is a cable broadcast stream.

28. The personal video recorder of claim 15, wherein the broadcast stream is a satellite broadcast stream.

29. The personal video recorder of claim 15, wherein the broadcast stream is an Internet broadcast stream.