Patent Grant
8423417
The present disclosure relates to the field of selecting advertising data for content data.
Targeted advertisements have historically been mailed to large targeted geographic areas such as a particular city, so that regional advertisers reach only persons who are deemed by the advertiser as most likely to be responsive to their advertisements. Advertisements are a component in digital video services, including live or pre-recorded broadcast television TV, special or pay-per-view programming, video on demand (VOD), and other content choices available to subscribers. Television advertisers now target advertisements based on regions in which the television signal is delivered. For example, viewers in a New York state region will receive different advertising data than viewers in a Texas state region.
In an illustrative embodiment, a system and method are disclosed that provide targeted advertising data for presentation during replay of stored content data such as video data stored at an end user device. In another embodiment, the content data is image data stored on an end user device. In another embodiment, the content data is voice over internet protocol (VoIP) data stored on an end user device. In another embodiment, the content data is audio data stored on an end user device. In another embodiment, the content data is image data stored on an end user device. The end user devices can include but are not limited to cell phones, mobile computers and television displays associated with a set top box. The available advertising spots in content stored it end user devices are centrally inventoried and auctioned based on the characteristics of the stored content (age of content in storage, number of content replays, and age of advertising data in the stored content), end user device type and end user demographic. For purposes of this disclosure, replay of content data and presentation of advertising data refer to rendering the content and advertising data at the end user device from data stored at the end user device storage for presentation on the end user device, that is, displaying video data on a video display, displaying image data on an image display, displaying text data on a text display, displaying VoIP data on a text display, reproducing audio data or VoIP data on a sound reproduction device such as a loud speaker at the end user device. Other forms of data and data rendering or presentation are also within the scope of the invention disclosed herein.
In another embodiment, a method for delivering advertising data is disclosed, the method comprising receiving end user data at an internet protocol television (IPTV) server, the data indicating available advertising spots in content stored at an IPTV end user device; and updating from the IPTV server, advertising data for the available advertising spots. In another embodiment, the method further includes conducting an auction for the available advertising spots at the IPTV server, wherein the advertising data are provided by a winning bidder from the auction. In another embodiment of the method, the auction is based on attributes for the available advertising spots selected from the group consisting of end user demographics, content type, end user device type and available advertising spot type.
In another embodiment of the method, the auction is further based on how long the content has been stored at the end user device. In another embodiment of the method the end user data further comprises command data from the end use device indicating content storage, playback and deletion at the end user device. In another embodiment of the method, the auction is further based on how many times the content data has been played back at the end user device. In another embodiment of the method, the end user data further comprises tokens indicating available advertising spots in content data stored on the end user device and determining further comprises comparing the tokens to an IPTV server data base to determine available advertising spots in the content data. In another embodiment of the method, the tokens are sent to the end user device in content data sent from the IPTV server.
In another embodiment a system for delivering advertising data is disclosed, the system comprising a processor in data communication with a computer readable medium; a computer program comprising processor executable instructions stored in the computer readable medium, the computer program further comprising instructions to receive end user data at an IPTV server, the end user data indicating available advertising spots in content data stored at an IPTV end user device; and instructions to update from the IPTV server, advertising data in the available advertising spots. In another embodiment of the system, the computer program further includes instructions to conduct an auction for the available advertising spots at the IPTV server, wherein the advertising data are provided by a winning bidder from the auction. In another embodiment of the system, the auction is based on attributes for the available advertising spots selected from the group consisting of demographics, content type, end user device type and advertising type.
In another embodiment of the system, the auction is further based on how long the content data has been stored at the end user device. In another embodiment of the system, the end user data further comprises command data from the end use device indicating content data storage, playback and deletion at the end user device. In another embodiment of the system, the auction is further based on how many times the content data or advertising data has been played back at the end user device. In another embodiment of the system, the end user data further comprises tokens indicating available advertising spots in content data stored on the end user device and determining further comprises comparing the tokens to data in an IPTV server data base to determine available advertising spots in the content. In another embodiment of the system, the tokens are sent to the end user device in content data from the IPTV server.
In another embodiment, a computer program comprising executable instructions stored in the computer readable medium is disclosed, the computer program further comprising instructions to receive end user data at an IPTV server, the end user data indicating available advertising spots in content data stored at an IPTV end user device; and instructions to update from the IPTV server, advertising data in the available advertising spots. In another embodiment of the medium, the end user data further comprises tokens indicating content stored on the end user device and determining further comprises comparing the tokens to data in an IPTV server data base to determine available advertising spots in the content.
In another embodiment, a method for displaying advertising data is disclosed, the method including sending end user data from an IPTV end user device to an IPTV server, the end user data indicating available advertising spots in content data stored at the end user device; and receiving at the end user device, advertising data from the IPTV server for the available advertising spots. In another embodiment of the method, the end user data further comprises content tokens indicating content data stored on the end user device and determining further comprises comparing the tokens to an IPTV server data base to determine available advertising spots in the content stored on the end user device.
In another embodiment, a data structure for storing data in a computer readable medium is disclosed, the data structure comprising a first field for containing data indicative of an available advertising spot in content stored at an end user device; and a second field for containing data indicative of a device type for the end user device. In another embodiment of the data structure, the first field further comprises a token field for containing data indicating content containing the available advertising spot. In another embodiment of the data structure the device type is selected from the group consisting of a mobile telephone, video display and portable computer.
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In an illustrative embodiment, the IPTV system builds subscriber profiles for IPTV end users (also referred to herein as “subscribers”) by aggregating and correlating subscriber related statistics and subscriber activity data along with other subscriber data and demographic information such as gender, age, income, languages spoken, areas of interest, etc. Some of the subscriber profile data can be volunteered by an IPTV subscriber during an IPTV registration process. In another particular embodiment, the subscriber profile data further contains data for which a subscriber has opted in for monitoring and use by an IPTV triple-play system for the purposes of automatically receiving targeted advertising data. Subscriber preferences for particular advertising classes of current viewers can be estimated from data included in the subscriber profile, including but not limited to device type, subscriber type, and device state based on the subscriber activity data.
Based on subscribers' interests, background, and subscriber profiling results, purchases, locations visited as anchored by proximity data, demographics and subscriber activity data one of the following targeted advertising data selection methods and systems described herein or an equivalent thereof can be utilized to estimate an auction price and select targeted advertising for content stored at an end user device. Targeted advertising is automatically selected and made available to personalize advertising data and television commercial delivery to IPTV television displays, portable subscriber data and messaging devices such as mobile or cell phones and video, website banners and pop up displays on a PC or mobile Laptop computer.
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Actively viewed IPTV channels are sent in an Internet protocol (IP) data multicast group to access nodes such as digital subscriber line access multiplexers (DSLAMS) 109. A multicast for a particular IPTV channel is joined over a DSL line 108 by the set-top boxes (STBs) at IPTV subscriber homes from the DSLAM. Each STB includes processor 123, a memory 127, and a database 125. Each SHO, VHO, CO and IO includes a server 115, processor 123, a memory 127, and a database 125. The processor 123 further includes a network interface. The processor reads computer programs containing executable instructions from a computer readable medium such as memory 127. The network interface functions to send and receive data over the IPTV transport 166 and DSL line 108. The CO server delivers IPTV, Internet and VoIP video content and data to the subscriber via the DSLAM. The television, internet and VoIP data and content can be delivered via multicast and unicast television advertising depending on a single subscriber or a targeted television advertising group of end user client subscriber devices to which the advertising data is directed.
In another particular embodiment, subscriber devices, including but not limited to, wire line phones 135, portable phones 133, mobile computer 134 personal computers (PC) 110 and STB 102 communicate with a communication system, e.g., IPTV system through residential gateway (RG) 164 and high speed communication lines 108 and 166. In another particular embodiment, deep packet inspection (DPI) device 124 inspects VoIP, Internet and IPTV video data, data, commands and Meta data transmitted between the subscriber devices (subscriber activity data) and the IPTV system servers. In another illustrative embodiment subscriber activity data are monitored and collected whether or not the subscriber's devices are in the household 113 or traveling as mobile devices outside of the household. When outside of the household, subscriber mobile device activity data and transactions data are monitored by a communication network (e.g., IPTV system) servers or nodes which associate the subscriber activity data with particular subscriber's end user devices. In another particular embodiment, subscriber activity data such as communication and purchase transactions are inspected by DPI devices located in a communication system, e.g., IPTV system servers. These communication system servers route the subscriber activity data to an IPTV server such as the CO in which the subscriber activity data for a subscriber are stored for processing. While an IPTV system has been used as an example in the illustrative embodiment, the disclosure is not meant to be limited to IPTV as other communication systems such as cable television or other digital and analog data delivery systems can be used in other embodiments.
In another particular embodiment, the end user subscriber devices further include but are not limited to a client user computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a mobile device, a palm computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a communications device, a wireless telephone, a land-line telephone, a control system, a camera, a scanner, a facsimile machine, a printer, a pager, a personal trusted device, a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. In another particular embodiment, a DPI device 124 inspects multicast and unicast data, including but not limited to VoIP video and data, Internet video and data and IPTV video and data, commands and Meta data between the subscriber end user devices and the IPTV system servers and the Internet.
In another illustrative subscriber activity data are monitored and collected whether or not the subscriber devices are in the household 113 or the devices are mobile outside of the household. When outside of the household, subscriber mobile device data are monitored by communication system (e.g., IPTV system) servers which associate the subscriber activity data with each particular subscriber's end user device. In another particular embodiment, subscriber activity data such as IPTV and Internet video selections, and communication and purchase transactions are inspected by DPI devices located in a communication system, e.g., IPTV system servers. These communication system servers route the subscriber activity data to a CO in which the subscriber activity data for a subscriber are stored for processing and become part of the historical behavior profile for the end user.
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At block 204 an IPTV server receives end user data indicating available advertising spots and the content stored at an end user device. The available advertising spot is inventoried and indexed by end user profile, end user device type and advertising type for the available advertising spot. At block 206 an IPTV server determines and indexes the content type and available advertising spot type. At block 208 an IPTV server auctions the available advertising spot(s) according to the content type and end user type for the end user associated with the available advertising spot. The end user type is based on the subscriber demographics data and subscriber activity data for the end user associated with the available advertising spot. The content type includes but is not limited to sports, news, fashion, shopping, travel and finance. The winning bidder for the auction updates the advertising data at the IPTV server and the IPTV server updates advertising data at the end user device according to the winning bidder in the auction. At block 209 the IPTV server updates advertising data in the available advertising spots for presentation of the advertising data during replay of the content data at the end user device. The IPTV server sends updated advertising data for a particular advertising spot or sends an advertising update token representing advertising data which can be sent separately, either earlier or later than the advertising data, to the end user device having the stored content data and associated available advertising spot. In a particular embodiment, the content and advertising data tokens are used at the end user device for accessing and presenting advertising data associated with the tokens during replay of stored content associated with the content tokens.
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It will be understood that a device of the present invention includes broadly any electronic device that provides voice, video or data communication. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. The computer system 600 may include a processor 602 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both), a main memory 604 and a static memory 606, which communicate with each other via a bus 608. The computer system 600 may further include a video display unit 610 (e.g., liquid crystals display (LCD), a flat panel, a solid state display, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 600 may include an input device 612 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 614 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 616, a signal generation device 618 (e.g., a speaker or remote control) and a network interface.
The disk drive unit 616 may include a machine-readable medium 622 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 624) embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein, including those methods illustrated in herein above. The instructions 624 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 604, the static memory 606, and/or within the processor 602 during execution thereof by the computer system 600. The main memory 604 and the processor 602 also may constitute machine-readable media. Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to, application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement the methods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatus and systems of various embodiments broadly include a variety of electronic and computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions in two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and data signals communicated between and through the modules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Thus, the example system is applicable to software, firmware, and hardware implementations.
In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, the methods described herein are intended for operation as software programs running on a computer processor. Furthermore, software implementations can include, but not limited to, distributed processing or component/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also be constructed to implement the methods described herein. The present invention contemplates a machine readable medium containing instructions 624, or that which receives and executes instructions 624 from a propagated signal so that a device connected to a network environment 626 can send or receive voice, video or data, and to communicate over the network 626 using the instructions 624. The instructions 624 may further be transmitted or received over a network 626 via the network interface device 620. The machine readable medium may also contain a data structure for containing data useful in providing a functional relationship between the data and a machine or computer in an illustrative embodiment of the disclosed system and method.
While the machine-readable medium 622 is shown in an example embodiment to be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present invention. The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such as a memory card or other package that houses one or more read-only (non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or other re-writable (volatile) memories; magneto-optical or optical medium such as a disk or tape; and carrier wave signals such as a signal embodying computer instructions in a transmission medium; and/or a digital file attachment to e-mail or other self-contained information archive or set of archives is considered a distribution medium equivalent to a tangible storage medium. Accordingly, the invention is considered to include any one or more of a machine-readable medium or a distribution medium, as listed herein and including art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which the software implementations herein are stored.
Although the present specification describes components and functions implemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standards and protocols, the invention is not limited to such standards and protocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switched network transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, and HTTP) represent examples of the state of the art. Such standards are periodically superseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentially the same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocols having the same functions are considered equivalents.
The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments, and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all the elements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use of the structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived there from, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept if more than one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20060111985 | Sheldon | May 2006 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090132358 A1 | May 2009 | US |
