US6615039B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Advertisement subgroups for digital streams
Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E Inc
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Filing: 2000-05-10
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Granted: 2003-09-02
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Expires: 2020-05-10
Abstract
Abstract A targeted advertising system based on subgroups. Different subgroups are formed based on one or more subscriber characteristics, and different targeted advertisements transmitted to the different subgroups. In the Internet-environment, the subgroups are formed by utilizing multicast addresses. In cable-based and satellite-based systems, the subgroups are formed by node configurations. The targeted advertisements may be transmitted simultaneously with programming and inserted locally. An apparatus is presented which receives m program streams, n advertisements, and creates p presentation streams containing targeted advertisements, where p is greater than m.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles A. Eldering
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 19:08
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/162; H04N7/165; H04N21/00; H04N21/20; H04N21/21; H04N21/222; H04N21/2221; H04N21/23; H04N21/234; H04N21/23424; H04N21/235; H04N21/25; H04N21/251; H04N21/252; H04N21/258; H04N21/25808; H04N21/25841; H04N21/25866; H04N21/25883; H04N21/25891; H04N21/266; H04N21/2668; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/4302; H04N21/4307; H04N21/43072; H04N21/433; H04N21/4331; H04N21/435; H04N21/44; H04N21/44016; H04N21/45; H04N21/462; H04N21/4622; H04N21/60; H04N21/61; H04N21/6106; H04N21/6118; H04N21/6125; H04N21/63; H04N21/64; H04N21/6405; H04N21/80; H04N21/81; H04N21/812; H04N21/83; H04N21/845; H04N21/8455; H04N21/8456
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A method for simultaneously transmitting different targeted advertisements within programming to different subgroups in a telecommunications system, the method comprising: receiving a program stream that is some combination of a video stream and an audio stream; receiving a plurality of advertisement streams, each advertisement stream being some combination of a video stream and an audio stream; inserting a first advertisement stream in the program stream to create a first presentation stream and a second advertisement stream in the program stream to create a second presentation stream; simultaneously transmitting the first presentation to a first subgroup and the second presentation stream to a second subgroup.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
104 words
A method for simultaneously transmitting different targeted advertisements within programming to different subgroups in a telecommunications system, the method comprising: receiving a program stream that is some combination of a video stream and an audio stream; receiving a plurality of advertisement streams, each advertisement stream being some combination of a video stream and an audio stream; inserting a first advertisement stream in the program stream to create a first presentation stream and a second advertisement stream in the program stream to create a second presentation stream; simultaneously transmitting the first presentation to a first subgroup and the second presentation stream to a second subgroup.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a plurality of subgroups including at least the first subgroup and the second subgroup.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein said forming includes forming the subgroups using multicast addresses.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein said forming includes forming the subgroups using Internet multicasting protocol.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein said forming includes forming the subgroups based on cable nodes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein said forming includes forming the subgroups based on routers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein said forming includes forming the subgroups according to market segments.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein said forming includes forming the subgroups according to subscriber characteristics.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 8 , wherein the subscriber characteristics include at least some subset of geographic attributes, demographic attributes, psychographic attributes, and product and brand usage attributes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the program stream includes programming and one or more pre-configured advertisements.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 10 , wherein said inserting includes inserting the advertisement streams in place of some subset of the one or more pre-configured advertisements.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the program stream includes programming and one or more empty segments.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 12 , wherein said inserting includes inserting the advertisement streams in place of some subset of the one or more empty segments.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said inserting includes inserting the advertisement streams in real-time.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
63 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said receiving a program stream includes receiving n program streams; said receiving a plurality of advertisement streams includes receiving m advertisement streams; and said inserting includes inserting at least some subset of the m advertisements streams in at least some subset of n program streams to create p presentation streams, where p is greater than n.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said simultaneously transmitting is accomplished by transmitting the presentation streams as cable television channels.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said simultaneously transmitting is accomplished by transmitting the presentation streams as streaming video channels.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said simultaneously transmitting includes transmitting the presentation streams as audio channels.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said simultaneously transmitting includes transmitting the presentation streams as broadcast channels.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said simultaneously transmitting includes transmitting the presentation streams as satellite channels.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some subset of the program streams, the advertisement streams, and the presentations streams are digital signals.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 2 , further comprising: assigning a subgroup address to each subgroup; assigning an advertisement identifier to each of the advertisement streams; and creating a relationship between the subgroup addresses and the advertising identifiers.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 22 , wherein the advertisements are inserted into the program stream based on the relationship.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
114 words
A system for simultaneously transmitting different targeted advertisements within programming to different subgroups in a telecommunications system, the system comprising: means for receiving a program stream that is some combination of a video stream and an audio stream; means for receiving a plurality of advertisement streams, each advertisement stream being some combination of a video stream and an audio stream; means for inserting a first advertisement stream in the program stream to create a first presentation stream; means for inserting a second advertisement stream in the program stream to create a second presentation stream; means for simultaneously transmitting the first presentation to a first subgroup and the second presentation stream to a second subgroup.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
114 words
A system for simultaneously transmitting different targeted advertisements within programming to different subgroups in a telecommunications system, the system comprising: means for receiving a program stream that is some combination of a video stream and an audio stream; means for receiving a plurality of advertisement streams, each advertisement stream being some combination of a video stream and an audio stream; means for inserting a first advertisement stream in the program stream to create a first presentation stream; means for inserting a second advertisement stream in the program stream to create a second presentation stream; means for simultaneously transmitting the first presentation to a first subgroup and the second presentation stream to a second subgroup.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system of claim 24 , further comprising: means for assigning a subgroup address to each subgroup; means for assigning an advertisement identifier to each of the advertisement streams; and means for creating a relationship between the subgroup addresses and the advertising identifiers.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 25 , further comprising means for selecting the advertisements to be inserted into the program stream responsive to said means for creating a relationship.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
137 words
A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for simultaneously transmitting different targeted advertisements within programming to different subgroups in a telecommunications system, the computer program comprising: a source code segment for receiving a program stream that is some combination of a video stream and an audio stream; a source code segment for receiving a plurality of advertisement streams, each advertisement stream being some combination of a video stream and an audio stream; a source code segment for inserting a first advertisement stream in the program stream to create a first presentation stream; a source code segment for inserting a second advertisement stream in the program stream to create a second presentation stream; a source code segment for simultaneously transmitting the first presentation to a first subgroup and the second presentation stream to a second subgroup.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
137 words
A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for simultaneously transmitting different targeted advertisements within programming to different subgroups in a telecommunications system, the computer program comprising: a source code segment for receiving a program stream that is some combination of a video stream and an audio stream; a source code segment for receiving a plurality of advertisement streams, each advertisement stream being some combination of a video stream and an audio stream; a source code segment for inserting a first advertisement stream in the program stream to create a first presentation stream; a source code segment for inserting a second advertisement stream in the program stream to create a second presentation stream; a source code segment for simultaneously transmitting the first presentation to a first subgroup and the second presentation stream to a second subgroup.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
44 words
The computer program of claim 27 , further comprising: means for assigning a subgroup address to each subgroup; means for assigning an advertisement identifier to each of the advertisement streams; and means for creating a relationship between the subgroup addresses and the advertising identifiers.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
34 words
The computer program of claim 28 , further comprising a source code segment for selecting the advertisements to be inserted into the program stream responsive to said source code segment for creating a relationship.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
119 words
A method for creating multiple presentation streams having the same programming and different advertising and transmitting the presentation streams to different subgroups in a telecommunications system, the method comprising: creating at least one subgroup within the telecommunication stream; receiving a first presentation stream including programming and advertisements; receiving at least one advertisement stream, wherein the at least one advertisement stream; selecting at least one targeted advertisement stream from the at least one advertisement stream for targeting to the at least one subgroup; inserting the at least one targeted advertisement stream in place of at least one advertisement in the first presentation stream to create a second presentation stream; simultaneously transmitting the first presentation stream and the second presentation stream.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
119 words
A method for creating multiple presentation streams having the same programming and different advertising and transmitting the presentation streams to different subgroups in a telecommunications system, the method comprising: creating at least one subgroup within the telecommunication stream; receiving a first presentation stream including programming and advertisements; receiving at least one advertisement stream, wherein the at least one advertisement stream; selecting at least one targeted advertisement stream from the at least one advertisement stream for targeting to the at least one subgroup; inserting the at least one targeted advertisement stream in place of at least one advertisement in the first presentation stream to create a second presentation stream; simultaneously transmitting the first presentation stream and the second presentation stream.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 30 , wherein the first presentation stream and the at least one advertisement stream are at least some combination of a video stream and an audio stream.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
113 words
A system for creating multiple presentation streams having the same programming and different advertising and transmitting the presentation streams to different subgroups in a telecommunications system, the system comprising: a receiver for receiving programming streams and advertisement streams; a storage medium capable of storing the programming streams, the advertisement streams and identification of at least one subgroup within the telecommunication system; an advertisement insertion module for inserting at least one advertisement stream in place of an advertisement within at least one programming stream to create at least one presentation stream; a transmitter for simultaneously transmitting the at least one programming stream and the at least one presentation stream and the second presentation stream.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
113 words
A system for creating multiple presentation streams having the same programming and different advertising and transmitting the presentation streams to different subgroups in a telecommunications system, the system comprising: a receiver for receiving programming streams and advertisement streams; a storage medium capable of storing the programming streams, the advertisement streams and identification of at least one subgroup within the telecommunication system; an advertisement insertion module for inserting at least one advertisement stream in place of an advertisement within at least one programming stream to create at least one presentation stream; a transmitter for simultaneously transmitting the at least one programming stream and the at least one presentation stream and the second presentation stream.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 32 , wherein the first programming streams and the advertisement streams are at least some combination of video streams and audio streams.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 32 , further comprising a processor for selecting the advertisement streams to insert in the program streams.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 34 , wherein said processor selects the advertisement streams by matching characteristics about the advertisements with characteristics about the subgroups.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 35 , wherein the characteristics include at least some subset of geographic attributes, demographic attributes, psychographic attributes, and product and brand usage attributes.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 34 , wherein said processor also defines the subgroups within the telecommunication system.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 37 , wherein said processor can define subgroups according to at least some subset of regional head-end, local head-end, node, router, set-top box, and IP address.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-09-01 | 2007-03-03 | 2007-09-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-09-01 | 2011-03-03 | 2011-09-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-09-01 | 2015-03-03 | 2015-09-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |