US7100183B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System and method for transmitting and displaying targeted infromation
Assignee: Cox Communications Inc
•
Filing: 2001-02-01
•
Granted: 2006-08-29
•
Expires: 2021-02-01
Abstract
Abstract A system and method for transmitting and displaying information in a television distribution system ( 10 ), or the like, transmits information that is targeted to a viewer matching particular demographic data. The results of a viewer completed demographic survey are used to generate a database known as a bit mask ( 30 ) that is made up of the viewer's demographic data. The bit mask ( 30 ) is used to control the particular advertising or other related information that is received by each system viewer. In a first technique, the transmission signal carrying the program or advertisement displayed to all viewers is embedded with one or more codes. These codes are compared to the bit mask to determine whether the viewer fits the desired demographic profile, and should be provided with additional information. In a second technique, multiple ads for demographic selective receipt by each viewer are simultaneously transmitted, and are automatically selected for viewing, depending on the viewer's stored demographic data.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerard K. Kunkel
- 👤 Scott A. Piette
- 👤 Douglas A. Perham, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 19:52
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/434; H04N21/4348; H04N21/4349; H04N21/20; H04N21/23; H04N21/236; H04N21/23614; H04N21/23617; H04N21/25; H04N21/258; H04N21/25866; H04N21/25883; H04N21/266; H04N21/2668; H04N21/433; H04N21/4331; H04N21/45; H04N21/4508; H04N21/4532; H04N21/47; H04N21/472; H04N21/4722; H04N21/475; H04N21/4755; H04N21/60; H04N21/65; H04N21/658; H04N21/6582; H04N21/80; H04N21/81; H04N21/812; H04N21/85; H04N21/858; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/162; H04N7/173; H04N7/17309; H04N7/17318
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
159 words
A system for transmitting information in a broadcast distribution system, the system comprising: a) a network headend for transmitting at least one digital information stream to a plurality of users, the digital information stream comprising a plurality of advertisements and at least one code corresponding to each advertisement, each of the plurality of advertisements comprising a continuous stream of I-frames for a predetermined amount of time at the beginning and end of each advertisement; b) a distribution network for transmitting the digital information stream; and c) a plurality of terminal devices interfaced to the distribution network for receiving the digital information stream, each terminal device including a terminal processor and a user demographic database that contains demographic information about a user of the terminal device, the terminal processor being programmed to compare each code for each advertisement with the demographic information in said database and determine therefrom which of the plurality of advertisements the user is designated to receive.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
159 words
A system for transmitting information in a broadcast distribution system, the system comprising: a) a network headend for transmitting at least one digital information stream to a plurality of users, the digital information stream comprising a plurality of advertisements and at least one code corresponding to each advertisement, each of the plurality of advertisements comprising a continuous stream of I-frames for a predetermined amount of time at the beginning and end of each advertisement; b) a distribution network for transmitting the digital information stream; and c) a plurality of terminal devices interfaced to the distribution network for receiving the digital information stream, each terminal device including a terminal processor and a user demographic database that contains demographic information about a user of the terminal device, the terminal processor being programmed to compare each code for each advertisement with the demographic information in said database and determine therefrom which of the plurality of advertisements the user is designated to receive.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein each advertisement comprises a data stream which is adapted so that during receipt of the data stream a decoder buffer is known to be at a particular state at the end of each advertisement.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 2 , wherein each advertisement of the plurality of advertisements comprises digitally encoded data, and each advertisement of the plurality of advertisements contain the same amount of digitally encoded data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein said information stream is a video information stream, said broadcast distribution system is a cable television distribution system, and said terminal devices are each a set top converter box.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5155591A
Cited
US5446919A
Cited
US5231494A
Cited
US5414773A
Cited
US5661516A
Cited
US5534911A
Cited
US5652615A
Cited
US5872588A
Cited
US5929849A
Cited
US6047317A
Cited
US6298482B1
Cited
US6029045A
Cited
US6886178B1
Cited
US6160570A
Cited
EP0963119A1
Cited
US6282713B1
Cited
US6574793B1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2009-08-28 | 2010-02-27 | 2010-08-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2013-08-28 | 2014-02-27 | 2014-08-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2017-08-28 | 2018-02-27 | 2018-08-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |