Advertisement Filtering And Storage For Targeted Advertisement Systems

Abstract

An advertisement storage and filtering system for selectively identifying targeted advertisements to be stored in the memory of the STB. This storing of the selected advertisements can be accomplished in a number of ways. In one embodiment, the advertisements, in real-time and as they are received at the STB, are processed by the STB and only those advertisements with the appropriate characteristics are stored on the hard drive (HD). This may require some buffering of the advertisements in the STB memory as the STB processes and determines whether or not to store the advertisement. The information required to determine whether or not to store the advertisement could also be sent in advance, e.g., as a data service in an advertisement channel. Alternatively, the STB may store incoming advertisements in a memory temporarily and subsequently determine whether or not to retain the stored advertisements.

1 . A method of inserting advertisements into a programming stream in a communications network, the method comprising: 
 (a) selecting at least one unscheduled advertisement to be presented at a presentation device corresponding to at least one subscriber;    (b) storing the at least one unscheduled advertisement at a node of a communications network;    (c) detecting at least one interval in a programming stream within which advertisements may be inserted;    (d) inserting the at least one unscheduled advertisement into the programming stream within the at least one interval; and    (e) determining, based on the state of the presentation device, whether the at least one unscheduled advertisement is displayed at the presentation device.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 (f) determining whether the at least one subscriber views the at least one unscheduled advertisement.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the determining of step (f) is realized by monitoring whether the presentation device has been muted for a significant period of time.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the determining of step (f) is realized by analyzing a record of recent channel changes and a subscriber profile to make a probabilistic determination as to whether the advertisement has been viewed.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 (f) selecting at least one different unscheduled advertisement to be displayed at the presentation device based on the determining in step (e).    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 (f) inserting the at least one unscheduled advertisement into a different programming stream based on the determining in step (e).    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one unscheduled advertisement is inserted into the programming stream in accordance with a pre-determined order.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one unscheduled advertisement is inserted into the programming stream based on the length of the at least one interval.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 (f) reporting the results of the determining in step (e).    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining of step (e) is realized by using a horizontal oscillator detector.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining of step (e) is realized by monitoring the high voltage chroma sub carrier.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining of step (e) is realized by detecting the electric current level in the presentation device.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the state of the presentation device is a determination of whether the presentation device is operating.  
     
     
         14 . An advertisement insertion system for inserting unscheduled advertisements into a television programming stream in a communications network, the system comprising: 
 (a) an advertisement selector, configured to select at least one unscheduled advertisement to be presented at a presentation device to at least one subscriber;    (b) an advertisement storage medium located at a node of a communications network, the storage medium containing the unscheduled advertisements;    (c) an insertion processor configured to detect at least one interval in said programming stream within which advertisements may be inserted and insert the at least one unscheduled advertisement into the programming stream within the detected at least one interval; and    (d) a monitor processor configured to monitor the communications network to determine, based on the state of the presentation device, whether the selected at least one unscheduled advertisement are presented to the at least one subscriber.    
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the advertisement selector selects different unscheduled advertisements to be presented to the at least one subscriber based on an output of the monitor processor.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the insertion processor is configured to insert the at least one unscheduled advertisement into a different programming stream based on an output of the monitor processor.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one unscheduled advertisement is inserted into said programming stream in accordance with a pre-determined order.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the monitor processor is configured to report the results of the monitoring.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the monitor processor is configured to determine whether the at least one subscriber views the at least one unscheduled advertisement.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the monitor processor determines whether the at least one subscriber views the at least one unscheduled advertisement by analyzing a record of recent channel changes and a subscriber profile to make a probabilistic determination as to whether the at least one unscheduled advertisement has been viewed.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the state of the presentation device is a determination of whether the presentation device is operating.  
     
     
         22 . A method of determining advertisement viewing, the method comprising: 
 (a) transmitting a programming stream in a communications network to at least one viewer, wherein the programming stream contains at least one avail having a duration and an associated advertisement and wherein the at least one viewer is associated with at least one presentation device;    (b) detecting a beginning and an end of the at least one avail in the programming stream; and    (c) monitoring the state of the at least one presentation device of at least from the beginning to the end of the at least one avail to determine, via the communications network, whether the associated advertisement is presented to the at least one viewer.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 (d) determining whether the at least one viewer views the associated advertisement.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the determining of step (d) is realized by monitoring whether the at least one presentation device has been muted for a significant period of time.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the determining of step (d) is realized by analyzing a record of recent channel changes and a subscriber profile to make a probabilistic determination as to whether the associated advertisement has been viewed.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the state of the presentation device is a determination of whether the presentation device is operating.  
     
     
         27 . A method of inserting advertisements into a presentation stream in a communications network, the method comprising: 
 (a) selecting at least one unscheduled advertisement to be presented at a presentation device to at least one subscriber;    (b) storing the at least one advertisement at a node of a communications network;    (c) detecting intervals in the programming stream within which advertisements may be inserted;    (e) determining whether to insert at least one unscheduled advertisement based on the state of the presentation device.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 (f) storing a record of the at least one unscheduled advertisement that was inserted and the time of insertion.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the state of the presentation device is a determination of whether the presentation device is operating.  
     
     
         30 . A method of inserting advertisements into a presentation stream in a communications network, the method comprising: 
 (a) selecting a plurality of unscheduled advertisement to be presented at a presentation device to at least one subscriber;    (b) storing the plurality of unscheduled advertisements at a node of the communications network, wherein the plurality of unscheduled advertisements has a priority for determining when each of the plurality of unscheduled advertisements should be presented;    (c) detecting an avail in a programming stream within which advertisements may be inserted;    (e) determining whether to insert one of the plurality of unscheduled advertisements based on the state of the presentation device; and    (f) selecting one of the plurality of unscheduled advertisements, based on the priority.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the avail has a duration and the selecting is based on the duration.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the state of the presentation device is a determination of whether the presentation device is operating.