System and method for delivering content to users on a network

Abstract

A system and method for targeting content to users of a device or network of user-operated devices. In an embodiment, profile information is determined about a user's media consumption activities. One or more inputs are received from an external source to specify what content to target to the user. One or more content items are selected to target to the user based on the profile information and the one or more inputs. The selection of content items is performed without communicating the profile information outside of the user's device or network of user-operated devices.

1 . A system for targeting content to a user, the system comprising:
 a time-shift subsystem comprising:
 a storage medium; 
 a record component that is operable by a user to select and record, at a given time, a media program on the storage medium; 
 a playback component that is operable by a user to enable the user to playback a recorded media program over a duration that is subsequent to when the program was recorded; 
   a content selector configured to select a supplemental content item to present when the recorded program is played back in the subsequent duration, wherein the content selector is configured to select, for each recorded media program, the supplemental content item based at least in part on a time of the subsequent duration when payback occurs, rather than at the given time when the media program is recorded.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the time-shift subsystem is configured to receive and store a set of supplemental content items from which the content selector is able to select for presentation when the recorded program is played back. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a profile generator that that operates with or on the time-shifting subsystem in order to record profile information corresponding to one or more of (i) what media programs the user records, and/or (ii) when the user plays back the recorded media programs. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the time-shifting subsystem records information corresponding to what and/or how many supplemental content items the user viewed when playing back the recorded media program. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of interconnected devices, including one or more devices of the time-shift subsystem,   a profile generating subsystem that is configured to communicate or operate on at least some of the plurality of interconnected devices in order to determine profile information about one or more media consumption activities of the user.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the content selector communicates with the profile generating subsystem, and receives one or more inputs from a third-party in order to select the supplemental content item to present at the subsequent duration, based in part on a result of the content selector executing an algorithm specified by the one or more inputs that use the profile information. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a control mechanism that is configured to identify a number of instances in which the user previously skipped or fast-forwarded supplemental content in connection with viewing time-shifted content, then precludes the user in a present instance from being able to skip or fast-forward time-shifted content if the number of instances exceeds a threshold.