US 2006/0190964 A1 · Queue-based head-end advertisement scheduling method and apparatus

Abstract

A method and apparatus for scheduling and inserting advertisements into a plurality of presentation channels in a communications network in which the presentation channels contain the same programming, but different advertisements. A single programming channel is split into a plurality of presentation channels. Different advertisements are inserted into the different presentation channels. The advertisements to be inserted into advertising avails are they are detected are determined by utilizing queues stored in memory corresponding to each presentation channel. Each queue comprises an ordered list of advertisement resource locators (ARLs), in which the order dictates which advertisement is to be inserted in the next advertising avail and in which the ARLs indicate at least the location from which the advertisement can be retrieved.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of transmitting television programming and advertising from a head end to subscribers at a plurality of subscriber nodes, the method comprising:

(a) creating a plurality of subscriber groups, members of the subscriber groups being based on at least one characteristic of the subscribers, the at least one characteristic being relevant to advertising;
(b) assigning the subscriber node to one of the plurality of subscriber groups;
(c) receiving at the head end at least one programming channel of television programming, the at least one programming channel including programming content and advertising avails;
(d) receiving at the head end a request from the subscriber node for programming content;
(e) forming a presentation channel by replicating the at least one programming channel, the presentation channel including the programming content of the at least one programming channel and advertising corresponding to the assigned group;
and
(f) transmitting the presentation channel to the subscriber node.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Queue-based head-end advertisement scheduling method and apparatus

Life of this patent

Queue-based head-end advertisement scheduling method and apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19