US 2008/0288975 A1 · Advertising system and method thereof

Abstract

An advertising system comprises an advertising server unit and a set-top box. The advertising server unit is capable of receiving at least one advertisement from at least one external advertiser, and broadcasting at least part of the advertisement to outside in a pushing manner. The set-top box is capable of receiving TV signals from outside (e.g., from TV station or satellite TV) and the advertisement, and combining the advertisement with the TV signals, and then transmitting the combined signals to a display device (e.g., TV) for playing. The set-top box can generate at least one record according to a status of advertisement being watched by users (for example, clicking to watch detailed content of the advertisement or to buy the advertised goods), and then transmit the record back to the advertising server unit. Then, the advertising server unit generates a bill according to the record for charging the advertiser.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An advertising system, which receives at least one advertisement from at least one external advertisers then broadcasts the advertisement to at least one user, and charges advertisers basing on viewing of advertisements by users;

the advertising system comprising:
an advertising server unit for receiving the advertisement from the advertiser, and then sending out at least a portion of the advertisement via broadcasting;
and
a set-top box for receiving a television signal from an external source and the advertisement, then combining the advertisement together with the television signal, before transmitting the advertisement together with the television signal to a display device for broadcasting, the set-top box subsequently generating at least a record according to viewing of advertisements by users, and then sending the record back to the advertising server unit;
wherein the advertising server unit generates a bill according to the record for charging advertisers.

2 more elements

An advertising system, comprising a set-top box for receiving a television signal and an advertisement from an advertising server unit, and then combining the advertisement together with the television signal, before sending the combined advertisement and the television signal for broadcasting;

the set-top box comprising:
an advertisement decoding unit for decoding received advertisements;
an advertisement extraction unit for sending an extraction command to the advertising server unit according to an extraction signal, so as to extract at least one advertisement;
a database for storing advertisements from the advertisement decoding unit and the advertisement extraction unit;
a coding and joining unit for receiving the television signal, then combining the television signal with the advertisement into a video signal, subsequently sending out the video signal;
and
a primary control unit for receiving an external control signal, and generating at least one extraction signal according to the control signal, so as to allow the advertisement extraction unit to extract advertisements from the advertising server unit for broadcasting;
in addition, the primary control unit generates at least one record for transmission to the advertising server unit according to a status of the extracted advertisements.

5 more elements

An advertising method that may be implemented in an advertising server unit, comprising:

receiving an advertisement from an advertiser;
storing the advertisement in a database, and broadcasting at least a portion of the advertisement to at least a user;
according to a control signal from the user, retrieving the advertisement corresponding to the control signal from the database, and transmitting the advertisement to the user, subsequently generating a record of viewing;
and
generating a bill according to at least the record of viewing so as to charge advertisers.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Advertising system and method thereof

Life of this patent

Advertising system and method thereof

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18