Network controller for cable television delivery systems

A network controller for use with digital signal processing equipment in a cable headend capable of remotely monitoring and controlling a plurality of set top terminals in a cable television system using network control data, each set top terminal adapted to transmit a set top terminal status report and to receive a control information stream being produced using a program control information signal that communicates data in an information field, the network controller comprising:

• an interface means, connected to the digital signal processing equipment, for receiving and transferring the control information, wherein the program control information signal is received from the digital signal processing equipment on a scheduled basis and the control Information stream produced using the program control information signal is transferred back to the signal processing equipment for distribution over the cable television system;
• a means for receiving the set top terminal status reports, wherein the received set top terminal status reports provide the set top terminals with an upstream data transmission capability;
• a means for storing the network control data, wherein the stored network control data includes data on programs and contents of the received set top terminal status reports;
• a means for accessing the stored network control data;
• and
• a means for generating the control information stream using the received program control information signal and the accessed network control data, wherein the information fields of the control information stream are created and the control information stream is subsequently distributed to multiple set top terminals.

A network controller for use with a cable headend capable of remotely targeting categories of advertisements to groups of set top terminals in a cable television program delivery system, each set top terminal capable of generating programs watched data, the network controller comprising:

• means for gathering programs watched data for each set top terminal in the cable television program delivery system;
• a means for storing the gathered programs watched data in at least one network control database;
• a means for accessing the stored programs watched data;
• a means for counting the accessed programs watched data to determine the frequency of programs watched by each set top terminal in the cable television program delivery system, wherein the programs watched counts are arranged in at least one programs watched matrix by program category and time slot;
• a means for creating set top terminal group information indicating a group assignment for each set top terminal by correlating the programs watched counts with the categories of advertisements, wherein each advertisements category includes advertisements available for targeting to the set top terminals;
• and
• a means for transmitting the set top terminal group information to the set top terminal in a control information stream that instructs the set top terminal in selecting targeted advertisements for display during viewing of programs.

A network controller for use with a cable headend capable of remotely targeting individual advertisements to groups of set top terminals in a cable television program delivery system, the targeting uses of programs watched information received by the cable headend, the network controller comprising:

• a means for gathering the programs watched information;
• a means for storing the gathered programs watched information and the individual advertisements arranged by advertisement category;
• a means for sorting the stored programs watched information by a plurality of program categories;
• a means for ranking the plurality of program categories by frequency of programs watched in each category, wherein program categories with more programs watched are ranked higher than program categories with less programs watched;
• a means for ranking the stored advertisement categories, wherein the ranked program categories are correlated with the stored advertisement categories;
• a means for selecting a set of highest ranked advertisement categories;
• a means for choosing individual advertisements from the set of highest ranked advertisement categories;
• a means for packaging the chosen individual advertisements for transmission to the set top terminals for display, wherein packages of targeted advertisements are produced;
• and
• a means for transmitting the packages of targeted advertisements to the set top terminals over the cable distribution network.

A network controller for remotely managing account and billing information over a cable television distribution network for a plurality of set top terminals, each set top terminal adapted to transmit a set top terminal status report in response to a polling request message produced using a program control information signal, the network controller comprising:

• a means for creating the polling request message;
• a means for transmitting the polling request message to the set top terminals, wherein the polling request message directs each set top terminal to initiate upstream data transmission of the set top terminal status reports over the cable distribution network;
• a means for receiving the set top terminal status reports, wherein the set top terminal status reports include programs watched data;
• a means for storing network control data, wherein the stored network control data includes programs watched data and price category data;
• a means for correlating the programs watched data with the price category data to produce price correlations;
• and
• a means for generating at least one billing report based on the produced price correlations;
• and
• a means for transmitting the billing reports to the set top terminals for display on a television screen.

A method of using digital signal processing equipment in a cable headend to remotely monitor and control a plurality of set top terminals in a cable television program delivery system, each set top terminal receiving a plurality of information fields in a control information stream, the control information stream produced using a program control information signal, the method comprising the steps of:

• interfacing with the digital signal processing equipment, wherein the program control information signal is received from the digital signal processing equipment on a scheduled basis and the control information stream produced using the program control information signal is transferred back to the signal processing equipment for distribution over the cable television system;
• storing network control data, wherein the stored network control data includes data on programs;
• accessing the stored network control data;
• and
• generating the control information stream using the received program control information signal and the accessed network control data, wherein the information fields of the control information stream are formed and the control information stream is subsequently distributed to multiple set top terminals.

A method for using digital signal processing equipment in a cable headend to remotely monitor and control a plurality of set top terminals in a cable television system, each set top terminal adapted to transmit a set top terminal status report and to receive a control information stream produced from a program control information signal that communicates data in an information field, the method comprising the steps of:

• interfacing with the digital signal processing equipment, wherein the program control information signal is received from the digital signal processing equipment on a scheduled basis and the control information stream produced using the program control information signal is transferred back to the signal processing equipment for distribution over the cable television system;
• receiving set top terminal status reports, wherein the received set top terminal status reports provide the set top terminals with an upstream data transmission capability;
• storing network control data, wherein the stored network control data includes data on programs and contents of the received set top terminal status reports;
• accessing the stored network control data;
• and
• generating the control information stream using the received program control information signal and the accessed network control data, wherein the information fields of the control information stream are created and the control information stream is subsequently distributed to multiple set top terminals.

A method for using a cable headend to remotely target advertisements to a plurality of set top terminals in a cable television system, the method comprising the steps of:

• gathering programs watched data for each set top terminal in the cable television program delivery system;
• storing the gathered programs watched data in at least one network control database;
• accessing the stored programs watched data;
• counting the accessed programs watched data to determine the frequency of programs watched by each set top terminal in the cable television program delivery system, wherein the programs watched counts are arranged in at least one programs watched matrix by program category and time slot;
• creating set top terminal group information indicating a group assignment for each set top terminal by correlating the programs watched counts with the categories of advertisements, wherein each advertisements category includes advertisements available for targeting to the set top terminals;
• and
• transmitting the set top terminal group information to the set top terminal in a control information stream that instructs the set top terminal in selecting targeted advertisements for display during viewing of programs.

A method for remotely managing account and billing information over a cable television distribution network for a plurality of set top terminals, each set top terminal adapted to transmit a set top terminal status report in response to a polling request message produced using a program control information signal, the method comprising the steps of:

• creating the polling request message;
• transmitting the polling request message to the set top terminals, wherein the polling request message directs each set top terminal to initiate upstream data transmission of the set top terminal status reports over the cable distribution network;
• receiving the set top terminal status reports, wherein the set top terminal status reports include programs watched data;
• storing network control data, wherein the stored network control data includes programs watched data and more than one price category;
• correlating the programs watched data with the price categories, wherein price correlations are produced;
• and
• generating at least one billing report based on the produced price correlations;
• and
• transmitting the billing reports to the set top terminals for display on a television screen.

A network controller for use with a cable headend capable of remotely targeting categories of advertisements to groups of set top terminals in a cable television program delivery system, each set top terminal capable of generating programs watched data, the network controller comprising:

• a means for gathering programs watched data for each set top terminal in the cable television program delivery system;
• a means for counting the gathered programs watched data to determine the frequency of programs watched by each set top terminal in the cable television program delivery system, wherein the programs watched counts are compiled by program category and time slot;
• a means for creating set top terminal group information indicating a group assignment for each set top terminal by correlating the programs watched counts with the categories of advertisements, wherein each category of advertisements includes one or more advertisements available for targeting to the set top terminals;
• and
• a means for transmitting the set top terminal group information to the set top terminal in a control information stream that instructs the set top terminal in selecting targeted advertisements for display during viewing of programs.

A network controller for remotely managing account and billing information over a cable television distribution network for a plurality of set top terminals using network control data, each set top terminal adapted to transmit a set top terminal status report in response to a control information stream that includes information on packaged programs and menu content, the network controller comprising:

• a means for transmitting the control information stream to the set top terminals, wherein the control information stream directs each set top terminal to initiate transmission of the set top terminal status reports over the cable distribution network;
• a means for receiving the set top terminal status reports, wherein the set top terminal status reports include programs watched data;
• a means for storing network control data, wherein the stored network control data includes programs watched data and price category data;
• a means for correlating the programs watched data with the price category data to produce cost data;
• a means for generating at least one billing report based on the produced cost data;
• and
• a means for transmitting the billing reports to the set top terminals for display on a television screen.

A network controller for use with digital signal processing equipment in a cable headend capable of monitoring and controlling a plurality of set top terminals in a cable television program delivery system that uses control information and network control data, wherein entries may be made and viewed by an operator, comprising;

• an interface, connected to the digital signal processing equipment, wherein the interface receives and transfers control information to the digital signal processing equipment;
• memory, wherein the memory stores the network control data including data on television programs in a database format and wherein the stored network control data may be accessed;
• a network controller CPU, connected to the memory and the interface, for generating a control information stream using the stored network control data from the memory, whereby information fields for the control information stream are formed and the control information stream is subsequently distributed to set top terminals;
• input device, connected to the network controller CPU, wherein entries may be made;
• and
• a display, connected to the network controller CPU, for viewing data and entries made on the input device.