Set top device for targeted electronic insertion of indicia into video

A set-top device for sending and receiving data pertaining to television or video viewing in which a video signal having been transmitted by a video distribution mechanism is received by said device and modified prior to viewing by utilizing automatically selected video indicia or sequences which are stored locally on said set-top device, said device comprising:

• means local to the user for automatically creating a continuously updated viewer profile based upon the cumulative data acquired by said monitoring means, and wherein said cumulative data acquired by said monitoring means is weighed by how recently it was collected;
• means local and private to the user for storing said viewer profile in said device;
• means remote from the user for translating demographic requirements of a targeted viewer into corresponding ranges of viewer profiles;
• means remote form the user for creating a table associating said ranges of viewer profiles with said video indicia or sequences;
• means remote from the user for encoding said table for transmission on said video distribution mechanism;
• means local to the user for receiving and decoding said video signal and receiving, decoding and storing said table;
• means local to the user for comparing the locally stored viewer profile with the ranges of viewer profiles in said stored table to determine the corresponding video indicia or sequences;
• and,
• means for inserting said video indicia or sequences directly into said video signal for viewing on said television or video viewing device, and wherein said inserted indicia are interactive links to a web address, the contents of which may be accessed via the video distribution media or an associated data network and displayed on said television or video viewing device as part of said modified video signal or as a hypertext page.

A set-top device for sending and receiving data pertaining to television or video viewing in which a video signal having been transmitted by a video distribution mechanism is received by said device and modified prior to viewing by utilizing automatically selected video indicia or sequences which are stored locally on said-set top device, said device comprising:

• means local to the user for monitoring the usage of a television or video viewing device;
• means local to the user for automatically creating a continuously updated viewer profile based upon the cumulative data acquired by said monitoring means, wherein said cumulative data acquired by said monitoring means is weighed by how recently it was collected;
• means local and private to the user for storing said viewer profile in said device;
• means remote from the user for translating demographic requirements of a targeted viewer into corresponding ranges of viewer profiles;
• means remote from the user for encoding said table for transmission on said video distribution mechanism;
• means local to the user for receiving and decoding said video signal and receiving, decoding and storing said table;
• means local to the user for comparing the locally stored viewer profile with the ranges of viewer profiles in said stored table to determine the corresponding video indicia or sequences;
• and,
• means for inserting said video indicia or sequences directly into said video signal for viewing on said television or video viewing device.

A set-top device for sending and receiving data pertaining to television or video viewing in which a video signal having been transmitted by a video distribution mechanism is received by said device and modified prior to viewing by utilizing automatically selected video indicia or sequences which are stored locally in said set top device, said device comprising:

• means local and private to the user for monitoring the usage of a television or video viewing device;
• means local to the user for automatically creating a continuously updated viewer profile based upon the cumulative data acquired by said monitoring means, wherein said viewer profile includes information about the viewer derived from the monitoring means, said information designed to predict the age, sex, family size, hobbies and interests of the view, and wherein said cumulative data acquired by said monitoring means is weighed by how recently it was collected;
• means local to the user for storing said viewer profile in said device;
• means remote from the user for translating demographic requirements of a targeted viewer into corresponding ranges of viewer profiles;
• means remote from the user for creating a table associating said ranges of viewer profiles with said video indicia or sequences;
• means remote from the user for encoding said table for transmission on said video distribution mechanism;
• means local to the user for receiving and decoding said video signal and receiving, decoding and storing said table;
• means local to the user for comparing the locally stored viewer profile with the ranges of viewer profiles in said stored table to determine the corresponding video indicia or sequences;
• and,
• means for inserting said video indicia or sequences directly into said video signal for viewing on said television or video viewing device.

A method of anonymous targeted insertion of selected indicia or sequences, which are stored locally on a set-top device, into a video broadcast comprising the steps of:

• a. monitoring the usage and viewing habits of viewer of a television set or other video reception device via said set-top device located at the television set or other video reception device, said monitoring step including the step of acquiring cumulative data weighted by how recently it was collected;
• b. automatically creating a continuously updated local viewer profile in said device derived from data acquired from said monitoring step, said viewer profile indicating certain characteristics of the viewer;
• c. linking specific insertable indicia with specific viewer profiles;
• d. encoding insertable indicia as well as data pertaining to the placement, shape, size, and perspective of the indicia directly into the video broadcast;
• e. employing said locally and privately stored viewer profile to decide which insertable video indicia to insert based upon viewer profiles encoded in said video broadcast;
• and,
• f. having said set-top device decode the broadcast video and perform the insertion of the indicia.