Content selection based on signaling from customer premises equipment in a broadcast network

A system that delivers content to users of a broadcast network, said broadcast network primarily involving synchronized distribution of the content to multiple users, said system comprising:

• an operations center that transmits content to user equipment devices of said users;
• and a content selection processor, associated with said operations center, that:
• receives a plurality of processor originated inputs from said user equipment devices, said inputs being free from any contemporaneous acts by said users to trigger said inputs, wherein said inputs define a collection of assets that are suitable for delivery to said user equipment devices as targeted assets to be displayed at an asset delivery opportunity associated with programming, said collection of assets being potentially larger than practical for transmission to said user equipment devices;
• aggregates the plurality of inputs to form an aggregate of the inputs;
• selects a subset of assets from said collection of assets, wherein said subset of assets is smaller than said collection of assets, and wherein said subset of assets is selected based on said aggregate of the inputs and targeting criteria specified by one or more asset providers;
• and
• identifies said subset of assets for transmission to all of said user equipment devices.

A method for use in connection with delivering

• selected content to users of a broadcast network, the broadcast network primarily involving synchronized distribution of broadcast content to multiple users, the method comprising the steps of:
• generating information corresponding to a collection of available assets and targeting criteria associated with said available assets;
• identifying the information for broadcasting over a broadcast network, wherein the information is receivable by a plurality of user equipment devices (UEDs) via the broadcast network;
• receiving response signals transmitted via the broadcast network, the response signals originating from the plurality of UEDs, said response signals being free from any contemporaneous acts by said users to trigger said response signals, each of the response signals indicating suitability of one or more of the available assets for delivery at a corresponding UED based on the targeting criteria associated with said available assets;
• aggregating the response signals from the plurality of UEDs to from an aggregate of the response signals;
• and
• selecting a subset of the collection of assets based on the aggregate of the response signals and targeting criteria of one or more asset providers for transmission to all of said plurality of UEDs in connection with a given asset delivery opportunity.