# US 8,930,990 B2 · System and method for selecting advertisements

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- Number: US 8,930,990 B2
- Document ID: US8930990B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/619,661
- Filed: 2012-09-14
- Published: 2013-04-04
- Granted: 2015-01-06
- Earliest claimed: 2000-02-25
- Assignees: Interval Licensing LLC
- Applicants: Malcolm Slaney; Bonnie M. Johnson; Annarosa Tomasi; Steven E. Saunders; J. Thomas Ngo; Gavin Miller; Michele M. Covell; Paul A. Freiberger
- Inventors: Malcolm Slaney; Bonnie M. Johnson; Annarosa Tomasi; Steven E. Saunders; J. Thomas Ngo; Gavin Miller; Michele M. Covell; Paul A. Freiberger
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8930990B2

## CPC

- H04N 21/458: Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules {; time-related management operations (arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10)}
- G06Q 30/0241: Advertisements
- G06Q 30/0269: {based on user profile or attribute}
- G06Q 30/0276: {Advertisement creation}
- H04H 20/10: Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
- H04H 60/31: Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
- H04H 60/33: Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
- H04H 60/40: for identifying broadcast time
- H04H 60/45: for identifying users
- H04H 60/65: for using the result on users' side
- H04N 5/445: for displaying additional information (H04N5/50 takes precedence)
- H04N 7/163: {by receiver means only}
- H04N 7/17318: {Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests}
- H04N 21/234327: {by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers}
- H04N 21/25866: {Management of end-user data (customer care in data networks H04L41/5077)}
- H04N 21/42201: {biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user (input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015)}
- H04N 21/42202: {environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes}
- H04N 21/4223: Cameras (H04N23/00 takes precedence)
- H04N 21/4415: using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning {(cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861)}
- H04N 21/44224: {Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing}
- H04N 21/4532: {involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18)}
- H04N 21/454: Content {or additional data} filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
- H04N 21/4621: {Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen (arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10)}
- H04N 21/466: Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies {(services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61)}
- H04N 21/47205: {for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally}
- H04N 21/4722: for requesting additional data associated with the content
- H04N 21/4755: {for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre (retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306)}
- H04N 21/4781: {Games}
- H04N 21/6582: {Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number (arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38)}
- H04N 21/812: {involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02)}
- H04H 60/66: for using the result on distributors' side
- H04N 21/478: Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04H: BROADCAST COMMUNICATION (multiplex communication H04J; pictorial communication aspects of broadcast systems H04N)

## Abstract

A method for displaying interactive advertisements on a television having a controller connected thereto and configured for receiving input from a viewer of the television is disclosed. The controller has a receiver operable to receive advertisements and a processor operable to modify the advertisements. The method generally comprises requesting action by the viewer of the television, modifying an advertisement based on the action of the viewer, and displaying the modified advertisement on the television.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for displaying interactive advertisements on a television having a controller connected thereto and configured for receiving input from a viewer of the television, the controller having a receiver operable to receive advertisements and a processor operable to modify the advertisements, the method comprising:
requesting action by the viewer of the television;
receiving the requested action from the viewer;
receiving personal information or preferences associated with the viewer,
wherein at least a portion of the personal information or preferences is input by the viewer via a user input device, and
wherein the personal information includes an image of the viewer;
receiving at the receiver at least one television advertisement,
wherein the received television advertisement relates to at least one product offered by a particular advertiser,
modifying the advertisement based on the action of the viewer,
wherein at least one action is received from the viewer during display of the advertisement, and
wherein modifying an advertisement includes inserting the image of the viewer into the advertisement;
displaying the modified advertisement on the television; and
transmitting to a remote data collection site an indication of the displayed advertisement,
wherein the transmission does not include any personally identifiable information associated with the viewer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein requesting action comprises displaying a question on the television and requesting an answer from the viewer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the controller further includes a camera and requesting action comprises having the camera take a picture of a person in a room containing the television.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 further comprising inserting an image received by the camera into the advertisement.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein requesting action comprises requesting the viewer to input a name into the controller.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein modifying an advertisement comprises inserting the name into the advertisement.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the advertisement comprises displaying an interactive game, and wherein requesting action comprises requesting interaction with the game.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein requesting action comprises requesting the viewer to input a personal profile into the controller.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein modifying an advertisement comprises modifying the advertisement based on the personal profile.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the advertisement is a video catalog and wherein the action of the viewer comprises rotating a product displayed in the video catalog.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a light sensor, and wherein the method further comprises sensing the light intensity in a room containing the television.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a temperature sensor, and wherein the method further comprises sensing the temperature in a room containing the television.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a motion sensor, and wherein the method further comprises sensing activity of the viewer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein modifying the advertisement comprises selecting an advertisement based on bids submitted by advertisers.

### Claim 15

A system for displaying advertisements on a television, wherein the system includes a controller operably coupled to the television, the controller comprising:
a memory device operable to store information about at least one viewer of the television,
wherein the information includes an image of the viewer;
a receiver configured for receiving —
an advertisement scheduled for display on the television at a specified time, and
preferences associated with the viewer;
a processor operable to modify the received advertisement based on action by the viewer, including —
inserting the image of the viewer into the advertisement, and
emphasizing certain features of at least one product based on the preferences associated with the viewer; and
a transmitter operable to transmit data to a remote collection site,
wherein the data includes an indication of the modified advertisement and does not include any personally identifiable information associated with the viewer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14 wherein the viewer information comprises a personal profile of the viewer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16 wherein the viewer information comprises identification of the viewer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14 wherein the advertisement is a video catalog and action by the viewer is selecting a view of a displayed product.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14 wherein the advertisement is a game and action by the viewer is interaction with the game.

### Claim 20

A computer-implemented method of displaying an interactive advertisement to a viewer via a display device, wherein the display device is connected to a media transceiver, and wherein the media transceiver is configured to receive input from the viewer via a user input device, the method comprising:
receiving at the media transceiver at least one advertisement;
receiving at the media transceiver a bid for the viewer from each of multiple advertisers, wherein the bid is based on at least one or more demographic statistics associated with the viewer;
selecting at the media transceiver the received advertisement for display based on a highest bid offered for the viewer;
requesting by the media transceiver an action from the viewer during display of the advertisement;
receiving at the media transceiver the requested action from the viewer during display of the advertisement,
wherein the received action includes personal information or preferences associated with the viewer, and
wherein at least a portion of the personal information or preferences is input by the viewer to the media transceiver via the user input device;
creating at the media transceiver an interactive advertisement,
wherein the interactive advertisement is created by —
modifying the received advertisement based on the received action, and
emphasizing certain features of at least one product based on the personal information or preferences associated with the viewer; and
displaying the interactive advertisement to the viewer via the display device.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20 wherein requesting the action from the viewer comprises at least one of:
displaying a question on the display device, wherein the received action includes an answer to the question, and wherein the answer to the question is input by the viewer to the media transceiver via the user input device;
displaying an interactive game to the viewer, wherein the received action includes interaction by the viewer with the interactive game, and wherein the interaction by the viewer is performed via the user input device;
requesting the viewer to input a personal profile via the user input device, wherein the received action comprises the requested personal profile, and wherein the requested personal profile is input by the viewer to the media transceiver via the user input device; and
displaying an interactive video catalog to the viewer, wherein the received action comprises interaction by the viewer with a product displayed in the interactive video catalog, and wherein the interaction by the viewer is performed via the user input device.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20 wherein the personal information associated with the viewer comprises a name of the viewer.

### Claim 23

A system for displaying an interactive advertisement to a viewer via a display device, the display device connected to a media transceiver, and the media transceiver configured to receive input from the viewer through a user input device, the system comprising:
means for receiving at least one advertisement at the media transceiver,
wherein the received television advertisement relates to at least one product offered by a particular advertiser;
means for receiving at the media transceiver a bid for the viewer from each of multiple advertisers,
wherein the bid is based on at least one or more demographic statistics associated with the viewer;
means for selecting at the media transceiver the received advertisement for display based on a highest bid offered for the viewer;
means for requesting interaction at the media transceiver from the viewer during display of the advertisement;
means for receiving the requested interaction at the media transceiver from the viewer during display of the advertisement,
wherein the received interaction includes personal information or preferences associated with the viewer, and
wherein at least a portion of the personal information or preferences is input by the viewer to the media transceiver via the user input device; and
means for displaying the interactive advertisement to the viewer via the display device.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23 wherein the media transceiver includes a camera, and wherein the system further comprises:
means for capturing by the media transceiver an image of the viewer; and
means for inserting the image into the interactive advertisement.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23 wherein the media transceiver includes at least one of a light sensor, a temperature sensor, a motion sensor and a microphone, and wherein the received advertisement is selected based on at least one of a sensed light intensity, a sensed temperature, a sensed level of activity and a sensed level of noise.