Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation

At&t Intellectual Property I, LP

John Christopher Batten

Scott Russell Swix

John R Stefanik

Fred Thomas Danner, Iii

Edward Rowland Grauch

A method and system for providing targeted advertisements over a networked media delivery system, especially interactive television networks, the system comprising tracking and storing viewer selections, analyzing the selections, and delivering targeted advertisements that appeal to the particular subscriber making the selections, the system including a merge processor, a file server, a profile processor, and a broadcast server contained in a head end in communication with a plurality of set-top boxes through a distribution network. Based on a subscriber's viewing habits and account information, the present invention delivers different, customized advertisements to different viewers watching the same program or channel. The present invention delivers the advertisements as either still frame bit maps or as video streams advertisement insertion in a playlist or a broadcast media program.

Methods and systems for providing targeted content

An interactive media delivery system enables interactive media programming to a multimedia device and also tracks a subscriber's use of the multimedia device. For example, the device tracks events, such as a change in programming, a change in channel selection, and/or the subscriber's interaction with a particular interactive services application. Each event may be stored as an event record in a database, and one or more of the event records may be merged with content data to form event timelines of programming or other activity to the multimedia device over a selected time period. Further, timelines may be analyzed to generate ratings and other information about programming and may also be correlated with demographics data for marketing analysis.

Method and system for tracking network use

Method and system for providing targeted advertisements

A method and system for providing flexible subscriber VCR control of an interactive media system that limits the consumption of bandwidth capacity, the method comprising establishing a viewing time window during which a subscriber can watch an ordered program, enabling the subscriber to freely pause, rewind, and fast-forward the program so long as the end of the program does not exceed the end of the window, automatically tracking the remaining program running time against the time remaining in the window, deactivating the pause and rewind features if the remaining program running time equals the time remaining in the window, and reactivating the pause and rewind features if the program is fast-forwarded such that the time remaining in the window exceeds the remaining program running time. The system of the present invention is any interactive media system that delivers video streams such as an interactive television system that supports services such as pay-per-view and video-on-demand, or an internet-based interactive media system that downloads video streams through the internet to be played on a subscriber's personal computer or other viewing device.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

John Christopher Batten