The Directv Group, Inc.

Taber B Noble

Gary M Lehto

Methods and systems for time shifting advertising to provide enhanced advertisement targeting are presented. An exemplary method of time shifting advertising of a video service comprises generating a private profile based upon a private play history of a receiver and receiving one or more predetermined advertisements, each of the one or more advertisements including meta data. The profile can be generated by a profiler within a receiver unit. The predetermined advertisements are selected and stored based upon the meta data and the private profile. A program is received and a targeted advertisement is selected from the subset of the predetermined advertisements based upon the meta data and the private profile and played with the program. Management of the advertisements (e.g. selecting and storing predetermined advertisements and selecting targeted advertisements) can be facilitated by an advertisement controller within the receiver.

Time shifted targeted advertisements based upon user profiles

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing media program information to a user is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of accepting a command to provide a menu guide from a plurality of menu guides defining a media program information space segmented by a daypart, wherein the menu guide is associated with a first daypart, and providing a menu guide comprising a menu guide content portion presenting at least some of the media program information. The apparatus comprises a receiver having a tuner for receiving the media program and the media program information, a processor, communicatively coupled to the tuner for providing a menu guide having a menu guide content portion presenting at least some of the media program information, wherein the menu guide is selectable from a plurality of menu guides together defining a program information space segmented by a daypart. The foregoing daypart-based presentation of the media program information provides for an efficient use of display space by initially providing information programs the user is likely to be interested in, while still permitting the user to intuitively navigate to other media program information as well.

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Palos Verdes Estates, CA, United States of America

Taber B Noble