Method and apparatus to perform real-time audience estimation and commercial selection suitable for targeted advertising

Abstract

A targeted advertising system selects an asset (e.g., ad) for a current user of a user equipment device (e.g., a digital set top box in a cable network). The system can first operate in a learning mode to receive user inputs and develop evidence that can characterize multiple users of the user equipment device audience. In a working mode, the system can process current user inputs to match a current user to one of the identified users of that user equipment device audience. Fuzzy logic and / or stochastic filtering may be used to improve development of the user characterizations, as well as matching of the current user to those developed characterizations. In this manner, targeting of assets can be implemented not only based on characteristics of a household but based on a current user within that household.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 447,071, entitled: “METHOD AND APPARATUS TO PERFORM REAL-TIME ESTIMATION AND COMMERCIAL SELECTION SUITABLE FOR TARGETED ADVERTISING,” filed on Apr. 13, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 944,078, entitled: “METHOD AND APPARATUS TO PERFORM REAL-TIME ESTIMATION AND COMMERCIAL SELECTION SUITABLE FOR TARGETED ADVERTISING,” filed on Nov. 21, 2007, now abandoned. This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 758,532, entitled: “FUZZY LOGIC BASED VIEWER IDENTIFICATION FOR TARGETED ASSET DELIVERY SYSTEM,” filed on Apr. 12, 2010, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 743,544, entitled: “FUZZY LOGIC BASED VIEWER IDENTIFICATION FOR TARGETED ASSET DELIVERY SYSTEM,” filed on May 2, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,698,236, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Applicat...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is about improving the effectiveness of advertising in communication networks like cable television networks. It does this by identifying the demographics or other characteristics of users who are currently using the network. This helps the advertising system to target its audience more effectively. The invention can also work in real-time using limited processing resources. The user identification process can be hidden from the user's perspective. The invention can also help the network decide which assets to advertise or get information about the audience they are reaching.

Problems solved by technology

However, targeting households is problematic.

However, information based on an identified household does not always ensure appropriate targeting of assets.

This is difficult in broadcast networks.

Accordingly, household-based targeting, while an improvement over untargeted asset delivery or conventional ratings-based asset targeting in a broadcast network, still entails significant obstacles and / or targeting uncertainty.

Current systems have generally suffered from one or more of the following drawbacks: 1) they focus on who is in the household rather than who is watching now; 2) they may only provide coarse information about a subset of the household; 3) they require user participation, which is undesirable for certain users and may entail error; 4) they do not provide a framework for determining when there are multiple viewers or for accurately defining demographics in multiple viewer scenarios; 5) they are fairly static in their assumptions and do not properly handle changing household compositions and demographics; and / or 6) they employ sub-optimal technologies, require extensive training, require excessive resources or otherwise have limited practical application.

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