Set-Top Box Commercial Selection Using Viewer Presence

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing television advertising systems are generic and fail to accurately target viewers based on their presence, as they assume a single demographic for the audience, leading to inefficiencies and potential misalignment with actual viewers.

Innovation Solution

A media service system that detects user presence using mobile devices and sensors, performs dynamic analysis on user characteristics, and strategically determines which commercials to target based on individual viewer profiles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If generic advertising is used based on assumed demographic, then device complexity is reduced, but advertising effectiveness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadvertising effectivenessVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the audience into multiple user profiles based on sensor-detected characteristics (age, gender, presence) rather than treating the audience as a single generic demographic. This segmentation enables targeted advertising to different viewers simultaneously, improving advertising effectiveness while managing complexity through modular profile-based processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing user profiles with demographic characteristics before advertising delivery. Sensors continuously detect viewer attributes and update profiles in advance, allowing the system to quickly select appropriate ads without real-time complex analysis, thus improving effectiveness without proportionally increasing system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If single demographic assumption is used, then ease of operation is improved, but adaptability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudience targeting accuracyVSAvoidsystem operation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements multi-functionality by using a unified sensor-based detection mechanism that serves multiple purposes: identifying viewer presence, determining demographic characteristics, and updating user profiles. This universal approach enables the system to adapt to different viewers and content types without requiring separate complex operation procedures for each scenario

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts user profiles and advertising content based on real-time sensor data about viewer characteristics. Rather than relying on static demographic assumptions, the system continuously adapts to the actual viewers present, improving targeting accuracy while maintaining operational simplicity through automated dynamic updates

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3732892B1Systems and methods for targeted television commercials based on viewer presence
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 DISH NETWORK LLC
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AI summary

Systems and methods for targeted television commercials based on viewer presence. For example, a computer-implemented method may include receiving user information associated with multiple users of the set-top box; receiving a set of television commercials; detecting the presence of multiple mobile devices in the environment; identifying the presence of a first user of the multiple users and a second user of the multiple users using the detection of the presence of the multiple mobile devices in the environment; transmitting programming content to a display device associated with the set-top box in response to an input, wherein when the programming content is received, the programming content is presented on the display device; identifying, by the set-top box, an open commercial slot within the programming content; analyzing data associated with the first user, data associated with the second user, the programming content, and the open commercial slot to determine a chosen television commercial of the set of television commercials to fill the open commercial slot; and transmitting the chosen television commercial to the display device for the chosen television commercial to be displayed on the display device within the open commercial slot within the programming content.