(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2010/0037253 A1 SHEEHAN Et Al
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US 20100037253A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2010/0037253 A1 SHEEHAN et al. (43) Pub. Date: Feb. 11, 2010 (54) NATIONAL INSERTION OF TARGETED Related U.S. Application Data ADVERTISEMENT (60) Provisional application No. 61/086,409, filed on Aug. (75) Inventors: Patrick SHEEHAN, Jamison, PA 5, 2008. (US); Michael CRISTOFALO, Publication Classification Doylestown, PA (US); Bruce J. ANDERSON, Chesterfield, NJ (51) Int. Cl. (US); Daniel C. WILSON, H04N 7/67 (2006.01) Edmonton (CA) HO)4N 7/025 (2006.01) (52) U.S. Cl. ............................................. 725/31; 725/35 Correspondence Address: MARSH, FISCHMANN & BREYFOGLE LLP (57) ABSTRACT 8055 East Tufts Avenue, Suite 450 Systems and methods are disclosed that allow for providing Denver, CO 80237 (US) targeted asset/advertisements for broadcast-wide program ming feeds. The systems and methods allow network plat (73) Assignee: NVIDITECHNOLOGIES forms to select among asset options provided with a content CORPORATION, Princeton, NJ stream and/or replace assets in the content stream. In one (US) arrangement, after selecting an asset, the asset is inserted into the content stream and the content stream is disseminated to (21) Appl. No.: 12/536,347 Subsequent network platforms (e.g., local platforms). At this time, the local platforms may insert local assets into the (22) Filed: Aug. 5, 2009 content stream in predetermined local asset insertion spots. OC A 196 Y107 gic REGIONAL HEADEND VIDEO STORAGE (3 Patent Application Publication Feb. 11, 2010 Sheet 1 of 12 US 2010/0037253 A1 R s X K X 8-C. PK Patent Application Publication Feb. 11, 2010 Sheet 2 of 12 US 2010/0037253 A1 š. Patent Application Publication Feb. 11, 2010 Sheet 3 of 12 US 2010/0037253 A1 EN?gael HÆ,HÆTTÆÐINGHEGYIPTORHÆ ?i?3NQ1848*(3. Patent Application Publication Feb. 11, 2010 Sheet 4 of 12 US 2010/0037253 A1 WS Patent Application Publication Feb. 11, 2010 Sheet 5 of 12 US 2010/0037253 A1 (EMEA Patent Application Publication Feb. 11, 2010 Sheet 6 of 12 US 2010/0037253 A1 Patent Application Publication Feb. 11, 2010 Sheet 7 of 12 US 2010/0037253 A1 GENERATEACONTENSTREAM FOR OEVERY TO NEORK PAFORMS ENTYASSE DEVERY SOS FOR CTENT SREAli SEECA EAS FRS AND SECON) ASSES FOR Assy DEVERY SOS NSER NAONAASSE CE ONE NO CoENT SREA ROVE ASSE OPONS AND CON ENS REA, ONE WORK PAFOR Patent Application Publication Feb. 11, 2010 Sheet 8 of 12 US 2010/0037253 A1 .. i te C i. Patent Application Publication Feb. 11, 2010 Sheet 9 of 12 US 2010/0037253 A1 DENTFY FIRSCUETYPE FOR NATIONALASSE, NSERTON SPOT NSER FRS ASSET NTONATIONAL" ASSE INSERTON SPO ASSE OA SECONNETWORK FAFSV - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - iDENTIFYSECOND CUETYPE FOR" LOCALASSET SERTONSPOT NSERT SECOND ASSET INTO OCA ASSE SERTON SPO BROADCAST CONTENT STREAM NCDNG FRS AND SECON) ASSESO NEWORK SERS FG.7B Patent Application Publication Feb. 11, 2010 Sheet 10 of 12 US 2010/0037253 A1 Patent Application Publication Feb. 11, 2010 Sheet 11 of 12 US 2010/0037253 A1 RECENG NETWORK SER NFORAONAA NETWORAFOR UTILIZENETwork USERINFORMATION TO SEEC ANASSEDELIVERY SPOTNANONALFEED GENERATA CONN STREAV NCDNG PROGRANG AND SEECE ASSE 64. NEWORK PAFORMS FOR DSS, NATONO NORK SERS Patent Application Publication Feb. 11, 2010 Sheet 12 of 12 US 2010/0037253 A1 US 2010/0037253 A1 Feb. 11, 2010 NATIONAL INSERTON OF TARGETED feed. Accordingly, when the network platforms disseminate ADVERTISEMENT the broadcast content received via the national feed, the inter leaved assets/advertisements are disseminated therewith. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED That is, interleaving of assets/advertisements with the APPLICATION national feed typically results in a single asset/advertisement being disseminated over the entire broadcast network. 0001. This application claims priority and the benefit of 0006. In some broadcast networks (e.g., such as those in the filing date under 35 U.S.C. 119 to U.S. Provisional Appli the United States), one or more cues may also be incorporated cation No. 61/086,409, entitled, “NATIONAL INSERTION into the national feed. Such cues have allowed network plat OFTARGETED ADVERTISEMENT filed on Aug. 5, 2008, forms (e.g., local head ends) to identify upcoming breaks in the contents of which are incorporated hereinas if set forth in the programming contained in the national feed. Accordingly, full. Such local head ends may replace content within the national feed with an asset that is better Suited for a local audience. FIELD Typically, in the United States, two to three minutes of every 0002 Systems and methods presented herein relate to the half-hour are set aside for local advertisements. However, provision of targeted assets via a network interface. In one other broadcast networks, including many foreign networks, specific arrangement, nationally targeted advertising media is do not provide local insertion opportunities. In this regard, all provided to users of a broadcast network, wherein the content advertising in Such networks is network-wide. of the targeted media may be altered on a regional and/or demographic basis. SUMMARY BACKGROUND 0007. In view of the above, the inventors of the current systems and methods (i.e., utilities) have recognized that, 0003 Broadcast network content or programming is com while network-wide (e.g., national) dissemination of assets/ monly provided in conjunction with associated informational advertisements often provides an effective model for provid content or assets. These assets include advertisements, asso ing assets to consumers, in many instances such network ciated programming, public-service announcements, ad tags, wide dissemination of an asset fails to provide a desired trailers, weather or emergency notifications and a variety of targeting granularity for asset providers. That is, in some other content, including paid and unpaid content. In this instances, national-level asset providers having varied prod regard, assets providers (e.g., advertisers) who wish to convey uct lines (e.g., auto manufactures) may desire to target differ information (e.g., advertisements) regarding services and/or ent assets/advertisements to different/limited geographic products to users of the broadcast network often pay for the regions and/or to different/limited demographic groups. right to insert their information into programming of the However, such national-level asset providers may not want to broadcast network. For instance, advertisers may provide ad utilize local ad insertion as such local asset insertion may content to a network operator Such that the ad content may be require interfacing with numerous (e.g., hundreds) of local interleaved with broadcast network programming during one network platforms. Further, local asset insertion may not or more programming breaks. The delivery of Such paid provide desired insertion times and/or may not be available assets often Subsidizes or covers the costs of the programming (e.g., foreign markets). Accordingly, the inventors have rec provided by the broadcast network. This may reduce or elimi ognized the desirability of being able to provide targeted nate costs borne by the users of the broadcast network pro asset/advertisement dissemination for broadcast-wide pro gramming. gramming feeds. That is, the inventors of the current utilities 0004. In order to achieve a better return on their invest have recognized that national asset providers may more effec ment, asset providers often try to target their assets to a tively match their assets to targeted network users if the asset selected audience that is believed to be interested in the goods providers can vary the assets provided to network users based or services of the asset provider. The case of advertisers on a on region and/or demographics of the network users. Accord cable television network is illustrative. For instance, an adver ingly, systems and methods are provided herein for providing tiser or a cable television network may target its ads to certain targeted asset insertion with respect to network-wide inser demographic groups based on, for example, geographic loca tion opportunities in a broadcast network. tion, gender, age, income etc. Accordingly, once an advertiser 0008 According to a first aspect of the present invention, has created an ad that is targeted to a desired group of viewers a system and method (hereinafter, “utility”) for use in con (e.g., targeted group) the advertiser may attempt to procure nection with delivering content to users of a broadcast net insertion times in the network programming when the tar work is provided. More specifically, a utility is provided geted group is expected to be among the audience of the wherein a content stream (e.g., national feed) of a content network programming. provider is generated for delivery to a plurality of first level 0005. Historically, broadcast content (e.g., programming) network platforms (e.g., affiliates, MSOs, etc.) of a broadcast is provided from a content provider (e.g., ABC, PBS, BBC, network. The content stream includes first and second cues etc.) to one or more network platforms (e.g., regional head that correspond with first and second asset insertion spots. In end and/or local head ends and/or repeater stations). These Such an arrangement, these first level network platforms may network platforms receive the content and disseminate that Subsequently disseminate the received content stream to content to network users. In this regard, the broadcast content downstream or second level network platforms (e.g., local is sometimes termed a “national feed.” Typically, this national head ends). In addition, at least two asset options are provided feed includes programming and interleaved advertisements. for a common (e.g., single) asset delivery spot of the content In this regard, national level advertisers who wish to dissemi stream. In this arrangement, at least a portion of the first level nate their assets network-wide may pay to have their adver network platforms are operative to identify the first cue tisements interleaved with the programming of the national (which may be restricted, encrypted, etc.) and independently US 2010/0037253 A1 Feb.