US20060031405A1 - System and method of inserting advertisements into an information retrieval system display - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems and methods for selecting and inserting advertisements in an information document displayed to a user, wherein the selection is based at least in part on television programming viewed by the user. The systems and methods may be implemented using the Internet or another information retrieval system that includes a client system and a remote server. The client system monitors television programming viewed by the user and compiles a user profile characterizing the television programming. When the user requests an Internet resource using the client system, the television programming information in the user profile is utilized to select an appropriate advertisement. The advertisement is then inserted in the information document and displayed to the user. Advertisement selection and insertion may be conducted at the remote server, the client system, or at the level of the Internet service provider. Such selection of advertisement increases the efficiency by which Internet advertisements are tailored to individuals. Instead of advertisements, information relating to the television programming may be retrieved over the Internet and displayed without direct user assistance.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/264,432, filed Mar. 8, 1999, and entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD OF INSERTING ADVERTISEMENTS INOT AN INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEM” and which is incorporated here by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. The Field of the Invention
• The present invention relates to advertising on an information retrieval system. In particular, the present invention relates to systems and methods of selecting advertisements and displaying the selected advertisements on an information retrieval system based at least in part on the television viewing habits of the recipient of the advertisements.
• 2. The Prior State of the Art
• The Internet, and particularly the World Wide Web (“Web”), has experienced tremendous growth during recent years. The Web allows users to retrieve and access text, graphics, audio, video, and other information from remote servers. The Web has become a valuable source of news, educational resources, commercial information, entertainment, and the like. Many, if not most, Web sites are accessible by users free of charge. Other sites are made available to users for a small fee. Many Web sites subsidize part or all of the cost of maintaining a server, posting information in Web pages, etc. by selling and distributing advertisements embedded in Web pages.
• As in other advertising applications, it has been found that advertisements in Web pages are most effective if they can be tailored and directed to segments of the population that are likely to be interested in the advertised goods and services. Because of the interactive nature of the Internet and the ability to easily insert graphical images in Web pages, there have been developed several methods of targeting Internet advertisements to specific users or specific groups of users.
• One of the simplest methods of tailoring Internet advertisements to recipients is similar to techniques used in television, radio and other media. In particular, advertisements are selected to correspond to the subject matter of the Web page or other Internet resource. It is assumed that users who actively retrieve Internet resources dealing with a certain topic are more likely than the population at large to be receptive to advertisements directed to the topic. For example, if a Web site relates to travel information, advertisers and Web site providers can generally assume that users accessing the Web site will have a heightened interest in travel-related advertisements.
• Advertisements are particularly attractive in the Internet environment for several additional reasons. First, Internet users are typically actively and attentively taking in information when they access Internet resources. Such users may be more receptive to messages delivered by advertisers than persons engaged in other activities. Second, because of the interactive nature of the Internet, recipients of advertising may choose to receive a small amount or a relatively large amount of information on the advertised goods or services. For example, a typical Internet advertisement may consist of a banner box or another graphical image identifying the goods or services or presenting a concise advertising message. Moreover, the graphical image is frequently an active link that may be selected by the user in order to access a Web site specifically dedicated to the advertised goods or services. Accordingly, interested recipients may easily retrieve additional information relating to advertiser's message, while disinterested recipients are not inconvenienced by too much unwanted information. The multimedia aspect of the Internet also allows advertisers to present their messages in new and interesting ways.
• In addition to basing advertisement selection on the subject matter of Web sites, advertisers have also been able to learn of some preferences and habits of recipients in order to more effectively tailor advertisements. Many Web sites download “cookies” to users' computers when users access the Web sites. Cookies are files installed and stored on the hard disk of client computers and are used to report information relating to the client computer to Web site content providers. In one example, a cookie may merely be an identifier that transmits a user password or other identifying information each time the user returns to the Web site, thereby eliminating the need for the user to remember and enter the password. In another example, however, cookies can be used to track and report the user's Internet habits, giving content providers and advertisers insight into the possible interests of the user, and allowing advertisements to be tailored accordingly.
• Services that automatically provide news and other information to recipients over the Internet have also become common. For example, there are many e-mail services and other Internet-based systems that periodically send messages or other information documents relating to specific topics to interested persons. Generally, such services provide information to recipients who have placed their names in a subscriber list. There is typically no attempt to individually tailor the information sent to the subscribers based on the subscribers' particular preferences other than perhaps an interest survey submitted by the subscribers.
• In view of the foregoing, advertising techniques adapted from other media have been widely used to tailor advertisements to broad segments of the Internet-using population. Furthermore, interactive techniques, such as those involving “cookies”, allow advertisers to learn of some of the recipient's habits as they relate to browsing Internet and otherwise using the recipient's computer. While such information increases the efficiency by which advertisers may target specific recipients, any further source of information relating to individual habits and preferences would be a valuable improvement in the Internet advertising industry.
• From the standpoint of the advertiser, any increase in the ability to narrowly target recipients would make advertising on the Internet more attractive. Internet content providers would also favor advancements in advertising effectiveness, since they would then collect more advertising fees from advertisers. Finally, the Internet-using public benefits from being more effectively targeted in at least two ways. First, advertising recipients would be more likely to receive advertising information that is of interest and value. Second, a greater number and variety of Internet sites are likely to be profitable using improved advertising techniques, thereby making more no-cost and low-cost Internet sites available to the public.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention relates to selecting advertisements and displaying the selected advertisements on a display screen of an information retrieval system based at least in part on the television viewing habits of the recipient of the advertisements. For example, the information retrieval system may be the Internet, with the advertisements being embedded and displayed in a Web page or another Internet resource. Monitoring the television viewing habits of the recipient allows the advertisements to be more effectively tailored to the specific habits and preferences of the recipient.
• The invention may be implemented in an information retrieval system including a client terminal and a remote server configured to communicate one with another. In Internet implementations, an Internet service provider (“ISP”) may also be present in order to facilitate and route information transmission over the system. Moreover, the client terminal is connected to, associated with, or otherwise has access to a television set or a television programming feed. According to the invention, the client terminal monitors television programming viewed by the user, and includes the television viewing habits in a user profile.
• When the user requests an information document, such as a Web page, from a remote server, the user profile is used in conjunction with selection criteria to select an advertisement appropriate for the user. Data representing the selected advertisement is inserted into the information document, and when the information document is displayed to the user, the selected advertisement is also displayed. The process of selecting and inserting the advertisement may be conducted according to any of at least three methods. In particular, the advertisement selection and insertion may be conducted at the client computer, at the server computer, and in Internet implementations, at the ISP. Moreover, selection and insertion may be conducted at any combination of the foregoing sites.
• The foregoing methods of advertisement selection and insertion more generally extend to selection and display of any type of information to a recipient based at least in part on television viewing habits. As described herein, the client terminal monitors television programming viewed by the user and compiles a user profile. The user profile is compared against a list of information categories, which may be standard or user-defined. One or more of the information categories that correspond to the user profile are then used to request information documents from the server computer. For example, the invention may be implemented in an Internet news delivery service wherein the information categories correspond to particular categories of news stories. Accordingly, information such as news, entertainment, educational resources, and the like, may be selected based at least in part on the television viewing habits of the recipient, automatically retrieved, and made available to the recipient.
• In view of the foregoing, the invention disclosed herein provides methods and systems for tailoring advertisements and other information to specific recipients in ways that have not previously been possible. Monitoring the television viewing habits of recipients allows advertisers and content providers to gain valuable insight to the preferences of the users. Accordingly, the advertisements or other selected information is more likely to be relevant and of interest to the recipient using the invention than using conventional methods.
• Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• In order that the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and objects of the invention are obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
• FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a network system in which the invention may be implemented, wherein the network system includes client terminals, servers, and a television programming source.
• FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a client system for use with the invention.
• FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram depicting a first embodiment of the systems and methods of the invention, wherein an advertisement is selected and inserted into an information document at the server computer.
• FIG. 3B is schematic diagram showing a second embodiment of the systems and methods of the invention, wherein an advertisement is selected and inserted into an information document at the level of the Internet service provider.
• FIG. 3C is a schematic diagram illustrating a third embodiment of the systems and methods of the invention, wherein an advertisement is selected and inserted into an information document at the client system.
• FIG. 4 is a flow diagram depicting selected steps of the methods associated withFIGS. 3A-3C.
• FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a further embodiment of the systems and methods of the invention, wherein information classified under specified categories is selected, retrieved, and displayed based at least in part on the television viewing habits of the recipient.
• FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram further illustrating a television monitoring module and associated elements of the systems of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• The present invention relates to selecting and displaying advertisements or other information on a display device of an information retrieval system based at least in part on the television viewing habits of the recipient. A client terminal or the like monitors the television viewing habits of the recipient, which are included in a user profile. The user profile, in combination with selection criteria, may be used to select advertisements for display to the recipient. When the recipient requests an information document using the information retrieval system or when an information document is otherwise delivered to the client terminal, the selected advertisement is inserted into the information document and is displayed to the recipient.
• The invention is described below by using diagrams to illustrate either the structure or processing of embodiments used to implement the system and method of the present invention. Using the diagrams in this manner to present the invention should not be construed as limiting of its scope. The embodiments of the present invention may comprise a special purpose or general purpose computer including various computer hardware, as discussed in greater detail below. The embodiments may further comprise multiple computers linked in a network environment.
• Embodiments within the scope of the present invention include computer readable media having computer-executable instructions or data fields stored thereon. Such computer readable media can be any available media which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired computer-executable instructions or data fields and which can accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media. Computer-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing device to perform a certain function or group of functions. The computer-executable instructions and associated data fields represent an example of program code means for executing the steps of the invention disclosed herein.
• FIGS. 1 and 2 and the following discussion are intended to provide a brief, general description of a suitable network and computing environment in which the invention may be implemented. Although not required, the invention will be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a personal computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The invention will also be described by making reference to information documents, which generally include or are defined by encoded data structures stored in a computer-readable medium or a computer memory device. The encoded data structures of documents typically represent text, graphical images, audio, or other information that may be communicated to a user, and generally may be generated, edited, displayed and/or stored using a computer. The information documents may be Web pages or other Internet resources.
• For illustration purposes, the invention is described herein in reference to the Internet, which represents one example of information retrieval systems that are compatible with the invention. However, the principles disclosed herein are also applicable to other information retrieval systems. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the Internet. Those skilled in the art will understand how to implement the invention in other information retrieval systems upon learning of the information disclosed herein.
• FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the architecture of an information retrieval system in which the invention may be implemented. In this embodiment,multiple clients systems10 communicate with amodem pool12 by means of direct-dial,bi-directional data connections14, which may be conventional telephone lines, ISDN connections, connections supported by cable television providers, or any other suitable communications channel.Modem pool12 may be any conventional modem pool, such as those that are currently used for providing access to the Internet and other wide area networks. For example,modem pool14 may be provided by a local ISP. Thus,modem pool14 may be coupled to a number of server computers, such asremote servers16, via a conventional network infrastructure, which may beInternet infrastructure18.
• FIG. 1 further illustrates an example of combining information retrieval over the Internet with television viewing. At least some ofclient systems10 are associated withdisplay devices20 that serve a dual function. First,display devices20 display graphical, computer-generated or computer-transmitted information provided byclient systems10. Web pages retrieved fromremote servers16 represent one example of the graphical information that may be displayed ondisplay devices20. Second, television programming transmitted fromtelevision programming source22 may also be displayed ondisplay devices20.Television programming source22 may be any desired television broadcaster or delivery system. Accordingly,display device20 may be a conventional television or may instead be a computer monitor adapted to display television programming. Indeed, the client system is optionally integrated in a television, or instead may be a self-contained unit. The invention extends to systems incorporating the information retrieval systems disclosed herein in combination with a home entertainment system including a television or anotherdisplay device20. It is also noted thatclient terminal24 is defined herein to include the client system and the display device.
• FIG. 2 depicts selected elements of one embodiment of a client system that may be used to implements portions of the invention.Client system10 uses hardware and computer-executable instructions for providing the user with a graphical user interface, by which the user can access Internet resources, send and receive e-mail, and optionally receive other information services. Operation ofclient system10 is controlled by a central processing unit (CPU)26, which is coupled to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)28.CPU26 executes computer-executable instructions designed to implement features ofclient system10, including some of the steps of methods of the present invention.ASIC28 contains circuitry which is used to implement certain functions ofclient system10. For example,ASIC28 may be coupled to an audio digital-to-analog converter30 and to avideo encoder32, which provide audio and video output, respectively, to displaydevice20 ofFIG. 1.
• Client system10 may further include anIR interface34 for detecting infrared signals transmitted by a remote control input device, such as a hand-held device or a wireless keyboard. In response to the infrared signals,IR interface34 provides corresponding electrical signals toASIC28. Alternatively, the signals transmitted byremote control device14 may be selected from another suitable region of the spectrum. Astandard telephone modem36 and anISDN modem38 are coupled toASIC28 to provide connections tomodem pool12 and, via theInternet18, toremote servers16. While the client system illustrated inFIG. 2 includes both a telephone modem and an ISDN modem, either one of these devices is sufficient to support the communications of the client system. Furthermore, in other embodiments, modems36 and38 may be supplemented or replaced withcable modem40 or another suitable communications device. In other environments, communication may instead be established using a token ring or Ethernet connection.
• Also coupled toASIC28 are a mask read-only memory (ROM)42, aflash memory44, and a random access memory (RAM)46.Mask ROM42 is non-programmable and provides storage of computer-executable instructions and data structures.Flash memory44 may be a conventional flash memory device that can be programmed and erased electronically.Flash memory44 may store Internet browser software as well as data structures. In one embodiment, amass storage device48 coupled toASIC28 is included inclient system10.Mass storage device48 may be used to supply computer-executable instructions and data structures to other components of the client system or to receive data downloaded over the network.Mass storage device48 may include any suitable medium for storing computer-executable instructions, such as magnetic disks, optical disks, and the like.
• Application software and associated operating system software are stored inflash memory44, or instead may be stored in any other suitable memory device, such asmask ROM42 ormass storage device48. The computer-executable instructions that, according to one embodiment of the invention, are used to monitor television viewing habits of a user and to construct a user profile that forms at least part of the basis for selecting advertisements are executed byCPU26. In particular,CPU26 executes sequences of instructions contained in one or more ofmask ROM42,flash memory44, andRAM46 to perform certain steps of the present invention that will be more specifically disclosed hereinafter.
• In one embodiment of the invention,client system10 is a WebTV client box manufactured by WebTV Networks, Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif. One reason that WebTV client boxes may be conveniently used with the invention is that they include television interface features that combine Internet browsing with television viewing. For example, the display device that is typically used to graphically display Web resources retrieved by a WebTV system is a conventional television. Furthermore, WebTV client boxes may be adapted to monitor television viewing habits as further disclosed herein. Alternatively,client system10 may be any of a variety of systems for providing access to the Internet or other information retrieval systems. When a WebTV client box is used asclient system10, the network architecture illustrated inFIG. 1 may further include adedicated server50, which is dedicated to providing information specifically to WebTV clients boxes.
• The elements ofclient system10 are not limited to those depicted inFIG. 2. For example, the invention may be used with other computer system configurations, including personal computers, hand held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. The invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments other than the network environment ofFIG. 1. For example, the invention may be used in any suitable network environment where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network.
• FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate three embodiments of the invention, wherein advertisements are selected and inserted into an information document based at least in part on television viewing habits of the recipient. In general, the embodiments ofFIGS. 3A-3C are configured to monitor the television viewing habit of a user of the client system and to construct a user profile that includes the television viewing habits. Based at least in part on the television viewing habits, an appropriate advertisement is selected according to advertisement selection criteria. The selected advertisement is inserted into an Internet document and is displayed to the user on the display device. Advertisement selection and insertion is conducted at the remote server inFIG. 3A and at the Internet service provider and the client system inFIGS. 3B and 3C, respectively.
• Turning now toFIG. 3A,television programming source22 broadcasts a television programming feed that is displayed to the user ondisplay device20. Atelevision monitoring module52 atclient system10 has access to the television programming feed and detects the identity or the content of the television programming used by the user. A more detailed description of one embodiment of a television monitoring module is disclosed herein in reference toFIG. 6.
• Auser profile54 compiled atclient system10 is a profile of the user of theclient system10 and includes at least information relating to the television programming displayed ondisplay device20.User profile54 may also include other user information further characterizing the user. Examples of such user information include demographic information, Internet usage data, geographical information, or other identifying information. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/094,851, filed on Jun. 15, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,020 discloses user profiles and specific example of user information, many of which may be included in the user profiles of the present invention. For purposes of disclosure, the
• The information included inuser profile54 may be compiled over any desired period of time. For example,user profile54 may be updated each time the user views a television program. Information relating to viewed television programming may be retained inuser profile54 for a set period of time. According to one option, the most recently viewed television programming is given more weight inuser profile54 than older programming. Alternatively, user profile may include information relating to only the most recently viewed television programming.
• Client system10 provides Internet access to the user by means of anInternet browser56, which may be any conventional or other Internet browser that is adapted or otherwise capable of transmitting information included inuser profile54 as further described herein. For example, whenclient system10 is a WebTV client box,Internet browser56 is the Internet browser typically included in WebTV client boxes, with the browser being adapted to transmit user profile information. TheInternet browser54 included inclient system10 is one example of means for requesting an information document from a server computer.
• A user enters commands to client system usinginput device58, thereby requesting an information document fromremote server16. Whenclient system10 is a WebTV client box,input device58 may be a handheld remote control device or a wireless keyboard that allows the user to select and retrieve desired Internet resources. Alternatively, the input device may be a keyboard, a mouse, or another device that is conventionally used to provide user input to an Internet browser. It is noted that a user may access the Internet by means of theInternet browser56 at any time after having viewed television programming ondisplay device20. For example, the user may interrupt television viewing to access the Internet or, alternatively, may access the Internet some time after having stopped watching television programming.
• The Internet browser sends a uniform resource locator (URL) viaInternet service provider60 to adocument retrieval module62 atremote server16. For example, the network architecture by whichclient system10 communicates withremote server16 may be that disclosed inFIG. 1. Methods and systems for retrieving an information document over the Internet or other information retrieval systems are well known in the art. In the embodiment ofFIG. 3A, wherein advertisement selection and insertion into the information document is conducted atremote server16,client system10 further sends information fromuser profile54 to an advertisementselection decision unit64 atremote server16. As previously noted, theinformation user profile54 identifies the television viewing habits of the user ofclient system10.
• In this embodiment,remote server16 includes features for providing a plurality of advertisements and for selecting and inserting an advertisement into the requested information document. In one implementation, anadvertisement source66 supplies a plurality of advertisements that are stored inadvertisement repository68. In one embodiment,advertisement source66 andremote server16 may be operated by the same party. Alternatively,advertisement source66 may be operated independently fromremote server16 and located at a remote site. The plurality of advertisements provided byadvertisement source66 may be associated with a wide variety of advertisers and goods and services.
• In this embodiment,remote server16 further includesadvertisement selection criteria70, which, in conjunction with the user profile information, govern the selection of an advertisement stored inadvertisement repository68. For example, the selection criteria may provide that an advertisement whose subject matter corresponds to the television viewing habits of the user is to be selected. Optionally,advertisement selection criteria70 further incorporates any of the conventional techniques for selecting advertisements, including selecting an advertisement to correspond to the subject matter of the requested information document.
• Remote server16 retrieves requestedinformation document72 from adocument cache74 according to methods that will be understood by those skilled in the art. Theinformation document72 may be provided by a content provider who is also the operator ofremote server16. Alternatively, the content provider who providesinformation document72 may be an entity that purchases information document posting services from the operator ofremote server16.Information document72 may be any Internet resource or another computer-displayable or computer-transmitted data structure. For example, Hyper-Text Markup Language documents (“HTML documents”) are commonly retrieved over the Internet and are particularly suited for use with the invention.
• An advertisement insertion module76 inserts data representing selectedadvertisement78 intoinformation document72 after it is retrieved. For example, the selected advertisement may be embedded in theinformation document72 according to conventional techniques. After the selected advertisement is inserted, the requestedinformation document72 is transmitted fromremote server16 toclient system10.Internet browser56 displays theinformation document72 and the selectedadvertisement78 ondisplay device20, which is one example of means for displaying the information document. In this manner, the user of the client system views an advertisement that is determined to be appropriate based at least in part on the television viewing habits of the user. Selecting and inserting the advertisement at the remote server is advantageously compatible with current techniques of advertisement insertion, which are also conducted at the remote server.
• FIG. 3B illustrates an embodiment of the invention wherein advertisement selection and insertion are conducted at the level of the Internet service provider. Television programming is viewed by the user and auser profile154 is compiled atclient system110 in much the same way as described herein in reference toFIG. 3A. When a user requests an information document from a remote server according to this embodiment, the URL is transmitted to the remote server via a request router80 at theInternet service provider160. The user profile, however, is transmitted to and stored atInternet service provider160. Information fromuser profile154 may be transmitted each time the user requests resources from the Internet, at the beginning of each Internet session that is served byInternet service provider160, or periodically at any desired interval. For example,client system110 may updateuser profile copy154′ on a daily basis, regardless of whether the user has accessed the Internet during the day. Furthermore,Internet service provider160 may maintain user profile information associated with a plurality of client systems. The method of selecting advertisements atInternet service provider160 may be substantially similar to the methods for selecting advertisements atremote server16 described in reference toFIG. 3A. Alternatively, advertisementselection decision unit164 may select appropriate advertisements forclient system110 and compile a list of appropriate advertisements before any information document is requested byclient system110. In this case, the preselected advertisements are already identified and available for insertion into requested information documents when the user begins to access to the Internet.
• Advertisement insertion module176 ofFIG. 3B may insert the selected advertisement into the requested information document according to one of at least two methods. First, the information document transmitted fromremote server116 toInternet service provider160 may include a vacant field or anther location to which the selected advertisement may be added. Second,advertisement insertion module176 may overwrite an advertisement already included in the requested information document, thereby replacing the existing advertisement with the selected advertisement.
• The requested information document, including the selected advertisement, is next transmitted fromInternet service provider160 to theInternet browser156 atclient system110. The information document and the selected advertisement may be displayed atdisplay device120 according to the methods disclosed in reference toFIG. 3A. According to the embodiment ofFIG. 3B, the user receives advertisements selected based at least in part on the television viewing habits of the user. Selecting and inserting the advertisements at the level of the Internet service provider have the advantage of allowing a periodically updated copy of the user profile to be stored at the Internet service provider. Accordingly, the Internet service provider may preselect advertisements for the users of a plurality of client systems.
• FIG. 3C illustrates a further embodiment of the invention, wherein advertisements are selected and inserted at the client system. The methods and systems for viewing television programming, monitoring the television programming, and compiling a user profile may be substantially similar to those disclosed in reference toFIGS. 3A and 3B. In this embodiment, however, the advertisementselection decision unit264, theadvertisement repository268, and theadvertisement selection criteria270 are located at the client system210. The user requests an information document fromremote server216 viaInternet service provider260 according to methods that may be similar to those disclosed in reference toFIGS. 3A and 3B, with the exception that user profile information does not need to be transmitted from client system210. In particular, a selectedadvertisement278, which may be identified before the user requests any Internet resources from the remote server, may be inserted into retrieved information document byInternet browser256.
• As described in reference toFIG. 3B, selectedadvertisement278 can be inserted into the information document at a vacant field, or instead may replace an advertisement already included in information document. The information document with the selected advertisement embedded therein is then displayed to the user ondisplay device220 according to the methods disclosed herein. According to this embodiment, the advertisements are selected and inserted without transmitting any information relating to television viewing habits from client system210. Because the Internet service provider and the remote server do not have access to the television viewing habits of the user, the privacy of the user with respect to television habits is maintained.
• FIG. 4 is a flow chart depicting selected steps of the methods associated withFIGS. 3A-3C. In step410, the user views television programming, and the subject matter of the television programming is monitored at the client system. Instep412, the user profile, including information relating to the television viewing habits of the user, is compiled at the client system. The user requests an information document, such as a Web page, using an Internet browser at the client system as illustrated bystep414. Instep416, an advertisement determined to be appropriate based at least in part on the user profile is selected for insertion into the requested information document. The selected advertisement is then inserted instep418 into the information document.Steps416 and418 may be conducted at the remote server, the Internet service provider, or the client system as disclosed in reference toFIGS. 3A-3C. Finally, the requested information document, including a selected advertisement, is displayed to the user according tostep420.
• FIG. 5 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention, wherein any type of information may be selected and displayed to a user based at least in part on the television viewing habits of the user. For example, the information displayed to the user may be news, educational resources, advertising, entertainment, or any other desired type of information. In one implementation, the information retrieval system automatically provides and displays reference information relating to the content of the television programming viewed by the user. For example, the reference information may include reviews, information about the cast, and other items of interest to television viewers.
• According to the embodiment ofFIG. 5, atelevision programming source322 provides a television programming feed to displayscreen320 according to methods described in reference toFIGS. 3A-3C. Furthermore,television monitoring module352 detects the identity or content of the television programming viewed by the user and stores information relating thereto inprogramming information repository382. For example, the programming information may identify one or more topics associated with the television programming. In this embodiment,client system310 further includes a list ofinformation categories388, each being associated with information documents stored in adocument cache374 atremote server316. Acategory selection module384 compares the programming information with the information categories to select at least oneinformation category386 that corresponds to the television programming viewed by the user. The comparison of the programming information with theinformation categories388 may be facilitated by selection criteria similar to the advertisement selection criteria disclosed in reference toFIGS. 3A-3C. By way of example, and not by limitation, the selection criteria may provide that a selectedinformation category386 is identified by looking for a direct match between a keyword in the programming information and a keyword ininformation categories388.
• When selectedcategory386 is identified,Internet browser356 transmits a request toremote server316 viaInternet service provider360 for one or more information documents associated with the selected category. Document retrieval module326 then retrieves one or more information documents fromdocument cache374. These information documents are then downloaded toInternet browser356 and displayed ondisplay device320. According to one option, the information document may be displayed ondisplay device320 simultaneously with the television programming. For example, the information document may be overlaid on a selected region of thedisplay device320 or the display device may be divided into a split-screen arrangement. According to another option, the information documents are displayed ondisplay device320 only when the television programming feed to displaydevice320 is terminated or when the user affirmatively indicates that it is appropriate to display the information documents.
• Information categories388 may be further tailored or narrowed to correspond to the viewing habits of the particular user, periodically updated from a remote source such asremote server316, or selected by the user. For example, if it is noted that a user repeatedly views television programming related to sports, the information categories can be supplemented with subcategories relating to more narrow sports topics. One method of further tailoringinformation categories388 to correspond to frequently viewed topics involves using a user profile similar to those described in reference toFIGS. 3A-3C. For example, a user profile indicating that the user frequently views particular sporting events may be used to retrieve subcategories from a remote server, which then can supplement thestandard information categories388. Direct user input may also be used to select or further refineinformation categories388. This may be accomplished by providing a large list of information categories from which the user may pick and choose to identify the categories that are likely to be of most interest.
• According to this embodiment of the invention, retrieval of news, entertainment, educational resources, or other information documents based at least in part on the television viewing habits of the user can be conducted automatically, with no user assistance. Such techniques provide automatic access to information that is likely to be of use and of interest to the recipient.
• FIG. 6 illustrates one example of a television monitoring module that may be used with the various embodiments of the invention. In this example,television programming source22 broadcasts closed-captioninginformation90 in addition tostandard programming92. Closed-captioninginformation90 is routed to a closed-captionedmonitoring unit94, which detects keywords or otherwise determines the subject matter of thetelevision programming92 based on the closed-captioninginformation90.
• Additionally,television monitoring module52 accesses an electronic programming database (“EPD”)96 that includes written or encoded descriptions of the subject matter oftelevision programming92. Based on the information fromelectronic database96,EPD monitoring unit98 determines the subject matter ofprogramming92. Closed-captioning monitoring unit94 andEPD monitoring unit98update user profile54 with the identified subject matter of theprogramming92. For example,television monitoring module52 may have access to a plurality of programming categories similar toinformation categories388 ofFIG. 5. In this case,EPD monitoring unit98 and closed-captionedmonitoring unit94 identify one ormore programming categories100 that best correspond to the subject matter ofprogramming92 and cause these programming categories to be included inuser profile54. For illustration purposes,FIG. 6 showstelevision monitoring module52 as including a closedcaptioning monitoring unit94 and anEPD monitoring unit98, both of which are examples of means for monitoring the television programming viewed by the user. However, in many instances, only one of the foregoing monitoring units is sufficient to identify the content of the television programming. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to monitoring the content of television programming using closed captioning information or an electronic programming database, but may utilize other means for monitoring the television programming. It is also noted that either of the closedcaptioning monitoring unit94 or theEPD monitoring unit98 in combination withprogramming categories100 represent but one example of means for compiling a user profile.
• The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or other essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims (20)

1. A client system operating in an information retrieval system including a server computer and the client system, wherein the client system has access to television programming viewed by a user of the information retrieval system and wherein the client system comprises a display device and one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for inserting an advertisement into a document displayed on the display device, wherein the method comprises:

compiling a profile of the user of the information retrieval system at the client system, the profile including information corresponding to television programming viewed by the user, and wherein the user profile is updated every time the client views a television program;

requesting, by the client system, an information document from the server computer;

the client system selecting an advertisement from an advertisement repository for insertion into the information document based on the user profile, wherein the profile includes information related to only a most recently viewed television program, such that television programming viewed less recently than the most recently viewed television programming is not included in the profile for use in selecting the advertisement;

inserting data representing the selected advertisement into the information document; and

displaying the information document, including the selected advertisement, on the display device.

2. A client system as defined inclaim 1, wherein the information document is an HTML document.

3. A client system as defined inclaim 1, wherein the act of compiling the profile includes an act of including in the profile user information further characterizing the user, in addition to the television programming viewed by the user.

4. A client system as defined inclaim 1, wherein the information document includes reference information relating to the content of the television programming.

5. A client system as defined inclaim 1, wherein the act of requesting an information document is conducted without direct user assistance.

6. A client system as recited inclaim 1, wherein the act of compiling a profile includes an act of identifying closed captioning received from the television programming.

7. A client system as recited inclaim 1, wherein the selected advertisement replaces a preexisting advertisement included with the information document.

8. A client system as recited inclaim 1, wherein the selected advertisement is selected prior to requesting the information document.

9. A client system as recited inclaim 1, wherein the user profile is categorized according to topics of television programming.

10. A client system as recited inclaim 1, wherein information relating to the user profile is only retained in the user profile for only a predetermined period of time.

11. A remote server operating in an information retrieval system including the remote server, an ISP, and a client system having a display device, wherein the client system has access to television programming viewed by a user of the information retrieval system, the remote server comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for inserting an advertisement into a document displayed on the display device, the method comprising:

the remote server receiving a request from the client system for an information document from the remote server;

the remote server accessing a profile of a user from the client system, the profile including information associated with television programming viewed by the user, wherein the user profile is updated every time the client views a television program;

the remote server selecting an advertisement from an advertisement repository for insertion into the information document based on the user profile, wherein the profile includes information related to only a most recently viewed television program, such that television programming viewed less recently than the most recently viewed television programming is not included in the profile for use in selecting the advertisement;

inserting data representing the selected advertisement into the information document; and

transmitting the information document to the client system.

12. A remote server as recited inclaim 11, wherein communications between the remote server and the client system pass through an ISP.

13. A remote server as recited inclaim 11, wherein the client system displays the information document, including the selected advertisement, on the display device of the client system.

14. A remote server as recited inclaim 11, wherein the selected advertisement replaces a preexisting advertisement included with the information document.

15. An ISP operating in an information retrieval system including a remote server, the ISP, and a client system having a display device, wherein the client system has access to television programming viewed by a user of the information retrieval system, the ISP comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for inserting an advertisement into a document displayed on the display device, the method comprising:

the ISP receiving a request from the client system for an information document from the remote server;

the ISP obtaining the information document from the remote server;

the ISP accessing a profile of a user from the client system, the profile including information associated with television programming viewed by the user, wherein the user profile is updated every time the client views a television program;

the ISP selecting an advertisement from an advertisement repository for insertion into the information document based on the user profile, wherein the profile includes information related to only a most recently viewed television program, such that television programming viewed less recently than the most recently viewed television programming is not included in the profile for use in selecting the advertisement;

the ISP inserting data representing the selected advertisement into the information document; and

the ISP transmitting the information document to the client system.

16. An ISP as recited inclaim 15, wherein the ISP accesses and stores the profile prior to receiving the request for the information document.

17. An ISP as recited inclaim 15, wherein the selected advertisement replaces a preexisting advertisement included with the information document.

18. An ISP as recited inclaim 15, wherein user profile information is received by the ISP each time the client requests an information document, such that the user profile is updated prior to each request for an information document.

19. An ISP as recited inclaim 15, wherein user profile information is received by the ISP each time the client begins a new Internet session that is served by the ISP, such that the user profile is updated prior to each new Internet session between the client and the ISP.

20. An ISP as recited inclaim 15, wherein user profile information is received by the ISP on a daily basis, such that the user profile is updated prior to each new Internet session begun by the client with the ISP.

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