Abstract: A function intelligence engine receives input regarding application program content, including functions or capabilities of the application program that can be separately purchasable, and can further receive information regarding advertisements that can be displayed to users within the context of the application program. User-specific information is also received, including a user's current status and context within the application program, as well as a user's history, both within the application program, as well as in other application programs. Based on such information, the function intelligence engine determines and compares the probability of a user purchasing, versus the probability of the user consuming advertising, to acquire the separately purchasable function.

Abstract: Improved operation of a content presentation device is achieved by displaying, to a user, user-desired primary content on the physical display device. Content pod metadata can be received specifying a predefined duration of a content pod for displaying auxiliary content, different from primary content, within a break from the primary content for the predetermined duration. The content pod metadata also specifies a plurality of subdivision time slots of the content pod, each time slot for different auxiliary content. The auxiliary content can be displayed on the physical display device within a time slot of the content pod. User input can be received while displaying the auxiliary content on the physical display device, where the user input indicates user interest in the auxiliary content. The auxiliary content can then be adjusted based on the user interest in the auxiliary content.

Abstract: Automated content interruption point identification improves the accuracy with which potential content interruption points are identified, and increases the efficiency of content interruption point identification and content distribution. Potential interruption points are automatically identified based on transitions occurring within the content, including changes in the sound level, changes in the light, or brightness, level, changes in people visible in a scene of the content, transitions that are identified by content metadata, and other types of transitions. In providing content to a content consumer, a determination is made whether to interrupt the provision of the content, at one or more of the identified potential content interruption points, based on factors including interruption point metadata, metadata associated with auxiliary content that would be inserted, and user information, which includes explicitly specified user settings, as well as detected user information.

Abstract: Automated content interruption point identification improves the accuracy with which potential content interruption points are identified, and increases the efficiency of content interruption point identification and content distribution. Potential interruption points are automatically identified based on transitions occurring within the content, including changes in the sound level, changes in the light, or brightness, level, changes in people visible in a scene of the content, transitions that are identified by content metadata, and other types of transitions. In providing content to a content consumer, a determination is made whether to interrupt the provision of the content, at one or more of the identified potential content interruption points, based on factors including interruption point metadata, metadata associated with auxiliary content that would be inserted, and user information, which includes explicitly specified user settings, as well as detected user information.

Abstract: Improved operation of a content presentation device is achieved by displaying, to a user, user-desired primary content on the physical display device. Content pod metadata can be received specifying a predefined duration of a content pod for displaying auxiliary content, different from primary content, within a break from the primary content for the predetermined duration. The content pod metadata also specifies a plurality of subdivision time slots of the content pod, each time slot for different auxiliary content. The auxiliary content can be displayed on the physical display device within a time slot of the content pod. User input can be received while displaying the auxiliary content on the physical display device, where the user input indicates user interest in the auxiliary content. The auxiliary content can then be adjusted based on the user interest in the auxiliary content.

Abstract: A function intelligence engine receives input regarding application program content, including functions or capabilities of the application program that can be separately purchasable, and can further receive information regarding advertisements that can be displayed to users within the context of the application program. User-specific information is also received, including a user's current status and context within the application program, as well as a user's history, both within the application program, as well as in other application programs. Based on such information, the function intelligence engine determines and compares the probability of a user purchasing, versus the probability of the user consuming advertising, to acquire the separately purchasable function.

Abstract: Electronic program guide descriptions, of content referenced by the electronic program guide, are user-targeted based on user data. Such user-targeted electronic program guide descriptions aid users in identifying desirable content, thereby increasing user interaction performance with a content presentation device providing such user-targeted electronic program guide descriptions. To generate user-targeted electronic program guide descriptions, received electronic program guide information includes different, alternative or mutually exclusive, content descriptions of a given content item. Such electronic program guide information is compared with the user data and user-targeted content item descriptions is generated from the different content descriptions. A visual electronic program guide, including the user-targeted content item description, is displayed to a user on a physical display device.

Abstract: Improved operation of a content presentation device is achieved by one application, presenting content to users, automatically identifying an independent second application, available on the content presentation device, based on remotely-sourced information, and invoking that second application based on explicit or implicit user input. Bidirectional notifications are enabled between the two applications whereby activity within one application can affect the other. The first application displays an advertisement and can also, based on metadata received with the advertisement, identify the second application and invoke it, based upon explicit or implicit user action, such that both are simultaneously visible in separate content display areas on a physical display device. User interaction with the second application is independent of the display of the corresponding advertisement by the first application.

Abstract: A dynamic, personalized advertising avatar based on a user's own avatar used in an online service is used to provide branded advertising in a virtual context. A definition of a user avatar with user attributes is acquired, and custom attributes for a dynamic user-based avatar are received from an advertiser. Dynamically generated user-based avatars are created having at least a portion of user attributes of the user avatar and a portion of the custom attributes, so that the resulting custom avatar is recognizable to the user but represents a product brand or service. Information is then acquired regarding user activity on a device capable of displaying the dynamically generated user-based advertising avatar and advertisements generated based on the dynamically generated user-based advertising avatar and the targeting information. The advertisement is then rendered on the user device using the dynamically generated user-based advertising avatar.