Abstract: Providing refreshed advertisements to subscriber equipment 210, such as a set-top box. A “client” application runs on the subscriber equipment 210 and includes a queue 404 for storing targeted advertisements, a processor 402 for monitoring the display of each advertisement to the subscriber, a counter 410 for counting each display, and a trigger circuit 406 for initiating an advertisement download each time it is determined that the queue of advertisements stored at the client application has reached a low-level threshold. An advertisement management system 202 provides advertisements to the client application. These advertisements may be network-based advertisements or may be targeted to each individual subscriber, based on a subscriber profile that is provided by a subscriber characterization system 204.

Abstract: A subscriber selected ad display and scheduling system which allows subscribers to request any one of a plurality of advertisements they wish to view from a library of advertisements stored at the set-top box. Generally, the set-top box stores a plurality of advertisements that have been targeted to the subscriber. Two different embodiments are provided. In one embodiment, the subscriber may view different available advertisements via an advertisement guide, and select one or more advertisements wherein upon selection, the contents of the selected advertisements are immediately displayed at the subscriber display. Alternatively, the subscriber may select one or more advertisements from a list of advertisements with the help of an advertisement guide. In this embodiment, the selected advertisements are scheduled for displays, i.e., as soon as the next avail (advertisement opportunity) is identified, the next selected advertisement is inserted in the avail.

Abstract: Providing refreshed advertisements to subscriber equipment 210, such as a set-top box. A “client” application runs on the subscriber equipment 210 and includes a queue 404 for storing targeted advertisements, a processor 402 for monitoring the display of each advertisement to the subscriber, a counter 410 for counting each display, and a trigger circuit 406 for initiating an advertisement download each time it is determined that the queue of advertisements stored at the client application has reached a low-level threshold. An advertisement management system 202 provides advertisements to the client application. These advertisements may be network-based advertisements or may be targeted to each individual subscriber, based on a subscriber profile that is provided by a subscriber characterization system 204.

Abstract: Monitoring a subscriber's 120 viewing activities and creating a subscriber characterization. The subscriber characterization is then used to create the subscriber's preferred categories of programming, and to configure the display of an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) 140 or other suitable guide system in accordance with the subscriber characterizations. The EPG 140 includes one or more specifically preferred categories that indicate what the subscriber 120 is interested in, e.g., the highly watched programming, etc., as well as what may be of interest to the subscriber 120 based on his/her subscriber characterizations. Generally, the EPG 140 presents the preferred programming/category at the top of the EPG guide providing easy access to the subscriber's favorites. Thus, the EPG screen transmitted to the subscriber is a customized screen based on subscriber characteristics.