Abstract: A system for generating viewership profiles to facilitate distributing promotions based on the profiles to one or more network devices, such as set top boxes. The system includes a promotion agent associated with each network device which collects viewing activity data of the network device. For example, the viewing activity data may include a channel the network device was tuned to, a time when the network device was tuned to the channel, and a time the network device was tuned away from the channel. The collected viewing activity data is then transmitted, for example, every twenty-four hours, to a life-cycle manager server, which also periodically receives a program schedule. The program schedule typically specifies the channel on which a particular program was displayed, as well as the time the program was shown. The life-cycle manager server correlates the viewing activity data with the program schedule to generate the viewership profile of the network device.

Abstract: Idle video-on-demand (VOD) and/or other streaming media channel capacity is used to deliver promotional content to selected set-top boxes (STBs) in a cable television network. Commercial segment cues are used to instruct a set-top box to switch away from a broadcast program to the streaming media channel during a commercial segment, and then switch back again to the original broadcast program at the end of the segment. More particularly, a promotion server determines an asset to be distributed such as a targeted promotion item (e.g., a commercial), and a list of STBs that are to receive it. The promotion server causes the video promotion content to be stored in VOD/streaming media servers located at the head ends. A scheduler process then delivers schedule messages to head end message servers which identify each promotion asset, and an STB which is to receive it.

Abstract: A system for generating viewership profiles to facilitate distributing promotions based on the profiles to one or more network devices, such as set top boxes. The system includes a promotion agent associated with each network device which collects viewing activity data of the network device. For example, the viewing activity data may include a channel the network device was tuned to, a time when the network device was tuned to the channel, and a time the network device was tuned away from the channel. The collected viewing activity data is then transmitted, for example, every twenty-four hours, to a life-cycle manager server, which also periodically receives a program schedule. The program schedule typically specifies the channel on which a particular program was displayed, as well as the time the program was shown. The life-cycle manager server correlates the viewing activity data with the program schedule to generate the viewership profile of the network device.

Abstract: Promotions may be targeted to one or more device groups. A promotion/device group set relation is maintained for each promotion indicating the device groups to which each promotion should be sent. A device group corresponds to a statistically categorized group of end node devices (e.g. set top boxes) based on demographics or viewership history. A device group may be further subcategorized to include one or more transmission groups corresponding to the physical characteristics of the end node devices (e.g. hardware, memory capacity). A promotion server creates a package containing the promotion for each transmission group of the device group. If a package for a particular transmission group is already created and has sufficient available space, the promotion is simply added to the package. Therefore, a package created for a transmission group may hold promotions intended for different device groups even though not all of the promotions are targeted for the same devices.

Abstract: Idle Video-On-Demand (VOD) channel capacity is used to deliver promotional content to selected set-top boxes (STBs) in a cable television network. Commercial segment cues are used to instruct a set-top box to switch away from a broadcast program to the VOD channel during a commercial segment, and then switch back again to the original broadcast program at the end of the segment. More particularly, a promotion server determines an asset to be distributed such as a targeted promotion item (e.g., a commercial), and a list of STBs that are to receive it. The promotion server causes the video promotion content to be stored in VOD servers located at the head ends. A scheduler process then delivers schedule messages to head end message servers which identify each promotion asset, and an STB which is to receive it. The head end message server notifies its associated VOD server which then cues the asset by loading the asset, starting the asset, but pausing it.

Abstract: Synchronization of bulk data transfers to end node devices in a multimedia network involves sending an initial schedule message prior to broadcast or multicast of a content file. The content file could be a promotion or other file that must be efficiently sent to a large number of end node devices, such as television set top boxes. The schedule message contains at least a data transmission time for the content file so that an end node device is aware of when to listen for the later bulk data transmission of the content file. The schedule message may contain other parameters such as promotion identification, message duration, frequency, multicast address and UDP port.

Abstract: Promotions may be targeted to one or more device groups. A promotion/device group set relation is maintained for each promotion indicating the device groups to which each promotion should be sent. A device group corresponds to a statistically categorized group of end node devices (e.g. set top boxes) based on demographics or viewership history. A device group may be further subcategorized to include one or more transmission groups corresponding to the physical characteristics of the end node devices (e.g. hardware, memory capacity). A promotion server creates a package containing the promotion for each transmission group of the device group. If a package for a particular transmission group is already created and has sufficient available space, the promotion is simply added to the package. Therefore, a package created for a transmission group may hold promotions intended for different device groups even though not all of the promotions are targeted for the same devices.

Abstract: A system for generating viewership profiles to facilitate distributing promotions based on the profiles to one or more network devices, such as set top boxes. The system includes a promotion agent associated with each network device which collects viewing activity data of the network device. For example, the viewing activity data may include a channel the network device was tuned to, a time when the network device was tuned to the channel, and a time the network device was tuned away from the channel. The collected viewing activity data is then transmitted, for example, every twenty-four hours, to a life-cycle manager server, which also periodically receives a program schedule. The program schedule typically specifies the channel on which a particular program was displayed, as well as the time the program was shown. The life-cycle manager server correlates the viewing activity data with the program schedule to generate the viewership profile of the network device.

Abstract: A system for reporting counted impressions in a network device. The system includes a data warehouse which collects event data pertaining to viewership history on the network device. Through a user interface, such as a web browser, a user can retrieve information about the counted impressions of the network device which displayed specific promotions. The event data may pertain, for example, to channel change events, channel surfing behavior of the viewer, time events, connections to peripherals, network locations of the network device, viewing behavior of the viewer, and subsequent event data after a promotion was displayed. A trigger may be embedded in the promotion such that when the promotion is displayed an impression is counted.

Abstract: Idle Video-On-Demand (VOD) channel capacity is used to deliver promotional content to selected set-top boxes (STBs) in a cable television network. Commercial segment cues are used to instruct a set-top box to switch away from a broadcast program to the VOD channel during a commercial segment, and then switch back again to the original broadcast program at the end of the segment.