(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2002/0166119 A1
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Nov. 7, 2002
`Cristofalo
`
`US 20020166119A1
`
`(54) SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING
`TARGETED PROGRAMMING OUTSIDE OF
`THE HOME
`
`(76) Inventor: MIchael Cristofalo, DoylestoWn, PA
`(Us)
`Correspondence Address:
`DORSEY & WHITNEY, LLP
`INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPARTMENT
`370 SEVENTEENTH STREET
`SUITE 4700
`DENVER, CO 80202-5647 (US)
`
`(21) Appl. No.:
`
`09/851,030
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`May 7, 2001
`
`Publication Classi?cation
`
`(51) Int. Cl.7 ........................... .. H04N 7/10; H04N 5/445
`
`(52) US. Cl. ............................... .. 725/34; 725/35; 725/46
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`Asystem and method for providing targeted programming to
`a user outside of the user’s home. The method of receiving
`at least one of a user identi?cation and a user pro?le,
`selecting a program based at least in part on the at least one
`of the user identi?cation and the user pro?le, and providing
`a program for presentation to a user outside of the user’s
`home is disclosed. A system including presentation device
`connected to a controller is also disclosed. The controller
`receives at least one of a user identi?cation and a user
`pro?le, obtains a program based at least in part on the at least
`one of the user identi?cation and the user pro?le and
`provides a program to a presentation device for presentation
`to a user outside of the user’s home.
`
`[12
`
`K14
`
`Retrieve User
`Identi?cation Information
`
`Retrieve User
`Pro?le
`
`Select Targeted
`Programming
`
`Present Targeted
`Programming To User
`
`Page 1 of 23
`
`OpenTV Exhibit 2001
`Apple v. OpenTV
`IPR2015-01031
`
`

`
`Patent Application Publication
`
`Nov. 7, 2002 Sheet 1 of 8
`
`US 2002/0166119 A1
`
`12
`Retrieve User K
`Identi?cation Information
`
`l4
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`Programming
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`Present Targeted K
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`
`FIGURE 1
`
`Page 2 of 23
`
`

`
`Patent Application Publication
`
`Nov. 7, 2002 Sheet 2 0f 8
`
`US 2002/0166119 A1
`
`7
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`
`Page 3 of 23
`
`

`
`Patent Application Publication
`
`Nov. 7, 2002 Sheet 3 0f 8
`
`US 2002/0166119 A1
`
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`Page 4 of 23
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`

`
`Patent Application Publication
`
`Nov. 7, 2002 Sheet 4 of 8
`
`US 2002/0166119 A1
`
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`
`Page 5 of 23
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`

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`Patent Application Publication
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`Nov. 7, 2002 Sheet 5 0f 8
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`US 2002/0166119 A1
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Nov. 7, 2002 Sheet 6 0f 8
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Nov. 7, 2002 Sheet 7 0f 8
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`US 2002/0166119 A1
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`Page 8 of 23
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`

`
`Patent Application Publication
`
`Nov. 7, 2002 Sheet 8 0f 8
`
`US 2002/0166119 A1
`
`Capture
`Information
`
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`Pro?le
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`
`Page 9 of 23
`
`

`
`US 2002/0166119 A1
`
`Nov. 7, 2002
`
`SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING
`TARGETED PROGRAMMING OUTSIDE OF THE
`HOME
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0001] This invention relates generally to providing pro
`gramming content to users outside of their homes. This
`invention further relates to the automated selection of pro
`gramming content based upon pro?les of individual users or
`classes of users.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`[0002] Targeted programming typically consists of pro
`viding programming to an individual user or group of users
`based upon pro?le information that has been collected about
`the individual user and/or group of users. For purposes of
`ef?ciency, “users” and “groups of users” are hereinafter
`collectively referred to as users, and the term “users” shall
`imply both the singular and/or plural context, as appropriate.
`Further, the terms “program” and “programming” are
`de?ned for the purposes of this application to include, but
`not be limited to, any type of content and/or information that
`may be communicated to a user, for eXample, advertising,
`entertainment, educational programming, informative pro
`gramming, television programming, radio programming,
`neWs programming, motion picture programming, video
`game programming, video programming, audio program
`ming, live programming, pre-recorded programming, sports
`programming, music programming, music video program
`ming, game shoW programming, non-commercial program
`ming and other formats. Additionally, advertising and pro
`gramming are used herein throughout and such terms are to
`be construed as being synonymous for purposes of the
`present invention and relate to providing content to users.
`[0003] User pro?le information may, for eXample, include
`geographic information, age, income level, profession, hob
`bies, and important dates to the user, such as birth dates and
`anniversaries, purchase histories, and other information. The
`user pro?le information can help a programmer direct a
`particular type of programming to users that may have a
`higher likelihood of responding to that particular type of
`programming. Advertisers, for eXample, often collect user
`pro?le information from various mailing lists to target direct
`mailing advertising campaigns to users in their homes.
`
`[0004] Advertisers, hoWever, generally do not have the
`same type of access to user pro?le information While pro
`viding advertising to users outside of their homes. Thus,
`advertising directed to users While they are outside of their
`home is generally not targeted to a single user, but is
`typically presented generically or randomly to all users Who
`are present at that time and location. Thus, a system and a
`method are needed that provide access to user pro?le
`information Which may be utiliZed to provide targeted
`programming to users at locations outside of a user’s home.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0005] This invention provides a system and a method for
`providing targeted programming to users While they are
`outside of their homes. In a preferred embodiment, such
`targeted programming can be provided at ?Xed locations,
`hoWever, Wireless and other mobile embodiments may also
`be utiliZed With the present invention. The system and
`
`method of the present invention utiliZe pro?le information
`for users to select programming for presentation to particular
`users. As mentioned previously, the programming content
`may, for eXample, include advertising, entertainment or a
`mixture of the tWo.
`
`[0006] In one embodiment, the present invention includes
`a system for presenting targeted programming to a user
`outside of the user’s home. The system includes a presen
`tation device and a hub. The presentation device receives a
`user identi?cation and/or user pro?le information and pro
`vides the identi?cation and/or user pro?le information to the
`hub. If user pro?le information is not already provided by
`the presentation device, the hub then obtains a user pro?le
`associated With the user identi?cation. The hub selects
`programming based, at least in part, on the received user
`pro?le (or another pro?le, for eXample, one based upon a
`geographic location), Which the presentation device then
`presents to the user.
`
`[0007] In an alternative embodiment, a system for pre
`senting targeted programming to a user outside of the user’s
`home includes a user identi?cation device, a controller and
`a presentation device. The user identi?cation device receives
`a user identi?cation. The controller obtains a user pro?le
`associated With the user identi?cation and selects program
`ming to present to the user based, at least in part, on the user
`pro?le. The presentation device presents the programming
`to the user.
`
`[0008] The present invention also includes a method for
`providing targeted programming to a user. This method
`includes receiving a user identi?cation associated With a
`user; retrieving a user pro?le associated With the user
`identi?cation; selecting programming based at least in part
`on the user pro?le; and presenting the programming to the
`user outside of the user’s home.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`[0009] The preferred and alternative embodiments of the
`invention Will be described in detail With reference to the
`folloWing ?gures, Wherein like numerals refer to like ele
`ments, and Wherein:
`
`[0010] FIG. 1 is a process How chart of one embodiment
`of a targeted programming method of the present invention;
`
`[0011] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a
`targeted programming system of the present invention;
`[0012] FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting another
`embodiment of the various components and their interaction
`utiliZed in an alternative embodiment of the present inven
`tive system and their interaction;
`[0013] FIG. 4 is a block diagram depicting yet another
`embodiment of the present invention and the interaction of
`the various components provided in a netWork transmission
`system environment;
`[0014] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an encoding and
`compression system for storing programming signals on
`storage servers;
`
`[0015] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a
`programming transmission system of the present invention;
`
`[0016] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a
`receiver component of the present invention; and
`
`Page 10 of 23
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`

`
`US 2002/0166119 A1
`
`Nov. 7, 2002
`
`[0017] FIG. 8 is a process How chart of one embodiment
`of a method of updating a user pro?le database of the present
`invention.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`
`[0018] FIG. 1 shoWs a preferred embodiment of a method
`for providing targeted programming. As discussed previ
`ously, programming content includes, but is not limited to,
`any type of content and/or information that may be com
`municated to a user, for example, advertising, entertainment,
`educational programming, informative programming, tele
`vision programming, radio programming, neWs program
`ming, motion picture programming, video game program
`ming, video programming, audio programming, live
`programming, prerecorded programming, sports program
`ming, music programming, music video programming,
`game shoW programming, non-commercial programming
`and other forms of programming. When a user is present at
`a reception site outside of his or her home, the system
`obtains user identi?cation information as shoWn in step 12.
`The user identi?cation information may be obtained from
`the user directly or indirectly and may include, for example,
`a credit card number, personal identi?cation number
`(“PIN”), account number, name, birth date, phone number,
`Zip code, city, county, state, country, region, social security
`number, driver’s license number, license plate number,
`vehicle identi?cation number, or other code that identi?es
`the user either individually or as a member of a group.
`Alternatively, information may be obtained from the recep
`tion site to identify a particular action of a user that may be
`used to select programming targeted to that user. For
`example, if the user is purchasing one item, the system may
`present advertising for another item that is complementary
`to the item being purchased.
`
`[0019] After the user identi?cation information has been
`obtained, user pro?le information is obtained in step 14. The
`user pro?le is preferably based upon the user identi?cation
`information obtained in step 12. The user pro?le may, for
`example, be retrieved from a database that includes infor
`mation about the user that may be useful in selecting
`programming to present to that user. A user pro?le, for
`example, may include information such as geographic infor
`mation, demographic information, addresses, profession,
`income level, age, sex, race, religion, nationality, economic
`status, birth dates of a user, friends and family members,
`other important dates such as anniversaries and other events,
`the year, make and model of a user’s vehicle(s), service
`records of a user’s vehicle(s), a history of purchases made by
`a user, and other information. It is to be appreciated that any
`information may be captured related to and/or provided by
`a user that can be utiliZed to create a user pro?le. The present
`invention is not linked to speci?c types or elements of
`information and may utiliZe any information in determining
`Which programs, if any, to target its users.
`
`[0020] Next, the user pro?le information retrieved from
`the database is used to select programming that is targeted
`to the user in step 16. For example, When the user pro?le
`information includes service records for the user’s vehicle,
`such information may be utiliZed to determine that the user’s
`vehicle is due for a manufacturer’s recommended service,
`and to select advertising for a special on that particular
`service or related service. In a preferred embodiment the
`
`determinations are preferably accomplished by the database
`or related system that processes user pro?le information.
`HoWever, the system of the present invention (as discussed
`beloW) may also be con?gured to perform such processing,
`as desired.
`
`[0021] The selected programming is then presented to the
`user in step 18. The programming, for example, may include
`video, audio, still frame pictures, graphics, textual informa
`tion, animations, multimedia, sloW frame video data, video
`stills, sequences of individual frames, virtual reality data,
`live data, pre-recorded data and/or computer generated data.
`The programming may, for example, include MPEG pro
`gramming ?les or other ?les formatted in similar industry
`standard video and audio compression schemes. The pro
`gramming may also be presented to the user via various
`mediums, such as by printing a coupon on a printer, playing
`an audio message over a speaker and/or shoWing video,
`graphic or text programming on a display screen.
`
`[0022] FIG. 2 shoWs a block diagram of one embodiment
`of a targeted programming system 20 of the present inven
`tion. The targeted programming system 20 preferably
`includes a user interface device 22, a presentation device 24,
`a controller 26, a memory 28, a storage device 30 and a user
`pro?le database 32. While this ?gure shoWs database 32 as
`part of the system 20, the system 20 may alternatively
`include a connection to a database that is external to the
`system 20, such as over a communications netWork. When
`a user is present at a presentation device 24, such as at a gas
`pump or an Automated Teller Machine (“ATM”), the user
`interface device 22 obtains user interface information. The
`user interface device 22 may, for example, obtain the user
`identi?cation information from the user by means of a user
`identi?cation device 48. The identi?cation device 48, for
`example, may be a Wireless transmitting device such as a
`passive transponder, a radio frequency or infrared device.
`
`[0023] One such Wireless transmitting device that may be
`used With the present invention is a passive integrated
`transponder device such as described in US. Pat. No.
`4,730,188 entitled “Identi?cation System” issued to Thomas
`A. Milheiser. It should be apparent, hoWever, that this is just
`one of many possible Wireless transmitting devices that may
`be used With the present invention to provide user identi?
`cation information.
`
`[0024] The user interface device 22, alternatively, may
`capture user identi?cation information from a user identi?
`cation device 48 such as a credit card number or other
`account number used in a transaction., For example, When a
`user purchases gas at a pump With a credit card or uses a
`debit card at an ATM, the user interface device 22 may
`capture the card number and/or PIN that Were used in the
`transaction in order to identify the user. In another embodi
`ment, the user interface device 22 may include a magnetic
`card reader such as the type used to read credit card
`information, a smart card reader, an optical reader, an optical
`scanner, a barcode scanner, a video camera that captures a
`license plate number, vehicle identi?cation number (“VIN)
`or other portion of the user’s vehicle, a device keyboard, a
`keypad, a touch screen, a voice activated control interface,
`or even a system that can identify the user based upon
`certain physiological traits such as a ?ngerprint, voice
`recognition, retina con?guration and other biometrics. Fur
`
`Page 11 of 23
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`

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`US 2002/0166119 A1
`
`Nov. 7, 2002
`
`ther, the user interface device 22 may be con?gured to
`determine a user’s identi?cation automatically or upon user
`input.
`[0025] The identi?cation information is transferred from
`the user interface device 22 to the controller 26. The
`controller 26 uses the identi?cation information to obtain a
`user pro?le from the user pro?le database 32, or, alterna
`tively, from a remote location external to the system, such as
`over a netWork. For example, the controller may obtain a
`user pro?le over an intranet, an extranet, a local area
`netWork (“LAN”), a Wide area netWork (“WAN”), or over
`the Internet. The controller then selects programming based,
`at least in part, upon information provided by the user
`pro?le. The programming may include, but is not limited to,
`video, audio, still frame pictures, graphics, and/or textual
`information. The controller 26 may obtain the desired pro
`gramming from the storage device 30, the memory 28, from
`other remote locations, and/or may generate the desired
`programming in real time.
`
`[0026] The controller 26 then transfers the selected pro
`gramming to the presentation device 24 for presentation to
`the user. The presentation device 24 may be, for example, a
`printer, a television including high de?nition television
`(“HDTV”) or other video screen Where the screen may
`comprise, for example, a tube, plasma, liquid crystal and
`other display systems, home theater system, a computer
`Workstation, a laptop computer, a personal computer, a
`speaker, an audio system, a radio or other audio playback
`device such as an MP3 player, a video game console, a
`gaming console, a set-top box, a telephony device, a tele
`phony ansWering device, a Wireless device such as a Wireless
`telephony device, an Internet-enabled telephone, a Web
`phone, a pager, a Web pad, a Web tablet, a personal digital
`assistant (“PDA”), a virtual reality system, a heads-up
`display, a tactile or sensory perceptible signal generator and
`any other device capable of presenting a programming
`signal to a user. The presentation device preferably includes
`input and output components necessary to receive and to
`present programming to a user.
`
`[0027] The presentation device 24 may be a stand-alone
`unit that provides the targeted programming directly to the
`user. Similarly, the presentation device 24 may be included
`in, utiliZed by, or hosted by another device, such as a display
`screen on a gas pump, or an ATM, Which functions as both
`a presentation device of the targeted programming of the
`present invention as Well as performs its regular functions.
`The presentation device 24 may include hardWare and
`softWare components that alloW users to connect their oWn
`user devices to the presentation device 24. The presentation
`device 24 may include, for example, a modem, serial or
`parallel port, radio frequency port, infrared port, or other
`communication device that alloWs a user to receive the
`programming directly into his or her oWn device such as a
`PDA, video game console, audio playback device (e.g., MP3
`player), radio (such as a car radio having built-in memory),
`a global positioning system (“GPS”), laptop computer or
`other device. When a data storage medium is included With
`such device, the programming may be stored and then
`vieWed or listened to immediately or at a later time or date.
`
`television system, or Global Positioning System (“GPS”)
`device, or other device capable of receiving Wireless signals.
`A Wireless telephone or personal digital assistant (“PDA”),
`for example, may contain user identi?cation information
`that may be used to obtain a user pro?le, Which may be used,
`in turn, to select targeted programming for that user. In some
`cases, the presentation device 24 may even include pro
`gramming segments stored in the memory of the device that
`may be used for targeted programming. In one embodiment,
`for example, the Wireless device may include a processor
`that performs the role of the controller 26 by selecting
`programming segments depending upon the user pro?le and
`presenting that programming on the Wireless device.
`
`[0029] An alternative embodiment of a targeted program
`ming system 100 of the present invention, Which includes
`remote access to programming, is shoWn in FIG. 3. The
`presentation device 108 collects user identi?cation and/or
`user pro?le information, such as through user input via a
`user interface device 122.
`
`[0030] User identi?cation and/or user pro?le information
`may be transmitted to the local hub 102 from the user
`interface device 122 via a communications link 104. In one
`embodiment, for example, the local hub 102 may use the
`identi?cation information provided by the user interface
`device 122 to obtain or access user pro?le information from
`a user pro?le database 132. The user pro?le database 132
`may be located at a local hub 102, at a reception site 110, or
`remote from the local hub 102 and reception site 110, but
`connected to one or both via a communications link or
`netWork. Alternatively, the user pro?le information may be
`obtained directly by the user interface device 122. For
`example, the user interface 122 may access the database 132
`and obtain the user pro?le information for use by the user
`interface and/or to transfer to the local hub 102. In this
`embodiment, the user interface device 122 may, for
`example, include a smart card reader or other interface
`device 122 that obtains user identi?cation information and/
`or user pro?le from a user identi?cation device 148, such as
`a smart card or other device carried by the user.
`
`[0031] The local hub 102, as shoWn in FIG. 3, provides
`programming to a user located at a reception site 110 outside
`of his or her home based upon user pro?le information for
`that user or for a group of users. Programming available for
`delivery to a user can be stored or generated at the local hub
`102 or at locations remote from the local hub 102, such as,
`but not limited to, a netWork broadcast center 138, a regional
`transmission center 140, a location accessible over netWork
`142, or at the reception site 110. The programming, for
`example, may be stored in one or more storage servers 214
`at the local hub 102. The storage servers 214 (see also FIGS.
`5 and 6) are preferably computer servers 134 that have a
`large data storage capacity and very fast ?le seek times for
`obtaining, storing, and retrieving programming. Storage
`servers 214 may alternately or additionally comprise pro
`gramming ?les stored on media such as digital video disk
`132, compact discs, CD-ROM discs, diskettes, ZIPTM disks
`and/or other disk formats or stored on media such as video
`tape, audio tape, memory cards, memory sticks and/or other
`storage mechanisms.
`
`[0028] The presentation device 24 may be located at a
`?xed location outside of a user’s home such as at a gas pump
`or an ATM, or may be mobile, such as a vehicle radio,
`
`[0032] Since the capacity of storage servers 214 at any
`given local hub 102 may be limited, programming that is of
`a particular relevance to users at a particular reception site
`
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`110 may also and/or alternatively be stored locally at that
`particular reception site 110, such as on a storage device 112.
`Storage device 112 may include any data storage device
`knoWn in the art such as the types described above With
`respect to storage server 214. The storage device may
`provide the stored programming back to the local hub 102
`for retransmission to one or more presentation devices 108,
`or may push the programming directly to one or more
`presentation devices 108. This may provide the oWner or
`operator of a particular reception site 110 the ability to
`design programming that is particularly applicable for users
`at that reception site 110. For example, an oWner/operator of
`a particular reception site may provide advertising for vari
`ous goods or services available for purchase, use, rental, and
`consumption at that particular site. Similarly, advertising for
`an affiliated business or other establishments may be pro
`vided. For example, a restaurant may provide advertising for
`a neighboring movie rental business While the customer is
`Waiting for his or her food to be prepared.
`
`[0033] The local hub 102 may also access programming
`?les from other local hubs, regional transmission centers
`140 or even to an original programming source such as a
`local or national broadcast center 138. If any of these
`broadcast or transmission center sources has the desired
`programming in their library, the programming can be
`transmitted to the local hub 102 or directly to the presenta
`tion device 108. The programming may, for example, be
`uplinked to satellite 136 and then doWnlinked to local hub
`102 for retransmission to the presentation device 108. Alter
`natively, the programming can be transmitted directly to the
`presentation device 108. For example, the programming
`may be transmitted to the presentation device 108 via
`netWork 142.
`
`[0034] Programming ?les for use in a targeted program
`ming presentation may be additionally or alternatively
`accessed by the local hub 102 over a netWork 142, such as
`an intranet, extranet, LAN, WAN, or the Internet, via a
`communications link 126. The local hub 102 can access
`programming ?les from a remote ?le server 130 preferably
`through any standard ?le transfer interface or protocol 128,
`for example a World Wide Web interface. Programming
`could be transferred over the netWork 142 to the local hub
`102 for transmission to the presentation device 108, or the
`programming could be pushed to the presentation device
`108 over the netWork 142 directly from the remote ?le server
`130 via link 124.
`
`[0035] Programming can be transmitted to the presenta
`tion device 108 from the local hub 102 over communications
`link 104. The communications link 104 may include, but is
`not limited to, any digital or analog transmission medium,
`system, or device capable of communicating programming
`signals to a presentation device including, but not limited to:
`Wireless transmission systems (for example, analog and
`digital television broadcasts, analog and digital radio broad
`casts, analog and digital Wireless communications netWorks,
`microWave systems, millimeter Wave systems, infrared sys
`tems, and satellite broadcast systems); Wire based transmis
`sion systems (for example, analog and digital cable systems,
`coaxial connections, ?ber optic links, telephone systems,
`closed circuit systems, very high speed Digital Subscriber
`Lines (VDSL), VGD, and any other Wired connection);
`stand-alone systems for providing pre-recorded programs
`(for example, programs provided on compact discs, digital
`
`versatile discs, video tape, PlayStation cartridges, memory
`sticks, magnetic storage mediums, optical storage mediums,
`data storage devices, Flash memory, random access memory
`(RAM), and read only memory (ROM)); and netWork con
`nections (for example, the Internet, private netWork, public
`netWork, Wireless netWork, Wired netWork, ATM netWorks,
`Wide area netWork, local area netWork), and intranet.
`[0036] Presentation device 108 may be, for example, a
`printer, a television including HDTV or other video screen
`Where the screen may comprise, for example, a tube, plasma,
`liquid crystal and other display systems, a personal com
`puter, a speaker, a radio or other audio playback device such
`as an MP3 player, a video game console, a telephony device,
`a telephony ansWering device, a Wireless device such as a
`Wireless telephony device, an Internet-enabled telephone, a
`Web pad, a Web tablet, a personal digital assistant (“PDA”),
`and any other device capable of presenting a programming
`signal to a user. As described above With respect to the
`presentation device 24 shoWn in FIG. 2, the presentation
`device 108 may be a stand-alone unit that provides the
`targeted programming directly to the user, may be included
`in, utiliZed by or hosted by another device, or may include
`hardWare and softWare components that alloW the user to
`connect their oWn device to the presentation device 108. The
`presentation device 108 may also be ?xed at a single
`reception site, or may be mobile such as through the use of
`Wireless technology. The local hub 102 may be located at a
`particular reception site 110, or may be located remotely
`from the reception site(s) such, as shoWn in FIG. 3. For
`example, a local hub 102 may be located at a gas station and
`may provide programming to individual presentation
`devices 108 located at each of the gas pumps over a Local
`Area NetWork (“LAN ”). The local hub 102 may also provide
`programming to one or more presentation devices 108
`located off the premises of the reception site that the local
`hub 102 is located. Alternatively, the local hub 102 may be
`located off the premises of any of the reception site(s) 110
`and may provide programming to one or more individual
`presentation devices 108 directly or may provide program
`ming to a netWork located at the reception site 110 for
`retransmission to one or more presentation devices 108
`located at the reception site 110. As such, it is to be
`appreciated that various other combinations of local hubs,
`regional hubs, remote hubs, reception sites and communi
`cation systems may be utiliZed by the present invention.
`
`[0037] FIG. 4 depicts an alternative targeted program
`ming system 150 that utiliZes a netWork based transmission
`system. The netWork 142 may include, for example, a
`netWork such as a LAN, a WAN, an intranet, an extranet, or
`the Internet. In this embodiment, the targeted programming
`system 150 is connected to the presentation devices 108 over
`the netWork 142, rather than via the local hub and commu
`nications link 104 such, as shoWn in FIG. 3. The local hub
`102 is connected to the netWork 142 and receives user
`identi?cation information from the presentation device 108
`via the netWork 142.
`
`[0038] The local hub 102 also transmits programming to
`the presentation devices 108 via an information transfer
`protocol, for example, by streaming the program segments.
`Throughout this application “streaming” (a.k.a., “stream of
`data” or “streaming media”) is de?ned in accordance With
`the de?nition provided by Webopedia (WWW.Webopedia
`.com) as “a technique for transferring data such that it can
`
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`. [such
`.
`be processed as a steady and continuous stream .
`that] a client browser or plug-in can start displaying the data
`before the entire ?le has been transmitted.” Examples of
`technologies capable of supporting “streaming” include, but
`are not limited to, Progressive NetWork’s RealAudio®, Real
`Networks Real Video®, Microsoft’s NetShoW®, and RTSP
`(Real Time Streaming Protocol). The present invention may