(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2003/0172376A1
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Sep. 11, 2003
`Coffin, III
`
`US 2003.0172376A1
`
`(54) USER CONTROLLED TARGETED
`ADVERTISEMENT PLACEMENT FOR
`RECEIVER MODULES
`
`(75) Inventor: Louis F. Coffin III, Mountain View,
`CA (US)
`Correspondence Address:
`RICK D. NYDEGGER
`WORKMAN, NYDEGGER & SEELEY
`1000 Eagle Gate Tower
`60 East South Temple
`Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (US)
`(73) Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
`(21) Appl. No.:
`10/096,022
`(22) Filed:
`Mar. 11, 2002
`Publication Classification
`
`(51) Int. Cl. ............................ G06F 17/60; H04N 7/16;
`HO4H 9/00
`
`(52) U.S. Cl. ................................. 725/22; 725/23; 705/14
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`Systems and methods for displaying broadcast programming
`and generating points for viewing advertising content
`selected by the viewer. The systems and methods store one
`or more viewer attributes unique to the viewer. These
`attributes define one or more categories of advertising
`content to be displayed to the viewer and the points earned
`from Viewing displayed advertising content. The viewer
`defines one or more categories of advertising to be displayed
`and the methods and Systems Select advertising content,
`either via a operator module delivering or the receiver
`module receiving the advertising content, having a category
`identifier matching the category Selected by the viewer. This
`advertising content is displayed to the viewer and the
`viewer's points are updated to reflect that the viewer
`watched all or a portion of the advertising content.
`
`
`
`OPERATOR
`MODULE
`
`RECEIVER
`MODULE
`
`DISH, Exh.1022, p.0001
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`

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`Patent Application Publication Sep. 11, 2003 Sheet 1 of 9
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`US 2003/0172376A1
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`DISH, Exh.1022, p.0002
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`Sep. 11, 2003 Sheet 2 of 9
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`DISH, Exh.1022, p.0003
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Sep. 11, 2003 Sheet 3 of 9
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Sep. 11, 2003 Sheet 4 of 9
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`US 2003/0172376A1
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`DISH, Exh.1022, p.0006
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`Patent Application Publication Sep. 11, 2003 Sheet 6 of 9
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`US 2003/0172376A1
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`Define Viewer
`Advertising Content
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`DISH, Exh.1022, p.0007
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Sep. 11, 2003 Sheet 7 of 9
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`US 2003/0172376A1
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`DISH, Exh.1022, p.0008
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`Patent Application Publication Sep. 11, 2003 Sheet 8 of 9
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`Patent Application Publication Sep. 11, 2003 Sheet 9 of 9
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`US 2003/0172376A1
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`Fig, 9
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`DISH, Exh.1022, p.0010
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`

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`US 2003/0172376 A1
`
`Sep. 11, 2003
`
`USER CONTROLLED TARGETED
`ADVERTISEMENT PLACEMENT FOR RECEIVER
`MODULES
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`0001) 1. The Field of the Invention
`0002 The present invention generally relates to provid
`ing advertising content to a viewer of a display device
`capable of displaying broadcast programming. More Spe
`cifically, the present invention broadly relates to enabling a
`Viewer to Select advertising content and obtain discounts or
`Subsidies based upon the particular advertising content
`viewed.
`0003 2. Background and Related Art
`0004 For numerous years, homes, offices, and other
`buildings have accessed television programming through
`airwave broadcasts, cable providers, Satellite transmission,
`and other communication channels. Television provides
`Viewers with a varied assortment of entertainment, news,
`and educational programming. From the first broadcasts to
`current television programming, viewers gather a wealth of
`knowledge while being entertained.
`0005. In addition to the above, televisions provide a
`medium through which individuals, businesses, political
`parties, or the like can Solicit individuals to purchase prod
`ucts or Services. Advertisements provide a viewer with
`information of the availability of new products, new pur
`chase rates, and other information specific to different prod
`ucts. Additionally, advertisements, whether Static banner
`advertisements displayed on an electronic program guide or
`Video advertisements typically displayed during a broadcast
`programming event, generate goodwill and product recog
`nition for the company's products or Services.
`0006 Providers of these advertisements desire to maxi
`mize revenue by enticing the viewer to purchase the product
`or services offered by the provider. While such advertising
`may Sometimes Seem botherSome to viewers, the presence
`of advertising often reduces the cost of the desired Services
`offered by the service provider. For example, many televi
`Sion channels are free, Since revenue from advertising alone
`is sufficient to provide the television channels. Other the
`other hand, Some premium channels present no advertise
`ments, but instead achieve adequate incentives for providing
`the channel by charging the viewers a periodic fee.
`0007 With recent advances in technology, however,
`Viewers can Select to "skip' advertisements that are dis
`played in association with conventional broadcast program
`ming. More Specifically, a viewer that identifies an adver
`tisement as being bothersome is able to “skip' the
`advertisement and continue to watch the associated broad
`cast programming event. This ability for viewers to "skip'
`advertisements may lead to a reduction in the cost-per
`timeslot that broadcast program providers are able to obtain
`from advertisers. Additionally, with Such advertisement slots
`becoming, potentially, leSS desirable and effective, advertis
`erS may choose to use other media to promote the products
`and Services.
`
`BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`0008 To overcome the existing problems associated with
`the current manners for delivering broadcast programming
`
`and advertising content to the Viewers or Subscribers of a
`cable or Satellite broadcast programming System, disclosed
`herein are Systems and methods for enabling a viewer to
`Select particular advertising content to be displayed to the
`Viewer based upon the viewer's personal interests. Further,
`to overcome the existing limitations associated with the
`costs associated with Subscribing to broadcast programming,
`disclosed herein are Systems and methods for enabling a
`Viewer to generate a “pool” of rewards that can be used to
`offset or eliminate the costs associated with Viewing pay
`per-view programming, Subscribing to premium channels,
`paying monthly activation fees, or the like. In this manner,
`Viewers are incentivized to watch displayed advertising
`content because Such advertising content is Selected by the
`viewer.
`0009. According to one embodiment of the present inven
`tion, the Systems and methods enable a viewer to Select one
`or more categories of advertising content to be displayed to
`the viewer. Consequently, the viewer defines which adver
`tising content the viewer wishes to view. By So doing, the
`available advertising content is filtered, either at the head
`end or receiver Side, to identify and Subsequently display to
`the viewer only advertising content that matches the catego
`ries of advertising content Selected by the viewer. In other
`embodiments of the present invention, the majority of the
`advertising content displayed to the viewer is related to one
`or more of the categories of advertising content Selected by
`the viewer, while the remaining displayed advertising con
`tent is selected by the cable or satellite provider.
`0010. As the viewer watches the advertising content,
`embodiments of the present invention optionally tracks the
`actions of the viewer. For example, illustrative methods and
`Systems of one embodiment of the present invention track
`whether the viewer skips or prematurely terminates dis
`played advertising content. Additionally, illustrative meth
`ods and Systems identify when the advertising content is
`completely displayed to the viewer. Further, the illustrative
`methods and Systems track when a viewer purchases goods
`or Services displayed in the advertising content. These
`tracked actions are translated into variations in the number
`or quantity of rewards that the viewer can earn from watch
`ing the displayed advertising content. Since the viewer
`obtains a personal benefit from generating a number or
`quantity of rewards from Viewing advertising content,
`whether selected by the viewer or included with the broad
`cast programming, the viewer is incentivized to view the
`displayed advertising content.
`0011. According to one illustrative embodiment, when
`the viewer completely watches an advertisement, the meth
`ods and Systems of the present invention update a Stored
`rewards earned attribute that defines the “pool” or number of
`rewards earned by the viewer. Consequently, the viewer
`gains one or more rewards for completely viewing the
`advertising content, i.e., one advertisement. Alternatively,
`the Stored rewards earned attribute can be updated based
`upon the number of minutes, Seconds, or the like of adver
`tising content watched by the viewer. For example, by
`watching thirty Seconds of advertising content, the viewer's
`rewards are increased by a number of rewards associated
`with Viewing thirty Seconds of advertising content.
`
`DISH, Exh.1022, p.0011
`
`

`

`US 2003/0172376 A1
`
`Sep. 11, 2003
`
`0012. In addition to the above, the viewer can earn
`rewards or increase the viewer's number of rewards or
`points, i.e., pool, by purchasing goods or Services associated
`with the displayed advertising content. Embodiments of the
`present invention enable the viewer to Select to purchase
`goods or Services displayed within the advertising content.
`Consequently, the Viewer can Select to purchase goods or
`Services as he/she watches the advertising content or fol
`lowing watching the advertising content. The purchase of
`Such goods or Services is translated into an associated
`number of rewards; thereby increasing the viewer’s “pool.”
`0013 Alternatively, the viewer can select to purchase
`goods or Services advertised through the advertising content
`and Subsequently receive the goods or Services upon going
`to a “brick and mortar' business. When the viewer selects to
`purchase a displayed good or Service, embodiments of the
`present invention display a purchase code for that good or
`service and optionally that viewer. Upon the viewer “physi
`cally purchasing the goods or Services at the “brick and
`mortar' business, he/she can present the purchase code to
`receive viewer Specific discounts or identify that the viewer
`is making the purchase Subsequent to Viewing advertising
`content related to the good or Service. Subsequently, the
`business can notify the cable or satellite provider of the
`purchase, thereby enabling the cable or Satellite provider to
`update the viewer's earned rewards. Again, the viewer of
`advertising content achieves a benefit from Watching the
`available advertising content through receiving the purchase
`code, resulting in the viewer being incentivized to view the
`displayed advertising content.
`0.014.
`Additional features and advantages of the inven
`tion 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 features and
`advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by
`means of the instruments and combinations particularly
`pointed out in the appended claims.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`0.015. In order to describe the manner in which the
`above-recited and other advantages and features of the
`invention can be obtained, a more particular description of
`the invention briefly described above will be rendered by
`reference to Specific embodiments thereof which are illus
`trated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these
`drawings depict only illustrative embodiments of the inven
`tion and are not therefore to be considered to be 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:
`0016 FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system of the
`present invention;.
`0017 FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic representation of an
`exemplary operator module of the present invention;
`0.018
`FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic representation of an
`exemplary embodiment of a receiver module of the System
`of FIG. 2;
`0.019
`FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic representation of one
`or more viewer accounts and Stored attributes within one or
`more of the viewer accounts Stored in the exemplary System
`of FIG. 2;
`
`0020 FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic representation of the
`Selections made by the viewer to define categories of adver
`tising content to be displayed to the viewer through use of
`the system of FIG. 2;
`0021
`FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram representation of
`an exemplary method to Select one or more categories of
`advertising content to be displayed to the viewer through use
`of the system of FIG. 2;
`0022 FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic representation of the
`manner by which advertising content associated with an
`advertising content category Selected by the viewer is Sub
`Stituted for advertising content associated with broadcast
`programming delivered through use of the System of FIG. 2;
`0023 FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic representation of the
`advertising content displayed to the viewer through use of
`the system of FIG. 2; and
`0024 FIG. 9 illustrates a flow diagram representation of
`the method by which broadcast programming and advertis
`ing content are displayed to the viewer through use of the
`system of FIG. 2.
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
`0025 The present invention enables viewers to select
`categories of advertising content to be displayed to the
`Viewer. The advertising content associated with the Selected
`categories is Substituted for general advertising content
`Scheduled to be displayed with the broadcast programming
`deliverable to the viewer. Consequently, embodiments of the
`present invention extend to systems and methods for Sub
`Stituting the advertising content displayed with broadcast
`programming with advertising content Selected by the
`Viewer. In this manner, the embodiments of the present
`invention incentivise the viewer to watch advertising con
`tent, with the knowledge that Such advertising content
`relates to the viewer's interests.
`0026. According to another aspect of the present inven
`tion, illustrative Systems and methods enable the viewer to
`generate a "pool” of rewards or points that offset or elimi
`nate the costs associated with Viewing pay-per-view pro
`gramming, Subscribing to premium channels, paying
`monthly activation fees, or the like. Each time the viewer
`completely or partially watches displayed advertising con
`tent, illustratively, the viewer earns rewards or points that
`can be redeemed for viewer Specific discounts, Subsidies, or
`the like. Therefore, the viewer obtains a benefit from watch
`ing advertising content presented to the viewer during a
`break in the displayed programming. Through providing
`rewards to the viewer, the viewer is incentivized to view the
`advertising content rather than skipping or fast forwarding
`SOOF through the displayed advertising content, Such as is
`possible in digital video recorder (DVR) or personal video
`recorder (PVR) environments.
`0027 According to another aspect of the present inven
`tion, illustrative Systems and methods are provided to enable
`a viewer to elect to purchase products and/or Services
`advertised through the advertising content Selected by the
`Viewer. By purchasing the products or Services advertised by
`the advertising content, a viewer can generate a "pool” of
`earned rewards or points that can be used to offset the costs
`asSociated with watching broadcast programming, watching
`pay-per-view movies or events, or the like. Further, a viewer
`can access Special offers available to those viewers that
`purchase products or Services during or following the dis
`play of related advertising content Selected by the viewer.
`
`DISH, Exh.1022, p.0012
`
`

`

`US 2003/0172376 A1
`
`Sep. 11, 2003
`
`0028 Again, the viewer is incentivized to view broadcast
`programming, watch advertising content Selected Specifi
`cally by the viewer, and purchase products and Services
`related to Such advertising content. Consequently, the viewer
`is incentivized to participate to a greater degree with broad
`cast programming and advertising content, while the incli
`nation of the viewer to skip or fast forward displayed
`advertising content, such as in a DVR or PVR environment,
`is reduced. Therefore, the effectiveness of advertising con
`tent is increased and the revenue per advertising content
`time slot available to a broadcast programming provider can
`be increased.
`0029. For purposes of this description and in the claims,
`the term “programming” includes the Viewable portions of
`moving image data and its associated Sound data, deliver
`able from a single channel Source or from a multi-channel
`Source. Similarly, the term "advertising content includes
`both the viewable portions of moving image data and its
`asSociated Sound data, whether delivered from a single
`channel Source or a multi-channel Source.
`0030) Referring now to FIG. 1, depicted is a schematic
`representation of one illustrative System of the present
`invention. The illustrative configuration will be described in
`the environment of a Satellite System where broadcast pro
`gramming, including advertising content, is delivered
`between terrestrial Stations via an intermediate celestial
`Station, i.e., a Satellite. Although reference is made to
`individual terrestrial and celestial Stations, one skilled in the
`art can understand that alternate Systems can utilize one or
`more terrestrial and celestial Stations.
`0031. As shown, system 10 includes an operator module
`12 that communicates with a receiver module 16 via a
`satellite 14. The operator module 12 can retrieve or receive
`the broadcast programming and/or advertising content from
`one or more other Stations associated with international,
`national, or local broadcast programming and advertising
`content providers, such as but not limited to, NBC, ABC,
`CBS, FOX, or the like (termed individually as a “Network”
`and collectively as the “Networks”). The operator module 12
`Stores the broadcast programming and advertising content
`for delivery to receiver module 16 and subsequent display to
`a viewer.
`0.032 The broadcast programming and advertising con
`tent can be Stored in a variety of forms within operator
`module 12. In one configuration, operator module 12 Stores
`the broadcast programming and advertising content on Sepa
`rate Storage media. For instance, the advertising content can
`be Stored on one Storage medium as an advertising content
`carousel that delivers requested advertising content “on
`demand” from internal modules of operator module 12 or
`based upon display times of the advertising content, while
`the broadcast programming is Stored as indexed files on
`another Storage medium. In another configuration, the adver
`tising content is Stored as an indexed list of advertising
`content, where indexing is based upon one or more attributes
`of the advertising content. For instance, an attribute may be
`a category type of the advertising content, i.e., advertising
`for viewers meeting Specific demographic indicatorS Such as
`age, gender, geographic location, educational level, income
`level, etc, entertainment related advertising content, travel
`related advertising content, purchasable goods or Services
`related advertising content, or the like.
`
`0033. In another configuration, operator module 12 stores
`the broadcast programming and advertising content in a
`Single Storage medium as two separately indexed lists of
`files or data, whether or not Such indexed lists are croSS
`linked. In Still another configuration, operator module 12
`Stores the broadcast programming and advertising content in
`a single indexed list of files.
`0034.
`In other embodiments or configurations of the
`present invention, broadcast programming and/or advertis
`ing content can be Stored in calendar period groupings,
`where advertising content and/or broadcast programming to
`be displayed during the same day, week, month, etc are
`indexed together. Generally, therefore, broadcast program
`ming and advertising content can be Stored in any manner
`known to one skilled in the art, and in any format known to
`one skilled in the art, So long as the broadcast programming
`and advertising content are accessible for delivery to
`receiver module 16. For instance, the broadcast program
`ming and/or the advertising content can be in a Windows
`Media Player format, a compressed MPEG format, or the
`like.
`0035 Various types of storage media can be used to store
`the broadcast programming and advertising content, whether
`Separately or collectively. The Storage medium is one struc
`ture capable of performing the function of a computer
`readable medium for carrying or having computer-execut
`able instructions or data Structures Stored thereon. This
`computer-readable medium can be any available media that
`can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose
`computer. By way of example, and not limitation, Such
`computer-readable media can include physical Storage
`media Such as RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other
`optical disk Storage, magnetic disk Storage or other magnetic
`Storage devices, modular or fixed memory, or any other
`medium that can be used to carry or Store desired program
`code means in the form of computer-executable instructions
`or data Structures and that can be accessed by a general
`purpose or special purpose computer.
`0036). In addition to storing the broadcast programming
`and the advertising content, operator module 12 can Store
`data indicative of when the advertising content is to be
`displayed with the broadcast programming. For instance,
`operator module 12 can include an advertising content table
`populated with information specific to the available adver
`tising content, Such as advertising content title, display
`duration of the advertising content, display time of the
`advertising content, reward points earned from Viewing the
`advertising content, associated broadcast programming, if
`any, or the like. This information can be delivered to receiver
`module 16 from operator module 12.
`0037 Instead of using a table to store the advertising
`content information, a database having a hierarchal, rela
`tional, flat, or other database Structure can Store the infor
`mation. In this case, the information is populated into a file
`that is deliverable to receiver module 16.
`0038. In addition to storing broadcast programming and
`advertising content, operator module 12 can Store informa
`tion about each viewer that utilizes receiver module 16 to
`View the broadcast programming and advertising content.
`For example, operator module 12 can Store information or
`data about viewer accounts, viewing preferences, advertis
`
`DISH, Exh.1022, p.0013
`
`

`

`US 2003/0172376 A1
`
`Sep. 11, 2003
`
`ing content viewed, purchases made based upon advertising
`content watched, rewards or points earned, purchase codes,
`or the like.
`0.039
`This information can also be stored in an accessible
`database having hierarchal, relational, flat, or other database
`Structure. Such database can utilize various types of Storage
`media, Such as but not limited to, the types of Storage media
`described herein. Greater information about operator mod
`ule 12 will be described hereinafter.
`0040. In communication with operator module 12 is
`receiver module 16. Receiver module 16 can receive broad
`cast programming and advertising content via Satellite 14.
`Although reference is made to communication or delivery of
`broadcast programming and advertising content to receiver
`module Via Satellite 14, it can be understood that operator
`module 12 can deliver broadcast programming and adver
`tising content via a number of different communication
`connections. For example, operator module 12 can deliver
`broadcast programming and advertising content via a cable
`System, a wireleSS System, or broadcast airways, a combi
`nations thereof, or the like.
`0041
`Receiver module 16 is configured to receive and
`Store advertising content and present advertising content to
`the viewer in accordance with Selections of a viewer utiliz
`ing receiver module 16. The receiver module 16 enables a
`Viewer to Select specific advertising content and/or one or
`more categories of advertising content to watch during the
`breaks in the displayed broadcast programming. For
`instance, in a typical System, an operator of operator module
`12 defines which advertising content to display with which
`broadcasting programming. In embodiments of the present
`invention, however, the viewer can Select which advertising
`content to view. More specifically, receiver module 16
`provides a viewer with a graphical user interface through
`which the viewer can Select the advertising content to be
`displayed to the viewer. This process of Selecting advertising
`content to view can occur when the viewer Selects a button
`of an input device, Such as a remote control, in response to
`a prompt presented to the user on a display device. Alter
`natively, the process of Selecting advertising content can
`occur upon Selecting one of a number of menus accessible
`through use of the input device, Separate from receiving a
`prompt to Select viewable advertising content.
`0042. The selected advertising content, whether defined
`individual advertising content or categories of advertising
`content, can be displayed when the viewer accesses an
`electronic program guide (EPG), when the viewer initiates
`an interactive experience, during the commercial break in
`the display broadcast programming, or the like. The infor
`mation defining the viewer's advertising content preferences
`can be stored at the receiver module 16 to facilitate identi
`fication of the desired advertising content from the available
`advertising content and also maintaining the privacy of the
`Viewer's preferences.
`0043. In addition to selecting the type of advertising
`content to be displayed to a particular viewer, embodiments
`of receiver module 16 enable the viewer to select when to
`watch advertising content and/or broadcast programming.
`For example, receiver module 16 allows a viewer to select
`to watch advertising content, Substitute displayed advertis
`ing content with advertising content Selected by the viewer,
`or the like. Illustratively, the viewer can use an input device
`
`to Select to "skip' displayed advertising content, resulting in
`receiver module 16 retrieving advertising content Stored at
`receiver module 16 and displaying the same to the viewer
`through an appropriate display device.
`0044 Alternatively, embodiments of the present inven
`tion can be embodied in a receiver module that utilizes DVR
`or PVR technologies as known to those skilled in the art.
`Therefore, a viewer can utilize the DVR or PVR technolo
`gies to Skip or fast forward past displayed advertising
`content and/or programming and Subsequently watch viewer
`Specific advertising content or broadcast programming.
`0045. In addition to enabling the viewer to select the
`advertising content he/she wishes to watch and/or skip,
`receiver module 16 is configured to track the viewer's
`actions as he/she watches the advertising content, Skips the
`advertising content, fast forwards the advertising content, or
`the like. The receiver module 16, based upon tracking Such
`actions, retrieves Stored advertising content Selected by the
`Viewer, whether Such advertising content is Selected by the
`Viewer through a category Selection, through the viewer
`Selecting the Specific advertising content upon the viewer
`Selecting to Skip or fast forward past the displayed adver
`tising content, combinations thereof, or the like.
`0046 Additionally, receiver module 16 can forward data
`indicative of the viewer's actions to operator module 12 to
`enable operator module 12 to store information about the
`actions of the viewer, thereby allowing operator module 12
`to deliver more specific advertising content to receiver
`module 16 for the specific viewer. The communication
`between receiver module 16 and operator module 12 can be
`achieved via a terrestrial communication link, Such as a plain
`old telephone system (POTS). Alternatively, receiver mod
`ule 16 can deliver Such data via a cable connection, a
`wireleSS connection, an asymmetric digital Subscriber line
`(ADSL) connection, Integrated Services Digital Network
`(ISDN), Ethernet, or similar other connections known to
`those skilled in the art.
`0047 AS receiver module 16 tracks the actions of the
`viewer, receiver module 16 identifies a number of rewards or
`points generated by the viewer, i.e., the “pool” of rewards or
`points generated by the viewer for watching the advertising
`content, skipping the advertising content, fast forwarding
`past the advertising content, or the like. AS mentioned above,
`these rewards or points can be used to discount or Subsidies
`for those costs or fees associated with leasing the hardware
`and/or Software associated with receiver module 16 and/or
`watching particular fee-based programming.
`0048 Although reference is made herein to use of
`embodiments of the present invention with DVR and/or
`PVR devices and technologies, one skilled in the art can
`appreciate that other Systems and devices can benefit from
`the teaching of the present invention. For instance, embodi
`ments of the present invention can utilize any type of
`receiver module 16 that can Store advertising content or
`access a Store of advertising content, whether or not Such
`receiver module includes the functionality of a DVR or PVR
`engine or technology.
`0049 Generally, system 10 can have various configura
`tions So long as operator module 12 can communicate with
`receiver module 16 and operator module can deliver broad
`cast programming and advertisement content to receiver
`module 16.
`
`DISH, Exh.1022, p.0014
`
`

`

`US 2003/0172376 A1
`
`Sep. 11, 2003
`
`0050. One skilled in the art can identify various other
`configurations of system 10 to meet the above-defined
`functional requirements of System 10. For example, and not
`by way of limitation, system 10 can be a cable system where
`broadcast programming from operator module 12 is deliv
`ered directly to receiver module 16 via cable lines, whether
`Such cable lines include typical conductor wire, wireleSS
`communication lines, optical fibers, combinations thereof,
`or the like. Additionally, alternate Systems can allow bidi
`rectional communication between operator module 12 and
`receiver module 16 to enable delivery of viewer preferences
`and data indicative of viewer actions to be delivered to
`operator module 12. In this manner, operator module 12 can
`analyze the viewer's preferences and actions to provide
`additional Services, advertising content, or the like Specific
`to the viewer. The communication between receiver module
`16 and operator 12 can be achieved through one or more of
`the communi