Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ELECTRONIC BOOK SELECTION AND DELIVERY SYSTEM WITH
TARGETED ADVERTISING
Related Applications
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application Serial No.
08/336,247
entitled ELECTRONIC BOOK SELECTION AND DELIVERY SYSTEM, filed November
7, 1994; U.S. Application Serial No. 08/160,194 entitled ADVANCED SET-TOP
TERMINAL FOR CABLE TELEVISION DELIVERY SYSTEMS, filed December 2,1993;
U.S. Application Serial No. 08/906,469 entitled REPROGRAMMABLE TERMINAL FOR
SUGGESTING PROGRAMS OFFERED ON A TELEVISION PROGRAM DELIVERY
SYSTEM, filed August 5, 1997; U.S. Application Serial No. 08/735,552, entitled
NETWORK CONTROLLER FOR CABLE TELEVISION DELIVERY SYSTEMS, filed
October 23, 1996; U.S. Application Serial No. 08/355,549 entitled NETWORK
CONTROLLER FOR CABLE TELEVISION DELIVERY SYSTEMS, filed October 23,
1996; U.S. Application Serial No. 09/054,419 entitled TARGETED ADVERTISEMENT
USING TELEVISION DELIVERY SYSTEM, filed April 3,1998; U.S. Application Serial
No. 09/237,828 entitled ELECTRONIC BOOK ELECTRONIC LINKS, filed January 27,
1999; U.S. Application Serial No. 09/289,957 entitled ELECTRONIC BOOK
ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY SYSTEMS, filed April 13,1999; and U.S. Application Serial
No. 09/289,956 entitled ELECTRONIC BOOK ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY METHODS,
filed April 13, 1999. These applications are incorporated by reference herein.
Background Art
Sparked by the concept of an information superhighway, a revolution will take
place
in the distribution of books. Not since the introduction of Gutenberg's
movable typeset printing
has the world stood on the brink of such a revolution in the distribution of
text material. The
definition of the word "book" will change drastically in the near future. Due
to reasons such as
security, convenience, cost, and other technical problems, book and magazine
publishers are
currently only able to distribute their products in paper form. Advertising,
which is critical in
supporting the costs of developing and distributing content, can currently be
addressed to the
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mass marketplace. Advertisers want to optimize their advertising expenditures
by ensuring that
specific advertisements are directed to the appropriate reading audiences.
Specifically,
advertisers want specific advertisements to be presented in written material
that is being viewed
by those individuals most likely to be influenced to buy the advertised
product, or otherwise
respond in a desired fashion to the advertisement. This invention solves the
problems
encountered by publishers and advertisers.
Technical Field and Brief Summary of Invention
This invention is directed to an electronic book. More specifically, the
invention is an
electronic book system that supports advertisements that can be targeted to a
subscriber based
on the subscriber's characteristics.
The electronic book selection and delivery system is a new way to distribute
books to
bookstores, public libraries, schools and subscribers. The technological
breakthroughs of this
invention provide a secure electronic system for both delivering selected
books and associated
advertising. The system has an unusual combination of features that provide
the subscriber with
1 S a daily use household appliance that has a high tech aura while being very
practical, portable,
and easy to use.
The clear advantage of the system is that it eliminates the distribution of
any physical
object such as a paper book or computer memory device from any book or text
distribution
system. The purchase of an electronic book becomes a PAY-PER-READTM event
avoiding
the overhead, "middle-men," printing costs, and time delay associated with the
current book
distribution system. Published material and text such as the President's
speech, a new law, a
court decision on abortion, or O.J. Simpson's testimony can be made
immediately available
to the subscriber at a nominal fee. Additionally, advertisements can be
associated with
electronic books that are targeted directly to the subscriber's likes and can
be updated to be
kept fresh and current. Alternately, electronic books may be distributed as
data files on a
memory card, such as a PCMCIA card, for example.
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The system is a novel combination of new technology involving the television,
cable,
telephone, and computer industries. It utilizes high bandwidth data
transmissions, strong
security measures, sophisticated digital switching, high-resolution visual
displays, novel controls,
and user friendly interface software.
The primary components of the text delivery system are the subsystem for
delivery and
the subsystem for receiving and selecting text that was delivered. An
embodiment of the system
includes additional components and optional features that enhance the system.
The system may
be configured for use by bookstores, public libraries, schools and
subscribers. The system for
subscriber use is made up of four subsystems, namely: ( 1 ) an operations
center, (2) a
distribution system, (3) a home system including reception, selection,
viewing, transacting and
transmission capabilities, and (4) a billing and collection system.
Alternative configurations of
the system are defined to allow for a variety of traditional and non-
traditional delivery methods.
The operations center performs several primary functions: manipulating text
data
(including receiving, formatting and storing of text data), security encoding
of text, cataloging
of electronic books, providing a messaging center capability, and performing
uplink functions.
In one embodiment, the system delivers the text from the operations center to
subscriber homes
by inserting text data within analog video signals. The insertion of text is
generally performed
with an encoder at an uplink site that is within or near the operations
center. The system can
use several lines of the Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI), all the lines of
the analog video signal,
a digital video signal or unused portions of bandwidth to transmit text data.
Using the VBI
delivery method, the top ten or twenty book titles may be transmitted with
video during normal
programming utilizing existing cable or broadcast transmission capability
without disnzption to
the subscriber's video reception. Using the entire video signal, thousands of
electronic books
may be transmitted within just one hour of airtime. Nearly any analog or
digital video or data
distribution system may be used to deliver the text data. The text data may
also be transmitted
over other low and high speed signal paths including a telephone network
(e.g., a public
switched telephone network) having a high speed connection such as an
asynchronous digital
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subscriber line (ADSL) connection. The operations center also provides the
processing
necessary to create, assign, and deliver advertisements along with and in
addition to electronic
books, and allows for the collection and interpretation data collected from
subscribers to
measure and optimize advertisement placement.
The home system performs four primary functions: connecting to the
distribution
system, selecting text, storing text, and transacting through a phone, a cable
or other
communicating mechanism. The components of the home system may be configured
in a
variety of hardware configurations. Each function may be performed by a
separate component,
the components may be integrated, or the capability of existing cable set top
terminal boxes,
televisions and personal computers may be utilized. A connector, a library and
a viewer may
be used. In one embodiment, the connector portion of the home system receives
the analog
video signal and strips or extracts the text from the video. The library
stores the text signal,
provides a user friendly software interface to the system and processes the
transactions at the
subscriber's home. The viewer provides a screen for viewing text or menus and
novel user
friendly controls. Alternative embodiments allow for the delivery of text
using a variety of
communication methods.
The viewing device may be a portable book-shaped viewer that stores one or
more
electronic books for viewing and provides a screen for interacting with the
library. A high
resolution LCD display is used to both read the electronic books and to
interact with the home
library software. An optional phone connector or return-path cable connection
initiates the
telephone calls and, with the aid of the library, transmits the necessary data
to complete the
ordering and billing portion of the subscriber transaction or collection of
subscriber data,
electronic books read data, and advertisement viewing data. The user-friendly
controls include
a bookmark, current electronic book and page turn button. The billing and
collection system
performs transaction management, authorizations, collections and publisher
payments
automatically, utilizing the telephone system or alternative communication
methods.
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A system similar to the system for subscriber use may be used in bookstores,
schools
and public libraries.
Brief Description of Drawings
Figure 1 is a block diagram of the primary components of the electronic book
selection
5 and delivery system.
Figure 2 is a schematic showing an overview of the electronic book selection
and
delivery system.
Figure 3a is a schematic of the delivery plan for the electronic book
selection and
delivery system.
Figure 3b is a schematic of an alternate delivery plan.
Figure 4 is a block diagram of the operations center.
Figure Sa is a flow diagram of the processing at the operations center and
uplink.
Figure Sb is a block diagram of the hardware configuration for an uplink site.
Figure 6a is a block diagram of the hardware configuration for a four
component home
system.
Figure 6b is a schematic of a two unit home system.
Figure 7 is a flow diagram of the processes performed by the video connector.
Figure 8 is a block diagram for an example of a library unit.
Figure 9 is a flow diagram of some of the processes performed by the library
on the
received data stream.
Figure 10 is a flow diagram of the processes performed by the library unit on
information requests from the viewer.
Figure 11 is a block diagram showing the components for an example of a
viewer.
Figure 12 is a flow diagram of some of the processes performed by the viewer
on an
information request from a subscriber.
Figure 13 is a chart depicting the menu structure and sequencing of menus in
the menu
system.
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Figure 14a is a schematic of an introductory menu.
Figure 14b is a schematic showing an example of a main menu.
Figures 14c, 14d,14e, 14f, 14g, 14h, 14i and 14j are schematics showing
examples
of submenus.
Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of an electronic book system for a bookstore
or
public library.
Figure 16a and Figure 16b are schematics of hardware modifications or upgrades
to
a set top terminal.
Figure 17 is a schematic showing a set top terminal that includes a data
receiver and
data transmitter.
Figure 18a is a schematic of an electronic book-on-demand system.
Figure 18b is a schematic of an operations center supporting an electronic
book-on-
demand system.
Figure 19a is a depiction of a full page ad.
Figure 19b is a depiction of a banner-type ad.
Figure 19c shows advertisement links in an electronic book.
Figure 20 is a schematic showing the on-demand targeted advertising delivery
system.
Figure 21 is a schematic showing the broadcast targeted advertising delivery
system.
Figure 22 is a diagram of a configuration set-up system.
Figure 23 is a diagram of the ad selection system.
Figure 24 is the software flow chart for the Alternate Advertisement Targeting
routine.
Figure 25 is the subroutine flow chart for processing electronic books read
matrices
through correlation algorithms.
Figure 26 is the subroutine flow chart for determining final groupings of home
systems.
Figure 27 is a diagram showing a sample assignment of advertising to home
system
groups.
Figure 28 is a diagram assigning available bandwidth for multiple
advertisement.
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Figure 29 is a software flowchart for an alternative advertisement targeting
routine.
Detailed Description of Invention
In an embodiment, the primary components of the electronic book selection and
delivery system 200 are an encoder 204, a distribution system 208, a connector
212, and a
text selector 216 as shown in Figure 1. In an embodiment, the encoder 204
places textual data
on a video signal to form a composite video signal. Although the composite
signal may contain
only textual data, it also may carry both video and textual data. A variety of
equipment and
methods may be used to encode text data onto a video signal. The distribution
system 208
distributes the composite video signal from the single point of the encoder
204 to multiple
locations that have connectors 212. The connector 212 receives the digital or
analog video
signal from the distribution system 208 and separates, strips or extracts the
text data from the
composite video signal. If necessary, the extracted text data is converted
into a digital bit
stream. Text selector 216 works in connection with the connector 212 to select
text.
Using a connector 212 and text selector 216 combination, various methods of
selecting
and retrieving desired text from a composite or video signal are possible.
Text may be pre-
selected, selected as received or selected after being received and stored.
One method is for
the connector 212 to strip or extract all the text from the video signal and
have the text selector
216 screen all the text as received from the connector 212. The text selector
216 only stores
text in long term or permanent memory if the text passes a screening process
described below.
An overview of this embodiment is shown in Figure 2. The system 200 includes:
an
operations center 250 including an uplink site 254, the distribution system
208, a home system
258 including a video connector 212, a library 262, a viewer 266, and a phone
connector 270,
telephone system 274, an Internet web site 279 and a billing and collection
subsystem 278.
Also shown in Figure 2, the home system 258 may include connections to a
television 259, a
personal computer 261 and a printer 263. The television 259 and the personal
computer 261
may be used to display menu screens, electronic books, electronic files, or
any other
information associated with the delivery system 200. In addition, the
television 259 and the
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personal computer 261 may provide control function that replicate and
supplement those of the
viewer 266.
The operations center 250 receives textual material from outside sources 282
such as
publishers, newspapers, and on-line services. Additionally, the operations
center 250 can
receive advertisements directly from advertisers or advertisements already
embedded in
content received from publishers. The operations center 250 receives this
textual material in
various digital formats and converts the textual material to a standard
compressed format for
storage. In so doing, the operations center 250 creates a pool of textual
material that is
available to be delivered to the home system 258. The text materials may be
grouped by
books or titles for easy access.
As used herein, "book" means textual or graphical information such as
contained in any
books, novels, encyclopedias, articles, magazines, manuals, catalogs, menus,
pamphlets or
other documents. The term "electronic book" refers to an electronic version of
a "book." The
term "title" may represent the actual title assigned by an author to a book,
or any other
designation indicating a particular group, portion, or category of textual
information. The title
may refer to a series of related textual information, a grouping of textual
information, or a
portion of textual data. For example, "Latest Harlequin Romance", "Four Child
Reading
Books (Ages 10-12)," "Encyclopedia'BRTTAIVhIICA',TM" "President's Speech,"
"Instruction
Manual," "Schedule of 4th of July Events," "Pet Handbooks," "Roe v. Wade," and
"The Joy
of Cooking" are suitable titles. Also, the title may be a graphical symbol or
icon. Thus, a
picture of a wrench may be a title for a repair book, a picture of a computer
a title for a
computer book, a graphical symbol of a telephone a title for a telephone book,
a drawing of
a dagger a title for a mystery book, a picture of a bat and ball a title for a
sports book and a
picture of tickertape a title for a business book.
The operations center 250 includes an uplink site 254 for placing the text
onto a video
signal and sending the composite video signal into the distribution system
208. The uplink site
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254 would generally include an encoder 204 (not shown in Figure 2) to encode
the text onto
a video signal.
In an embodiment, to transmit textual data, the delivery system 208 may use
high
bandwidth transmission techniques such as those defined by the North American
Broadcast
Teletext Standard (NABTS) and the World System Teletext (WST) standard. Using
the WST
format (where each line of the Vertical Blanking Interval contains 266 data
bits), a four hundred
page book, for example, may be transmitted during programming using four lines
of the Vertical
Blanking Interval at a rate of approximately one book every 1.6 minutes
(63,840 bits per
second). Alternatively, electronic books may be transmitted over a dedicated
channel, which
intemipts programming so that 246 lines of video can be used to transmit
approximately 2,250
books every hour (3.9 Mbits per second). A teletext type format is the
simplest but possibly
the slowest text format to use with the system 200. In either event, the
encoder 204 is utilized
at the uplink site 254 to insert textual data into the analog video signal. In
many other respects,
the delivery of the textual information is completed using existing cable
television plant and
equipment or alternate transmission formats and delivery systems.
Many analog and digital video distribution systems can be used with the system
200,
such as cable television distribution systems, broadcast television
distribution systems, video
distributed over telephone systems, distribution from the Internet, direct
satellite broadcast
distribution systems, and other wire and wireless distribution systems. Nearly
any distribution
system that can deliver a telecommunication signal, including a video signal
will work with the
text delivery system 200. The text may also be distributed without using a
telecommunications
signal as described in co-pending U.S. Application Serial No. 09/289,957
entitled
ELECTRONIC BOOK ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY SYSTEMS, filed April 13,1999 and
U.S. Application Serial No. 09/289,956 entitled ELECTRONIC BOOK ALTERNATIVE
DELIVERY METHODS, filed April 13, 1999.
The home system 258 performs five primary functions, ( 1 ) connecting with a
distribution system, (2) selecting data, (3) storing data, (4) displaying
data, and (5) handling
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transactions. An important optional function of the home system 258 is
communicating using,
in one embodiment, a telephone communication system 274. The home system 258
is made
up of primarily four parts: a connector 212 or similar type of connector for
connecting with the
distribution system 208, a library 262 for storing and processing, a viewer
266 for viewing
5 menus and text and a telephone connector 270 for connecting with a telephone
communications
system 274.
The billing and collection subsystem 278 may be co-located with the operations
center
250 or located remote from the operations center 250. In an embodiment, the
billing and
collection subsystem 278 may be in communication with the home system 258
using telephone-
10 type communication systems (for example 274). Any of a number of telephone
type
communication systems, such as, a cellular system, may operate with the
billing and collection
system 278. The billing and collection system 278 records the electronic books
or portions
of text that are selected or ordered by the subscriber. The collection system
will charge a
subscriber's credit account or bill the subscriber. In addition, the billing
and collection system
278 will monitor that amount due to publishers or other outside sources 282
who have
provided textual data or other services such as air time to enable the system
200 to operate.
When electronic books are provided using the Internet web site 279, the
billing and
collecting functions may be incorporated into the Internet web site 279. For
example, a
subscriber may pay for an electronic book selection by entering a credit card
number into a
data field of a page on the Internet web site 279. In this configuration, a
separate billing and
collection system may not be required.
A targeted advertising management system (TAMS) 298 may be co-located with
the operations center 250 or located remote from the operations center 250.
The TAMS
298 communicates with the home system 258 using telephone type communication
systems, or alternatively using two-way cable communications or cellular phone
or any
other communication method as presented in co-pending U.S. Application Serial
No.
09/289,957 entitled ELECTRONIC BOOK ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY SYSTEMS,
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filed April 13, 1999 and U.S. Application Serial No. 09/289,956 entitled
ELECTRONIC
BOOK ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY METHODS, filed April 13,1999. The TAMS
298 collects subscriber data from the home system 258 and uses the data to
place
advertisements in electronic books and on menus. The TAMS 298 provides
advertisers
299 with suggestions for how to place advertisements within available content,
or
alternatively, manages the placement of these advertisements directly using
the operations
center 250.
Figure 3a is an expanded overview of an embodiment of a delivery plan 301 for
the electronic book selection and delivery system 200. The delivery plan 301
supports
various types of subscribers, various billing systems, and various TAMS.
Figure 3a shows
that publishers 282 will provide text transfer 302 to the operations center
250' and receive
payments 306 from the billing and collection system 278'. A separate channel
uplink site
254' is shown in this configuration receiving data 310 from the operations
center 250'.
The operations center 250' has three separate sections (318, 322, 326) one for
text
receiving, formatting and re-entry 318, a second for security encoding 322 and
a third
section for catalog and messaging center functions 326.
The collection and billing system 278' shown has two sections (330, 334) one
for
transaction management, authorizations and publisher payments 330, and the
other for
customer service 334. The customer service section 334 provides for data entry
and
access to customer account information. Transaction accounting information 338
is
supplied to credit card companies 342 by the transaction management section
330 of the
billing and collection system 278'. The credit card companies 342 provide
billing 346 to
customers either electronically or by mail.
The TAMS 298 collects subscriber data and requests, collects advertisements
that
are optimized for placement in electronic books or menus, manages the storage,
retrieval,
and insertion of the advertisements, and analyzes the performance and success
of the
placement of these advertisements.
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Three methods for communicating among the subscriber base 348 and both the
billing and collection system 278' and the TAMS 298 are shown in Figure 3a:
telephone
switching 350 alone, cellular switching 354 and telephone switching 350
combined, and
by use of the cable system 358 and the telephone switching 350. The system
shown
supports both one-way 362 and two-way cable communication 366 with
subscribers.
Public libraries and schools 370 as well as bookstores 374 may use the
delivery plan 301.
Public libraries and schools 370 may have a modified system to allow the
viewer
266 to be checked-out or borrowed while bookstores 374 may rent or sell the
viewer 266
and sell electronic books. The bookstores 374 as well as the public libraries
and schools
370 may be serviced by the cable system 358. Optional direct broadcast systems
(DBS)
382 can also be used with the delivery plan 301.
Figure 3b is an alternate delivery plan 301' that provides for electronic book
selection and delivery using the Internet. In Figure 3b, the publishers 282
provide the
electronic books to be posted at the Internet web site 279. The publishers may
convert
the text and graphical data to digital format, compress the digital data, and
upload the
compressed digital data to the Internet web site 279. Alternately, the
publishers 282 may
arrange for an outside conversion activity 283 to convert the text and
graphical data to
digital format. The conversion activity 283 may then provide the digital data
to the Internet
web site 279. For example, a large on-line bookstore could gather publications
in
electronic form from a variety of publishers, or could convert hard-copy books
to
electronic form, and post the electronic books on the Internet such as at the
Internet web
site 279.
The electronic books may then be transferred using a public switched telephone
network (PSTN), for example, direct to a subscriber 285, a library 286 and a
bookstore
287. The library 286 and the bookstore 287 may also provide electronic books
to the
subscriber 285.
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I. The Operations Center
Figure 4 is a schematic of the operations center 250 which includes the uplink
254.
The operations center 250 gathers text or electronic books and advertisements
by
receiving, formatting, storing, and encoding. A data stream 302 containing
text and
advertisements is received at the operations center 250 by a data receiver
402. The data
receiver 402 is under the control of a processor 404. After reception, the
data stream 302
is formatted using digital logic for formatting 406, which is also under the
control of the
processor 404. If any additional text is being generated at the operations
center 250
locally for insertion into a distribution signal, the text generation is
handled through text
generator hardware 410, which may include a data receiver and a keyboard (not
shown).
Following processing by the text generator 410, the additional text can be
added to the text
received by the combining hardware 414, which includes digital logic circuitry
(not shown).
The text generator 410 is an embodiment to allow for the real-time insertion
of
advertisements in text and menus.
The processing at the operations center 250 is controlled by a processor 404,
which uses an instruction memory 416. The processor 404 and the instruction
memory
416 may be supplied by a personal computer or mini-computer. To perform
cataloging
and messaging functions, the operations center 250 uses a catalog and message
memory
420 and the text generator 410, if necessary.
The processor 404 also receives inputs from and provides instructions 419 to
the
TAMS 298 (not shown in Figure 4).
The data stream of text and advertisements, catalog and messages may be
encoded
by security module encoding 424 prior to being sent to the uplink module 254.
Various
encoding techniques may be used by the security encoding module 424, such as
the
commercial derivative of NSA's encryption algorithm (Data Encryption System
(DES)) and
General Instrument's DigiCipher IITM, for example. Following encoding, the
encoded text
may be stored in text memory 428 prior to being sent to the uplink 254. In an
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embodiment, a first-in-first-out text memory arrangement is used under the
control of the
processor 404. Various types of memory may be used for the text memory 428
including
RAM. The operations center 250 may use file server technology for the text
memory 428
to catalog and spool electronic books for transmission as is described below.
The
operations center may also store the electronic book files as compressed data
files.
Figure Sa is a flowchart of the steps involved in processing text from the
publisher
or provider 282 that may occur at the operations center 250. In Figure Sa, the
electronic
books are distributed using an analog video signal. However, other
telecommunications
systems may be used to distribute the electronic book. As shown in block 500,
the
publisher 282 processes data files of text for electronic books along with any
embedded
advertisements, and then compresses, encrypts and sends the data files to the
operations
center 250 or uplink 254. Text files for electronic books may be sent one
electronic book
at a time. As shown in block 504, the uplink 254 or operations center 250
receives and
processes the data stream from the publisher 282. Generally, part of this
processing
includes encryption and error correction.
As shown in block 508, files are broken into smaller packets of information.
Header information is added to the packets. The bit stream is converted from a
serial
digital bit stream to an analog bit stream that is compatible with an NTSC
video signal.
Block 512 shows the switching of analog data into the video lines of a video
signal. The
analog data is generally placed either in the VBI or the active video lines.
In some
instances, unused portions of bandwidth (such as 5-40 MHZ, 70-75 MHZ,100-109
MHZ
or other guard bands) may be used instead of the video lines.
Figure Sb is an example of a hardware configuration to perform some of the
functions for blocks 508 and 512. A video feed 516 is received and processed
through
a sync stripper 520. The stripped sync signal 532 is used by the digital logic
control 524.
The digital logic control 524 receives the sync signal 532 and a serial
digital bit stream 528
for processing. The digital logic control 524 passes the serial digital bit
stream to the Digital
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to Analog converter 536 and outputs a control signal 540 for the video switch
544. The
video switch 544 integrates the video feed 516 and analog data stream 548 into
a video
feed with analog data signal inserted 552.
As an alternative to cable, broadcast or other television delivery methods,
the
5 public telephone system may be used to transmit electronic books to the
subscribers. An
average electronic book would take about 7 minutes to transmit over the public
telephone
system. Using the telephone system, it is not necessary to combine video and
text into a
composite signal. In most other respects, the operations center would remain
similar
whether text delivery was by telephone or cable. In one embodiment, file
server
10 technology (such as that described in U.S. Patent No. 5,262,875, entitled
AUDIO/VIDEO
FILE SERVER INCLUDING DECOMPRESSION/PLAYBACK MEANS, issued to
Mincer, et al., and, U.S. Patent No. 5,218,695, entitled FILE SERVER SYSTEM
HAVING HIGH-SPEED WRITE EXECUTION, issued to Noveck, et al., incorporated
herein by reference) may be used at the operations center with a telephone
system text
15 delivery method.
As another alternative to cable, television, and telephone system delivery,
the public
telephone system may be used to provide access to the Internet, where the
Internet web
site 279 may be accessed. Electronic books may be ordered, paid for, and
delivered
directly from the Internet web site 279 over the telephone system.
In any delivery system using the telephone system, individual subscribers may
increase the electronic book deliver rate by incorporating high speed modems
or other
communication devices such as an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
connector,
or by use of an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) or other delivery
methods.
II. The Home System
The hardware configuration for a four component home system 258 is shown in
Figure 6a. Figure 6b shows a hardware configuration for a two component home
system.
The home system 258 performs several functions, such as receiving data and
video
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transmissions, stripping (or extracting) the data from the video signal,
screening and storing
the data, providing user friendly interface controls and software, displaying
menus and text,
processing transactions, initiating telephone calls and transmitting billing
data. Various
hardware configurations may be utilized to achieve the desired functions of
the home
system 258. For example, as shown in Figure 6b, the home system 258 can be
configured
to utilize the reception and channel tuning capability of the current
installed subscriber base
of cable converter boxes and televisions 601. The home system 258 can also be
designed
as an advanced set top terminal terminal box with menu generation capability,
electronic
memory and a telephone modem as described in section V below.
The electronic components that make up the home system 258 can be arranged
in a variety of ways. In the four unit subsystem of figure 6a the viewer 266
and library 262
are wired together while the remaining components communicate through RF
transceivers
604. In a simple version of the home system 258 there are only two units, a
library 262
and a viewer 266. Figure 6b shows a two unit home system 258 with certain
optional
features.
The viewer 266 is generally equipped with a high resolution viewing area 602,
digital logic (including a key 605, security 606, and a microprocessor 621 ),
video graphics
control and memory 607, power supply circuitry 602 (not shown), an optional
battery 603
and an optional RF transceiver 604. In a two unit arrangement, the library 262
contains
the connector function to the distribution system 208, connector function to a
public
telephone communications system, and memory 600 (which may be removable and
portable 600. More specifically, the library 262 would include data stripping
functions
617, digital logic 609, memory storage 600, power circuitry 610, optional
telephone
connections 611 (including cellular or PCN 611 ~, optional battery (not
shown), optional
tuner module 613 and an optional RF transceiver 604. The video connector 212
and the
public telephone system connection 270, as well as the removable portable
memory unit
600 of the library may be broken out into separate components. (Figure 6b
shows a
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removable portable hard disk memory 600' with removable cartridges 614.)
Finally, the
home system 258 may include an attached keyboard 267 or a wireless keyboard
268.
Both the attached keyboard 267 and the wireless keyboard 268 may be used to
communicate with the viewer 266 or the library 262.
The wireless keyboard 268 may communicate using radio frequency (RF) signaling
for example. Therefore, the home system 258 may have as many as six separate
components which communicate with each other. The two, three, four, five, or
six separate
components which make up the home system can communicate with each other in a
variety
of ways, including hardwired connection 615, RF transceiver 604 and other
wireless
methods.
In an alternate arrangement, all functions of the home system 258 may be
incorporated into a single unit. The functions of the library 262, for
example, may be
carned out by a card or chipset in the viewer 266. All communications devices
needed to
couple the home system 258 to various telecommunications networks may also be
incorporated into the viewer 266. All interfaces between the home system 258
and the
subscriber may be included in the viewer 266. In this embodiment, the viewer
266 may
include a communication device for receiving inputs from a separate keyboard.
RF communications may be used in the home because it allows separate
components to be located throughout the home without restriction. The data
communicated between the units may be secure data. In addition, the library
262 may
provide power to the viewer 266 through the hard wire communication link 615.
To receive and strip the data from the video signal at the subscriber's home,
either
a cable interface device or cable connector 212 is used. The cable connector
device
includes a tuner 613, while the cable interface device makes use of existing
tuning
equipment in the home. In either configuration, data is stripped from the
video signal and
stored at the subscriber's location in the library 262. The phone connector
270 and
modem 611 initiate telephone calls and transmit ordering and billing
information to the
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operations center 250 or billing and collection system 278 or TAMS 298. A
digital
connector 619 is provided to communicate digital information with the set top
601. The
library 262 is the intelligent component of the home system 258, incorporating
the
hardware and software necessary to store the text data, generate menus and
effect the
purchase transactions. In addition to an RF transceiver 604, the home library
262 also
includes the necessary j acks and connections to allow the system to be
connected to the
viewer 266. As shown in Figure 6b, the library 262 communicates the text data
to the
viewer in a secure format that requires a key 605 for decryption. The text may
be
decrypted page by page.
a. The Video Connector
Figure 7 shows the flow of the processes performed by the video connector 212.
The video connector receives the video signal 608, tunes to the channel
containing the text
data 612, strips the text data from the video signal 616, and communicates the
text data
stream to logic components in the library 620.
1 S The connection to the video distribution system may be a cable connector
to a
cable television delivery system, as shown in Figure 6b. The cable connector
includes a
data stripper circuit 617, which accepts video input from either a set top
terminal, TV or
VCR 601, or an optional tuner block 613 that receives the CATV signal through
the cable
connector 212'. The data stripper circuit 617 strips data out of the video,
and outputs a
digital bit stream to the digital logic portion 609 of the library unit 262.
The data is
embedded in the video signal either in the vertical blanking interval or the
active video
portion in an encrypted and compressed format. The data stripper circuit 617
can be
placed inside the set top terminal 601, TV, or in the library unit. The data
strippercircuit
617 outputs the digital bit stream to be used by the library digital logic
609.
The video connector 212 may also contain a channel tuner module 613 that can
tune to the video channel and provide access to the video that contains the
data to be
stripped. Using the optional tuner module 613, a set top terminal, VCR, or TV
tuner is not
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needed in the home system. The optional tuner module 613 would instead receive
the
CATV signal directly through the cable connector 212.
b. Library
An embodiment of the library 262 for a two unit home system is shown in both
Figure 6b and Figure 8. The embodiment shown includes the following optional
parts: the
video connector 212, phone connector 270, RF transceiver 604, and battery pack
624 in
addition to a removal portable memory 600' , microprocessor 628, instruction
memory unit
632, digital logic 636, and power unit 640.
The library 262 contains a digital logic section 609 (not shown in Figure 8)
which
includes the microprocessor 628, the digital logic 636 and the instruction
memory unit 632.
The microprocessor 628 may be a secure microprocessor such as the Mot SC21
device
sold by Motorola. The digital logic section 609 will receive the serial
digital bit stream from
the data stripper circuit 617 and process the data. Error correction will also
be performed
by the digital logic section 609 and the data will be checked for proper
address. If the
address of the data is correct and the library 262 is authorized to receive
the data, the data
will be transferred to the memory storage unit 600, 600'. Authorization to
receive the data
is provided by the cable headend or another distribution point. An
authorization code may
be sent in the serial digital bit stream. The digital logic section 609 will
send appropriate
text and graphical data to the memory storage unit 600, 600'. It transfers
this data in a
compressed and encrypted format and the data remains stored in a compressed
and
encrypted format.
i. Memory Stora a Unit
The memory storage unit of the library may be a removable portable memory unit
600' (as shown in figures 6a, 6b and 8). A variety of options are available
for memory
storage: a hard disk drive, such as an 80 megabyte, a 200 megabyte, a hard
disk with
removable platters, a CD ROM or a Memory Stick"''. Refernng to Figure 6b, a
hard disk
drive unit 600' which contains removable platters may also be used. This would
provide
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virtually unlimited library storage capacity. Data will be stored in the
memory storage unit
in a compressed and encrypted format. As is also shown in Figure 6b, the data
will also
contain a key or unique m number that matches the 1D or key of the viewer 266.
This
matching of a unique key or 1D number prevents unauthorized transfer of text
data from the
5 memory storage unit to an unauthorized viewer. Small memory devices such as
smart
cards, electronic memory cards or PCMCIA cards (personal computer memory card
industry association) or Memory Sticky may also be used to store the data.
ii. Power Circuitry
As shown in figures 6b and 8, the library 262 will accept power from AC wall
10 power 610, DC power 640, or optional battery power 624. Power circuitry
610, 640
may provide all the voltage necessary from either the battery 624 or an AC
unit for the
various circuitries in the library. The power circuitry 610, 640 may also
provide power to
the viewer through a single data cable when connected to the viewer. The power
circuitry
610, 640 will recharge the battery using AC power when in operation. With the
optional
15 battery unit 624 installed, the library 262 becomes a portable unit and can
still provide
power to the viewer 266. In order to extend battery life, power conservation
measures
may be utilized, such as shutting down the memory system when not in use. When
the
viewer 266 is being utilized and the library circuitry is not being utilized,
virtually all power
may be shut down to the library 262.
20 iii. Connection to the Public Telephone S, sy tem
In one embodiment, the connection to the telephone system may be provided by
a modem 611. Various available modems may be used to perform this function. As
shown in figure 6b, cellular phone or PCN phone connections 611'may also be
provided.
When the home system 258 is first initialized, the modem will be used to
transfer the name
and credit card information of the subscriber to the billing and collection
subsystem 278.
The telephone connection 270 may be utilized each time an electronic book is
purchased
by a subscriber to complete and record the transaction. The telephone
connection 270
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may also be used as a means for receiving the text data from the operations
center 250,
by-passing the distribution system 208 or to allow forwarding of collected
subscriber
information, including electronic books read data and advertisements viewed
data, to the
TAMS. The phone connection 270 may be a separate unit as shown in Figure 6b.
iv. Library Processing
Figure 9 shows an example of some basic processing performed by the library
262
on the data stream 651 received from the video connector 212 or stripper
circuit 617.
First the data stream 651 is checked for error correction (block 650). If an
error is
detected, (block 654) the microprocessor 628 de-interleaves the data and then
runs a FEC
(Forward Error Correcting) algorithm (block 658). The microprocessor 620 then
performs the error correction needed on the data stream (blocks 650, 654 and
658). If
no error correction is necessary the data packets are individually checked for
packet
address (block 662).
If the address is a unique address, the microprocessor 628 checks whether the
address of the packet matches the library box ID number (block 666). This
packet could
be a command to provide the library 262 with a unique group assignment or
advertisements
that are specifically targeted to that library 262. The library 1D number is a
unique number
associated with that library 262, which is used to ensure security of the
data. Next, the
microprocessor 628 determines whether an electronic file has already been
opened into
which the data packet can be saved. If no data file has been opened then the
microprocessor 628 opens a new data file for that packet (block 674). If an
electronic file
has been opened, then the data packet is saved in that electronic file on disk
(block 678).
Next, the microprocessor 628 checks to see if this is the last data packet for
a particular
electronic book for a particular textual data block being received (block
682). If the data
packet is the last packet of information, then the electronic file is closed
and the directory
of available electronic files is updated (block 686). Then the microprocessor
628 returns
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to receive another data packet from the data stream received from the data
stripper (block
650).
If the packet address is checked and the address is determined to be a
broadcast
address, the process determines the type of message that is being sent (block
690). The
message may be an index of electronic book titles, menu (and menu graphics)
information,
announcements, special offerings, discounts, promotions, previews, etc. or, a
set of
advertisements with the corresponding groups assigned for targeting. The
message is then
stored in appropriate electronic message file (block 694) and the
microprocessor 628
returns to receive another data packet and perform another error check (block
650).
Using the process of Figure 9, the library 262 is able to receive, store and
update
directories related to the textual data and graphical data (that can be used
to depict pictures
in a given electronic book or to generate menus). Variations of the processes
are possible
depending on the format of the data and operating system of the library 262.
Figure 10 shows an example of the processing of information requests from the
viewer 266 at the library 262. Information requests from the viewer 266 are
received
either through the cable connecting the viewer 266 to the library 262 or
through wireless
transmissions such as RF. In an embodiment, the subscribers'requests may come
from a
set top terminal 602 (see Section V).
Information requests received from the viewer 266 may fall into three or more
categories: ( 1 ) directory data of electronic books stored in the library
262, (2) index of
all available electronic books on the system 200, and (3) requests for a
specific electronic
book (block 700). Regardless of the type of request, whenever communications
takes
place, the viewer 266 also provides the library 262 with any collected viewer
data to date
that will be used on the advertisement targeting process. As shown in block
704, the
microprocessor 628 answers a request from the viewer 266 for a directory of
data
showing the electronic books stored at the viewer 266. The directory of data
is sent to the
viewer 266 so that the data may be displayed to the subscriber. In block 708,
the
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microprocessor 628 is shown handling requests from the viewer 266 for an index
of all
available electronic books on the system 200. The library 262 will obtain an
index of all
the available electronic books on the system and transmit that index, (block
712), with
menu information to the viewer 266. The microprocessor also replies to a
request from
the viewer 266 for a specific electronic book (block 716). The library 262
opens an
electronic file for the specific electronic book requested by the viewer 266
and transmits
the record or transmits the information on a packet-by-packet basis to the
viewer (block
720). This process of transmitting the specific electronic book, record, or
packets to the
viewer continues until the last record or packet has been sent (block 724).
Additionally,
the library 262 may download any advertisements to the viewer 262 that may be
pending.
In addition to the processes shown in Figure 10 for handling a request for a
specific
electronic book, the library 262 also orders and receives specific electronic
books from
the operations center 250 using the process as described in block 716.
Following a
request for a specific electronic book that is not stored at the library 262,
the library 262
will proceed to determine the next available time the electronic book will be
on the
distribution system 208 and ensure reception and storage of that electronic
book (process
not shown). In performing this process, the library 262 will transmit to the
viewer 266
information on when the library 262 will obtain the text data for the
electronic book so that
the subscriber may view the electronic book. In addition to timing
information, price and
other ordering information may also be passed by the library 262 to the
subscriber.
c. The Viewer
Figure 11 is a block diagram of a viewer 266 showing its internal components.
The
viewer 266 of Figure 11 is similar to the viewer 266 depicted in Figure 6b.
The viewer
266 is designed to physically resemble a bound book. The viewer 266 may be
made up
of five primary components and seven optional components: ( 1 ) LCD display
602, (2)
digital circuitry (not shown), (3) video graphics controller 607', (4)
controls 740, (5) book
memory 728, (6) optional power supply circuitry 736, (7) optional battery
603', (8)
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optional RF transceiver 604, and (9) optional cellular or mobile communicator
(such as
611 ~ ( 10) optional keyboards 267 and 268, and ( 11 ) an optional
speaker/microphone
608', (12) optional alternative communication interface devices.
( 1 ) A high resolution LCD screen 602 may be used by the viewer 266 to
display text and graphic images. In one embodiment, the screen 602 may be the
size of
one page of a book. A two page screen or two screens may also be used with the
viewer
266.
(2) Digital circuitry includes a secure microprocessor 621, instruction memory
732, and digital logic. Data may be transferred to the viewer 266 in
compressed and
encrypted format. The secure microprocessor 621 compares the DJ number of the
viewer
266 with the incoming data stream and only stores the text data if the >I7
number of the
viewer 266 matches that of the incoming data stream. In an embodiment, the
viewer 266
not output text data or other data and that the data is decompressed and
decrypted only
at the moment of viewing and only for the current page being viewed. These
measures may
be used because they provide additional security against unauthorized access
to data.
(3) A video graphics controller 607' that is capable of assisting and
displaying
VGA quality text and graphic images is included in the viewer 266. The
graphics controller
607' is controlled by the digital circuitry described above. Text may be
displayed in
multiple font sizes.
(4) The viewer 266 of Figure 11 has touch panel controls 740. These unique
and novel controls 740 allow the subscriber to select stored electronic books
and
electronic books from catalogues, move a cursor, and turn pages in an
electronic book.
The controls 740 may include forward and reverse page buttons 742, 741, a ball
743 for
cursor movement, one or more selection buttons 745, a current electronic book
button 747
and a bookmark button 749 (see Figure 14a).
The controls 740 should be easy to use and conveniently located. Referring to
Figure 14a, the controls for the viewer 266 may be located below the screen
602 at the
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bottom portion of the viewer 266. The next page turn button 742 is the most
used button
740 and may be located towards the right edge of the page. The subscriber is
likely to use
right hand thumb movements to work the controls particularly the page turn
buttons 741,
742. Therefore, the buttons may be arranged in such a manner that the buttons
are easily
5 controlled by a subscriber's right thumb. Generally, this can be
accommodated either on
the lower portion of the viewer 266 (as shown) or along the right hand margin
of the viewer
266 (not shown). The current electronic book button 747 and bookmark button
749 are
usually the least used of the controls 740. Therefore, in the example shown
those buttons
747, 749 are located on the inside portion towards the binder of the viewer
266.
10 Locating the ball 743 or other cursor movement device (such as four pointer
arrows not shown) in the bottom center of the viewer 266 is both easier for
the subscriber
to use and easier in manufacturing the viewer 266. The selection buttons for
the cursor 745
may be located below the middle diameter of the cursor ball 743 on the right
and left sides
of the ball as shown. If pointer arrows are used for cursor movement, a
selection button
15 745 may be located in the center of the four arrow buttons (not shown).
Again, the most
used controls 740 should be located where a subscriber's right hand thumb
would normally
rest.
(5) Book memory 728 for at least one electronic book or more of text is
included in the viewer 266. The memory 728 stores text and any graphics that
represent
20 pictures in the electronic book. The memory 728 can also store menu
graphics data. Two
different memory 728 devices may be used in the viewer 266, one for the
instructions for
the microprocessor 621 in the digital circuitry and a second type of memory
may be used
for the book memory 728 (and graphics). Various memory devices available on
the
market may be used such as, ROM, RAM or a small hard disk. Since an electronic
book
25 requires approximately 0.6 megabytes of storage, a small hard disk
providing
approximately 600 MBytes of storage provides memory to store approximately
1000
electronic books.
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Text for electronic books may be displayed in various font sizes. To
accommodate
various fonts for display, a variety of fonts are stored in instruction 732 or
book memory
728. Thus larger or smaller fonts may be recalled from memory 621, 728 to
create
displays desired by the subscriber.
(6) Power supply circuitry 736 in the viewer 266 will accept power from either
an AC power source or from an optional battery 603', or the library 262. The
power
supply circuitry 736 provides the necessary voltages to accommodate the
various systems
within the viewer 266.
(7) An optional battery 603'is provided in one embodiment. The battery 603'
is automatically recharged when AC power is available.
(8) An optional RF transceiver 604 that provides two-way data link between
the viewer 266 and other components of the home system 258 can also be
included in the
viewer 266.
(9) The viewer 266 may include a cellular transceiver 608 (not shown in Figure
11) for mobile communications.
( 10) The optional wired (attached) keyboard 267 and wireless (e.g., RF)
keyboard 268 may be used with the viewer 266 to provide communications between
the
subscriber and the viewer 266.
( 11 ) The optional speaker and microphone 608' allow the viewer 266 to
provide audio signals to the subscriber, and allow the subscriber to provide
an audio input.
The speaker and microphone 608' may be used in conjunction with the cellular
transceiver
608 or other telecommunications equipment to provide for reception and
transmission of
telephony and data.
( 12) The optional alternative communication interface devices allow the
viewer
266 to make use of a variety of communication paths.
The viewer 266 of Figure 11 has parts available for providing connections to:
a
library 744, electronic card memory 748, CD ROM units 752, and a portable
memory unit
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756 (such as that shown in Figure 6b 600. Various electronic memory cards such
as a
PCMCIA can be used with the viewer 266.
Security, low power consumption and excellent display technology are desired
features of the viewer 266 design. The viewer 266 may be lightweight and
portable. The
viewer 266 contains a software operating system that allows electronic books
to be stored,
read and erased and includes the capability to order electronic books and
retain them in
memory 728 for a predefined period of time determined by the system operator.
For
example, the software can be configured to allow the electronic book to be
read during a
period of time (i.e., two weeks) and then automatically erased, read once and
erased, or
held in memory permanently. Each viewer 266 has a unique key 605. All of the
data
storage is encrypted with the key 605 for an individual viewer 266 to prevent
more than
one viewer device 266 accessing the text file or book file.
Figure 12 is a flow diagram of some of the processes executed by the viewer
266.
Generally, the viewer 266 receives inputs from the subscriber through touch
panel controls
740. The subscriber's information requests are then processed by the viewer
266 (block
800).
If the subscriber requests a menu of available books, the microprocessor 621
will
select a book menu (block 804). The microprocessor 621 will open the
electronic files
that list the electronic books that are available (related to the category of
topic of the menu)
and display the menu with the names of the available electronic books.
If the subscriber selects a particular electronic book to read, the
microprocessor
621 will process the selection and determine the electronic file that contains
the specific
electronic book (block 812). Then, the microprocessor 621 will open the file
for that
specific electronic book and normally access the first page (block 816). (If a
pointer has
already been set in the electronic book, the microprocessor 621 may default to
that page.)
The microprocessor 620 will then determine which page needs to be displayed
(block
820). The microprocessor 621 will determine whether a next page, previous page
or a
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bookmarked page needs to be displayed (block 820). If the pointer for the
electronic file
is not in the correct location, then the microprocessor 621 will move the
pointer and obtain
the previous page of data from the stored file (block 828). Otherwise, the
microprocessor
621 will normally obtain the next page of text from the stored electronic file
(block 824).
The microprocessor 621 will decrypt and decompress the text data and send the
data to
the video display 602 (block 832). The video display 602 will generally have a
video
display memory associated with it and the microprocessor 621 will send the
data directly
to that video display memory (block 832). The circuitry for the video display
602 then
completes the process of displaying the page of text. The viewer 260 also logs
the viewing
of advertisements and book contents that will be provided back to the TAMS 298
using
the library 262:
If the subscriber, through the controls 740, requests that the power be turned
off,
then the process of turning the power off will be initiated (block 836). The
microprocessor
621 saves the pointer in memory to the page number in the electronic book that
the viewer
266 is currently reading (block 840). The microprocessor 621 closes all the
electronic files
and signals the power circuitry to shut down the power to the various circuits
in the viewer
266. With these examples of basic processes the viewer 266 is able to display
electronic
book selections and display text from those electronic books.
d. Menu S sy tem
Referring generally to Figure 13, the electronic book system 200 may have a
menu
system 851 for selecting features and books from the electronic book system
200. The
operating software and memory required for the menu system 851 may be located
at the
viewer 266 (e.g., the instruction memory 732 and/or book memory 728). However,
it can
also be located at the library 262 (e.g., the instruction memory 632) or the
library 262 and
the viewer 266 can share the software and memory needed to operate the menu
system
851. Since the menus are usually displayed on the viewer 266 and the viewer
266 may be
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capable of operating in the absence of the library 262, the basic software and
memory to
create the menus is more conveniently located at the viewer 266.
In one embodiment, the menu system 851 may be a system that allows sequencing
between menus and provides menu graphics for graphical displays such as on the
LCD
display 602 of the viewer 266. In a system that uses a set top terminal or a
portable
computer, these menus may also be displayed on a television screen or the
computer
screen. In the simplest embodiment, the menus provide basic text information
from which
the subscriber makes choices. In more sophisticated embodiments, the menus
provide
visual displays with graphics and icons to assist the subscriber.
Figure 13 depicts the menu system 851 with sequencing. The primary menus in
the system are an introductory menu 850, a main menu 854 and various submenus
858.
The embodiment shown, has three levels of submenus 858. In certain instances,
one or
two submenus 858 is sufficient to easily direct the subscriber to the
selection or information
requested. However, there are features in which three or more submenus 858
make the
user interface more friendly for the subscriber. Each level of submenus 858
may consist
of multiple possible menus for display. The particular menu displayed depends
on the
selection by the subscriber on the previous shown menu. An example of this
tree sequence
of one to many menus are the help submenus 887, 888. Depending upon the
specific help
requested, a different level two help menu is displayed to the subscriber.
An example of an introductory menu 850 is shown on Figure 14a. Generally the
introductory menu 850 introduces the viewer 266 to the system and provides
initial
guidance, announcements and instruction. The introductory menu 850 is followed
by a
main menu 854, an example of which is shown in Figure 14b. The main menu 854
provides the viewer 266 with the basic selection or features available in the
system. Figure
14b is an example of a main menu 854 offering many additional features and
submenus 858
to the subscriber. For example, Figure 14b shows that the viewer 266 is able
to choose
by a point and click method, many options including: ( 1 ) free previews, (2)
books you can
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order, (3) books in your library, (4) your current book, (5) help, (6) on-line
services and
(6) other system features. Following a selection on the main menu 854, a
corresponding
submenu 858 is shown.
Figure 13 shows eleven available primary or first level submenus. They are ( 1
)
5 account set up 862, (2) free previews 866, (3) book suggestion entries 855,
(4) books in
your library 872, (5) books you can order 878, (6) your current book 884, (7)
help 887,
(8) available features 890, (9) messages 893, ( 10) account information 896 (
11 ) outgoing
message submenu 898. Figure 14c is an example of a first level submenu for
books in your
library 872. The "Book In Your Library" example submenu 872 shows six
available books
10 by title and author and provides the subscriber with the ability to check a
different shelf of
books 874 or return to the main menu 854. Figures 14d and 14e show example
submenus
858 for books that may be ordered using the "Books You Can Order" submenu 878.
Figure 14f is an example of a confirmation 880'menu that confirms a
subscribers
order. In this particular example, the subscriber is required to enter a PIN
number to
15 complete the subscriber's order. Any alphanumeric or similar password may
be used to
ensure the subscriber is an authorized subscriber. In an embodiment, the
subscriber
confirms an order with a PIN or password and then receives a final
confirmation screen.
The final confirmation screen is primarily text and may state:
Your book order is now being processed using CABLE.
20 Your book will be delivered overnight and your VISA account will be
charged 2.95.
Your book will be available for reading at 6:OOAM EST tomorrow. Make
sure that:
1. your Library Unit and Cable Connection Unit are plugged in with aerials
25 up tonight; and
2. you tune your cable converter to THE BOOK Channel. The TV set
does not have to remain on.
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or similar language.
Examples of the "Account Set Up Menu" 862 and further submenus 858 related
to account set up (which provide instructions and account input 864) are shown
in Figures
14g and 14h. These submenus 858 allow initialization of an account at the
operations
center 250 and orders to be charged to credit cards. The submenus 858 include
the ability
to enter data related to your desired PIN number or password, credit cards,
phone
numbers, etc. The account set up may be performed using the telephone system.
A
confirmation menu verifies that the account has been properly set up with the
desired PIN
or password and credit card.
Free previews for books 866 are also provided by submenus (868, 870).
Examples of the free preview menus are shown in Figure 14i and Figure 14j.
Figure 14i
shows a menu depicting various electronic books for which previews are
available for
viewing. Following a book selection, a screen submenu showing an excerpt of
the selected
electronic book cover s description is provided along with an excerpt from a
critic's review
of the selected electronic book. In one embodiment, this preview screen for a
particular
electronic book also allows the subscriber to select a submenu that provides
information
about the author. The electronic book preview submenu may also include a still
video
picture or graphics portraying a book cover or a scene from the electronic
book. An
example of such a still video picture or graphics is shown in Figure 14j that
depicts a
preview screen 870 about the author. The author's preview screen 870 shows a
picture
of the author, provides a short biography, and may allow the subscriber to
order the
author's books. The price for ordering the authors various electronic books
may also be
shown on the menu.
In addition to free previews, in more sophisticated embodiments, the system
provides the subscriber with a book suggestion feature (see 855). This is
accomplished
using the menu system 851 and the processor with associated memory located at
the
viewer 266, library 262 or at the distribution point ( 1020 or 250). When
necessary,
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information for the program suggestion feature is sent in the text data of the
composite or
video signal to the home system 258. With this feature, books or authors are
suggested
to a subscriber based upon historical data of the subscriber's previous
orders,
demographics or mood of the subscriber, other indicators, and/or by text word
searches.
In one book suggestion embodiment, text word searches of preview information
(such as book cover descriptions, critics reviews and biographies about the
author) and/or
text of electronic books or other titles are performed by the library 262
using databases
stored in the library memory 600. Personalized electronic book or author
suggestions are
made to the subscriber by obtaining information from the subscriber indicative
of general
subscriber interests. Subscriber entries may be solicited from the subscriber
using the
electronic book suggestion entries submenu 855. The system uses these
subscriber entries
either directly or indirectly to search for electronic books or authors to
suggest to the
subscriber. The system also uses this subscriber information for targeting
advertisements.
Generally, the electronic book suggestion methods may be categorized into two
categories, either responsive methods (which respond to a series of subscriber
menu
entries), or intelligent methods (which analyze data to suggest a book). Using
a responsive
or intelligent method, the system 200 determines a list of suggested titles or
authors and
creates a second or third level submenu 856, 857 to suggest the titles for
subscriber
selection.
Responsive methods of suggesting titles include, for example, the use of mood
questions, searching for authors, and keyword searching. Using the instruction
memory
732 and menu generation hardware (e.g., 607) of the viewer 266, a series of
mood
questions can be presented on menus to determine a subscribers interest at a
particular
time. For this methodology, the operations center's 250 processor 404 and
instruction
memory 416 assign each title mood indicators (and sub-indicators) from a group
such as
light, serious, violent, short, long, dull, exciting, complex, easy-read,
young theme, old
theme, adventure, romance, drama, fiction, science-fiction, etc. These
indicators are sent
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33
to the home system 258 with the text data and are stored in library memory
600. Based
upon the subscriber entries, the processor associates a set of indicators with
the
subscriber's request and a set of electronic books with matching indicators
are located for
suggesting to the subscriber. These indicators may also be used for
categorizing
subscribers for the purposes of targeting advertisements.
Responsive searches for authors or keywords (a search word provided by the
subscriber) are generally performed by the library processor 628 and
instruction memory
632 on data stored in the library's memory storage 600. For example, a keyword
given
by the subscriber may be searched for a match in library memory 600 storing
the electronic
book reviews, critics and previews databases. Thus, if a subscriber provided
an entry of
the word "submarine" on an appropriate submenu, the title "Hunt For Red
October" may
be located by the library microprocessor 678 using instruction from a routine
in instruction
memory 632.
Intelligent methods of suggesting programs include analyzing personal profile
data
on the subscriber and/or historical data about the subscriber such as past
electronic books
ordered by the subscriber (or buy data). This method may be used in an
electronic book
on demand system and may be performed at the distribution point or operations
center 250
by the on-site processor 404 using subscriber databases stored in memory 428.
The home
system 258 receives the text data including program suggestion information
from the
distribution point or operations center 250 and generates the program
suggestion submenus
855, 856, 857 using the same text data receiving 212 and viewer menu
generation
hardware (e.g., 607, 621 ) described above. Software routines and algorithms
stored in
instruction memories (e.g. 632, 732) are used to analyze historical data and
electronic
book ordered data to determine a line of electronic books to suggest to the
subscriber.
The algorithms for this powerful feature of suggesting electronic books or
authors
to subscribers is disclosed in great detail in a co-pending application by the
same inventor,
U.S. Application Serial No. 08/160,281 and PCT/L1S93/11708 entitled
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REPROGRAMMABLE TERMINAL FOR SUGGESTING PROGRAMS OFFERED
ON A TELEVISION PROGRAM DELIVERY SYSTEM, filed December 2,1993, and
is incorporated herein by reference.
Refernng to Figure 13, submenus 858 are shown on the "Books In Your Library"
submenu 872 and may be broken into shelf numbers with submenus for each shelf
874,
876. The submenus 858 for the "Books You Can Order" submenu 878 is similarly
broken
out into submenus by shelves 880, 882. These shelves may each be a category or
genre
of electronic books. Electronic books may be grouped into categories such as
best sellers,
novels, fiction, romance, etc. See Figure 14d.
Referring to Figure 13, the submenu 858 for "Your Current Book" 884 allows a
subscriber to select a current electronic book 884 and then determine what
page to view.
This selection is confirmed with a level two submenu 885. The help submenu 887
provides
the subscriber with additional help screens 888. The submenus 858 for
available features
890 may be broken out into a sequence of separate submenus for each feature
891, 892.
Referring to Figure 13, messages can also be sent with the electronic book
selection and delivery system 200. A level one message screen provides the
subscriber
with the ability to select from various messages the subscriber has pending
893. Each
message is then shown on a separate submenu screen 894, 895. The message may
contain
text and graphics.
Refernng to Figure 13, account information is shown on a level one submenu 896
and then follow-on submenus 858 show the recent orders and account balance
897. There
is also a level one submenu for outgoing messages 898 which has a follow-on
submenu
used as an input screen 899. Menu 889 allows the subscriber to enter a
subscriber profile,
which may be used for future targeting of advertisements based on how that
subscriber
profile corresponds to an advertisers' desired targeted audience.
In addition to the specific features and submenus described in Figure 13 and
Figure
14a through Figure 14j, many other variations and features are possible. When
an
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electronic book is finally selected for viewing, the title page 886 will
appear on the screen
followed by a page of text.
III. The Billing And Collection System
In one embodiment, the billing and collection system 278 (shown in Figures 2
and
5 3) utilizes the latest technology in electronic transaction and telephone
switching to track
orders, authorize deliveries, bill subscribers, and credit publishers
automatically. The
telephone calls initiated by the phone connector 270 are received by the
billing and
collection system 278 that responds immediately without human intervention by
placing the
order and charging the subscribers credit card account. Data is compiled
periodically and
10 publishers 282 are credited for sales of their books or other text. The
billing and collection
system 278 may also connect with subscribers through two-way cable
connections, cellular
or other communication means.
In another embodiment, the billing and collection system 278 communicates with
the operations center to track changes in available books and to provide
statistical data to
15 the operations center 250, including books read and advertisements watched
data.
IV. Public Library, School, and Bookstore System
The electronic book system 200 can be modified to be used at public libraries,
schools and bookstores. Figure 15 shows one possible arrangement of components
for
a public library, school or bookstore location. The main unit at a public
library, school or
20 bookstore is the file server 900. The file server 900 is a large electronic
memory unit that
can store thousands of electronic books. Various electronic storage means may
be used
in the file servers, such as hard disks, read-write CD ROMs and read-only CD
ROMs.
The system includes five components; the file server 900, a converter or video
connector 904, a controller 908, a viewer 912, and a catalog printer 916. The
software
25 for controlling the system is primarily located in the controller 908. The
converter or video
connector 904 is similar to those described above. In this configuration the
controller unit
908 monitors the data being transferred to the file server 900 by the
converter 904. The
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controller 908 may be provided with a viewing screen and several control
buttons. When
it is necessary to have a larger screen to perform more sophisticated
controlling of the
system the viewer 266 may be connected to the controller 908 and the viewer
screen and
controls 740 may be used.
The controller 908 is only able to download electronic books to public viewers
912 that are authorized to receive electronic books from the particular file
server 900. For
security reasons, it is not desirable that the public viewer 912 have access
to more than one
file server 900. In this way, security can be maintained over the text data
for electronic
books. The public viewer 912 may be limited to receiving one or two electronic
books at
a time from the controller 908. When the user of the public viewer 912 needs a
new or
additional electronic book, the subscriber returns the viewer 912 to the
school or public
library where the subscriber receives a new electronic book from the
controller 908.
In order to track the electronic books that are available on the file server
900, the
titles of the available electronic books may be printed on a catalog printer
916. The
catalog printer 916 is connected to the library controller 908 and the titles
of the electronic
books are downloaded to the catalog printer 916. Preferably, none of the coded
text for
any of the electronic books can be printed using the controller 908 and
catalog printer 916
of this system. In order to maintain security over the data, none of the
electronic book data
is allowed to be downloaded to the printer 916. Once a complete printout of
available
electronic book titles, magazines, or other textual material is complete, a
hard copy of the
catalog 920 can be maintained at the file server 900.
The system shown may also be used at electronic bookstores. The electronic
bookstores can rent the public viewer 912 to customers with the text for one
or two
electronic books loaded onto the public viewer 912. The public viewer 912 may
be
provided with an automatic timeout sequence. The timeout sequence would erase
the
textual data for the electronic books after a certain period of time, for
example, two weeks.
It is expected that after a period of time (perhaps within two weeks) the
renter would
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37
return the public viewer 912 to the electronic bookstore and receive
additional books for
viewing. Using this arrangement, it is also possible for the electronic
bookstore to sell a
viewer 912 to a regular customer. The customer then returns to the electronic
bookstore
from time to time to receive textual data for an electronic book that the
customer can then
store permanently on the customer's own viewer 266. Various other
configurations are
possible for bookstores, schools and public libraries using the file server
900 and public
viewer 912 described.
V. Use Of Set Top Terminal
Existing set top terminals such as those made by Scientific Atlanta or General
Instruments are presently unequipped to handle the electronic book selection
and delivery
system 200. Although set top terminals may be built that include the library
functions,
hardware modifications are necessary in order to use the electronic book
selection system
200 with existing set top terminal technology.
Figures 16a and 16b are examples of hardware modifications or upgrades. A port
is used to attach hardware upgrades described below to a set top terminal. Two
upgrades
are possible to set top terminals 601 to assist in receiving and selecting
electronic books.
A menu generation card upgrade (Figure 16a) and an information download unit
(Figure
16b). Each of these upgrades may be connected to the set top terminal unit
through an
upgrade port. A four wire a cable, ribbon cable or the like may be used to
connect the
upgrade to the set top terminal 601.
A card addition 950 to a set top terminal 601 is depicted in Figure 16a. The
card
950 shown provides the additional functionality needed to utilize the
electronic book
selection and delivery system 200 with existing set top terminal 601
technology. The card
950 may be configured to slip inside the frame of the set top terminal 601.
The primary
functions the card 950 adds to the set top terminal 601 are the interpreting
data signals,
generating menus, sequencing menus, and allowing a subscriber to select an
electronic
book using either the television or the viewer 266. The card 950 also provides
a method
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38
for a remote location, such as the cable headend, to receive information on
electronic
books ordered. The electronic books ordered information and control commands
may be
passed from a cable headend (not shown) to the card 950 using telephone lines
or
alternative ordering methods as present in the co-pending U.S. Application
Serial No.
09/289,957 entitled ELECTRONIC BOOK ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY SYSTEMS,
filed April 13,1999, and U.S. Application Serial No. 09/289,956 entitled
ELECTRONIC
BOOK ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY METHODS, filed April 13, 1999.
The primary components of the card 950 are a PC chip CPU 952, a VGA graphic
controller 954, a video combiner 956, logic circuitry 958, NTSC encoder 960, a
receiver
962, demodulator (not shown), and a dialer 611'. The card 950 operates by
receiving the
data text signal from the cable headend through the coaxial cable. The logic
circuitry 958
of the card 950 receives data 964, infrared commands 966, and synchronization
signals
(not shown) from the set top terminal 601. Menu selections made by the viewer
266 on
the remote control are received by the set top terminal's 601 IR equipment and
passed
through to the card 950. The card 950 interprets the IR signal and determines
the
electronic book (or menu) the subscriber has selected. The card 950 modifies
the IR
command to send the information to the set top terminal 601. The modified 1R
command
contains the channel information needed by the set top terminal 601. Using the
phone line
968 and dialer 611', the card 950 is able to transmit books ordered
information to the
cable headend. It is also possible to receive the electronic books over the
telephone lines
and by-pass the distribution system 208. Furthermore, the electronic book may
be
distributed using an Internet web site such as the Internet web site 279 shown
in Figure 2.
These commands are passed through the interface linking the set top terminal's
microprocessor with the microprocessor of the hardware upgrades. In this way,
subscriber
inputs, entered through the set top terminal keypad or remote control, can be
transferred
to any of the hardware upgrades for processing and responses generated therein
can then
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39
be sent back to the set top terminal for display. In one embodiment the IR
commands 966
are transferred from the set top terminal 601 to the hardware upgrade.
Hardware upgrades may include a microprocessor, interactive software,
processing circuitry, bubble memory, and a long-term memory device. In
addition to these
basic components, the hardware upgrade may make use of an additional telephone
modem
or CD-ROM device.
The information download hardware upgrade 1001 (shown in Figure 16b) allows
the subscriber to download large volumes of information from the operations
center or
cable headend using the set top terminal 601. The hardware upgrade 1001 will
enable
subscribers to download data, such as books and magazines, to local storage.
Primarily,
the hardware upgrade 1001 is an additional local storage unit 1003 (e.g., hard
disk, floppy,
optical disk or magnetic cartridge and may include a microprocessor 1005,
instruction
memory 1007, and a random access memory 1009, as shown in Figure 16b). A small
portable viewer 266 may also be provided with the upgrade 1001 to enable
downloaded
text to be read without the use of a TV.
The downloadable information may be text, advertisements, or graphics supplied
by the operations center 250 or cable headend. With this upgrade, electronic
books may
be downloaded and read anywhere with the portable viewer 266. Using this
upgrade,
electronic books may be downloaded and stored in compressed form for later
decompression. The electronic books would be decompressed only at the time of
viewing.
Important text that the public desires immediate access may made available
through this
system. Text such as the President's speech, a new law, or a recent abortion
decision
rendered by the Supreme Court may be made immediately available.
In an embodiment, electronic book ordering information and electronic books
read
and advertisements viewed information is stored at each set top terminal 601
until it is
polled by the cable headend using a polling request message format. An example
of a
polling request message format consists of six fields, namely: ( 1 ) a leading
flag at the
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beginning of the message, (2) an address field, (3) a subscriber region
designation, (4) a
set top terminal identifier that includes a polling command/response (or P/F)
bit, (5) an
information field, and (6) a trailing flag at the end of the message. A
similar response frame
format for information communicated by the set top terminal to the cable
headend in
5 response to the polling request may be used.
Figure 17 shows a set top terminal 601 that includes a data receiver 617' and
a
data transmitter 1011. The data transmitter provides upstream data
communications
capability between the set top terminal 601 and the cable headend. Upstream
data
transmissions are accomplished using the polling system described and, using a
data
10 transmitter 1011. Both receiver 617' and transmitter 1011 may be built into
the set top
terminal 601 itself or added through an upgrade module. Regardless of the
specific
hardware configuration, the set top terminal's data transmission capabilities
may be
accomplished using the hardware shown in Figure 17.
Figure 17 shows RF signals, depicted as being received by a data receiver 617'
15 and tuner 613 working in unison. Both of these devices are interfaced with
the
microprocessor 1013, which receives inputs 1015, from the subscriber, either
through a
set top terminal's keypad, a remote control unit or the viewer 266. All cable
signals
intended for reception on the subscriber's TV are accessed by the tuner 613
and
subsequently processed by the processing circuitry 1017. This processing
circuitry 1017
20 typically includes additional components (not shown) for descrambling,
demodulation,
volume control and remodulation on a Channel 3 or 4 TV carrier.
In an embodiment, data targeted to individual set top terminals is received by
the
data receiver 617' according to each set top terminal's specific address or
)17. In this way,
each addressable set top terminal only receives its own data. The data
receiver 617' may
25 receive set top terminal 601 specific data in the information field of the
signal frame
described or on a separate data carrier located at a convenient frequency in
the incoming
spectrum.
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41
The received data includes information regarding electronic books and menus
available for selection. The subscriber may enter a series of commands 1015
using a
keypad or remote control in order to choose a book or menu. Upon receipt of
such
commands, the set top terminal's microprocessor 1013 instructs the tuner to
tune to the
proper frequency of the channel carrying data and subsequently instructs the
processing
circuitry 1017 to begin descrambling of this data.
Upon selection of an electronic book, the microprocessor 1013 stores any
selection information in local memory (not shown) for later data transmission
back to the
cable headend. Additionally, electronic books read and advertisements viewed
data (and
any updated subscriber profile information), can be stored to be sent to the
operations
center 250 using the headend at the next available polling cycle. The set top
terminal's
microprocessor 1013 coordinates all CATV signal reception and also interacts
with various
upstream data transmission components. Typically, the data transmitter 1011
operates in
the return frequency band between 5 and 30 MHZ. In an alternative embodiment,
the
frequency band of 10 to 15 MHZ may be used. Regardless, however, of the
frequency
band used, the data transmitter 1011 sends information to the cable headend in
the
information field of the response frame described. Those skilled in the art
will recognize
that a number of variations and combinations of the above-described set top
terminal
hardware components may be used to accomplish upstream data transmissions.
VI. Books-On-Demand S, s
The electronic book system 200 may also be configured in a book-on-demand
style. Figure 18a shows one example of a configuration for a book-on-demand
system.
A book-on-demand system requires more powerful two-way communications between
the subscriber's home, bookstore, school or public library and either the
operations center
250 or a distribution site 1020 such as the cable headend. This type of two-
way
communication can be provided by the hardware shown in Figure 17 and described
above.
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Referring to Figure 18a, in a book-on-demand system, the subscriber selects
the
electronic book to be download from an available menu of electronic books (see
for
example Figures 14d and 14e). The data for menus of available electronic books
is usually
sent to the subscriber location by the distribution point 1020. After the
subscriber's menu
selection, information about the subscriber selection (or request) and stored
subscriber
information for use with targeting of advertisements are then communicated to
either the
distribution point 1020 (such as a cable headend) or the operations center
250. Upon
receipt of this request, the needed textual and graphical information for the
electronic book,
along with advertisements targeted directly to that subscriber, are spooled
and sent to the
subscriber. In this manner, electronic books are only sent when requested by
the
subscriber and are sent immediately upon demand for the electronic book (or
text).
In order to support such a book-on-demand system, the text delivery and
distribution may be conducted on a strong nodal distribution architecture,
such as a video-
on-demand cable or telephone television system, or through use of individual
telephone
calls on the public telephone system or the Internet.
The book-on-demand system allows for a greater selection of electronic books
to
the subscriber and limits the amount of communicated book data that is
unnecessary or
unneeded. It also provides the electronic book to the subscriber in a much
timelier fashion.
In addition to a stronger distribution system, a book-on-demand system
requires
the distribution point 1020 to have more sophisticated equipment to access and
"spool out"
the textual information. This can be accomplished using file server technology
1024 for
storing the books and ATM 1028 or telephone-type switching (not shown) to
distribute
the textual information. One embodiment of file server 1024 and distribution
technology
that can be used in configuring such a book-on-demand system is described in
U.S. Patent
No. 5,262,875 and U.S. Patent 5,218,695, cited above.
Figure 18a shows an embodiment for a book-on-demand system that utilizes file
server technology. In addition to electronic books, the embodiment of Figure
18a will
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43
support distribution of nearly any digital data. Books or textual files are
received from
publishers 282 and other sources through local feeds 1032, ATM 1028, or by
satellite dish
1036. Advertisements are received from advertisers. The management of the
proper
advertisements to embed and deliver is controlled by the TAMS 298. The data is
then
stored in memory 1040 at the file server 1024. The distribution point 1020 may
be a cable
headend that receives requests from subscribers and delivers text to
subscribers over a
two-way communication system (such as a video-on-demand two-way cable system
(VOD) 1044).
The library 262 can connect to either a basic premium-type service cable
system
1048, a near video-on-demand type cable system (or pay-per-view (PPV) 1052) or
the
two-way cable system 1044. In connecting with either of these three systems
the library
262 may access the cable directly or may access the system through the set top
terminal
601', 601 ", or 601'".
Using the two-way video-on-demand system 1044, a subscriber is able to request
a specific book title and receive that text immediately following the request.
To accomplish
this, the distribution point 1020 transmits a list of available electronic
books through the
cable delivery system to the library 262. The library 262 displays the list of
available
books on a menu or similar format. As described earlier, the library 262 may
use menus
which list categories of available books to form its request from the
distribution point 1020.
After selecting a book the library 262 then sends a request signal on the two-
way cable
system 1044 back to the distribution point 1020. This request signal can be
handled in two
ways. The library 262 either initiates the request or the distribution point
1020 polls the
various libraries on the two-way system 1044. Upon receiving the request for
the book
title, the text associated with that book title and the respective targeted
advertisements are
transmitted to the library 262 using the two-way cable system 1044.
Figure 18b is an expanded view of an operations center 250 that supports a
regional or national book-on-demand system. In fact, the operations center 250
shown
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supports distribution of nearly any digital data. The operations center 250
supports
multiple feeds to receive digital information by tape 1060,1060', ATM 1028, or
satellite
1036. The information is processed through an input MUX 1064 and a small file
server
1068 before reaching the master file server 1072. Digital data such as
electronic books
received from publishers 282 and advertisements from advertisers 299 is then
stored on
the master file server 1072. The digital data may be stored compressed in a
standard
format such as MPEG2.
A system controller 1076 provides control over the regional or national book-
on
demand system. Electronic books may be packaged into groups to provide feeds
to
various cable headends. In addition, scheduling and marketing research are
conducted at
the operations center 250. In order to handle the scheduling and market
research,
electronic book buy data is received at the operations center 250 through a
multiplexer
1082. Electronic book buy information can be provided by the operations center
250 to
the billing and collection system 278 and the TAMS 298.
The operations center 250 is also equipped to insert messages or
advertisements
into the file server using the TAMS 298. These messages and advertisements
will
eventually be received by the subscribers.
The master file server 1072 uses an output multiplexer 1080 and ATM 1028 as
well as satellite connections to distribute digital data. In an embodiment,
cable headends
receive text data on electronic books from the master file server 1080 through
the output
multiplexer 1028 and an ATM system 1028. After receiving the digital
electronic book
data, the cable headends store the electronic books in a local file server
1024. Figure
18a's distribution point 1020 is an example of a cable headend that may
receive data from
the operations center 250 of Figure 18b through an ATM hookup 1088 or
satellite
hookup.
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VII. Electronic Book Targeted Advertisin~Mana~ement S sy tem
The electronic book targeted advertising management system (TAMS) 298 allows
for advertisements to be directed to subscribers based on, for example, the
use of
subscriber data, electronic books read data, past advertisement viewing data,
and/or mood
5 indicators entered by the subscriber and used in an electronic book
suggestion algorithm.
Alternatively, input from subscribers collected through form-based
questionnaires may be
used to further define a subscriber's potential likes, wants, and needs.
Advertisers wanting
to optimize their advertising expenditures by ensuring that specific
advertisements are
viewed by the desired audience can do so by directing advertisements to the
appropriate
10 reading audiences. Specifically, advertisers can display specific
advertisements in
electronic books, electronic magazines and periodicals, and electronic
newspapers that are
being viewed by those subscribers most likely to be influenced to buy the
advertised
product, or otherwise respond in a desired fashion to the advertisement.
Advertisements can be presented to the subscriber in a variety of formats.
First,
15 advertisements may be displayed on the menu system residing on the library
262 or the
viewer 266. These advertisements ( 1101 ) are in the form of a full screen
textual, textual
with background audio, graphical, graphical with background audio, video
image, or a
combination of video, text and graphics as depicted in Figure 19a, or
alternatively,
advertisements ( 1102) can appear in the borders of the menu as banners, as
depicted in
20 Figure 19b. Second, advertisements may be displayed within the actual
electronic book
text. These advertisements can be presented as the initial front page, as
entire pages within
an electronic book, or embedded with electronic book text within a page.
Alternatively,
these advertisements can be presented within the frame or banner displayed
along with an
electronic book. Advertisements within electronic books may be textual,
textual with
25 background audio, graphical, graphical with background audio, video images,
or a
combination of video, text and graphics.
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In an embodiment, advertisements that are in the form of audio or video may be
designated as requiring run-through-completion status prior to the next page
of the
electronic book can be viewed. In this embodiment, the next viewable page of
an
electronic book will not be accessible until the advertisement has been
completed.
Electronic books containing these advertisements may be priced at a
significant discount,
or even completely subsidized by advertisers. In an alternate embodiment, run-
through-
completion status may be supported only for the first time viewing of an
advertisement. If
the run-through-completion status is not associated with an advertisement,
moving to
another electronic book page will cause the advertisement to cease being
displayed.
Alternatively, advertisements may be links embedded within an electronic book.
Additionally, these advertisements may be hidden from the subscriber, but made
available
through the use of an Electronic Books Linking System, which is described in
detail in
copending U.S. Application Serial No. 09/237,828 entitled ELECTRONIC BOOK
ELECTRONIC LINKS, filed January 27, 1999. The advertisements can be delivered
embedded in the electronic book text, or the advertisements can be sent
independently
from the electronic book text, but associated with a particular location on a
menu or for
display within the electronic book text using electronic book linking
technology and links
tables. In an embodiment, the use of linking technology supports
advertisements in the
form of text, graphics, audio, video, or interactive content.
Using electronic book linking technology, advertisements may be interactive,
as
described in the co-pending U.S. Application Serial No. 09/237,828 entitled
ELECTRONIC BOOK ELECTRONIC LINKS, filed January 27, 1999. In this
embodiment, an advertisement may have an underlying link that links the
subscriber to the
operations center 250 or the Internet web site 279 to allow for requesting
more information
about an advertised product or to allow for ordering of a selected product.
The linked
material may include text, video or audio content, and may be in HTML-based
format. In
an embodiment where the home system 258 has a dedicated communication
capability,
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linked advertisements and related interactive materials may be accessed in
real time. In an
embodiment where the home system 258 does not have a dedicated communication
capability, the home system 258 may initiate communications to establish
connectivity to
the location specified by the underlying link table. Alternatively, the home
system 258 may
store the requested linking information until the next time that the home
system 258
establishes communication for other purposes, at which time the requested
linked material
may be provided to the home system 258.
Figure 19c illustrates an example of linking targeted advertisements to an
electronic
book. A page 269' of an electronic book is shown with text 270, and with links
271, 273
and 276 embedded in the text 270. The link 271 is associated advertisements
with AD#1
(625) and AD#2 (626). The link 273 is associated with advertisements AD#2
(626) and
AD#N (627). The advertisements 625, 626 and 627 are stored in locations in the
memory
600 of the library 262. The ads 625, 626 and 627 may be downloaded to the
memory
600 from the operations center 250, for example.
Also shown on the page 269 is an HTML link 276. The HTML link 276 is linked
to an ad spot 279", which is accessed through the web site 279.
In operation, when the page 269 is displayed on the viewer 266 or other
suitable
viewing device, the links 271, 273 and 276 are also displayed. In an
embodiment, the links
271, 273 and 276 may be activated upon display of the page 269. For example,
the
advertisement linked to link 271 (AD#1, 625) may be displayed on the viewer
266, in
either a full screen, split screen, partial screen or picture-in-picture
format.
Alternatively, the links 271, 273 and 276 may be displayed on the page 269 but
may remain inactive until a subsequent action is taken. For example, the links
271, 273
and 276 may be activated by the subscriber scrolling to the location of the
link using a
remote control, and pressing a select button on the remote control.
If the links 271, 273 and 276 are activated automatically as described above,
the
corresponding advertisements may be displayed in sequence. Alternatively, the
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corresponding advertisements can be displayed in one or more windows on the
screen of
the viewer 266.
When the advertisements are displayed in sequence, the advertisements may be
timed to persist for a specified time, if the advertisements are static. If
the advertisements
are dynamic, such as an MPEG II video clip, or an audio clip, the
advertisements may be
displayed for the time required to complete the video clip or audio clip.
In another embodiment, the subscriber may cycle through the advertisements.
For
example, the ad 625 may be displayed in a full screen format. The subscriber
may turn off
the ad 625 by issuing a command using the remote control, for example. The
next
advertisement in sequence, ad 626 in this case, is then displayed.
In Figure 19c, in the ad 625 is shown linked to the page 269 by two links,
specifically the link 271 and the link 273. Thus, the ad 625 may be shown at
multiple
locations within the page 269 or within an electronic book. In an embodiment,
using this
feature, targeted advertisements may be displayed at different locations on
the page 269
for different subscribers.
The link 276 is shown as an HTML link. In this case, when the link 276 is
activated, the viewer 266, or similar device, is connected to the Internet web
site 279,
using a telephone modem and line, or other suitable communications device and
network,
for example. Once connected to the Internet web site 279, the ad 279" may be
displayed
in the screen 602 of the viewer 266. If the viewer 266 is not able to connect
to the Internet
web site 279, an alternate advertisement that is stored in the memory 600 may
be
displayed. For example, the ad 627 may be displayed. In another embodiment, a
pop-up
menu may be displayed on the screen 602 indicating that the viewer 266 was not
able to
connect to the Internet web site 279.
The links shown in Figure 19c may correspond to advertisement spot locations
within an electronic book. The spot locations may be linked to advertisements
as shown
in Figure 19c, or may include embedded advertisements. That is, for embedded
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advertisements, the text and graphics, if appropriate, associated with a
particular
advertisement may be part of the text of the electronic book, and as such may
be displayed
with the electronic book every time the electronic book is displayed. By
linking the spot
locations to a separate file or database, the advertisements shown in a
particular spot
location may be caused to change. Furthermore, some advertisements associated
with a
particular spot location may be displayed in a full screen format, and may
persist on the
screen of the viewer 266 for a predetermined time, such as 60 seconds. At the
end of the
predetermined time, the advertisement may automatically be removed from
display.
Alternatively, the subscriber may cause the advertisement to be removed by
operating the
page turn button 742, shown in Figure 14a, for example. The use of spot
location will be
described later in detail.
Advertisements may either be static or dynamic. Static advertisements may be
created and associated with a menu or an electronic book, and may remain
fixed. Dynamic
advertisements are flexible in nature and may be updated remotely from the
operations
center 250. Another version of a dynamic advertisement is a rotation group of
advertisements, where a series of related advertisements are bundled together
and rotated
through a pre-defined schedule. The rotation schedule may be time-based,
showing a
different advertisement for a given period of time before displaying the next
advertisement.
Alternatively, the rotation schedule may be viewing-based, where each time a
menu or an
electronic book page is viewed, a different advertisement is displayed. Yet
another
embodiment of a dynamic advertisement is a stair-cased group of
advertisements, where
a pre-defined sequence of advertisements are bundled together to provide a
sequential
message, leading the subscriber through various levels of frequency of
exposure and
refinement of advertising message to a final culminating advertisement, in
essence, a self
contained advertising campaign. The progression from one advertisement to the
next may
be time-based or viewing-based.
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Advertisements may also be targeted to subscribers on various levels. At a
highest
level, advertisements can be delivered to all end subscribers, with no
targeting of the
advertisements to the subscriber, but with the advertisement displayed in the
electronic
book that is determined to be most relevant to the content of the
advertisement.
5 Alternatively, advertisements may be targeted to groups, with the groups
categorized based
on some common characteristics. Advertisements may also be targeted to
specific
subscribers that share the use of a home system 258 based on their unique
characteristics.
Electronic books may be priced according to the level of advertising provided.
For
example, the subscriber could order an electronic book with no advertising,
but pay a
10 higher price for the electronic book. Conversely, the subscriber may choose
to order an
electronic book with advertising and be given a price discount or a free
electronic book
altogether. Additionally, collected advertising viewed data as well as
collection of
information regarding executed links to advertisements may be used in pricing
electronic
books for an individual subscriber, with those subscribers actively involved
in viewing
15 advertisements being given larger discounts.
Subscribers may purchase electronic books using a variety of methods,
including
buying from a physical bookstore or from a virtual bookstore, using a
subscription service
such as a Book-of the-Month Club, buying electronic books delivered on a
memory
device or borrowing from an electronic book library. Each of these methods
supports a
20 varying extent of targeted advertising. For purchases made at a physical
bookstore or
books borrowed from an electronic book library, targeted advertising may only
be
supported if, at the point of sale or borrow, subscriber information can be
obtained and
used in the real-time assignment of advertisements to the electronic book. In
this
embodiment, the bookstore may make use of a modified TAMS 298 to enter
collected
25 subscriber information, if available, to generate the advertisements at the
time of sale or
borrow. Alternatively, default advertisements may be available in the
electronic book and
targeted advertisements are delivered at a later time to the appropriate home
system 258.
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If subscriber information is not made available, default advertisements may be
used in place
of targeted advertisements.
To target advertisements, the TAMS 298 may make use of information from
numerous sources. These sources include the User Profile menu (889, see Figure
13),
collected electronic books read data that is stored in the home system 258,
library 262 or
viewer 266 and periodically uploaded to the operations center 250, and from
past
advertisements viewed information which is stored in the home system 258
library 262 or
viewer 266 and periodically uploaded to the operations center 250.
Additionally, these
sources may include past electronic book ordering information collected by the
operations
center 250, past products ordered through the electronic book selection and
delivery
system 200, questionnaire responses when being suggested an electronic book to
order
using the responsive book suggestions feature, as well as information from
marketing
databases and past television programs watched data as collected for Program
Suggestions, as described in co-pending U.S. Patent No. 5,798,785, U.S.
Application
Serial No. 08/160,281 entitled REPROGRAMMABLE TERMINAL FOR
SUGGESTING PROGRAMS OFFERED ON A TELEVISION PROGRAM
DELIVERY SYSTEM, filed December 2, 1993.
The TAMS 298 supports the management of information required to support each
of the following: ( 1 ) delivery of targeted advertisements along with
electronic books,
periodicals, newspapers, and menus being requested on demand; (2) delivery of
targeted
advertisements along with electronic books, periodicals, newspapers, and menus
being
broadcast; (3) delivery of refreshed targeted advertisements; and (4) delivery
of TAMS-
related subscriber-specific information and commands.
Figure 20 shows the TAMS 298 configured to support the delivery of
advertisements for electronic books and menus being requested on demand during
an
interactive session. In Figure 20, an interactive request is received by the
TAMS 298 from
a subscriber using the operations center processor 404. The interactive
request may be
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52
for a particular electronic book being ordered, or an update of menu
information on
available electronic books or services available using the electronic book
system 200.
Additional electronic personal data may be provided by the subscriber's
library 262 or
viewer 266 to facilitate the transaction. For example, the electronic book
request may be
generated based on the subscriber completing the electronic books suggestion
feature
(855, Figure 13). Additionally, subscriber information may be accumulated
during the
course of using the home system 258, and this information may be uploaded to
the
operations center 250 during an interactive session. Alternatively, non-real
time requests
can be initiated by the subscriber and retrieved from the home system 258 by
the
operations center 250 using a polling process or provided to the operations
center 250
using the billing and collection system 278. Real time and non-real time
requests are
received by an on-demand request server 1200 along with any collected
subscriber
information, including information on current advertisements residing on the
home system
258 or viewer 266 associated with electronic books stored by the home system
258.
The on-demand request server 1200 provides any collected subscriber
information
to a subscriber data collection engine 1202 for storage in a subscriber
information database
1210. The database 1210 also contains information collected from numerous
sources for
each subscriber. The subscriber information is then used by the ad selection
system 1220
to determine the best advertisements to be displayed for the subscriber. The
ad selection
system 1220 uses information about the subscriber from the subscriber
information
database 1210, information about available advertisements from an available
ads metadata
database 1230, information about the requested electronic book from an
available
electronic books metadata database 1240, and information about the requested
menu from
an available menu metadata database 1250, to select appropriate advertisements
to be
packaged and delivered with the requested electronic book or menu.
Once the appropriate advertisements are determined by the ad selection system
1220, the ad generation system 1260 is directed to retrieve the appropriate
advertisements,
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along with the requested electronic books, from an electronic book database
1270 or the
requested menus from a menu database 1280, package the advertisements with the
electronic book or menus, and deliver the electronic book or menu to the
requesting
subscriber. Concurrent with the interactive session of delivering the
requested material to
the subscriber, the on-demand request server 1200 determines if any other
commands or
broadcasts of refreshed advertisements may be delivered directly to the
subscriber. This
may be achieved by querying a pending commands database 1215 and a pending ads
database 1278 to ensure that current advertisements residing in the home
system 258 are
the latest determined for the subscriber, and sending the latest
advertisements if necessary.
Alternatively, if information collected during the interactive transaction
requires new action
to be taken (refreshing advertisements or updating the subscriber category or
group
assignments), these actions can be initiated while the interactive session is
active.
Figure 21 shows the TAMS 298 supporting the delivery of advertisements for
electronic books and menus to subscribers on a broadcast basis. Broadcast
information
can be destined for either the entire population of electronic book delivery
system
subscribers, groups of subscribers, and individual subscribers. Broadcast
information can
be initiated based on requests from subscribers, or by initiation at a remote
site such as the
operations center 250. Broadcast information can include electronic books that
have been
requested by numerous electronic book delivery system subscribers.
Broadcasting is also
ideal for distribution of electronic newspapers, periodicals, magazines, and
other frequently
delivered materials to the mass market, where each group of like subscribers
may receive
a different set of advertisements along with the electronic books and other
electronic
content. Broadcasting the requested content makes more efficient use of
available system
bandwidth than sending the same content ~to each requesting subscriber
individually.
Broadcasting may be supported over a variety of broadcast-capable
communication
systems, such as the Internet, cable television systems, terrestrial broadcast
systems,
satellite broadcast systems, and wireless communications systems, and other
systems
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described in detail in co-pending U.S. Application Serial No. 09/289,957
entitled
ELECTRONIC BOOK ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY SYSTEMS, filed April 13,1999,
and U.S. Application Serial No. 09/289,956 entitled ELECTRONIC BOOK
ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY METHODS, filed April 13,1999. Broadcast information
may also include an index of electronic book titles, menu (and menu graphics)
information,
announcements, special offerings, discounts, promotions, previews, and
advertisements to
be used to refresh advertisements already resident on the home system 258.
Aggregated subscriber requests may be received by a broadcast request server
1300, along with any collected subscriber information, including information
on current
advertisements residing on the home system 258 or viewer 266 and associated
with
existing resident electronic books. The broadcast request server 1300 provides
collected
subscriber information to a subscriber data collection engine 1202 for storage
in the
subscriber information database 1210. The database 1210 may also contain
information
collected from numerous other sources for each subscriber. The subscriber
information
may then be used by the ad selection system 1220 to determine the best
advertisements
to be displayed for the requesting subscribers. Additionally, the information
collected may
be used to determine if the subscriber information has changed to the point
that refreshed
advertisements should be delivered to a subscriber or, alternatively, whether
a subscriber's
group assignments should be updated. The ad selection system 1220 uses
subscriber
information from the subscriber information database 1210, information about
available
advertisements from the available ads metadata database 1230, and information
about the
requested electronic book from the available electronic books metadata
database 1240
or about the requested menu from the available menu metadata database 1250, to
select
the appropriate advertisements to be packaged and delivered with the requested
electronic
book or menu items. The ad selection system 1220 can be configured to select a
single
advertisement that best matches the requesting subscriber's profiles.
Alternately, the ad
selection system 1220 can select a number of advertisements, where the
advertisements
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are determined by the ad selection system 1220. The ad generation system 1260
is
directed to retrieve the appropriate advertisements, along with the requested
electronic
books from the electronic book database 1270 or menus from the menu database
1280,
address the advertisements with the appropriate group addressing information,
package
5 the advertisements with the electronic book or menus, and deliver the data
to the requesting
subscribers.
Content can be delivered asynchronously to individual subscribers or groups of
subscribers based on updated subscriber personal information, modified group
assignments, the need for refreshed advertisements, and the generation of
updated menu
10 content. In this case, the TAMS 298 functions similarly as it would in
receiving a request
from a subscriber; however, in this case, the delivery initiation could be by
TAMS operator
initiation. Alternatively, initiation could be automatic based on a scheduled
cycle. Upon
delivery initiation, the ad selection system 1220 uses subscriber information
from the
subscriber information database 1210, information about available
advertisements from the
15 available ads metadata database 1230, and information about previously
delivered
electronic books from the available electronic books metadata database 1240 or
information about previously delivered menus from the available menu metadata
database
1250, to select the appropriate advertisements to be packaged and delivered.
Once the
ad selection system 1220 determines the appropriate advertisements, the ad
generation
20 system 1260 is directed to retrieve the appropriate advertisements or
library system
configuration information, package the configuration information, address the
configuration
information either to a single subscriber or group of subscribers, and deliver
the
configuration information to the appropriate home system 258 using the request
server
1300. This delivery can be done in broadcast fashion over the electronic book
system 200
25 or by communicating to home systems 258 directly.
The databases addressed in Figures 20 and 21 may be configured to support a
variety of information necessary for the TAMS 298 to manage the targeting
process.
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Below are tables that present typical data that may be tracked by these
individual
databases.
User Information Database 1210
Electronic book system identification information
Home system type
Date of system set-up
Date of last communication with operations center
Household income
User data (for each registered subscriber of an
electronic book),
including:
Name
Sex
Age
Place of birth
Education
Mode of electronic book use
Profession
Book category preference
. TV program preferences
Demographic information
User profile menu information, date of last survey
update
Electronic books read data
Past advertising viewed data, which ads, time spent
viewing,
Past electronic books ordered data, along with
time, date, and
method of order
Past products ordered, along with time, date, and
method of
order
Past electronic book suggestions data
Past billing information
Imputed subscriber data from marketing databases
Past TV programs watched data, along with time
and date
Past PPV programs ordered data, along with time
and date
Mood indicators
Form based questionnaire results
Communication methods available (available options
for both
return and delivery)
Group assignments per subscriber for each category
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Past ad packages delivered to subscriber, date of delivery,
method of delivery
Zip+4 information
Available Ads Metadata Database 1230
Display options (e.g, , text, audio, graphics, video, link, HTML,
interactive)
Static vs. dynamic ad indicator,
If dynamic ad, rotation group vs. stair case selection, with
required control parameters
Display location (e.g, full screen, partial page, border, frame,
banner)
If a linked ad, link table information
Pricing subsidy information
Run through completion status mode indication
Date of valid use
Ad placement controls, acceptable frequency
Category and group preferences (as ad ranking percentages)
Available Electronic Book Metadata Database 1240
Price discount options (e.g, allowed, not allowed)
Available spot locations
Total spots allowed
Maximum spots allowed
For each available spot location:
Display options (e.g, , text, audio, graphics, video, link,
HTML, interactive)
Static vs. dynamic ad indicator,
If dynamic ad, rotation group vs. stair case selection, with
required control parameters
Display location (e.g, full screen, partial page, border, frame,
banner)
Run through completion status mode indication
Ad placement controls (e.g., acceptable frequency)
Category and group preferences (as group breakdown
percentages)
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Available Menu Metadata Database 1250
Available spot locations
Total spots allowed
Maximum spots allowed
For each available spot location:
Display options (e.g, , text, audio, graphics, video, link,
HTML, interactive)
Static vs. dynamic ad indicator,
If dynamic ad, rotation group vs. stair case selection, with
required control parameters
Display location (e.g, full screen, partial page, border, frame,
banner)
Run through completion status mode indication
Ad placement controls (e.g., acceptable frequency)
Category and group preferences (as group breakdown
percentages)
Ad Storage Database 1265
Ad identifier with actual digital version of ad
Electronic Book Database 1270
Electronic book identifier with actual digital version of book
Menu Database 1280
Menu identifier with actual digital version of menu
Pending Commands Database 1215
For each pending command:
Destination address
Actual command
Date generated
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Date of confirmed receipt
Pending Ads Database 1278
For each pending ad:
Destination address
Packaged ads
Associated retrieval plan
Date generated
Date of confirmed receipt
The heart of the TAMS 298 is the ad selection system 1220. The selection
system
1220 is responsible for the intelligent and rapid selection of advertisements
for placement
in electronic books and on menus. Category and group targeting is managed in a
manner
similar to that described in co-pending U.S. Application Serial No. 09/054,419
entitled
TARGETED ADVERTISEMENT USING TELEVISION DELIVERY SYSTEM, filed
April 3, 1998, incorporated herein by reference.
Careful management of the advertisements within the electronic books or on
menus, based on information known about the demographics and reading habits of
subscribers, can greatly increase both the advertisers' likelihood of reaching
an interested
subscriber, and the likelihood a subscriber will be interested in a specific
advertisement.
Electronic books and menus are assigned a series of advertisements by the TAMS
298,
and when multiple advertisements are delivered for a given spot in an
electronic book, an
ad retrieval plan is developed that directs which advertisements should be
displayed, and
in what order, for a given subscriber.
The process of managing the targeted advertising begins with a number of
configuration and set-up steps. First, individual home system 258 address
information is
collected at the operations center 250. This information uniquely identifies
each electronic
book system subscriber and associates necessary information about each
subscriber with
the home system identifier to aid in the advertisement targeting process. This
information
includes subscriber profile information, electronic books read information,
past
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advertisements delivered and viewed, and responses to menu-based
questionnaires
completed by the subscriber. Other subscriber information may be collected
from various
sources, including surveys and marketing databases correlated by address or
zip code+4,
for example.
5 Next, for a number of target criteria, subscriber groups are defined.
Examples of
target criteria include demographic targeting (age/sex/income) and location,
such as Area
of Dominant Influence (ADI). Each target criteria is then segmented into
appropriate
groups. For example, the ADI may include Los Angeles, CA and Washington D.C.
New
target criteria can be added and the groups redefined after their initial
establishment.
10 For each target criteria, each home system 258 is assigned to a group based
on the
information collected about the subscriber. Once each subscriber is assigned
to a group,
the group assignments are conveyed to the home system 258 and stored therein.
As
groups are modified or group assignments change, the home systems 258 are
provided
with the changes. Additionally, the group assignment information is
periodically resent to
15 the home systems 258 to ensure that newly added home systems 258 and those
home
systems 258 that have accidentally lost their information are up-to-date.
The ad selection system 1220 determines the optimum types of advertisements to
be placed in an electronic book or on a menu. An opportunity, or location in
an electronic
book or on a menu that is available for the placement of an advertisement will
be denoted
20 as a "spot location" henceforward. Within a spot location, one or multiple
individual
advertisements may be assigned, each denoted as a "spot" henceforward. The ad
selection
system 1220 takes into account subscribers who will likely read an electronic
book or
menu, the desirability of providing available advertisements to those
subscribers, targeting
criteria, the number of spots locations available for each electronic book or
menu, and the
25 number of spots available for assignment for a given spot location.
Once specific advertisements are selected for each available menu or
electronic
book spot, the subscriber groups that should view each advertisement are
determined,
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based on the target criteria of interest. Assignment of a home system 258 to a
targeting
group for the appropriate advertisement may be based on a detailed retrieval
plan. The
retrieval plan may be distributed along with the advertisements directly to
the home systems
258 from the operations center 250.
After the home system 258 receives and stores the advertisements and the
retrieval
plan, the home system 258 inserts those advertisements into the appropriate
spot location
in the respective electronic book or menu. The home system 258 will retrieve
and store
only those advertisements associated with that home system's group assignment.
Alternatively, the home system 258 may retrieve and store all advertisements
but only insert
those advertisements into spot location as dictated by the retrieved plan.
When the advertisements are displayed on the viewer screen, the viewer 266
will
store advertisement viewed data indicating that an advertisement was shown. In
an
embodiment, the viewer 266 will store this advertisement viewed data only if
the
advertisement is displayed for a predetermined time, or only if the subscriber
takes an
action to indicate the ad has been viewed, such as by clicking on a check-off
box, for
example. The accumulated advertisement viewed data will be collected from the
viewer
266 at a later time for review purposes. The unique home system identification
information
will be provided with the collected advertisements viewed data. Upon
collection of the
advertisements viewed data, the viewer 266 and library 262 may return the used
memory
space to available pools for future use.
As shown in Figure 4, the operations center processor 404 coordinates with the
TAMS 298 using a data bus 419. All requests to the TAMS 298 to assign
advertisements
to an outgoing electronic book or menu come from the processor 404 using the
data bus
419. Additional information is also provided to the TAMS 298 using the data
bus 419 to
enable the TAMS 298 to target advertisements. Once advertisements have been
assigned
for delivery, the advertisements are passed from the TAMS 298 to the processor
404 over
the data bus 419 for delivery by the text generator 410.
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The ad selection system 1220 receives requests to initiate the determination
of
advertisements to be placed using the appropriate request server 1200 or 1300.
The ad
selection system 1220 receives electronic book and menu delivery schedules
from the
broadcast request server 1300 and requests for the immediate delivery on-
demand
requested electronic books and menus from the on-demand request server 1200.
The ad
selection system 1220 receives electronic book and menu information from the
available
electronic book metadata database 1240 and the available menu metadata
database 1250;
advertisemendpromotional information from an available ads metadata database
1230; and
home system subscriber information from the subscriber information database
1210. The
ad selection system 1220 provides outputs to the ad generation system 1260 and
the
retrieval plan generator 1275.
A part of the TAMS 298 operation is the retrieval of subscriber data, and the
assimilation of the subscriber data into the advertisement selection method.
This operation
typically includes two steps. First, raw subscriber data is retrieved from the
home systems
258. Then the raw data is filtered and used. The operations center 250
compiles the
subscriber data, and then sends the subscriber data to the TAMS 298. Once
assembled
at the TAMS 298, the raw data is filtered for each application of the TAMS
298. In an
embodiment, the subscriber information database 1210 receives inputs from the
subscriber
data collection engine 1202 and a configuration set-up system 1205. The
subscriber
information database 1210 provides outputs to the configuration set-up system
1205, and
the ad selection system 1220.
The raw data gathered includes:
What books a subscriber purchased and when they were purchased,
What products a subscriber purchased and when they were purchased,
What PPV TV programs a subscriber purchased and when they were
purchased,
What television programming a subscriber has viewed,
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What electronic book/menu/advertisements a subscriber viewed and for
how long, and
Subscriber profile information supplied using the subscriber profile menu
889.
The subscriber information database 1210 receives electronic books purchased
and read information from the billing & collection system 278 or directly from
home
systems 258 using the TAMS subscriber data collection engine 1202.
Subscriber profile information is collected and stored on each subscriber for
the
purposes of advertisement targeting. The subscriber profile may include
demographic
information that may be gathered in a number of ways. The home system 258
builds the
subscriber profile for each subscriber and stores the information in a memory
file by
subscriber name. The file may be uploaded to the operations center 250 each
time the
home system 258 initiates communications with the operations center 250. In an
embodiment, to build a subscriber profile, the subscriber answers questions
presented on
a series of menu screens 889 (see Figure 13). The menu screens 889 may request
the
subscriber to input information such as name, sex, age, place of birth, place
of lower school
education, employment type, level of education, types of electronic and non-
electronic
books read and frequency of reading, amount of television program viewing per
week, and
the number of television shows in particular categories that the subscriber
watches in a
given week such as, sports, movies, documentaries, sitcoms, amount of Internet
use and
favorite web sites, etc. Any demographic information that will assist the TAMS
298 in
targeting advertisements may be used.
In addition to demographics gathered at the home system 258, the subscriber
profile can be compiled using other methods. For instance, subscriber
information can be
gathered using questionnaires sent by mail and subsequently entered in the
subscriber
information database 1210.
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As an alternative to gathering demographic data, a simulated subscriber
profile can
be generated using an algorithm that analyzes subscriber access history and
subscriber
habits. Using test information generated from a statistically significant
number of
subscribers, the simulated subscriber profile algorithm estimates the
subscriber's age,
education, sex and other relevant information. The analysis then compares the
subscriber's
electronic books read information with that of the test group. An example of
the type of
information for a subscriber profile is presented below.
The subscriber profile data fields are an example of typical fields that can
be used
in the databases. Definitions of various fields are listed below. The primary
purpose of
profiling the subscriber is to acquire marketing information on the
subscriber's likely
response to available advertisements. Ancillary information may be available
including
actual electronic book selections by the subscriber. Information tracked
within the
subscriber's profile includes:
Subscriber ID A unique identifier generated by the system, one
for each subscriber using a specific electronic
book home system 258.
Home System Types Boolean field that identifies the type of home
system 258 used.
Home System ID ID of the home system 258.
Hookup Date Date physical hardware is connected.
Survey Date A demographic profile may be conducted for
each subscriber. The following fields represent
this demographic information. The date
represents when the interview survey was
completed.
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Subscribers Age 2-5 Boolean field if the household has
subscribers between 2 and 5 years of
age.
Subscribers Age 6-11 Boolean field if the household has
subscribers between 6 and 11 years of
age.
Subscribers Age 12-17 Boolean field if the household has
subscribers between 12 and 17 years of
age.
10 Subscribers Age N,-NZ Boolean field if household has
subscribers between N, and NZ years of
age.
Income Annual household income.
Zip Code+4 Self-explanatory.
15 Occupancy Number of subscribers in household.
Highest Education Highest level of education of any
subscriber in the household.
Field of Use Personal, professional, educational,
other.
20 Profession Self-explanatory.
Education Level Self-explanatory.
These subscriber profile inputs may assist in the assignment of home systems
258
to groups for each targeting category. There are numerous variations to the
field definitions
listed above, such as different age groupings, for example. Other subscriber
profile data
25 fields may also be specified.
Marketing information, such as the demographics of subscribers and market
information may be received from external sources or directly from the home
systems 258
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using the subscriber data collection engine 1202. To effectively manage the
advertisement
targeting operations, market information, such as the existence of markets for
certain
products, may be provided to the TAMS 298. The following type of information
may be
maintained in the subscriber information database 1210: subscriber demographic
profile,
subscriber buy information; and correlation of demographic information with
buy
information. As the electronic book selection and delivery system 200 is used,
this
information can be stored and maintained in the viewer 266 or the library 262.
The
subscriber data collection engine 1202 gathers the marketing information from
the various
sources and indexes the information for inclusion in the subscriber
information database
1210.
To maintain the subscriber information database 1210 within the TAMS 298, a
database server, communications server, subscriber work station or stations,
or the suitable
equivalents thereof, may be used. The database server supports saving data
base files,
event logging, event scheduling, mufti-subscriber services, data base server
services, and
data base security access.
The communications server performs the following functions on data base data:
integrity check, filtering, processing, downloading to home systems 258 using
the pending
commands database 1215, and uploading from home systems 258 using the
subscriber
data collection engine 1202.
Figure 22 shows the configuration set-up system 1205 in more detail. An
interface
1206 receives individual addressing information unique to home systems 258.
The
interface 1206 can include a workstation, such as the workstation shown 1209,
for
example, from which an operator at the operations center 250 manually enters
home
system information. Alternately, home system information can be automatically
entered at
the interface 1206 by downloading from an off-site database, the Internet, a
storage
medium, such as a CD-ROM or a floppy disk, and by collecting the information
directly
from the individual home systems 258 using the subscriber data collection
engine 1202.
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A processor 1207 processes the received home system information and organizes
the
information for USP. For example, the processor 1207 may create a
Category/Group
Definition matrix and a Group Assignment matrix that can be used to target
advertisements
to groups of home systems 258 or to an individual home system 258. In an
alternative
embodiment, if subscriber information is available where multiple subscribers
may share a
home system 258, a Group Assignment matrix may be created for each subscriber
who
shares the home system 258. The Category/Group Definition and Group Assignment
matrices will be described later. The Category/Group Definition and Group
Assignment
matrices or organized home system information are then stored in a database
1208, and
are periodically updated as home system information, for example, changes.
The information used by the processor 1207 to create a database of the
Category/Group Definition and Group Assignment matrices includes, for example,
the
home system identifier, subscriber identifier, zip code +4 data, household
income, and age
and sex of the subscribers, for example. The information gathered by the
configuration set-
up system 1205 can come from a variety of sources including marketing
databases, direct
inputs from the subscribers, raw data collected by the subscriber data
collection engine
1202, and other sources. Once the data are collected, the processor 1207 will
assign
category numbers to certain types of the data. For example, the ADI would be
assigned
category 1 and household (HH) income would be assigned category 2. Next, the
configuration set-up system 1205 creates a number of non-overlapping groups
for each
category. For example, ADI can be broken down into Seattle, WA, Washington
D.C.,
Denver CO., Los Angles CA, etc. Similarly, HH income can be broken down into a
number of income groups such as no income, 20-40K, 60-120K, and over 120K.
Then,
the configuration set-up system 1205 assigns a "group mask representation" for
each group
within every category. The group mask representation may be simply a binary
number that
can be used to identify a particular group. Table A shows a completed
Category/Group
Definition matrix that could be used by the ad selection system module 1220 to
assign
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targeted advertising to groups of home systems 258 or to individual home
systems 258.
Table A - Category/Group Definition Matrix
Category CategoryGroup Group DefinitionGroup Mask
Number Name Number Re resentation
S I ADI 1 Seattle, WA 1000000000
2 Washington, D.C.0100000000
3 Denver, CO 0010000000
4 L.os Angeles, 0001000000
CA
2 HH income1 No income 1000000000
2 20-40K 0100000000
3 40-60K 0010000000
4 60-120K 0001000000
3 Category1 Group a 1000000000
x
2 Group b 0100000000
3 Group c 0010000000
4 Group d 0001000000
5 Group a 0000100000
6 Group f 0000010000
The processor 1207 also creates the Group Assignment matrix. The Group
Assignment matrix, shown in Table B, assigns to each home system 258, for each
category,
its corresponding group number. Associated with each group number is the group
definition and the group mask representation. For example, the home system 258
identified
by the address 12311 is assigned group number 2 (i.e., Washington D.C.) for
ADI, and
group number 3 (i.e., 40-60K) for household income. The Group Assignment
matrix is
updated periodically as categories and group definitions change, and as data
related to
individual home systems 258 or groups of home systems 258 change. Many other
ways
of organizing the information in a database for later UP are possible.
The configuration set-up system 1205 also delivers the group configuration
(i.e.,
information specific to an individual home system 258, from the Group
Assignment matrix)
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to each home system 258. For example, the home system 258 assigned the address
12311 is sent category 1, group 2 and group mask representation 01000000000.
Table B Group Assignment Matrix
Category Group Group Definition Group Mask
Address Name Number Re resentation
12311 ADI 2 Washington, D.C. 01000000000
HH income 3 40-60K 00100000000
Category 3 Group c 00100000000
x
12312 ADI 4 LA 00010000000
HH income 3 40-60K 00100000000
Category 1 Group a 10000000000
x
12313 ADI 3 Denver 00100000000
HH income 4 60-120K 00010000000
Category 2 Group b O f 000000000
x
The group configuration command can be stored in the pending commands database
1215
to be transmitted directly to each home system 258 from the operations center
250 the next
time the home system 258 establishes communications with the operations center
250.
Alternately, the group configuration can be broadcast periodically over the
distribution
system 208 for receipt by the home system 258. Each time a group configuration
message
is generated, the message is stored in the pending commands database 1215. Any
time
a home system 258 establishes communications with the operations center 250,
the request
server 1200 or 1300 queries the pending commands database 1215 to ensure that
the
home system 258 has the most recent command. If the home system 258 does not
have
the most recent command, the request server 1200 or 1300 provides the
information to the
home system 258.
Figure 23 shows the ad selection system 1220 in more detail. A resource
management engine 1305 uses information from the available electronic book
metadata
database 1240 and available menu metadata database 1250 to determine the
number of
advertisement spots to be assigned to a given open spot location. A spot
placement engine
1307 decides which advertisement spots to place in open spot locations in an
electronic
book or menu. A group assignment engine 1309 determines which home systems 258
will
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view specific advertisements. The spot placement engine 1307 receives
information from
the resource management engine 1305 related to the number of spots available,
how many
advertisements are to be provided for a given spot, and the actual type of
spots available,
for instance a textual advertisement, a graphical advertisement, and an
advertisement in the
5 form of a video or audio clip. The resource management engine 1305, the spot
placement
engine 1307, and the group assignment engine 1309 will be described later in
more detail.
The resource management engine 1305 functions to divide available delivery
bandwidth among multiple advertisements for a given spot location in an
electronic book
or menu. In the case where the electronic book or menu is being sent to a
single home
10 system 258, and where only one targeted advertisement is selected and
delivered to the
home system 258, the resource management engine 1305 may only identify the
type of
advertisement and available bandwidth for that advertisement. The resource
management
engine 1305 can also support packaging multiple advertisements within a spot,
and have
these advertisements presented to a single subscriber or a group of
subscribers in a
15 predefined sequence, with the advertisement presentation preferably
controlled by
information provided in the retrieval plan. A package of advertisements may be
treated as
a single advertisement for all targeting purposes.
Because there may be a limited amount of network communications bandwidth to
deliver advertisements with electronic books and menus, the resource
management engine
20 1305 may assign the available bandwidth optimally to the spots within the
individual spot
locations of electronic books or menus being delivered over the communication
channels.
Some spot locations may be assigned multiple advertisements, whereas other
spot locations
may be assigned only a single advertisement. Refernng to Table A, four group
numbers
(i.e., 1-4) are shown for the category of targeted advertisement, ADI. For a
particular
25 spot location in an electronic book or menu, the four groups can be divided
into two, one
for each available spot, with groups 1 and 2 receiving the targeted
advertising carried in
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Spot A and groups 3 and 4 receiving the targeted advertising carried in Spot
B. This later
example is shown in Table C.
Table C - Home System Retrieval Plan
Spot LocationCategory AdvertisementsGroups AssignedGroup
of To Retrieve to Mask
TarQetin~ S ecific Ad Assi nment
Spot LocationADI Spot A 1, 2 11000000000
I
S of B 3,4 00110000000
Spot LocationHH IncomeSpot A 1,2,3 11100000000
2
S otB 4 00010000000
Spot LocationCategory Spot A 1,2 11000000000
3 x
S otB 3 00100000000
S of C 4 00010000000
S of D 5 00001000000
S otE 6 00000100000
S of LocationAll S of A All 1111111
4 I 1 I
1
After determining how many spots will be needed for each spot location within
an
electronic book or menu, the resource management engine 1305 may also account
for the
type of available targeted advertisements for display and the variety of
subscribers
(according to group assignment numbers) who may be reading the electronic book
or
menu. An advertiser may provide this information when forwarding
advertisements to the
operations center 250 for insertion.
In an embodiment, the spot placement engine 1307 determines which specific
advertisements are to be placed in each available open spot of the spot
location within an
electronic book or menu. The spot placement engine 1307 first receives the
list of available
advertisements/promotional material from the available ads metadata database
1230. In
cooperation with the resource management engine 1305, the spot placement
engine 1307
then determines which of the available advertisements/promotions should be
placed in a
spot location within the electronic book or menu. For example, if the
preferred category
of targeted advertisement for the spot location 1 is ADI, the spot placement
engine 1307
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will select one or more targeted advertisements from the available ads
metadata database
1230 to place in that spot location. If the demographic or other data
assembled by the
configuration set-up system 1205 indicates that more than one targeted
advertisement
should be placed, depending on the ADI, then the spot placement engine 1307
will select
the appropriate number of targeted advertisements from the available ads
metadata
database 1230, and will assign each targeted advertisement to a specific spot.
The
operation of the spot placement engine 1307 to assign the targeted
advertisements will be
described later in more detail.
In an embodiment, the group assignment engine 1309 receives inputs from the
resource management engine 1305 and the spot placement engine 1307 and then
determines which home systems 258 will view specific targeted advertisements.
Thus, for
each spot location, the group assignment engine 1309 assigns the home systems
258 to one
of the spots. The home systems 258 can be assigned based on their placement
within a
group (i.e., based on their group assignment number) or based on their
individual home
system 258 unit address. In tables B and C, the assignments are shown based on
the
group assignment numbers. As also shown in Table C, the group addressing for a
spot
location is based on a single category of targeted advertising. This may avoid
a conflict
regarding which spot a home system 258 may retrieve.
The group assignment engine 1309 provides an output to the retrieval plan
generator 1275. The output indicates which group assignment numbers (i.e.,
which groups
of home systems 258) are assigned to a spot for a given spot location in a
delivered
electronic book or menu. The retrieval plan generator 1275 then generates a
bit word, or
group mask assignment, that is used to assign the groups to spots. Once
generated, the
retrieval plan is stored in the pending ads database 1278, and is available to
the operations
center 250 to be distributed along with the electronic book or menu and the
actual
advertisements.
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Preferably, the subscriber data collection engine 1202 (see Figures 20, 21)
receives electronic books read data and targeted advertisements viewed data,
from the
home system 258, that may be collected whenever the home system 258
communicates
with the operations center 250. The information is used at the TAMS 298 for
billing
commercial advertisers and may also be used as input for future ad campaigns.
In an embodiment, the ad selection system 1220 provides an advertisement
generation request command to the ad generation system 1260. The advertisement
generation request command specifies which particular advertisement is to be
displayed at
a particular spot, and the actual location of the advertisement. The
advertisement is then
retrieved from the ad storage database 1265 or alternatively, an appropriate
storage
location within the operations center 250. The TAMS-resident advertisements,
along with
the retrieval plan, are provided by the TAMS request server 1200 or 1300 to
the
processor 404 in the operations center 250 over the bus 419 for delivery to
the
appropriate home systems 258.
When a home system 258 receives an electronic book or menu that contains
targeted advertisements, software instructions operating on the home system's
microprocessor 628 analyzes the contents of the retrieval plan. Then, based on
the groups
assigned for each spot, the home system 258 retrieves those spots that match
its own
group assignments for the targeting category being used for the spot location.
The home
system 258 then associates those advertisements retrieved with the appropriate
electronic
book or menu location where the spot will be placed, so that when the
electronic book or
menu is viewed, the advertisement assigned to that spot location is displayed
on the viewer
266.
An example of the process for assigning targeted advertisements in the
embodiment
to spots using the spot placement engine 1307 will now be described. As
discussed
above, targeted advertising uses targeting categories and independent groups
within each
target category to tie three entities together: 1 ) the home system 258; 2)
advertisements;
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and 3) electronic books and menus. The home systems 258 (or viewers 266) are
assigned
to groups for each targeting category by the configuration set-up system 1205
based on
numerous factors. One method to assign the home systems 258 to groups is to
use the zip
code+4 as an index into one of the available demographic marketing databases.
From the
zip code+4 data, a distinct demographic cluster can be determined. The
demographic
cluster can then be mapped directly to the specific group within each
targeting category.
Manual assignment of groups to home systems 258 would be a daunting task for a
large
population of home systems (approaching several million). Therefore, the
processor 1207
in the configuration set-up system 1205 performs this function automatically,
using its
installed software routines. Alternative methods can also be devised to
automatically map
individual home systems 258 to groups within targeting categories. Once each
home
system 258 is mapped to one group for each targeting category, the group
assignments are
delivered to the home system 258 for storage (see Table B).
Next, electronic books and menus, and more specifically, spot locations in
electronic books and menus are tied to groups as well. For each spot location,
a group
breakdown percentage can be defined for each group that represents the likely
compatibility of the content of the electronic book or menu surrounding that
spot location
with each group. This information preferably resides in the available
electronic books
metadata database 1240 and the available menus metadata database 1250. Table D
shows a sample breakdown of these group breakdown percentages for five example
spot
locations for three example targeting categories.
The group breakdown percentage data may be derived from a number of sources
including surveys, ratings services, and electronic books ordered data and
advertisements
viewed data collected by the home systems 258, for example. In this example,
the three
targeting categories are the same as those presented in Table B, and the group
assignment
numbers are the same as those presented in Table A. Thus, targeting categories
1 and 2
each have four groups associated with them, and targeting category 3 has six
groups
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associated with it. For spot location 1, the targeting category 1 refers to
ADI and under
group l, a group breakdown percentage of 25 percent is assigned for group 1
from the
targeting category ADI since 25 percent of the subscribers reside in the
Seattle, WA ADI.
The group breakdown percentages for each targeting category for each spot
location may
5 sum to 100 percent.
Advertisements may also be broken down as to how well an advertisement ranks
with each group within one and up to all possible targeting categories, again
using
percentages. This information may be provided by an advertiser responsible for
the
advertisement and may reside in the available ads metadata database 1230.
Table E
10 shows a sample assignment of ad ranking percentages for eight sample
advertisements
using the
TABLE D - Spot Location Group Breakdown Percentages
Spot locationTarget Group GroupGroup Group Group Group
Category1 2 _ 3 4 5 6
S of Location1 25 25 25 25 N/A N/A
I
1 " 2 30 10 20 40 N/A N/A
5
" 3 10 10 20 20 20 20
S of Location1 10 20 30 40 N/A N/A
2
" 2 25 25 25 25 N/A N/A
" 3 10 15 25 25 15 10
20 S of Location1 40 30 20 10 N/A N/A
3
" 2 80 10 5 5 N/A N/A
" 3 25 25 10 10 15 15
S of Location1 50 0 50 0 N/A N/A
4
" 2 0 40 40 20 N/A N/A
25 " 3 10 10 25 25 15 15
S of Location1 20 30 30 20 N/A N/A
5
" 2 30 30 10 30 N/A N/A
" 3 10 30 10 30 10 10
same targeting categories and group numbers as in Table D. Not all
advertisements may
30 be assigned to groups for a targeting category if an advertiser does not
wish its
advertisement to be targeted in the manner required by that targeting
category.
Referring to Table E, the data indicates that for ad 1, and targeting category
1
(ADn the advertiser believes that ad 1 is appropriate for the subscribers in
groups 1 and
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2 and is not appropriate for the subscribers in groups 3 and 4. The advertiser
also believes
that ad 1 is equally appropriate for both the group 1 and the group 2
subscribers.
However, if the group 1 subscribers are determined to be more likely to
respond to ad 1
than the group 2 subscribers, then group 1 could be given a higher percentage
than group
2. Table E also shows that ad 1 is not applicable to groups 5 and 6 because
only four
groups are defined for the targeting category ADI. Thus, all the home systems
258 will be
grouped into one of groups 1 through 4.
TABLE E - Ad Ranking Percentages
Ad Target Group Group Group Group Group Group
Cate 1 2 3 4 5 6
o
1O Ad 1 50 50 0 0 N/A N/A
1
" 2 30 10 20 40 N/A N/A
" 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ad I 0 0 50 50 N/A N/A
2
" 2 0 0 0 0 N/A N/A
" 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ad 1 0 0 0 0 N/A N/A
3
" 2 25 25 25 25 N/A N/A
" 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ad I 50 0 50 0 N/A N/A
4
2O " 2 0 40 40 20 N/A N/A
" 3 10 30 10 30 10 10
Ad ! 40 20 20 20 N/A N/A
5
" 2 10 30 30 30 NIA N/A
" 3 30 30 30 5 5 0
Ad 1 0 0 0 0 N/A N/A
6
" 2 0 0 0 0 N/A N/A
" 3 10 10 10 10 30 30
Ad I 20 20 40 20 N/A N/A
7
" 2 25 25 25 25 N/A N/A
3O " 3 0 30 20 30 0 20
Ad 1 30 40 0 30 N/A NIA
8
" 2 30 30 10 30 N/A N/A
" 3 20 0 20 20 20 20
Using this paradigm, advertisements can be targeted using at least two
methods.
The first is a designated multi-ad campaign where specific unique sets of
subscriber groups
are assigned for each ad of the campaign. In the second method, each
advertisement
provided by an advertiser is independently associated with subscriber groups.
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Advertisements from several different advertisers are then used together to
optimize use
of spot locations.
Using the information above, the spot placement engine 1307 determines: l )
how
many spots are assigned to which spot location; 2) which targeting category is
used for
which spot location; 3) which advertisements to place in which spots; and 4)
which groups
are assigned to which spots. Due to bandwidth management concerns, the
algorithm in the
spot placement engine 1307 that assigns targeted advertisements to the spots
assumes that
there is a total number of spots available [TOTAL SPOTS] for an overall
electronic book
or menu (across all spot locations), and assumes that no more than some
maximum number
of the spots can be or are desired to be assigned to a given spot location.
This amount is
denoted as [MAX SPOTS]. As described earlier, it is possible to send a package
of
advertisements that are rotated. Although this package is treated as a single
advertisement
for targeting purposes, its impact on bandwidth may be taken into account when
calculating
whether [MAX SPOTS] has been exceeded for a given spot location.
The operation of an embodiment of an advertisement targeting algorithm will be
described with reference to the example values shown in Tables A-E. Various
other
prioritizing or ranking schemes may be used as described later.
Step 1: For each electronic book or menu, determine the advertisement with the
highest overall ranking if that advertisement were the only advertisement to
be placed in a
spot location in an electronic book or menu. In essence, this step compares
the data in
Tables D and E. To do this, as Step 1 a, first select the first spot location
and
advertisement to be analyzed. As Step 1b, for that advertisement selected in
Step la,
select the first category. Then, multiply the advertisement's Group Ranking
Percentage by
the spot location's Group Breakdown Percentage for each group and sum the
result. As
Step 1 c, repeat Step 1 b for the next targeting category. As Step 1 d, repeat
steps 1 b and
lc for each advertisement. As Step 1e, for the spot location under
consideration, select
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the advertisement / targeting category that yields the highest summed value.
Then, for Step
1f, repeat Steps lb-le for all spot locations.
For example, using spot location 1, advertisement 1:
target category l: 50*25 + 50*25 + 0*25 + 0*25
= 25%
target category 2: 30*30 + 10* 10 + 20*20 +
40*40 = 30%
target category 3: 0* 10 + 0* 10 + 0*20 + 0*20
0*20 + 0*20 = 0%
The cross-multiplied result then shows a measure of effectiveness for each
advertisement
if displayed in the corresponding spot location. Table F below presents the
results of Step
1 above for spot location 1.
Table F
Spot CategoryGraLp Grip Grolp GroLpGrip Grdup Sum-
location mation
/
Ad
1 I I 12.5 12.5 0 0 0 0 25
1
2 9 1 4 16 0 0 30
3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 / I 0 0 12.5 12.5 0 0 25
2
2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 / 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3
2 7.5 2.5 5 10 0 0 25
3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 / I 12.5 0 12.5 0 0 0 25
4
2 0 4 8 8 0 0 20
3 1 3 2 6 2 2 16
1 / 1 10 5 5 5 0 0 25
5
2 3 3 6 12 0 0 24
3 3 3 6 1 1 0 14
1 / 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6
2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 1 I 2 2 6 6 18
1 / 1 5 5 10 5 0 0 25
7
2 7.5 2.5 5 10 0 0 25
3 0 3 4 6 0 4 17
1 / 1 7.5 10 0 7.5 0 0 25
8
2 9 3 2 12 0 0 26
3 2 0 4 4 4 4 18
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Step 2: For each spot location, determine the advertisement / targeting
category
combination that results in the highest overall ranking. List the spot
locations, the overall
ranking, the corresponding advertisement, and the corresponding targeting
category. In
case of a tie, select any advertisement with the overall highest ranking.
Table G shows the
results. Thus, from Table G, ad 4, an ad displayed within a spot in spot
location 4 yields
a measure of effectiveness of 50 (highest) and ad 8 along with spot location 5
yields a
measure of effectiveness of 28.
TABLE G
Spot LocationHighest OverallCorrespondingCorresponding
Ranking Ad Tar etin Cate
o
S of Location30 Ad 1 2
1
S of Location35 Ad 2 1
2
S of Location35 Ad 1 1
3
S of Location50 Ad 4 1
4
S of Location28 Ad 8 2
5
Step 3: Order the resulting list of spot locations from Step 2 from lowest
overall ranking to highest overall ranking. Table H shows the results.
TABLE H
Spot LocationOverall CorrespondingCorresponding
Ranking Ad Targeting
Cate ory
S of Location28 Ad 8 2
5
S of Location30 Ad 1 2
1
S of Location35 Ad 2 1
2
S of Location35 Ad 1 1
3
S of Location50 Ad 4 1
4
Step 4: Select the spot location from Step 3 resulting in the lowest overall
ranking. As Step 4a, for the selected spot location, select the first
targeting category. As
Step 4b, assemble a table showing the product of each ad Group Ranking
Percentage and
spot location Group Breakdown Percentage combination. Table I below provides
an
example for spot location 5 and targeting category 1.
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Table I
Spot locationCate- Groupl Group2 Group3 Group4 Sum-
/ orv oration
Ad
5 / 1 1 10 IS 0 0 25
5 / 2 1 0 0 15 10 25
5 / 3 1 0 0 0 0 0
5 / 4 1 10 0 15 0 25
5 / 5 I 8 6 6 4 24
5 / 6 1 0 0 0 0 0
10 5 / 7 1 4 6 12 4 26
5 / 8 1 6 12 0 6 24
As Step 4c, find the product that is the highest. In case of a tie, select the
product
that corresponds to the highest summation value for that spot location / ad
combination.
In case a tie still persists, select any of the cells with an equivalent
value. Table J below
15 shows the previous example continued where group 2 for spot location / ad
combination
5/1 is selected.
TABLE J
Spot locationCate- Groupl Group2 Group3 Group4 Sum-
/ or oration
Ad
20 5 / 1 1 10 *15* 0 0 25
5 / 2 1 0 0 IS 10 25
5 l 3 1 0 0 0 0 0
5 / 4 1 10 0 15 0 25
5 / 5 1 8 6 6 4 24
25 s / 6 I o 0 0 0 0
5 / 7 1 4 6 l2 4 26
5 / 8 1 6 12 0 6 24
Step 5: Find the product that is next highest (or the same value as in Step
4), but
30 that is associated with a group not yet selected. Again, in case of a tie,
select the product
that corresponds to the highest summation value for that spot location / ad
combination.
1n case a tie still persists, select any of the cells with an equivalent
value. Table K below
shows the previous example continued.
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Table K
Spot CategoryGroupl Group2 Group3 Group4
location
/
Ad
S 5 / I *10* *IS* 0 0
1
/ 1 0 0 *15* *10*
2
5 / 1 0 0 0 0
3
5 / 1 10 0 15 0
4
5 / I 8 6 6 4
5
s r I o 0 0 0
6
5 1 1 4 6 12 4
7
5 / I 6 12 0 6
8
Step 6: Repeat Step S until a product has been selected for all groups. Table
L
below continues the example.
1 S Table L
Spot CategoryGroup Group Group 3 Group 4
location 1 2
/
Ad
5 / I 10 15 0 0
I
s / 1 0 0 is to
2
5 / 1 0 0 0 0
3
5 / I 10 0 15 0
4
5 / l 8 6 6 4
5
5 / I 0 0 0 0
6
2S 5 / I 4 6 12 4
7
5 / 1 6 12 0 6
8
Step 7: For all ads with products cells selected in Step 6, calculate the
summed
products of those selected cells for each ad. Table M below show the results.
Table M
Spot locationCategoryGroup Group Group Group Summation
/ 1 2 3 4
Ad
5 / 1 1 l0 l5 0 0 25
5 / 2 1 0 0 15 10 25
-
3S s i 3 i 0 0 0 0 0
5 / 4 1 10 0 15 0 0
5 / 5 1 8 6 6 4 0
5 / 6 t 0 0 0 0 0
5 / 7 1 4 6 12 4 0
S / 8 I 6 12 0 G 0
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Step 8: Order the ads in Step 7 from highest summed value to lowest. In case
of a tie, arbitrarily order those ads with the same summed value. Table N
presents the
example results.
Table N
Spot locationCategoryGroup Group Group Group Summation
/ 1 2 3 4
Ad
/ I I 10 15 0 0 25
5 / 2 1 0 0 15 10 25
Step 9: As Step 9a, if the number of ads selected in Step 8 exceeds
[MAX_SPOTS], select the first [MAX_SPOTS) advertisements with the summed
value.
For example, if it is desired to assign at most two spots to a spot location,
the algorithm
selects the two advertisements with the highest ad Group Ranking Percentage
and spot
location Group Breakdown Percentage products. Next, as Step 9b, for the
unselected
ads, determine those groups that were associated with these omitted ads.
Step 10: For the advertisements associated with the groups determined in Step
9b, select the product within that group that is the highest for the
[MAX_SPOT] selected
ads from Step 9a. Recalculate the summed products of those selected groups
cells for
each of the ads. Table O below provides a new example, assuming [MAX SPOTS] _
2; therefore, groups 5 and 6, which are associated with ad 6, may be
reallocated to ads
7 & 5, respectively.
Table O
Spot CategoryGroupGroup Group3Group4GroupsGroup6Sum-
location 1 2 mation
/Ad
5 / 3 0 *9* 2 *9* 0 2 18
7
5 / 3 *3* 9 *3* 1.5 0.5 0 6
5
5 / 3 1 3 1 3 *3* *3* 6
6
Before Step 10
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Spot Cate-Group GroupGroup3 Group4GroupsGroup6Sum-
locationgory 1 2 mation
/
Ad
5 / 3 0 *9* 2 *9* 0 *2* 20
7
5 / 3 *3* 9 *3* 1.5 *0.5* 0 6.5
5
5 / 3 I 3 1 3 3 3 0
6
After Step 10
Step 11: Calculate the total summed product value for all ads selected in Step
10.
From Table P, this value is 26.5. The resultant groups selected for each ad
will serve as
the group assignments if this spot location / targeting category ultimately
results in the best
match, as determined in the remaining steps of the algorithm.
Table P
Spot Cate- Group GroupGroup3Group4 GroupsGroup6Sum-
locationgory 1 2 mation
5 /
Aa
5 / 3 0 *9* 2 *9* 0 *2* 20
7
5 / 3 *3* 9 *3* 1.5 *0.5* 0 6.5
5
Total 26.5
summed
product
values
Step 12: Repeat steps 4-11 above for the same selected spot location of Step
4 using the remaining target categories. The Table Q example below provides
the output
results.
Table Q
Spot Cate-goryGroupl Group2 Group3 Group4Sum-
location mation
/
Ad
5 / 1 *10* *15* 0 0 25
I
5 / l 0 0 *15* *10* 25
2
50
Total
summed
roduct
values
Spot Cate- Group GroupGroup Group4Groups Group6Sum-
locationgory 1 2 3 mation
/
Ad
5 / 2 *9* 3 2 *12* 0 0 21
1
5 / 2 0 *12* *4* 6 0 0 16
4
Total 37
~ summed
product
values
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Spot Cate- GroupGroup GroupGroup4Groups Group6 Sum-
locationgory 1 2 3 mation
/
Ad
/ 7 3 0 *9* 2 *9* 0 *2* 20
5 / 5 3 *3* 9 *3* 1.5 *0.5* 0 6.5
Total 26.5
summed
product
values
Step 13: Select the targeting category that yields the highest total summed
product amount. Assign this as the Maximum Rank for that electronic book or
menu. In
the case above, it would be Targeting Category 1, with a value of 50 that is
selected.
Step 14: Repeat Steps 4-13 for the spot location selected in Step 4 with the
next
lowest overall ranking, computing the Maximum Rank for each spot location.
Step 15: Use the available [MAX_SPOTS] spots for the spot locations up to the
maximum number of [TOTAL_SPOTS] that yield the largest Maximum Rank. Make use
of the relevant targeting category determined in Step 13, with advertisements
as determined
in Step 10, with group assignments as determined in Step 11.
Step 16: For all other spot locations, assign the single advertisement that
yielded
the highest Overall Ranking as determined in Step 2.
The above algorithm is meant to be illustrative and not limiting. Other
algorithms
are possible for assigning targeted advertising to groups of home systems 258
or to
individual home systems 258. For example, the above algorithm could
incorporate a
weighting scheme for certain factors. Other targeted advertising routines can
also be
incorporated into the above algorithm.
The above algorithm can be simplified in the case where advertisements are
being
selected to be delivered with an electronic book or menu to be received by a
single
subscriber. In this case, prior to initiating the steps in the algorithm, the
spot location Group
Breakdown Percentages table is modified to display a group breakdown
percentage of 0
for all groups that the subscriber does not belong to for each targeting
category.
An alternate advertisement targeting routine 1374 is described in U.S. Patent
5,600,364, which is hereby incorporated by reference. In this alternative,
software in the
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ad selection system 1220 generates packages of advertisements geared towards
particular
subscribers and makes use of a subscriber's demographic information and
reading habits
to determine those advertisements that are of most interest to that particular
subscriber.
The routine 1374 then outputs packages of advertisements targeted towards each
subscriber or group of subscribers.
Figure 24 shows the seven primary functions of an alternate advertisement
targeting
routine 1374. The function of the routine 1374 is to target advertisements for
systems 258
based on historical electronic books read data and other data that is
available at the TAMS
298. In the discussion that follows, the alternate advertisement targeting
routine 1374 is
10 described as executed at the TAMS 298.
The process may be initiated as shown at initiation ellipse 1420. In the first
subroutine, identified at block 1422, the processor 404 accesses the
electronic books read
matrices stored in the subscriber information database 1210. The first
subroutine 1422
uses a unique home system 258 >D to access a specific matrix for one home
system 258.
15 These matrices are maintained and updated by periodic collections by the
operations center
250 of accumulated information from the home systems 258.
In the second subroutine, shown at block 1424, the processor 404 develops
other
matrices based on other available information. The second subroutine 1424 is
an optional
subroutine not required for the functioning of the system. For groups of home
systems 258
20 or for each individual home system 258, matrices may be developed based on
the
demographic information, billing information, pricing information, age
information and other
information that may be stored in the subscriber information database 1210.
In the process matrices subroutine, block 1426, the processor 404 processes
all
matrices through a set of correlation algorithms. In particular, the processor
404 takes
25 matrices developed in the first two subroutines 1422 and 1424 and processes
the matrices
until reaching a final matrix.
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Figure 25 shows an embodiment of the matrices processing subroutine 1426 that
is called by the advertisement targeting sequence 1374 shown in Figure 24. As
shown in
Figure 25, the processor 404 initiates the matrices processing subroutine 1426
at initiation
ellipse 1427 and then accesses or queries, at block 1429, the electronic books
read file
and gathers information regarding either an individual subscriber or a group
of subscribers.
The processor 404 can gather the electronic books read information in this way
for
individual subscribers or a group of subscribers.
Once the electronic books read information has been gathered in the database,
the
processor 404 selects and groups, at block 1430, electronic books read based
on
electronic book categories and time periods. The software initially takes each
electronic
book category (e.g., sports, news, mysteries, etc.) and determines the number
of electronic
books read for a given time. The periods may be set to any length of time,
including, for
example, one, two, three or four weeks. The processor 404 will loop through
such a
counting process for each group and period and then proceed to build an
electronic books
read matrix, at block 1432, based on the electronic book categories and
periods.
Essentially, all electronic books read in a particular category and time
period will be
entered into the electronic books read matrix. Once the matrix has been built,
the
processor 404, using matrices processing subroutine 1426, will process the
matrix for a
given subscriber or group of subscribers through the correlation algorithms.
A number of correlation algorithms may be used to weight each selected
electronic
book category. For example, as shown at block 1434, the processor 404 may use
a sum
of squares algorithm to determine the weighting. Once weighted, the weighted
categories
will be correlated by the processor 404 at block 1436, with various
advertisements stored
in the available ads metadata database 1230. The processor 404 then selects a
set of the
most heavily weighted advertisements for inclusion within the electronic books
to be
delivered to individual subscribers or groups of subscribers. Having
determined the
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weightings of each group and prioritizing the groups accordingly, the
processor 404 returns
to the advertisement targeting sequence 1374 of Figure 24.
Referring back to Figure 24, in the fourth subroutine, as represented at block
1428, the processor 404 uses the final matrix developed by the correlation and
weighing
algorithm described above, to select a grouping (or selective filter) for each
home system
258. The final groupings of advertisement that may be sent to the home systems
258 or
group of home systems 258 may use a subroutine as diagramed in Figure 26.
The fourth subroutine 1428 depicted in Figure 26 is called or initiated by the
advertisement targeting sequence 1374 of Figure 24 in order to determine the
final
groupings. In the subroutine shown at block 1444, the processor 404 selects a
set of
advertisements that will be used in the chosen groupings. This selection
process may
involve advertisements from various advertisement categories. Each
advertisement may
subsequently be assigned a number of times that it will be shown in a given
electronic book,
block 1446. The frequency of display may be based on various factors,
including the
number of requests and cost paid by the respective advertisers to have the
advertisement
displayed. Such factors may be used by the processor 404 in the next step of
the
subroutine, at block 1448, at which the processor 404 assigns a weighting to
specific
advertisements in each advertisement category. These weightings are used to
prioritize the
advertisements that will be sent to individual home systems 258 or group of
home systems
258.
Once the advertisements have been weighted, the processor 404 executes a
correlation algorithm, at block 1450, using selected criteria (i.e., the
various factors used
to weight the advertisements) as well as the output of each electronic books
read matrix.
Any number of correlation algorithms and weighting algorithms may be used,
including the
sum of squares weighting algorithm described above.
The results from the correlation algorithm subsequently determine the
advertisements and electronic book content that is sent to the processor 404
for
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distribution. Once the processor 404 at the fourth subroutine 1428 completes
these steps,
the subscriber information database 1210 updates the subscriber record based
on the ads
that are sent, as shown at block 1454. The database update allows the
advertisers to track
the costs and frequency of the advertisements targeted to specific home
systems 258 or
groups of home systems 258. Following the updates, the processor 404 returns
to the
advertisement targeting sequence shown in Figure 24, block 1456.
Referring to Figure 27, home system 258 groupings ( 1 through S) 1460 are
shown.
The number of home system 258 groupings available may be determined by the
bandwidth
available to transmit advertisements along with electronic books. The
bandwidth of the
system may limit the number of advertisements that are available to the home
system 258.
Referring back to Figure 24, the processor 404 at the fifth subroutine,
represented
at block 1466, prepares home system 258 group information for transmission to
the home
systems 258 along with the requested electronic books.
In the sixth subroutine, block 1468, the processor 404 selects the targeted
advertisements. The sixth subroutine 1468 is the last decision making process
in displaying
a targeted advertisement for a subscriber. As shown in block 1469, the home
system 258
then displays the targeted advertisement on the viewer 266. As noted above,
targeted
advertising can be based on reading a specific electronic book or a category
of electronic
books. In an embodiment, the home system 258 performs this last step by
correlating (or
matching) the electronic book being read by the subscriber with the home
system 258
group information that has been previously transmitted by the TAMS 298. Figure
27
shows an exemplary table matching home system 258 groups 1460 and electronic
book
category being read 1470 with a specific advertisement. The advertisements are
shown
in Figure 28 at 1474 and are assigned Roman numerals I through X, for example.
The
number of home system 258 groupings and advertisements can vary. Figure 28
shows a
division of available bandwidth to carry ten advertisements. In this example,
the
advertisements 1474 are numbered 101-110.
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The TAMS 298 will transmit group information to a home system 258 shown as
row names 1460 on Figure 27. The TAMS 298 will also transmit data that informs
the
home system 258 which of the multiple advertisements 1474 is assigned to an
electronic
book category shown as columns 1470 on Figure 27. Each home system 258 only
requires the data related to that home system's assigned group (or row). For
example, in
Figure 27, the home system 258 in group 1 (row 1) is provided with data on the
advertisements which are assigned for sports electronic books as I, children's
electronic
books as IV and mystery category electronic books as III. In this manner, each
home
system 258 is only required to store information related to its own grouping.
Therefore,
a home system 258 that is in group 1 only needs to store the information
related to group
1 that is found in row 1 of Figure 27.
Figure 29 shows a software program flow 1490 that is an alternative to the ad
selection system 1220 targeting routine 1374, depicted in Figure 24. The
alternative
routine 1490 allows each home system 258 to be individually targeted with
specific
advertisements and is initiated automatically, as shown at block 1492, by the
TAMS 298
upon receipt of an electronic book order request from a home system 258. Thus,
once
the TAMS 298 receives electronic book request information from a home system
258, the
TAMS 298 begins the process of selecting a package of advertisements that is
based on,
among other things, that subscriber's demographic information and reading
history.
Upon receipt of an electronic book order request from a home system 258, the
processor 404 reads the home system 258 identifier, as shown at block 1494,
and the
electronic books requested. The subscriber data collection engine 1202 writes
information
on the electronic books requested to the subscriber information database 1210,
updating
the subscriber record that contains listings of all electronic books requested
within the past
week, month or year.
With continued reference to Figure 29, the ad selection system 1220 then calls
a
subroutine that sorts the electronic books requested by electronic book
category, block
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1498. In turn, the electronic book categories are sorted, as shown at block
1500, based
on the number of times that electronic books appearing in each particular
category are
requested. In so doing, processor 404, using the sorting subroutine as shown
at block
1500, determines and ranks those electronic books and electronic book
categories that are
5 most frequently viewed at that home system 258.
All rankings of electronic books and electronic book categories for that home
system 258 are written to the subscriber information database 1210, as shown
at block
1502.
Next, the ad selection system 1220 calls a subroutine, shown at block 1504,
that
10 correlates the updated subscriber record with the available advertisement
metadata
database 1230. By correlating these two with one another, the subroutine
assigns or
correlates various categories of advertisements to each ranking of electronic
books and
electronic book categories. The categories of advertisements that may be so
assigned are
found in the available advertisement metadata database 1230 and may include:
(1)
15 Household Goods/Products, (2) Home Improvement and Maintenance, (3)
Personal
Hygiene, (4) Entertainment Items and Events, (5) Sporting Goods and Events,
(6) Motor
Vehicles and Related Products, (7) Foodstuffs and Beverages, and (8)
Miscellaneous, for
example. Where, for example, the subscriber has read a sporting electronic
book, the
Sporting Goods and Events, Home Improvement and Maintenance categories may be
20 assigned to that particular sporting eventlelectronic book and Sports
electronic book
category.
Once the electronic books and electronic book categories are correlated with
the
advertisement categories in the available advertisement metadata database
1230, the
processor 404 calls a sorting subroutine 1506 that ranks the correlated
advertising
25 categories based on other information in the database files. In one
embodiment, this
ranking is primarily based on data in the updated subscriber information
database 1210,
as shown at block 1506. By using data on the subscriber's past electronic book
selections
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and demographic information, the processor 404 ranks the correlated categories
of
advertisements according to those likely to be of most interest to that
subscriber.
After the advertisement categories have been sorted and ranked, the processor
404 selects the top three advertisement categories as the targeted categories
for a given
electronic book and subscriber, block 1508. Individual advertisements are then
chosen
from the available advertisements metadata database 1230, with all selections
made from
the targeted categories, at block 1510. The advertisements that are selected
are written
to the subscriber information database 1210 and to the ad generation system
1260, from
where advertising packages can be generated, at block 1 S 12, for ultimate
delivery to the
home system 258.
The teams and descriptions used herein are set forth by way of illustration
only and
are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the act will recognize that
numerous variations
are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the
following claims.
