Update process for interface device based targeted information insertion
Advertisements or other types of targeted information are delivered to set-top boxes or other user interface devices of a signal distribution system. In one aspect of the invention, at least one multicast update comprising updated targeted information is sent to the user interface devices during a multicast update period. If a given one of the user interface devices is unable to obtain a complete set of the updated targeted information from the multicast update before timeout of the multicast update period, a unicast update comprising at least a portion of the updated targeted information is sent to the given user interface device during a unicast update period. The unicast update may be sent responsive to a request from the given user interface device for a designated portion of the updated targeted information.
1. A method of delivering targeted information to user interface devices in a signal distribution system, the method comprising the steps of:
sending at least one multicast update comprising updated targeted information to the user interface devices during a multicast update period; and
if a given one of the user interface devices is unable to obtain a complete set of the updated targeted information from the multicast update before timeout of the multicast update period, sending a unicast update, comprising at least a portion of the updated targeted information, to the given user interface device during a unicast update period;
wherein a first multicast update period is used for a first group of the user interface devices and a second multicast update period different than the first multicast update period is used for a second group of the user interface devices.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving a request from the given user interface device for a designated portion of the updated targeted information that was previously sent in said at least one multicast update, wherein the unicast update comprises the requested designated portion of the updated target information and is sent responsive to the request.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the targeted information comprises a plurality of advertisements targeted to the user interface devices.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface devices are configured to download the updated targeted information from the multicast update only when said devices are in a specified mode of operation.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the user interface devices are configured to download the updated targeted information from the multicast update only when said devices are in respective non-viewing modes of operation.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the portion of the updated targeted information sent to the given user interface device in the unicast update comprises that portion of the updated targeted information that the given user interface device is unable to download from the multicast update when in its non-viewing mode of operation.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending at least one multicast update comprising updated targeted information to the user interface devices during a multicast update period further comprises sending said multicast update in a plurality of rounds with each round including the same set of updated targeted information.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein each of the rounds comprises a particular sequence of updated targeted advertisements.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the portion of the updated targeted information sent to the given user interface device in the unicast update comprises particular ones of the updated targeted advertisements that the given user interface device is unable to download from said at least one multicast update.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the multicast update is sent during designated periods of time and the unicast update is sent outside of said designated periods of time.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface devices are arranged in the first and second groups based on demographic information.
12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having executable program code embodied therein wherein the program code when executed in a processing device causes the processing device to perform the steps of the method of claim 1 .
13. An apparatus for updating targeted information stored by user interface devices in a signal distribution system, the apparatus comprising:
a processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory;
wherein the processing device is operative to send at least one multicast update comprising updated targeted information to the user interface devices during a multicast update period, and if a given one of the user interface devices is unable to obtain a complete set of the updated targeted information from the multicast update before timeout of the multicast update period, to send a unicast update, comprising at least a portion of the updated targeted information, to the given user interface device during a unicast update period;
wherein a first multicast update period is used for a first croup of the user interface devices and a second multicast update period different than the first multicast update period is used for a second croup of the user interface devices.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the processing device comprises an advertising server coupled to the user interface devices via a network element comprising at least one of a router and a switch.
15. A method of updating targeted information stored by a user interface device in a signal distribution system, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving periodic multicast updates of the targeted information in the user interface device;
generating a request for a designated portion of updated targeted information that was previously sent in one or more of the periodic multicast updates; and
receiving a unicast update, comprising the designated portion of the updated targeted information, in the user interface device responsive to the request;
wherein said user interface device is associated with a first group of user interface devices and further wherein the user interface device is configured to receive the periodic multicast updates in a first multicast update period, the first multicast update period being different than a second multicast update period used for a second group of user interface devices.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the user interface device is configured to download updated targeted information from the periodic multicast updates only when said device is in a non-viewing mode of operation.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the designated portion of the updated targeted information requested by the user interface device comprises that portion of the updated targeted information that the user interface device is unable to download from the periodic multicast updates when in the non-viewing mode of operation.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having executable program code embodied therein wherein the program code when executed in a processing device causes the processing device to perform the steps of the method of claim 15 .
19. An interface device for use in a signal distribution system, the interface device comprising:
a memory;
a processor coupled to the memory; and
interface circuitry configured to receive targeted information from a network element of the signal distribution system;
wherein the interface device is configured to receive periodic multicast updates of the targeted information, to generate a request for a designated portion of updated targeted information that was previously sent in one or more of the periodic multicast updates, and to receive a unicast update comprising the designated portion of the updated targeted information responsive to the request; and
wherein the interface device is associated with a first group of interface devices and further wherein said interface device is configured to receive the periodic multicast updates in a first multicast update period, the first multicast update period being different than a second multicast update period used for a second group of user interface devices.
20. The interface device of claim 19 wherein said interface device comprises a set-top box of the signal distribution system.