Interactive television targeted message system
View Patent ↗An interactive television system is provided in which targeted messages may be sent to users. The interactive television system may use an interactive television program guide or other interactive applications to provide interactive television services to users. An e-mail or other messaging application may be used to receive the messages. The messaging application may be separate from the program guide or other interactive television application or may be part of the program guide or other interactive television application. Messages may be targeted based on the television channels to which the user subscribes or based on which settings the user has established in the program guide or other application or based on any other suitable criteria.
1. A method of targeting messages to a user of a media application, the method comprising:
receiving a message from a server, wherein the message has associated targeting criteria indicating that the message is to be displayed only to subscribers of a particular media programming service who meet particular viewing activity specifications;
accessing a database to retrieve user information, wherein the retrieved user information includes user subscription information and user viewing activity information, wherein the user viewing activity information includes settings selected by the user in the media application for ordering products and media programming services;
determining, with a processor, whether the user is a subscriber to the particular media programming service by comparing the targeting criteria and the retrieved user subscription information;
determining, with the processor, whether the user meets the particular viewing activity specifications by comparing the settings selected by the user for ordering products and media programming services and settings identified by the particular viewing activity specifications; and
generating the message for display to the user in response to determining that: (i) the targeting criteria match the retrieved user subscription information and (ii) the settings selected by the user for ordering products and media programming services match the settings identified by the particular viewing activity specifications.
2. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the user viewing activity information further includes settings selected by the user in the media application for at least one of: a reminder to view a media program, a favorite setting, a parental control setting, and a setting to record a media program.
3. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the generating the message for display comprises generating the message for display using a set-top box.
4. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the generating the message for display comprises generating the message for display using a digital video recorder.
5. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the comparing the targeting criteria and the retrieved user subscription information uses boolean logic terms.
6. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the determining whether the user meets the particular viewing activity specifications includes determining that the user is not a subscriber to a second particular media programming service.
7. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the user information includes settings selected by the user using another media application.
8. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the message includes audio and video.
9. A system for targeting messages to a user of a media application, comprising:
user equipment configured to:
receive a message from a server, wherein the message has associated targeting criteria indicating that the message is to be displayed only to subscribers of a particular media programming service who meet particular viewing activity specifications, and
access a database to retrieve user information, wherein the retrieved user information includes user subscription information and user viewing activity information, wherein the user viewing activity information includes settings selected by the user in the media application for ordering products and media programming services; and
a processor that determines, whether the user is a subscriber to the particular media programming service by comparing the targeting criteria and the retrieved user subscription information, and whether the user meets the particular viewing activity specifications by comparing the settings selected by the user for ordering products and media programming services and settings identified by the particular viewing activity specifications,
wherein the processor generates the message for display to the user on the user equipment in response to determining that (i) the targeting criteria match the retrieved user subscription information and (ii) the settings selected by the user for ordering products and media programming services match the settings identified by the particular viewing activity specifications.
10. The system defined in claim 9 , wherein the user viewing activity information further includes settings selected by the user in the media application for at least one of: a reminder to view a media program, a favorite setting, a parental control setting, and a setting to record a media program.
11. The system defined in claim 9 , wherein the processor generates the message for display using a set-top box.
12. The system defined in claim 9 , wherein the processor generates the message for display using a digital video recorder.
13. The system defined in claim 9 , wherein the processor compares the targeting criteria and the retrieved user subscription information at least by using boolean logic terms.
14. The system defined in claim 9 , wherein the processor determines whether the user meets the particular viewing activity specifications at least by determining that the user is not a subscriber to a second particular media programming service.
15. The system defined in claim 9 , wherein the user information includes settings selected by the user using another media application.
16. The system defined in claim 9 , wherein the message includes audio and video.