Capturing information using set-top box for advertising insertion and/or other purposes
Various embodiments of how information about viewers of content provided via a set-top box can be captured, used to identify one or more of the viewers, and insert advertising into content viewed using the set-top box. The captured information can be used for other purposes.
1. A set-top box comprising:
an access network interface to communicatively couple the set-top box to an access network; and
a display device interface to communicatively couple the set-top box to a display device;
wherein the set-top box is configured to capture information about a viewer;
wherein the set-top box is configured to generate a viewer profile for the viewer based on the captured information;
wherein the set-top box is configured to infer an attribute, preference, or segment of the viewer based on the captured information stored in the viewer profile, the attribute, preference, or segment of the viewer includes at least one of: a sex of the viewer, a race of the viewer, a nationality of the viewer, a native language of the viewer, an occupation of the viewer, a hobby of the viewer, a disease of the viewer, a marital status of the viewer, a health condition of the viewer, a financial condition of the viewer, a consumer preference of the viewer, a dietary preference of the viewer, a political preference of the viewer, a religious preference of the viewer, a primary content preference of the viewer, and an advertising preference of the viewer;
wherein the set-top box is configured to determine the accuracy of the attribute, preference, or segment of the viewer by comparing the inferred attribute, preference or segment to a customer profile;
wherein the set-top-box configured to generate a correlation coefficient for each inferred attribute, preference, or segment, the correlation coefficient based on the accuracy of the inferred attribute, preference or segment to a viewer profile;
wherein the set-top box is configured to update the viewer profile for the viewer with the determined correlation coefficients for each of the inferred attribute, preference, or segment;
wherein the set-top-box is configured to select advertising content based on one or more ad profiles, each of the one or more ad profiles including match criteria, the match criteria indicating a desired attribute, preference, segment, or correlation coefficient, the selecting of advertising content includes:
the set-top box configured to determine the match criteria of at least one of the one or more ad profiles matches one or more of the inferred attribute, preference, segment, or generated correlation coefficient of the viewer profile;
wherein the set-top box is configured to receive, from the access network coupled to the set-top box, primary content and the selected advertising content; and
wherein the set-top box is configured to play the primary content on the display device with the selected advertising content inserted therein.
2. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the set-top box is at least one of: implemented as a part of a home gateway and implemented as a standalone device.
3. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein multiple display devices are coupled to the set-top box.
4. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein at least one display device is coupled to the set-top box via a local area network.
5. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the access network communicatively coupled to the set-top box comprises at least one of: a cable network, a public switched telephone network, a passive optical network, a cellular wireless network, an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum network, an Internet Protocol network, an Internet network, and satellite network.
6. The set-top box of claim 1 , further comprising a tuner configured to select primary content for playing on the display device.
7. The set-top box of claim 6 , wherein the tuner comprises at least one of a cable television tuner, a satellite television tuner, and a streaming content tuner.
8. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the display comprises at least one of a television and a computer monitor.
9. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the primary content comprises at least one of video content, audio content, image content, and text content.
10. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the advertising content comprises at least one of video content, audio content, image content, and text content.
11. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the set-top box is configured to display a user interface for the set-top box on the display device.
12. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the set-top box is configured to receive input for a user interface of the set-top box via at least one of a remote control, a mobile application executing on a mobile device, and input device of the set-top box.
13. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the set-top box is configured to interact with a mobile application running on a mobile device in order to provide a user interface for the set-top box.
14. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the set-top box is configured to capture differentiated information about individual ones of a plurality of viewers of the display device; and
wherein the advertising content is selected based, at least in part, on the captured differentiated information about individual ones of a plurality of viewers of the display device.
15. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the set-top box is configured to communicate the information captured by the set-top box to an aggregation entity, the aggregation entity receiving information from a plurality of other service provider set-top boxes of one or more other service provider users to generate one or more user group profiles, wherein the one or more of the user group profiles is used to update the viewer profile.
16. The set-top box of claim 15 , wherein the updated viewer profile is used for selecting the advertising content.
17. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the information captured by the set-top box is used in suggesting primary content to be viewed by the viewer.
18. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein advertising content is selected by at least one of: the set-top box and an entity deployed outside of the set-top box; and
wherein the selected advertising content is inserted into the selected primary content at least one of: at the set-top box and at an entity deployed outside of the set-top box.
19. The set-top box of claim 1 , further comprising at least one camera sensor;
wherein the information captured by the set-top box comprises camera imaging information captured using the camera imaging sensor.
20. The set-top box of claim 19 , wherein the camera imaging information captured using the camera imaging sensor is used to identify individual viewers using camera physical attribute recognition.
21. The set-top box of claim 1 , further comprising at least one thermal imaging sensor;
wherein the information captured by the set-top box comprises thermal imaging information captured using the thermal imaging sensor.
22. The set-top box of claim 21 , wherein the thermal imaging information captured using the thermal imaging sensor is used to identify individual viewers using thermal physical attribute recognition.
23. The set-top box of claim 1 , further comprising at least one microphone;
wherein the information captured by the set-top box comprises audio information captured using the microphone.
24. The set-top box of claim 23 , wherein the audio information captured using the microphone is used to identify individual viewers using voice recognition.
25. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein an inference made based, at least in part, on the information captured by the set-top box is confirmed using additional information.
26. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein an inference made based, at least in part, on the information captured by the set-top box is confirmed using at least one of:
the set-top box;
a remote control associated with the set-top box; and
a mobile application associated with the set-top box, the mobile application running on a mobile device.
27. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the set-top box is configured to offer the viewer at least one of the following in exchange for providing additional information about the viewer: promotional primary content and a promotional service upgrade.
28. The set-top box of claim 27 , wherein the additional information provided by the viewer is used to confirm an inference made based, at least in part, on the information captured by the set-top box.
29. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the set-top box is configured to capture information about the viewer that is not based on the viewer logging into an account.
30. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the information captured by the set-top box comprises at least one of:
identification information indicative of an identity of the viewer;
engagement information indicative of engagement of the viewer with at least one of the advertising content and the primary content; and
viewing information indicative of viewing by the viewer of at least one of the advertising content and the primary content.
31. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the set-top box is provided by a service provider that provides an additional communication service to a home in which the set-top box is installed;
wherein information captured by the service provider in connection with providing the additional communication is combined with the information captured by the set-top box; and
wherein a combination of the information captured by the service provider in connection with providing the additional communication service and the information captured by the set-top box is used in connection with at least one of:
selecting advertising content provided via the set-top box;
selecting advertising content provided via the additional service;
identifying the viewer;
inferring at least one attribute of the viewer; and
confirming an inference made based on only one of the information captured by the service provider in connection with providing the additional communication service and the information captured by the set-top box.
32. The set-top box of claim 31 , wherein the additional services comprise at least one of: Internet service, landline telephone service, home security monitoring service, Internet-of-Things (IoT) service, and cellular service.
33. The set-top box of claim 31 , wherein the information captured by the service provider in connection with providing the additional communication comprises at least one of: an Internet Protocol address that is accessed using the additional communication service, a telephone number that is called, or called from, using the additional communication service, and a service that is accessed using the additional communication service.
34. The set-top box according claim 1 , comprising:
the set-top box configured to determine the match criteria of at least two of the one or more ad profiles matches one or more of the inferred attribute, preference, segment, or generated correlation coefficient of the viewer profile; and
the set-top box configured to rank the two or more ad profiles that match the viewer profile, wherein the ranking is based on a strength of the match or an amount an advertiser associated with ad profile pays for the ad to be played.
35. A method comprising:
capturing, by a set-top box, information about a viewer using the set-top box to display primary content;
generating, by the set-top box, a viewer profile for the viewer based on the captured information;
inferring, by the set-top box, an attribute, preference, or segment of the viewer based on the captured information stored in the viewer profile, the attribute, preference, or segment of the viewer includes at least one of: a sex of the viewer, a race of the viewer, a nationality of the viewer, a native language of the viewer, an occupation of the viewer, a hobby of the viewer, a disease of the viewer, a marital status of the viewer, a health condition of the viewer, a financial condition of the viewer, a consumer preference of the viewer, a dietary preference of the viewer, a political preference of the viewer, a religious preference of the viewer, a primary content preference of the viewer, and an advertising preference of the viewer;
determining, by the set-top box, the accuracy of the attribute, preference, or segment of the viewer by comparing the inferred attribute, preference or segment to a customer profile;
generating, by the set-top box, a correlation coefficient for each inferred attribute, preference, or segment, the correlation coefficient based on the accuracy of the inferred attribute, preference or segment to a viewer profile;
updating, by the set-top box, the viewer profile for the viewer with the determined correlation coefficients for each of the inferred attribute, preference, or segment;
selecting, by the set-top box, advertising content based on one or more ad profiles, each of the one or more ad profiles including match criteria, the match criteria indicating a desired attribute, preference, segment, or correlation coefficient, the selecting of advertising content includes:
determining, by the set-top box, the match criteria of at least one of the one or more ad profiles matches one or more of the inferred attribute, preference, segment, or generated correlation coefficient of the viewer profile;
receiving, by the set-top box, from an access network coupled to the set-top box, primary content and the selected advertising content; and
playing, using the set-top box, the primary content with the selected advertising content inserted therein.
36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the set-top box is at least one of: implemented as a part of a home gateway and implemented as a standalone device.
37. The method of claim 35 , wherein multiple display devices are coupled to the set-top box.
38. The method of claim 35 , wherein at least one display device is coupled to the set-top box via a local area network.
39. The method of claim 35 , wherein capturing, by the set-top box, the information about the viewer using the set-top box to display primary content comprises capturing differentiated information about individual ones of a plurality of viewers using the set-top box;
wherein the advertising content is selected based, at least in part, on the captured differentiated information about individual ones of a plurality of viewers of the display device.
40. The method of claim 35 , the information captured by the set-top box is communicated to an aggregation entity, the aggregation entity receiving information from a plurality of other service provider set-top boxes of one or more other service provider users to generate one or more user group profiles, wherein the one or more of the user group profiles is used to update the viewer profile.
41. The method of claim 40 , wherein the updated viewer profile is used for selecting the advertising content.
42. The method of claim 35 , wherein the information captured by the set-top box is used in suggesting primary content to be viewed by the viewer.
43. The method of claim 35 , wherein advertising content is selected by at least one of: the set-top box and an entity deployed outside of the set-top box; and
wherein the selected advertising content is inserted into the selected primary content at least one of: at the set-top box and at an entity deployed outside of the set-top box.
44. The method of claim 35 , further comprising at least one camera sensor;
wherein the information captured by the set-top box comprises camera imaging information captured using the camera imaging sensor.
45. The method of claim 44 , wherein the camera imaging information captured using the camera imaging sensor is used to identify individual viewers using camera physical attribute recognition.
46. The method of claim 44 , wherein the thermal imaging information captured using the thermal imaging sensor is used to identify individual viewers using thermal physical attribute recognition.
47. The method of claim 35 , wherein the information is captured by the set-top box comprises thermal imaging information captured using a thermal imaging sensor in the set-top box.
48. The method of claim 35 , wherein the information captured by the set-top box comprises audio information captured using a microphone in the set-top box.
49. The method of claim 48 , wherein the audio information captured using the microphone is used to identify individual viewers using voice recognition.
50. The method of claim 35 , wherein an inference made based, at least in part, on the information captured by the set-top box is confirmed using additional information.
51. The method of claim 35 , wherein an inference made based, at least in part, on the information captured by the set-top box is confirmed using at least one of:
the set-top box;
a remote control associated with the set-top box; and
a mobile application associated with the set-top box, the mobile application running on a mobile device.
52. The method of claim 35 , further comprising offering the viewer at least one of the following in exchange for providing additional information about the viewer: promotional primary content and a promotional service upgrade.
53. The method of claim 52 , wherein the additional information provided by the viewer is used to confirm an inference made based, at least in part, on the information captured by the set-top box.
54. The method of claim 35 , wherein the set-top box is configured to capture information about the viewer that is not based on the viewer logging into an account.
55. The method of claim 35 , wherein the information captured by the set-top box comprises at least one of:
identification information indicative of an identity of the viewer;
engagement information indicative of engagement of the viewer with at least one of the advertising content and the primary content; and
viewing information indicative of viewing by the viewer of at least one of the advertising content and the primary content.
56. The method of claim 35 , wherein the set-top box is provided by a service provider that provides an additional communication service to a home in which the set-top box is installed;
wherein information captured by the service provider in connection with providing the additional communication is combined with the information captured by the set-top box;
wherein a combination of the information captured by the service provider in connection with providing the additional communication service and the information captured by the set-top box is used in connection with at least one of:
selecting advertising content provided via the set-top box;
selecting advertising content provided via the additional service;
identifying the viewer;
inferring at least one attribute of the viewer; and
confirming an inference made based on only one of the information captured by the service provider in connection with providing the additional communication service and the information captured by the set-top box.
57. The method of claim 56 , wherein the additional services comprise at least one of: Internet service, landline telephone service, home security monitoring service, Internet-of-Things (IoT) service, and cellular service.
58. The method of claim 56 , wherein the information captured by the service provider in connection with providing the additional communication comprises at least one of: an Internet Protocol address that is accessed using the additional communication service, a telephone number that is called using the additional communication service, and a service that is accessed using the additional communication service.
59. The set-top box according to claim 1 , wherein the attribute, preference, or segment of the viewer is inferred using machine learning.
60. The method according to claim 35 , wherein the attribute, preference, or segment of the viewer is inferred using machine learning.
61. The method according to claim 35 , comprising:
determining the match criteria of at least two of the one or more ad profiles matches one or more of the inferred attribute, preference, segment, or generated correlation coefficient of the viewer profile; and
ranking the two or more ad profiles that match the viewer profile, wherein the ranking is based on a strength of the match or an amount an advertiser associated with ad profile pays for the ad to be played.