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EP-4742682-A1 - PERSONALIZED MULTICAST CONTENT

EP4742682A1EP 4742682 A1EP4742682 A1EP 4742682A1EP-4742682-A1

Abstract

A user device (15) may be arranged to control insertion of personalized content into multicast content. The user device may be arranged for sending a request to a personalized content provider system (12) and receiving personalized content in response to the request, and may further be arranged for storing a personalized content token (25). The request for personalized content may only be sent if the user device stores a personalized content token. In an embodiment, the request for personalized content may only be sent if the user device stores a personalized content token having at least one predetermined property.

Inventors

  • SCHINKEL, Dolf
  • HAVEKES, ANTON

Assignees

  • Koninklijke KPN N.V.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20180425

Claims (7)

  1. A method for a subscriber management system to control insertion, by user devices, of personalized content into multicast content, wherein each user device comprises a network interface configured to send a request for the personalized content only if the user device stores a token, the method comprising: - receiving first data indicative of an available bandwidth on a communication channel between a personalized content provider apparatus and a plurality of user devices, - receiving second data indicative of an average size of a personalized content item, - determining, by comparing the first data and the second data, a maximum number of user devices that can receive personalized content items, and - storing personalized content tokens at a number of user devices not exceeding the determined maximum number of user devices - the personalized content tokens indicating permission to request and/or receive personalized content.
  2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the personalized content tokens have at least one predetermined property.
  3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one predetermined property comprises a token identification number.
  4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the at least one predetermined property comprises a user profile.
  5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the user profile is associated with the user device.
  6. A computer readable medium comprising non-transitory data representing instructions which allow a processor to carry out the method according to any of the preceding claims.
  7. A subscriber management system for controlling providing personalized multicast content to a plurality of user devices, each user device comprising: - a network interface configured to o receive multicast content from the multicast content provider system, o send a request for personalized content to a personalized content provider system, and o receive personalized content from a personalized content provider system in response to the request, - a processor configured to insert the personalized content into the multicast content, and - a token storage configured to store a personalized content token, the processor further being configured to: - check whether the token storage stores a personalized content token, and - cause the network interface to send the request only if the token register stores the personalized content token, wherein the subscriber management system comprises: - an input interface configured for receiving first data indicative of an available bandwidth on a communication channel between a personalized content provider and a plurality of user devices, and for receiving second data indicative of an average size of a personalized content item, - a processor configured for determining, by comparing the first data and the second data, a maximum number of user devices that can receive personalized content items, and - an output interface configured for sending personalized content tokens to a number of user devices not exceeding the determined maximum number of user devices - the personalized content tokens indicating permission to request and/or receive personalized content.

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to personalized multicast content. More in particular, the present invention relates to a method for a user device, such as a set-top box, to control insertion of personalized content into multicast content, and a method for a personalized content provider to provide personalized television content to user devices. Background of the Invention It is known to obtain personalized content via the Internet. When a user browses the Internet, she may receive personalized advertisements. These personalized advertisements may be selected automatically on the basis of cookies on the user's device, and/or on the basis on the user's Internet address. When using the Internet, personalized advertisements and other content may be downloaded together with other content via the same download channel. Advertising on television is also widely known: television programs may contain time slots for inserting advertisements. However, television advertisements are broadcast to a large number of viewers and are normally not personalized. In large countries, such as the USA, the advertisements inserted into television programs may be geographically determined, that is, viewers in California may watch different advertisements than viewers in Massachusetts. Still, all viewers in California will watch the same advertisements. It is, therefore, desirable to be able to provide personalized television advertisements which may not, or not only, depend on the location of the viewer but which may depend on the preferences of the viewer, for example. The viewer's preferences may be determined, for example, by registering which television programs a viewer typically watches. It is obvious that if the television advertisements are geared towards the user's preferences, the advertisements will be more effective. Instead of, or in addition to personalized advertisements, other personalized content may be offered to television viewers. Providing personalized television content is complicated by the fact that a television content distributor normally broadcasts television content to a large number of viewers, so that all viewers receive the same content. Personalizing television content at the television content distributor involves replacing broadcast content per viewer or group of viewers, thus creating multiple parallel broadcast channels. It will be clear that personalizing television content at the television content distributor is not readily scalable and is therefore limited to a coarse personalization, providing only a limited number of viewer groups with different television content. It is possible to obtain personalized television content from a personalized television content distributor, such as an advertisement distributor. However, a personalized television content provider uses a different channel from the television content distributor. While the television content distributor may use a broadcast channel to transmit the broadcast television content to the user devices, the personalized television content provider may use another channel, such as a so-called backchannel, to transmit information to the user devices. While the broadcast channel may be designed to transmit large amounts of data and therefore may have a large bandwidth, the bandwidth of a backchannel may be limited, as it is primarily designed for transmitting control data. Transmitting a single television advertisement over a backchannel may be feasible, but transmitting thousands of different advertisements over the backchannel simultaneously may not feasible, and may lead to unacceptable delays. Even if the television content distributor and the personalized content distributor are the same, two or more different channels having different bandwidths may be used, and the problem of transmitting large amounts of different personalized content items over a channel having a limited bandwidth remains. Summary of the Invention The invention aims to solve these and other problems of the prior art by providing a method to control insertion by a user device of personalized content into multicast content, which user device comprises a network interface configured for receiving multicast content from a multicast content provider system, sending a request for personalized content to a personalized content provider system, receiving personalized content from a personalized content provider system in response to the request; a processor configured for inserting the personalized content into the multicast content; and a token storage configured for storing a personalized content token; wherein the method comprises checking whether the token storage stores a personalized content token, and sending the request for personalized content only if the token storage stores the personalized content token. By sending a request for personalized content only if the user device stores a personalized content token, the amount of personalized co