Abstract:
A method for providing an advertisement service includes the steps of: receiving an identification code of a personal networked device via a network from a client end; obtaining a user preference datum corresponding to the identification code from a user preference database; searching an advertisement data platform according to the user preference datum to select one or more recommended advertisements; transmitting the recommended advertisements via the network to the client end; and displaying the recommended advertisements on a networked TV (television) or the personal networked device of the client end.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This Application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 101142755 filed on Nov. 16, 2012, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The disclosure generally relates to an advertisement service system, and more particularly, relates to an advertisement service system for selecting display contents consistent with user preferences. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    For traditional TV (television) advertising, most advertisements are ineffective because viewers may not pay any attention to them. Nowadays, personal networked advertisement systems generally provide personalized advertisements via a GPS (Global Positioning System) and an on-line network of a networked device (including search records and advertisement click records). However, the advertisement information is messy and the viewers may not be interested. To solve the foregoing problem, it is a critical challenge for advertisers to design suitable personalized/grouped network advertisements for users, enhancing the effectiveness of advertisements at a reasonable cost. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    In one exemplary embodiment, the subject application is directed to an advertisement service system, comprising: a client end, comprising: a networked TV (television); a personal networked device, providing an identification code; and a client transceiver unit, transmitting the identification code; a network; and a server end, communicating with the client end via the network, and comprising: a server transceiver unit, receiving the identification code; a TV/network advertisement and program database; an advertisement data platform; a user preference database, providing a user preference datum corresponding to the identification code; and a user behavior analysis unit, searching the advertisement data platform according to the user preference datum to select one or more recommended advertisements, wherein the server transceiver unit further transmits the recommended advertisements via the network to the client transceiver unit, and the networked TV or the personal networked device is configured to display the recommended advertisements. 
         [0007]    In another exemplary embodiment, the subject application is directed to a method for providing an advertisement service, comprising the steps of: receiving an identification code of a personal networked device via a network from a client end; obtaining a user preference datum corresponding to the identification code from a user preference database; searching an advertisement data platform according to the user preference datum to select one or more recommended advertisements; transmitting the recommended advertisements via the network to the client end; and displaying the recommended advertisements on a networked TV (television) or the personal networked device of the client end. 
         [0008]    In one exemplary embodiment, the subject application is directed to a non-transitory  computer-readable medium storing a computer program product operable to perform operations comprising: receiving an identification code of a personal networked device via a network from a client end; obtaining a user preference datum corresponding to the identification code from a user preference database; searching an advertisement data platform according to the user preference datum to select one or more recommended advertisements; transmitting the recommended advertisements via the network to the client end; and displaying the recommended advertisements on a networked TV (television) or the personal networked device of the client end. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a diagram for illustrating an advertisement service system according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a diagram for illustrating an advertisement service system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart for illustrating a method for providing an advertisement service according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    In order to illustrate the purposes, features and advantages of the invention, the embodiments and figures thereof in the invention are shown in detail as follows. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a diagram for illustrating an advertisement service system  100  according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the advertisement service system  100  comprises a client end  110 , a network  120 , and a server end  130 . The network  120  may be a wired network or a wireless network, for example, an Ethernet, an optical fiber network, a Wi-Fi network, or a mobile wireless network. The server end  130  communicates with the client end  110  via the network  120 . The client end  110  at least comprises a networked TV (television)  111 , at least one personal networked device  112 , and a client transceiver unit  113 . The server end  130  comprises a server transceiver unit  131 , a TV/network advertisement and program database  132 , a user preference database  133 , a user behavior analysis unit  134 , and an advertisement data platform  135 . The TV/network advertisement and program database  132  stores some predetermined TV/network advertisements and programs, and schedules thereof. Note that “unit”, “platform”, and “database” of the disclosure may be implemented with software (e.g., computer codes) or hardware (e.g., integrated circuits, ICs). 
         [0015]    The advertisement service system  100  may be operated as follows. The personal networked device  112  provides an identification code. In some embodiments, the identification code is a device identification code or an IP (Internet Protocol) address. The identification code is used to distinguish the personal networked device  112 . The client transceiver unit  113  transmits the identification code via the network  120  to the server transceiver unit  131 . The user behavior analysis unit  134  looks up the user preference database  133  according to the identification code, and the user preference database  133  provides a user preference datum corresponding to the identification code. In some embodiments, the user preference database  133  may store a plurality of historical user preference data, for example, a first identification code corresponding to the preference for foods, a second identification code corresponding to the preference for travel, and a third identification code corresponding to the preference for mobile technology, etc. Next, the user behavior analysis unit  134  searches the advertisement data platform  135  according to the user preference datum to select one or more recommended advertisements. In some embodiments, the advertisement data platform  135  may store a variety of advertisements, and the selected recommended advertisements are consistent with the user preference datum. Then, the server transceiver unit  131  further transmits the recommended advertisements via the network  120  to the client transceiver unit  113 . The networked TV  111  or the personal networked device  112  is configured to display the recommended advertisements. In some embodiments, the recommended advertisements may be TV advertisements, or application program advertisements of mobile devices. 
         [0016]    In the invention, the advertisement service system  100  selects appropriate display contents according to the user preference datum. For example, a restaurant advertisement is transmitted to a user having the preference for foods, a traveling group advertisement is transmitted to a user having the preference for travel, and a tablet computer advertisement is transmitted to a user having the preference for mobile technology. Under this customized design, the advertisement effectiveness is enhanced, thus, saving ineffective advertising costs. In a preferred embodiment, the personal networked device  112  is a mobile device, for example, a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a notebook computer. Since the server end  130  selects the recommended advertisements according to an identification code of a mobile device, the invention is not limited by the location where the user lives, and may be applied to different locations. 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a diagram for illustrating an advertisement service system  200  according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 2 , a client end  210  of the advertisement service system  200  further comprises a user behavior detection unit  114 , a user behavior filter unit  115 , an account login unit  116 , and a location detection unit  117 . 
         [0018]    The user behavior detection unit  114  is configured to detect user behavior information related to the personal networked device  112 . The user behavior information may comprise historical watching behavior information, on-line network behavior information, and social network behavior information. In some embodiments, the user behavior detection unit  114  is a set-top box or a remote controller, and is arranged for detecting channel-selection records of a user. In some embodiments, the user behavior detection unit  114  is an application program built in a mobile device or a smart TV, and is arranged for detecting browsing records and posting records of a user on a social website (e.g., Facebook or Google+). The client transceiver unit  113  may further transmit the user behavior information via the network  120  to the server transceiver unit  131 . The user behavior analysis unit  134  may update the user preference database  133  according to the user behavior information. For example, if the personal networked device  112  providing a first identification code brows some travel websites, the user preference database  133  can further store the first identification code corresponding to the preference for travel. The user behavior analysis unit  134  may further search the advertisement data platform  135  according to the user behavior information to select the recommended advertisements. 
         [0019]    The account login unit  116  is configured to receive social relationship information and personal information. In some embodiments, the account login unit  116  is an application program built in a mobile device or a smart TV, and the application program is used for receiving an account and a password of a social website (e.g., Facebook or Google+) and for accordingly receiving the social relationship information and the personal information. The client transceiver unit  113  may further transmit the social relationship information and the personal information via the network  120  to the server transceiver unit  131 . The user behavior analysis unit  134  may update the user preference database  133  according to the social relationship information and the personal information. For example, if the personal networked device  112  providing a first identification code logs into travel groups of a social website, the user preference database  133  can further store the first identification code corresponding to the preference for travel. The user behavior analysis unit  134  may further search the advertisement data platform  135  according to the social relationship information and the personal information to select the recommended advertisements. 
         [0020]    In some embodiments, the client end  210  may selectively include the location detection unit  117 . The location detection unit  117  is configured to detect location information of the personal networked device  112 . In some embodiments, the location detection unit  117  is a GPS (Global Positioning System) module of the personal networked device  112 . The client transceiver unit  113  may further transmit the location information via the network  120  to the server transceiver unit  131 . The user behavior analysis unit  134  may update the user preference database  133  according to the location information. The user behavior analysis unit  134  may further search the advertisement data platform  135  according to the location information to select the recommended advertisements. For example, if the personal networked device  112  providing a first identification is located in Taipei, the user behavior analysis unit  134  can select some Taipei restaurant advertisements as the recommended advertisements. 
         [0021]    In some embodiments, the networked TV  111  is a smart TV, and the personal networked device  112  is integrated as an inner component of the smart TV  111 . 
         [0022]    In some embodiments, the client end  210  may selectively include the user behavior filter unit  115 . The user behavior filter unit  115  is configured to analyze and filter the user behavior information and other information from the personal networked device  112 , the user behavior detection unit  114 , the account login unit  116 , and the location detection unit  117 , so as to remove irrelevant information. Accordingly, the user behavior filter unit  115  can help to reduce the computational burden of the user behavior analysis unit  134  of the server end  130 . 
         [0023]    In some embodiments, the client end  210  further comprises a plurality of personal networked devices  112 , and the personal networked devices  112  provide a plurality of identification codes. After the identification codes are transmitted to the server end  130 , the user behavior analysis unit  134  looks up the user preference database  133  according to the identification codes, and the user preference database  133  provides a grouped user preference datum corresponding to the identification codes. In some embodiments, the grouped user preference datum is an intersection of a plurality of user preference data corresponding to the identification codes. In some embodiments, the grouped user preference datum is a union of the plurality of user preference data corresponding to the identification codes. The user behavior analysis unit  134  may search the advertisement data platform  135  according to the grouped user preference datum to select the recommended advertisements. In other words, the invention is not only applied to personalized advertisement services but also generalized grouped advertisement services. The advertisement service system  200  may display grouped recommended advertisements for a group of users having specific preferences in front of the networked TV  111 . Other features of the grouped advertisement service are similar to those in the embodiments of  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , and will not be illustrate again herein. 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart for illustrating a method for providing an advertisement service according to an embodiment of the invention. To begin, in step S 310 , an identification code of a personal networked device is received via a network from a client end. In step S 320 , a user preference datum corresponding to the identification code is obtained from a user preference database. In step S 330 , an advertisement data platform is searched according to the user preference datum to select one or more recommended advertisements. In step S 340 , the recommended advertisements are transmitted via the network to the client end. Finally, in step S 350 , the recommended advertisements are displayed on a networked TV (television) or the personal networked device of the client end. Note that every detailed feature in the embodiments of  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  may be applied to the method for providing the advertisement service in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0025]    The method of the invention, or certain aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of a program code (i.e., executable instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as floppy diskettes, CD-ROMS, hard drives, or any other machine-readable storage medium, wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine thereby becomes an apparatus for practicing the methods. The methods may also be embodied in the form of a program code transmitted over some transmission medium, such as electrical wiring or cabling, through fiber optics, or via any other form of transmission, wherein, when the program code is received and loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the disclosed methods. When implemented on a general-purpose processor, the program code combines with the processor to provide a unique apparatus that operates analogously to application specific logic circuits. 
         [0026]    Use of ordinal terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements. 
         [0027]    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the invention. It is intended that the standard and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the disclosed embodiments being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.