Patent ID: 7730509

Claim:
A method of delivering targeted assets to users of a broadcast network, wherein each user has a user equipment device, the method comprising the steps of: operating a processor, at a user equipment device, to obtain: 1) current user originated information limited to a single current programming selection by a user or a single current programming status of the user equipment device; 2) network originated information constituting the entirety of any targeting information transmitted to said user equipment device from said broadcast network related to matching one or more targeted assets to said user, said network originated information specifically including any information identifying a characteristic of a desired audience for any one of said targeted assets and any information identifying a characteristic or group association of said user; and 3) processor inferred information, inferred by said processor by analyzing a series of inputs or events over time by using a nonlinear adaptive filter or probabilistic modeling at said user equipment device, constituting information for enabling said processor to make a choice from among candidate assets, for playing at a given asset delivery opportunity; receiving, at said user equipment device, broadcast information directed to network subscribers, the broadcast information including a plurality of assets, each one of said assets being available as an option for playing at said given asset delivery opportunity; operating said processor at said user equipment device to make a choice without further user intervention, using said processor inferred information in combination with said user originated information and said network originated information, from among said plurality of assets available for playing at said given asset delivery opportunity wherein an aggregate audience size for an asset is dependent on choices by processors at user equipment devices of network users; and transmitting report information from said user equipment device to a platform of said broadcast network, said report information constituting said choice by said processor at said equipment device using said processor inferred information such that said report information can be used to determine said aggregate audience size for said asset based on actual reported playing information.