Internet multimedia advertisment insertion system selection architecture

• US 20040093394A1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Weber, Barry Jay, Calvert, Kerry Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,548,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Architecture is provided for selecting an ad insertion system/server (30) from a plurality of ad insertion systems/server for receiving broadcast transmissions and inserted advertisements. A gateway (710), as part of the architecture, selects an ad insertion system (30), in accordance with a developed client profile and a network factor associated with the communication performance of the ad insertion system. The gateway associates the developed profile with a client (32), and the gateway (710) receives information relating the network factor from at least one ad insertion system (30). The gateway (710) also ascertains the casting services (IP multicasting, IP multicasting proxy, and IP unicasting) supported by client (32). The ad insertion system (30) may use the information about the supported casting services, with a developed client profile and a network factor for selecting an ad insertion system (30).

Claims

1. A system for selecting an ad insertion system (30) from a plurality of ad insertion systems for receiving broadcast transmissions and inserted advertisements, the system comprising:

a gateway (710) determining a selected ad insertion system (30) from said plurality of ad insertion systems in accordance with a developed client profile and at least one network factor associated with ad insertion system communication performance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said gateway (710) associates said developed profile with a client (32).

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said developed client profile is a demographic profile of said client (32).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said gateway (710) receives information relating to said at least one network factor from at least one ad insertion system from said plurality of ad insertion systems.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said at least one network factor is at least one of:

network latency time, distance to said at least one ad insertion system (30) from said gateway (710), responsiveness of a streaming media broadcast encoded at different playback speeds, responsiveness of said streaming media broadcast encoded at different bit rates, number of servers used to communicate a packet between said gateway (710) and said at least one ad insertion system (30), and delay in buffering said steaming media broadcast.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said gateway (710) is at least one of:

a root server, a domain name server (DNS), a program server, a web server, a device supporting client services as a streaming media broadcast, and a program written in a browser complaint format.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said gateway (710) resides in said at least one ad insertion system (30).

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said gateway (710) resides in an accessing means of said client (32), wherein said accessing means comprises at least one of:

a browser, a personal computer with a modem, a set top box with a connection to the Internet, or an Internet enabled device with a network interface.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said gateway (710) ascertains that a client (32) supports casting services that transfer data packets over a communications network, said casting services comprising at least one of:

IP multicasting, IP multicasting proxy, and IP unicasting.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said gateway (710) determines said selected ad insertion system in accordance with said casting services supported by said client.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said gateway (710) updates said inserted advertisements of said at least one ad insertion system.

12. A method for selecting an ad insertion system from a plurality of ad insertion systems for receiving broadcast transmissions and inserted advertisements, the method comprising:

determining a selected ad insertion system from said plurality of ad insertion systems in accordance with a developed client profile and at least one network factor associated with ad insertion system communication performance.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising an additional step of:

associating said developed profile with a client.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said developed client profile is a demographic profile of said client.

15. The method of claim 12, comprising an additional step of:

receiving information related to said at least one network factor from at least one ad insertion system from said plurality of ad insertion systems.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said at least one network factor comprises at least one of:

network latency time, distance to said at least one ad insertion system from said gateway, responsiveness of a streaming media broadcast encoded at different playback speeds, responsiveness of said streaming media broadcast encoded at different bit rates, number of servers used to communicate a packet between said gateway and said at least one ad insertion system, and delay in buffering said steaming media broadcast.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said determination is preformed by a gateway.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said gateway is at least one of:

a root server, domain name server (DNS), program server, web server, device supporting a client services as a streaming media broadcast, and a program written in a browser complaint format.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said gateway resides in said at least one ad insertion system.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said gateway resides in an accessing means of said client, wherein said accessing means comprises at least one of:

a browser, a personal computer with a modem, a set top box with a connection to the Internet, or an Internet enabled device with a network interface.

21. The method of claim 12, comprising the additional step of:

ascertaining that a client supports casting services that transfer data packets over a communications network, said casting services comprising at least one of;

IP multicasting, IP multicasting proxy, and IP unicasting.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said determination of said selected ad insertion system uses information relating to said casting services supported by said client.

23. The system of claim 12, wherein said gateway updates said inserted advertisements of said at least one ad insertion system.