Contextual television advertisement delivery

• US 20080229354A1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Barrett, Peter, Sloo, David, Morris, Ronald A., Ludvig, Ted, Lin, Wieyang
• Granted Patent: US 8,375,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Various technologies for delivering contextual television advertisement are described. A user selection of a media title is received. The media title has an associated set of contextual metadata that includes information regarding the media title. A request for the media title is forwarded to a first server and an advertisement request including the set of contextual metadata is forwarded to a second server. The second server uses the set of contextual metadata to retrieve contextual television advertisement information. The contextual television advertisement information and the media title are received from the second server and the first server respectively. Also, the contextual television advertisement information and the media title are played.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a user selection of a media title associated with a set of contextual metadata;

forwarding a request for said media title to a first server;

forwarding an advertisement request including said set of contextual metadata to a second server, and wherein said second server utilizes said set of contextual metadata to retrieve contextual television advertisement information;

receiving said contextual television advertisement information from said second server;

receiving said media title from said first server;

playing said contextual television advertisement information; and

playing said media title.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

on said contextual television advertisement information, displaying an option for playing an extended version of said contextual television advertisement information;

receiving a user selection of said option;

forwarding a request for said extended version of said contextual television advertisement information to said second server;

receiving said extended version of said contextual television advertisement information; and

playing said extended version of said contextual television advertisement information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

on said contextual television advertisement information, displaying a purchase option for purchasing a product associated with said contextual television advertisement information;

receiving a user selection of said purchase option;

forwarding a purchase request to a third server;

forwarding payment information to said third server; and

receiving confirmation information regarding said purchase request from said third server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon completion of said media title, displaying said contextual television advertisement information; and

on said contextual television advertisement information, displaying an option for purchasing a movie contextually associated with said media title.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said contextual television advertisement information includes an option that when selected immediate terminates said contextual television advertisement information and automatically proceeds to playing said media title.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said contextual television advertisement information is played immediately prior to playing of said media title.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said contextual television advertisement information is played immediately after playing of said media title.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said media title is a first motion picture, wherein said contextual television advertisement information is a trailer for a second motion picture, and wherein said first motion picture is contextually related to said second motion picture.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said contextual television advertisement information illustrates a product that appears in said media title.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps, comprising:

receiving an advertisement request from a client device, wherein said advertisement request includes a set of contextual metadata associated with a media title;

correlating said set of contextual metadata with targeted advertisement information; and

forwarding said targeted advertisement information to said client device.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said targeted advertisement information is a video advertisement.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said targeted advertisement information is a still advertisement.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said set of contextual metadata includes demographic information of a user.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said set of contextual metadata includes order history information of a user.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said set of contextual metadata includes geographic information of a user.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said set of contextual metadata includes a user'"'"'s navigational history.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said set of contextual metadata describes a media title information.

18. A contextual television advertisement delivery system, comprising:

a client device configured for playing a media title, wherein said media title is associated with a set of contextual metadata;

an advertisement server communicatively coupled with said client device; and

an advertisement targeting engine communicatively coupled with said advertisement server, wherein if an advertisement request including said set of contextual metadata is received from said client device, then said advertisement server utilizes said advertisement targeting engine to select an advertisement that correlates to said set of contextual metadata, and wherein once said advertisement is selected, said advertisement is forwarded to said client device.

19. The contextual television advertisement delivery system of claim 18, wherein said client device includes a set-top box.

20. The contextual television advertisement delivery system of claim 18, wherein said media title is a Video On Demand (VOD) movie, and wherein said advertisement targeting engine utilizes an association table to map VOD movie categories with VOD advertisement categories.