SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INSERTING ADS DURING PLAYBACK OF VIDEO MEDIA

• US 20080307454A1
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo AD Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Boes, Todd, Ahanger, Gulrukh, Murnikov, Pavel, Hammond, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,307,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

The solution of the ad delivery platform described herein provides for the marketing and monetizing of media assets via the delivery of advertisement with on-demand video. The ad platform optimizes the delivery of ads by controlling the insertion frequency and format of the ad delivered with video streams. The ad platform provides flexible and configurable ad insertion rules to specify the insertion frequency and format for the composition of ads during playback of on-demand video media. The ad insertion rules may be based on a user profile, user behavior history, topic of the stream to be delivered, duration of the video or ad, and/or the popularity rating of the video or ad. The ad platform includes a reporting tool and usage reports to measure the effectiveness of the ad insertion rules in delivering ads to market and monetize the video media. The ad platform also includes an ad inventory management and forecasting tool for determining the available inventory of ad placement based on data collected over a period of time regarding the delivery of ads and the ad insertion rules to be used for the delivery of a desired ad. With these tools, a more effective ad campaign can be created based on the target information and optimization via the ad insertion rules.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an ad during a playback of a video media at an insertion point during playback specified by an ad insertion rule and using a format for the ad specified by the ad insertion rule, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a request to playback a video media;

(b) identifying an ad insertion rule associated with the video media, the ad insertion rule specifying an insertion point during playback of the video media to display an ad and a format for displaying the ad at the insertion point;

(c) determining a point during playback of the video media corresponding to the insertion point specified by the ad insertion rule; and

(d) displaying the ad at the determined point during playback of the video media using the format for the ad specified by the ad insertion rule.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising specifying, via the ad insertion rule, a frequency for a plurality of insertion points.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising specifying, via the ad insertion rule, a frequency for displaying an ad during playback of the video media based on a length of the video media.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein step (c) comprises determining the point during playback of the video media corresponds to a period of time indicated by the frequency.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising specifying, via the ad insertion rule, a format displaying an ad during playback of the video media based on a length of the video media.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising specifying, by the ad insertion rule, one of a length for displaying the ad, a location of the ad, or a type of ad.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein step (c) comprises displaying the ad for the length specified by the ad insertion rule based on the length of the requested video media.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein step (c) comprises displaying the ad at the location specified by the ad insertion rule based on the length of the requested video media.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein step (c) comprises displaying one of the following types of ads responsive to the ad insertion rule:

gateway, interstitial, bumper, context positioning, a spot, a bug, telescoping, interactive video, video curtains, video roadblocks, ticker lay, and shadow ad.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising identifying a user requesting playback of the video media, and obtaining one of a profile or a behavior history of the identified user.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising obtaining via the profile of the identified user one or more of the following information:

name, age group, topics of interest, gender, geographic location, ethnic background, household income, education level, and children in household.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising obtaining via the behavior history of the identified user one or more of the following information:

average viewing period, trend in popular topics, number of streams, days and hours of streaming, and Internet protocol address mapping to location.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising obtaining via the behavior history of the identified user one or more of the following user actions on a media player:

mute, pause, restart, full screen, mid point viewing, complete viewing, fast forward, rewind, mouse over, hover, user initiated play via a click through.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) comprises determining the point in playback of the video media corresponding to the insertion point specified by the ad insertion rule based on one of the profile or the behavior history of the identified user.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein step (d) comprising one of displaying the ad at a location, for a length of time or having a predetermined type based on one of the profile or the behavior history of the identified user.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising identifying the popularity rating of one of the video media requested for playback or the ad specified by the ad insertion rule associated with the requested video media.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising identifying the popularity rating based on a number of views of the video media.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein step (c) comprise determining the point during playback of the video media corresponding to the insertion point specified by the ad insertion rule based on the identified popularity rating.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising one of increasing or decreasing a frequency of ads displayed during playback of the video media based on determining the identified popularity rating is one of greater than or less than a predetermined threshold.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein step (d) comprising one of displaying the ad at a location, for a length of time or having a predetermined type based on the identified popularity rating.

21. A method for dynamically inserting an ad during playback of a video media based on an action of a user via a media player, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a request by a user to playback a video media via a media player;

(b) identifying an ad insertion rule associated with a video media, the ad insertion rule specifying an insertion point for displaying an ad during playback of the video media based on one or more actions of a user via the media player during a playback session of the video media;

(c) detecting one or more actions of the user via the media player during the playback session of the video media; and

(d) determining a point during playback of the video media corresponding to the insertion point specified by the ad insertion rule based on the detected one or more actions of the user; and

(e) displaying the ad specified by the ad insertion rule at the point during playback of the video media based on the determination.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein step (c) comprises detecting a length of time of the playback session is one of greater than or less than a predetermined length of time.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein step (c) comprises detecting the user has taken one or more of the following actions via the media player:

mute, pause, restart, full screen, fast forward, and rewind.

24. The method of claim 21, comprising changing one of a frequency of ad insertion or format of the ad based on the detected one or more actions of the user.

25. The method of claim 21, comprising changing one of a location of the ad or a length of time for displaying the ad based on the detected one or more actions of the user.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein step (e) comprises comprising one of displaying the ad at a location, for a length of time or having a predetermined type based on the detected one or more actions of the user.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the playback session comprises a user'"'"'s session with a web site.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the playback session comprises a user'"'"'s session with the media player.

29. A method for dynamically displaying an ad into a playback of a video media based on actions of a user at a web site providing the video media, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a request by a user to playback a video media via a web site;

(b) identifying an ad insertion rule with a video media, the ad insertion rule specifying an insertion point for displaying an ad during playback of the video media based on one or more actions of the user at a web site;

(c) detecting one or more actions of the user at the web site; and

(d) determining a point during playback of the video media corresponding to the insertion point specified by the ad insertion rule based on the identified one or more actions of the user; and

(e) displaying the ad specified by the ad insertion rule at the point during playback of the video media based on the determination.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein step (c) comprises detecting a length of the user'"'"'s visit at the web site is one of greater than or less than a predetermined length of time.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein step (c) comprises detecting a type of content the user viewed at the web-site.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein step (c) comprises detecting a user interface element selected by the user at the web-site.

33. The method of claim 29, comprising changing one a frequency of ad insertion or format of the ad based on the detected one or more actions of the user at the web-site.

34. The method of claim 29, comprising changing one a location of the ad or a length of time for displaying the ad based on the detected one or more actions of the user at the web-site.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein step (e) comprises comprising one of displaying the ad at a location, for a length of time or having a predetermined type based on the detected one or more actions of the user at the web-site.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the user'"'"'s visit to the web-site comprises a playback via a media player.