Architecture for Scaling Just-in-Time Placement of Advertising Content

• US 20090031339A1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Triton US VP Acquisition, Co.
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pickens, John, Mick, John R. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• 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 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method comprises determining ad placement times for each of a plurality of associated streams. The method also comprises determining an ad selection request time for each of a plurality of ad selection requests based on a cumulative effect of any other ad selection requests occurring at substantially the same time as the determined ad selection time. Each of the plurality of ad selection requests corresponds to one of the plurality of ad placement times.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a plurality of ad placement times for each of a plurality of associated streams; and

determining an ad selection request time for each of a plurality of ad selection requests, based on a cumulative effect of any other ad selection requests occurring at substantially the same time as the determined ad selection request time, each of the plurality of ad selection requests corresponding to one of the plurality of ad placement times.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the plurality of ad placement times; and

updating the ad selection request time for each of the plurality of ad selection requests.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically updating the plurality of ad placement times; and

periodically updating the ad selection request time for each of the plurality of ad selection requests.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating one of the plurality of ad placement times when a user interactivity event is discovered on the associated stream; and

updating the ad selection request time for each of the plurality of ad selection requests, responsive to the updating one of the plurality of ad placement times.

5. The method for claim 1, further comprising:

updating one of the plurality of ad placement times upon a determination that an expected linear ad placement event was not received as expected; and

updating the ad selection request time for each of the plurality of ad selection requests, responsive to the updating one of the plurality of ad placement times.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first time for a first one of the plurality of ad selection requests;

determining a number of the any other ad selection requests occurring at substantially the same time as the first time;

if the determined number approaches a maximum ad signaling capacity, determining whether requesting an ad selection at the first time will exceed the maximum ad signaling capacity; and

if requesting the ad selection at the first time will exceed the maximum ad signaling capacity, assigning a second time, which occurs before the first time, to the first one of the ad selection requests.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first time for a first one of the plurality of ad selection requests;

determining a number of the any other ad selection requests occurring at substantially the same time as the first time;

if the determined number approaches a maximum ad signaling capacity, determining whether requesting an ad selection at the first time will exceed the maximum ad signaling capacity;

if requesting the ad selection at the first time will exceed the maximum ad signaling capacity, selecting one of the any other ad selection requests occurring at substantially the same time and assigning a second time, occurring before the first time, to the selected one of the plurality of ad selection requests.

8. A system comprising:

memory with logic; and

a processor configured with the logic to enable the system to;

determine a plurality of ad placement times for each of a plurality of associated streams;

determine an ad selection request time for each of a plurality of ad selection requests, based on a cumulative effect of any other ad selection requests occurring at substantially the same time as the determined ad selection request time, each of the plurality of ad selection requests corresponding to one of the plurality of ad placement times.

9. The system of claim 8, where the processor is further configured to:

update one of the plurality of ad placement times when a trick mode event is discovered on the associated stream; and

update the ad selection request time for each of the plurality of ad selection requests, responsive to the updating one of the plurality of ad placement times.

10. The system of claim 8, where the processor is further configured to:

update one of the plurality of ad placement times when a stream is destroyed; and

update the ad selection request time for each of the plurality of ad selection requests, responsive to the updating one of the plurality of ad placement times.

11. The system of claim 8, where the processor is further configured to:

update one of the plurality of ad placement times when a stream is created; and

update the ad selection request time for each of the plurality of ad selection requests, responsive to the updating one of the plurality of ad placement times.

12. The system of claim 8, where the processor is further configured to:

update one of the plurality of ad placement times upon a determination that an expected linear ad placement event was not received as expected; and

update the ad selection request time for each of the plurality of ad selection requests, responsive to the updating one of the plurality of ad placement times.

13. The system of claim 12, where the processor is further configured to:

upon receiving an unpredictable ad placement event, determine whether a current request load is already at a performance limit;

select an ad, without issuing an ad selection request, by making a rule-based placement decision if the current request load is already at the performance limit.

14. The system of claim 12, where the processor is further configured to:

reissue an ad decision request if a popularity threshold is crossed.

15. A system comprising:

means for determining a plurality of ad placement times for each of a plurality of associated streams; and

means for determining an ad selection request time for each of a plurality of ad selection requests, based on a cumulative effect of any other ad selection requests occurring at substantially the same time as the determined ad selection request time, each ad selection request corresponding to one of the ad placement times.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for determining a first time for a first one of the plurality of ad selection requests;

means for determining a number of the any other ad selection requests occurring at substantially the same time as the first time;

means for determining whether requesting an ad selection at the first time will exceed a maximum ad signaling capacity, if the determined number approaches a performance limit for a parameter associated with ad signaling; and

means for assigning a second time, occurring before the first time, to the first one of the plurality of ad selection requests, if requesting the ad selection at the first time will exceed the performance limit.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the parameter comprises network signaling load.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the parameter comprises processor load.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for updating the plurality of ad placement times; and

means for updating the ad selection request time for each of the plurality of ad selection requests.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for periodically updating the plurality of ad placement times; and

means for periodically updating the ad selection request time for each of the plurality of ad selection requests.