DYNAMIC ATTACHMENT OF ADVERTISING TO DOWNLOADED CONTENT

• US 20090204664A1
• Filed: 02/12/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Finger, James C., Doherty, Richard E., Chavda, Praful Pratap, Yovin, John Andre
• Application Number:
  US12/029,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204664A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Arrangements are provided for dynamically attaching advertisements to requested and downloaded content items. The advertisements or other content are combined with the requested and downloaded content item so that future playback of the content item also includes playback of the advertisement. The attachment may be performed at the time that the content item is requested, or the advertisement may be retrieved over a network at the time the requested content item is played back. The content may also be local to the client, e.g., downloaded content or content from an HD-DVD, and the same may instigate the playing of a downloaded advertisement at the time of downloading, loading, or playback. In any case, the advertisement may be played back before, during or after the playback of the requested content item. The combining of the advertisement with the requested content item may occur at the server-side or at the client side.

Claims

1. A method of delivering a first content item along with a second content item, comprising:

a. receiving a request for a first content item from a client;

b. associating a second content item with the first content item; and

c. downloading the first content item and the second content item to the client.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the first and second content items are downloaded at the same time.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the first and second content items are downloaded at different times.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising appending the second content item to the first content item.

5. The method of claim 4, in which the appending is performed at the client.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading a plurality of second content items, caching the plurality of second content items, and wherein the associating step associates a second content item from the cache with the first content item.

7. The method of claim 4, in which the appending is performed at a server.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising reformatting either the first or the second content item to match the format of the other content item.

10. The method of claim 8, in which the second content item is an advertisement.

11. The method of claim 8, in which the first content item is a media file.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising reformatting the first or second content item to match a format of the other.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising appending either the first or second content item to the other.

14. The method of claim 8, in which when the first and second content items are played back, the client is not in signal communication with the server.

9. A method of downloading a first content item and a second content item for playback, comprising:

a. receiving a request at a server from a client for a first content item;

b. downloading the first content item and a second content item from the server to the client;

c. such that when the first content item is played back, the second content item is played back along with the first content item.

15. Upon loading a first content item into a content player, a method of enabling playback of a second content item, comprising:

a. receiving a notification at a server that a first content item has been downloaded, loaded in a player, or that a trigger content item has been played or loaded;

b. upon receipt of the notification, downloading a second content item to the client;

c. such that when the first content item or trigger content item is played back, the second content item is played back just prior to, during, or just subsequent to the first content item or the trigger content item.

16. The method of claim 15, in which the loading includes loading a CD or DVD into a CD or DVD player, respectively.

17. The method of claim 15, in which the loading includes loading a media file into a computer memory.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising reformatting the second content item to match the format of the first content item or the trigger content item.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising appending either the first, trigger, or second content item to the other.

20. The method of claim 19, in which the appending is performed at the client using HDi extensions.