ADVERTISEMENT INSERTION DECISIONS FOR SET TOP BOX MANAGEMENT OF ADVERTISEMENTS

• US 20100251289A1
• Filed: 03/24/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Victor, Tsui, Francis, Fatehpuria, Pradip, Agarwal, Gaurav, Bakar, Majd, de Heer, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,997,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/458 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 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

Methods are disclosed for inserting local ad assets into a video transport stream at the set top box level. The media advertising platform of the present system works in conjunction with existing platforms, such as an advertising decision service and a media platform. The present system further includes a client resident on end user set top boxes. In general, the present system operates by pre-caching advertisements to a set top box or boxes within a household or elsewhere. Each set top box is also assigned to particular groups, based on characteristics of the user of that set top box. Group membership information is also sent to the set top box and stored. The present system sends the set top box a decision matrix based on group memberships to allow the set top box to select and insert an ad asset targeted to the specific set top box.

Claims

1. A method of inserting local ad assets within an ad avail in a video stream at a client device, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a plurality of ad assets, the ad assets being compatible with the video stream;

(b) defining one or more groups to which the client device is a member, the client device being added to a group of the one or more groups based on attributes of a user of the client device;

(c) transmitting the ad assets to the client device;

(d) formulating a decision matrix for use by the client device, the decision matrix providing an ordered list of decisions, each decision setting forth identification of a group and representing an ad asset, the most valuable ad assets being higher in the ordered list than the least valuable ad assets; and

(e) transmitting the decision matrix and ad avail information to the client device for the client device to select an ad asset transmitted to the client device in said step (c) based at least in part on group membership of that client device and the highest matched group identified in the decisions of the decision matrix.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (e) of transmitting ad avail information to the client device comprises encoding splice-coming and splice-out points for ad avails into an RTP extension of the video stream.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the encoded splice-coming, splice-out and splice-in points in the RTP extension of the video stream are based on SCTE35 markers from the video stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (e) of transmitting the decision matrix to the client device comprises encoding the decision matrix into the video stream.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (c) of transmitting the ad assets to the client device comprises the step of transmitting a continuous, cycling feed of ad assets for the client device and other client devices to receive new daily ad assets, potentially a portion of an ad asset at a time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a request for ad assets from the client device and responding with said step (c) of transmitting the ad assets to the client device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step (c) of transmitting the ad assets to the client device comprises the step of transmitting the ad assets for the client device only to the requesting client device via a video-on-demand server.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting an ad fatigue value for each decision within the decision matrix, the ad fatigue value directing the client device to limit the number of times an ad asset may be shown in a given period of time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a longevity value for each decision within the decision matrix, the longevity value directing the client device how long to maintain the selected ad asset in an ad avail in the event the video stream is recorded for later playback.

10. A method of inserting local ad assets within an ad avail in a video stream at a client device, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) defining a plurality of ad assets, the ad assets being compatible with the video stream,

(b) defining one or more groups to which the client device is a member, the client device being added to a group of the one or more groups based on attributes of a user of the client device,

(c) transmitting the ad assets to the client device,

(d) inserting local ad assets into the ad avail by one of three decision modes, a first decision mode including the steps of;

i) formulating a first decision matrix for use by the client device, the first decision matrix providing an ordered list of decisions, each decision setting forth identification of a group and representing an ad asset, the most valuable ad assets being higher in the ordered list than the least valuable ad assets,

ii) transmitting the first decision matrix to the client device for the client device to select an ad asset transmitted to the client device based at least in part on group membership of that client device and the highest matched group identified in the decisions of the first decision matrix, and

iii) transmitting ad avail information to the client device, the ad avail information including splice-coming, splice-out and splice-in signals encoded into the video stream;

(e) inserting local ad assets into the ad avail by one of the three decision modes of said step (d), a second decision mode including the steps of;

i) receiving a request from the client device for a decision on which ad asset to insert in an upcoming ad avail,

ii) formulating a second decision matrix including a list of ordered decisions for the most valuable ad assets specifically for the groups to which the client device belongs,

iii) transmitting the second decision matrix to the client device for the client device to select an ad asset transmitted to the client device based at least in part on the highest value ad asset in the decisions of the second decision matrix, and

iv) transmitting ad avail information to the client device, the ad avail information including splice-coming, splice-out and splice-in signals encoded into the video stream; and

(f) inserting local ad assets into the ad avail by one of the three decision modes of said step (d), a third decision mode including a combination of the first and second modes of operation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step (d)(ii) of transmitting the first decision matrix to the client device comprises the step of transmitting the first decision matrix in the multicast of the video stream sent to the client device and other client devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said step (e)(iii) of transmitting the second decision matrix to the client device comprises the step of transmitting the second decision matrix in a unicast to the client device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said steps (e)(ii) and (e)(iii) of formulating the second decision matrix and transmitting it to the client device comprise the step of formulating the second decision matrix based on the most up to date, real time information available with regard to a value of ad assets.

14. A method of inserting local ad assets within an ad avail in a video stream at a client device, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a plurality of ad assets at the client device;

(b) receiving at the client device a list of groups to which the client device is assigned, the assignment of the client device to a group on the list of groups based on attributes of a user of the client device;

(c) receiving at the client device a decision matrix including an ordered list of decisions, each decision setting forth identification of a group and representing an ad asset, the most valuable ad assets being higher in the ordered list than the least valuable ad assets;

(d) receiving the video stream;

(e) determining a splice-coming point in the video stream in advance of a coming ad avail in the video stream;

(f) selecting an ad asset from the decision matrix received in said step (c), the selection based at least in part on group membership of the client device and the highest matched group identified in the decisions of the decision matrix;

(g) determining a splice-out point in the video stream for the client device to switch the feed from the video stream to the selected ad asset;

(h) determining a splice-in point in the video stream for the client device to switch the feed from the selected ad asset back to the video stream; and

(i) splicing the selected ad asset in the ad avail of the video stream.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said steps (e), (g) and (h) of determining the splice-coming point, the splice-out point and the splice-in point are based on signals encoded within an RTP extension of the video stream received in said step (d).

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (i) of splicing the selected ad asset in the ad avail of the video stream comprises the step of splicing the selected ad asset into a live playback of the video stream.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (i) of splicing the selected ad asset in the ad avail of the video stream comprises the step of splicing the selected ad asset into a playback of a time shifted recording of the video stream.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of receiving at the client device a longevity value associated with each ad asset, the longevity value used by the client device to determine how long after recording of the video stream to keep an ad asset as the ad asset inserted within a time shifted recording of the video stream.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (i) of splicing the selected ad asset in the ad avail of the video stream comprises the step of splicing the selected ad asset into a fast forward or rewind of a time shifted recording of the video stream.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of receiving at the client device a fatigue value associated with each ad asset, the fatigue value used by the client device to prevent an ad asset from being inserted into an ad avail more than a predetermined number of times over a predetermined time period.