Internet multimedia advertisement insertion system selection architecture

• US 7,548,962 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Weber, Barry Jay, Calvert, Kerry Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Van H
• Application Number:
  US10/381,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20040093394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,818 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32- 35, 725/116, 725/36, 709/219, 709/224, 709/223, 348/722, 719/310, 719/311
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Architecture is provided for selecting an ad insertion system/server from a plurality of ad insertion systems/server for receiving broadcast transmissions and inserted advertisements. A gateway, as part of the architecture, selects an ad insertion system, in accordance with a developed client profile and a network factor associated with the communication performance of the ad insertion system. The gateway associates the developed profile with a client, and the gateway receives information relating the network factor from at least one ad insertion system. The gateway also ascertains the casting services (IP multicasting, IP multicasting proxy, and IP unicasting) supported by client. The ad insertion system may use the information about the supported casting services, with a developed client profile and a network factor for selecting an ad insertion system.

Claims

1. A system for selecting an ad insertion system from at least two ad insertion systems for receiving broadcast transmissions and inserted advertisements, the system comprising:

a gateway device having at least one processor, said gateway device selects an ad insertion system from said at least two ad insertion systems in accordance with a client profile and at least one network factor associated with ad insertion system communication performance, wherein said client profile is a demographic profile associated with a client; and

said gateway device receives information relating to said at least one network factor from at least one ad insertion system from said at least two ad insertion systems, wherein said at least one network factor is at least one of;

responsiveness of a streaming media broadcast encoded at different playback speeds, responsiveness of said streaming media broadcast encoded at different bit rates, and delay in buffering said steaming media broadcast,

wherein said gateway device ascertains that said client supports casting services that transfer data packets over a communications network, said casting services comprising at least one of;

IP multicasting, IP multicasting proxy, and IP unicasting, and

wherein said gateway device determines said selected ad insertion system in accordance with said casting services supported by said client.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said gateway device is at least one of:

a root server, a domain name server, a program server, a web server, a device supporting client services as a streaming media broadcast, and a program written in a browser complaint format.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said gateway device resides in said at least one ad insertion system.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said gateway device resides in an accessing means of said client, wherein said accessing means comprises at least one of:

a browser, a personal computer with a modem, a set top box with a connection to the Internet, or an Internet enabled device with a network interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said gateway device updates said inserted advertisements of said at least one ad insertion system.

6. A method for selecting an ad insertion system from at least two ad insertion systems for receiving broadcast transmissions and inserted advertisements, the method comprising:

selecting, by a gateway device, an ad insertion system from said at least two ad insertion systems in accordance with a client profile and at least one network factor associated with ad insertion system communication performance, wherein said client profile is a demographic profile associated with a client;

said gateway device receives information relating to said at least one network factor from at least one ad insertion system from said at least two ad insertion systems, wherein said at least one network factor is at least one of;

responsiveness of a streaming media broadcast encoded at different playback speeds, responsiveness of said streaming media broadcast encoded at different bit rates, and delay in buffering said steaming media broadcast; and

ascertaining that said client supports casting services that transfer data packets over a communications network, said casting services comprising at least one of;

IP multicasting, IP multicasting proxy, and IP unicasting,

wherein said determination of said selected ad insertion system uses information relating to said casting services supported by said client.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said gateway device is at least one of:

a root server, domain name server, program server, web server, device supporting a client services as a streaming media broadcast, and a program written in a browser complaint format.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said gateway device resides in said at least one ad insertion system.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said gateway device resides in an accessing means of said client, wherein said accessing means comprises at least one of:

a browser, a personal computer with a modem, a set top box with a connection to the Internet, or an Internet enabled device with a network interface.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said gateway device updates said inserted advertisements of said at least one ad insertion system.