System and method for advertisement delivery within a video time shifting architecture

• US 8,214,256 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Riedl, Steve, Urdang, Erik, Gonder, Tom, Santangelo, Bryan, Jordan, Brad
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHORNESKY, ADAM B
• Application Number:
  US10/662,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20050060745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,214 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/10, 705/14.61, 705/14.56, 705/14.68, 705/14.72, 705/14.73, 725/34, 725/35, 348/E7.071
• US Class Current: 705/14.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• 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 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention is directed to systems and methods for creating a program for delivery to a client in a video time shifting architecture. The system of the present comprises an advertisement selection system (ADS) operative to select one or more advertisements and transmit one or more identifiers that uniquely identify the selected advertisements and an advertisement management system (AMS) operative to generate a playlist that identifies content. The playlist includes a user requested time shifted program and the one or more selected advertisements. A video server is operative to interpret the playlist and deliver the content to the user.

Claims

1. A system for creating a program for delivery to a client in a video time shifting architecture, the system comprising:

an advertisement selection system (ADS) operative to select one or more advertisements according to address data associated with the client and transmit one or more identifiers that uniquely identify the selected advertisements;

an advertisement management system (AMS) operative to generate a first playlist that identifies content, including a user requested program stored in the video time shifting architecture and the one or more selected advertisements, the AMS being further operative to determine whether the one or more selected advertisements have expired and to request one or more replacement advertisements for the one or more selected advertisements that have expired;

wherein the command from the client is a request to play a previously recorded program and wherein at least one of the AMS and the ADS determines advertisement displayed with an original broadcast of the program, the AMS operative to generate a second playlist in response to the request to play the previously recorded program further comprising the advertisement display with the original broadcast of the program;

a video server operative to interpret the first playlist if the request is the program request and the video server operating to interpret the second playlist if the request is the previously recorded program;

deliver the content to the user; and

a reporting system in communication with the video server, the reporting system operable to capture subsequent commands from the user during delivery of the content and determine from the subsequent commands a percentage of the one or more advertisements delivered by the video server to the user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the AMS generates a playlist that identifies a given one of the one or more selected advertisements as a bumper advertisements for delivery by the video server prior to the user requested program.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the AMS generates a playlist that identifies a given one of the one or more selected advertisements as a pause teaser advertisement for delivery by the video server upon receipt of a pause control command.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the AMS generates a playlist that identifies a given one of the one or more selected advertisements as a pause advertisement for delivery by the video server upon the receipt of a pause advertisement control command.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the playlist is indexed according to Normal Play Time (NPT).

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the video server is operative to receive a pause control command from a client, mark the location in the playlist that corresponds to a point in time when the video server receives the pause command and advance to an advertisement in the playlist.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the client displays a pause video still overlay upon transmission of a pause control command.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the pause video still overlay comprises operating instructions.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the video server advances to a pause teaser advertisement in the playlist and begins delivery of the pause teaser advertisement.

10. The system of claim 9 comprising delivering the pause teaser advertisement to the client for display.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein the video server returns to the location in the playlist that corresponds to a point in time when the video server receives the pause command and commences delivery of the user requested program.

12. The system of claim 6 wherein the video server advances to and begins delivery of a pause advertisement in response to receipt of a pause advertisement control command.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the ADS selects the one or more selected advertisements on the basis of aggregate viewing information.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the ADS comprises a connection to an external targeting system.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the external targeting system is selected from a group comprising a PRIZM system and an AXCIOM system.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the ADS transmits advertisements and advertisement metadata to the AMS for storage in a content storage device.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the AMS transmits an acknowledgement to the ADS upon receipt of the advertisement and advertisement metadata, the AMS comprises at least first computing device and the ADS comprises at least a second computing device coupled over a network to the first computing device, and wherein the AMS is accessible by third party advertisers that transmit advertisements and associated metadata to the AMS from which the AMS selects the one or more advertisements.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein—

the metadata for at least one advertisement comprises an indication that the advertisement does not expire, the AMS further operative to deliver the content to the user with the unexpired advertisement.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the video server requests a new playlist from the AMS upon the receipt of a new program initiation command from the user.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the AMS transmits a request to the ADS to select one or more local advertisements included in the program as originally broadcast.

21. A method for delivering local advertising to a client in a video distribution system, the method comprising:

performing an action that invokes a request for a program stored on a video server;

collecting information regarding the request;

generating a first playlist utilizing a geographically zoned local advertisement and the requested program wherein the requested program is an original broadcast, and generating a second playlist utilizing a geographically zoned local advertisement and the requested program wherein the requested program is a previously recorded broadcast program;

determining whether the geographically zoned local advertisement has expired and replacing an expired geographically zoned local advertisement with a replacement advertisement;

delivering using a video server the local advertising and program to a client for decoding and playback;

capturing subsequent commands during delivery of the program and the local advertising; and

determining from the subsequent commands a percentage of the local advertising delivered by the video server to the client.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein collecting information comprises collecting client information.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein collecting information comprises collecting program information.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the client performs an action that invokes the request.

25. The method of claim 21 comprising recording one copy of a given program for each local advertising zone that the video distribution system services.

26. The method of claim 25 comprising segmenting local advertising out of each program copy and marking each segmented program copy with a zone identifier.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein collecting information comprises collecting a zone identifier for the zone from which the request originates.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the segmenting is performed by identifying indicators for local advertising.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein identifying is conducted according to one or more of a set consisting of SCTE 35 cue packets, DTMF cues, contact closures triggered by an analog signal, network messages from an insertion system and network messages from a stat-mux/splicer.

30. The method of claim 21 comprising:

determining if a given correctly zoned local advertisement has expired; and

if the correctly zoned local advertisement has expired, generating a playlist utilizing a replacement local advertisement and the requested program.

31. A system for delivering local advertising to a client in a video distribution system, the system comprising:

a client device operative to perform an action that invokes a request for a program;

an advertisement management system (AMS) operative to collection information regarding the request and generate a first playlist utilizing one or more geographically zoned local advertisements and the requested program wherein the requested program is an original broadcast, and generating a second playlist utilizing a geographically zoned local advertisement and the requested program wherein the requested program is a previously recorded broadcast program, the AMS being further operative to determine whether the one or more geographically zoned advertisements have expired and to request one or more replacement advertisements for the one or more geographically zoned advertisements; and

a video server operative to receive the first playlist and the second playlist and deliver the local advertisement and program to the client for decoding and playback; and

a reporting system in communication with the video server, the reporting system operable to capture subsequent commands from the user during delivery of the local advertisement and program and determine from the subsequent commands a percentage of the local advertisement delivered by the video server to the client.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the AMS is operative to collect information regarding the requesting client.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein the AMS is operative to collect information regarding the requested program.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein the video server records one copy of a given program for each local advertising zone that the video distribution system services.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the video server segments local advertising out of each program and marks the segmented local advertising with a zone identifier.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the video server collects a zone identifier for the zone in which the client resides.

37. The system of claim 34 wherein the video server segments the local advertising by identifying indicators for the local advertising.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the indicators are selected from a set consisting of SCTE 35 cue packets, DTMF cues, contact closures triggered by an analog signal, network messages from an insertion system and network messages from a stat-mux/splicer.

39. A computerized method for delivering local advertising to a client in a video distribution system, the method comprising;

generating a first playlist utilizing a geographically zoned local advertisement and the requested program wherein the requested program is an original broadcast, and generating a second playlist utilizing a geographically zoned local advertisement and the requested program wherein the requested program is a previously recorded broadcast program;

electronically receiving multiple zoned copies of the given program, each zoned copy containing proper local advertising for a given zone different than another of the multiple zoned copies;

recording a zoned copy of a given program containing proper local advertising for each zone of the video distribution system services at a video server coupled to a plurality of clients over a network;

electronically determining, by using a programmable microprocessor, the zone in which the client requesting a program is located;

electronically determining, by using a programmable microprocessor, whether the proper local advertising contained in the zoned copy of the requested program has expired and replacing the expired proper local advertising with a replacement advertisement; and

transmitting a zoned copy of the requested program from the video server to the client in response to the client requesting the program.

40. The method of claim 39

comprising:

receiving a request for a program from the client; and

selecting the zoned copy of the requested program containing proper local advertising.

41. A computerized method for delivering local advertising to a client in a video distribution system, the method comprising:

electronically creating a first playlist wherein a requested program is an original broadcast, and generating a second playlist wherein the requested program is a previously recorded broadcast program with an identifier for the given program and one or more national advertisements;

determining, by using a programmable microprocessor, a geographical zone in which a requesting client resides;

associating one or more local advertisements with the given program wherein the one or more local advertisements include a zone identifier proximate to the geographical zone;

determining whether the geographically zoned local advertisement has expired and replacing an expired geographically zoned local advertisement with a replacement advertisement;

electronically adding identifiers for one or more local advertisements to the playlist based on the determined zone, the first playlist and the second playlist updated in response to a request for the given program from the requesting client; and

delivering the first and the second playlist to a video server.

42. The method of claim 41 comprising the video server transmitting data identified in the playlist to a client for decoding and display.

43. The method of claim 41 comprising:

calculating the zone in which a client resides; and

selecting the proper local advertising for the zone in which the client resides.

44. The method of claim 41 comprising:

receiving a copy of a given program for each zone that the video distribution system services;

segmenting the received program into program content, national advertising and local advertising; and

discarding all but one copy of zoned programming with program content and national advertising.

45. A computerized method for delivering local advertising to a client in a video distribution system, the method comprising:

electronically receiving a copy of a given program for each of a plurality of zones that the video distribution system services at a video server coupled to a plurality of clients over a network; and

, for each copy,

segmenting the program into program content, national advertising and local advertising;

retaining the program content and discarding the national and local advertising;

receiving a request for the program from a client in a given geographical zone;

associating one or more local advertisements with the request for the program wherein the one or more local advertisements include a zone identifier proximate to the given geographical zone;

determining whether the geographically zoned local advertisement has expired and replacing an expired geographically zoned local advertisement with a replacement advertisement;

electronically creating a first playlist wherein a requested program is an original broadcast, and generating a second playlist wherein the requested program is a previously recorded broadcast program identifying the programming content;

calculating, by using a programmable microprocessor, the a program advertising zone in which the requesting client resides;

adding identifiers for advertising to the first and the second playlist based on the zone in which the client resides; and

delivering the playlist to the video server that delivers the content to the requesting client.

46. A computerized method for delivering local advertising to a client in a video distribution system, the method comprising:

receiving a a first playlist wherein a requested program is an original broadcast, and a second playlist wherein the requested program is a previously recorded broadcast program identifying programming and advertising information;

transmitting video data identified in the first playlist and the second playlist to a to a client operative to decode and display the video data;

electronically receiving a control command from the client;

associating one or more local advertisements with the control command from the client wherein the one or more local advertisements include a zone identifier proximate to where the client is located;

determining whether the geographically zoned local advertisement has expired and replacing an expired geographically zoned local advertisement with a replacement advertisement;

modifying, by using a programmable microprocessor, the playlist in accordance with the control command, wherein the advertising information identified in the playlist is updated; and

electronically transmitting video data identified in the modified playlist to the client;

capturing subsequent commands from the client during transmission of the video data to the client and

determining from the subsequent commands a percentage of the one or more advertisements delivered by the video server to the user.

47. The method of claim 46 comprising updating local advertising information.

48. The method of claim 46 comprising updating national advertising information.