Controlling ad delivery for video on-demand

• US 8,387,086 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Agarwal, Gaurav, Migos, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, JOSHUA D
• Application Number:
  US12/637,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Various embodiments related to delivery of advertising content for video on-demand are disclosed. One example embodiment comprises receiving a set of VOD metadata including a first configuration of ad avails to be included in a VOD content item. The first configuration specifies a first set of locations of ad avails and a size of each ad avail in the first configuration. The method further includes comparing the VOD metadata to a set of one or more policy rules specifying a second configuration of ad avails to be included in the VOD content item, the second configuration of ad avails specifying a second set of locations of ad avails and a size of each ad avail in the second configuration. The method further includes determining a number of advertisements to be included in the VOD content item based upon a result of the comparing and obtaining an ad decision.

Claims

1. On a computing device, a method for controlling delivery of advertising content for a VOD content item, comprising:

receiving a set of VOD metadata that includes a first configuration of ad avails to be included in the VOD content item, the first configuration specifying a first set of locations of ad avails in the VOD content item and a size of each ad avail in the first configuration of ad avails;

comparing the first configuration of ad avails to a second configuration of ad avails to be included in the VOD content item based upon one or more VOD content item characteristics, the second configuration of ad avails being specified in a set of one or more policy rules and the second configuration of ad avails specifying a second set of locations of ad avails in the VOD content item and a size of each ad avail in the second configuration of ad avails;

determining a number of ad avails to be included in the VOD content item based on the comparison of the first configuration of ad avails and the second configuration of ad avails in light of the set of the one or more policy rules;

determining a number of advertisements to be included in the VOD content item based upon the number of ad avails determined to be included in the VOD content item; and

obtaining an ad decision based upon the number of advertisements to be included in the VOD content item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to change a selected policy rule, and in response, changing the selected policy rule.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein changing the selected policy rule includes changing a rule from excluding any mid-roll ad avails that are specified by the first configuration to allowing inclusion of any mid-roll ad avails that are specified by the first configuration.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second configuration specifies a pre-roll ad avail and also a default ad count for the pre-roll ad avail.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, if the first configuration does not specify a pre-roll ad avail, then determining the number of advertisements includes determining that the default ad count for the pre-roll ad avail is to be included in the VOD content item.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein, if the first configuration specifies a pre-roll ad avail and an ad count, then determining the number of advertisements includes selecting a lesser ad count of the default ad count specified by the second configuration and the ad count specified by the first configuration for the pre-roll ad avail.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second configuration specifies a post-roll ad avail and also a default ad count for the post-roll ad avail.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, if the first configuration does not specify a post-roll ad avail, then determining the number of advertisements also includes determining that the default ad count for the post-roll ad avail is to be included in the VOD content item.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein, if the first configuration specifies a post-roll ad avail and an ad count, then determining the number of advertisements includes selecting a lesser ad count of the default ad count specified by the second configuration and the ad count specified by the first configuration for the post-roll ad avail.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first configuration is a configuration for a set of VOD content items, where one or more sets of VOD content items are defined by one or more of a content provider identity, a content distributor identity, a type of payment made for a content item, and a runtime of a content item.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an ad impression at the computing device, the ad impression including information regarding playback of an advertisement at a client.

12. A system for controlling delivery of advertising content for on-demand video content comprising:

a processor;

a server comprising instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a request for ad information, wherein the request for ad information comprises a set of VOD metadata that includes a first configuration of ad avails to be included in a VOD content item, the first configuration specifying a first set of locations of ad avails in the VOD content item and a size of each ad avail in the first configuration of ad avails;

compare the first configuration of ad avails to a second configuration of ad avails to be included in the VOD content item based upon one or more VOD content item characteristics, the second configuration being specified in a set of one or more policy rules and the second configuration of ad avails specifying a second set of locations of ad avails in the VOD content item and a size of each ad avail in the second configuration of ad avails;

determine a number of ad avails to be included in the VOD content item based on the comparison of the first configuration of ad avails and the second configuration of ad avails in light of the set of one or more policy rules;

determine a number of advertisements to be included in the VOD content item based upon the number of ad avails to be included in the VOD content item;

obtain an ad decision based upon the number of advertisements to be included in the VOD content item;

receive a request for updated ad information; and

obtain an updated ad decision in response to receiving the request for updated ad information.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the server comprises instructions executable to obtain the updated ad decision at predetermined intervals.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the second configuration specifies a pre-roll ad avail and also a default ad count for the pre-roll ad avail;

and

wherein if the first configuration does not specify a pre-roll ad avail, then the instructions executable to determine the number of advertisements includes determining that the default ad count for the pre-roll ad avail is to be included in the VOD content item; and

wherein, if the first configuration specifies a pre-roll ad avail and an ad count, then the instructions executable to determine the number of advertisements includes selecting a lesser ad count of the default ad count specified by the second configuration and the ad count specified by the first configuration for the pre-roll ad avail.