Embedded video player with modular ad processing

• US 8,533,754 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Limelight Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Limelight Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Cho, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): CHUNG, JASON
• Application Number:
  US13/341,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20120311627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/80 Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se arrangements for generating broadcast information H04H60/02
• 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

Abstract

A method, device and/or system for operating or causing a video player embedded into a web page to play a video is disclosed. Embed code is placed into the web page. When the web page is loaded into a web browser, player code is loaded and optionally customized to display one or more videos that can be selected for playback with the player code. When an end user selects the video using the player code, any ad and/or analytics module associated with the video are retrieved. The functionality of the ad and/or analytics module is integrated into the player code to allow tracking of analytics and inserting advertising into the video.

Claims

1. A method for interacting with a video player embedded into a web page to cause playing of a video, comprising:

providing embed code that runs within a web browser;

receiving an identifier from the embed code after the web browser loads the embed code;

sending player code for implementing video player functionality after the web browser loads the embed code;

sending parameters corresponding to the identifier to the web browser, wherein;

the parameters identify the video that can be rendered by the video player,

the parameters comprise first metadata associated with the video,

the first metadata identifies one or more modules configured to add functionality to the video player,

the identifier is indicative of a type of end-user device and a capability of the web browser,

the identifier specifies a group of content objects,

the group of content objects is one of slideshow, animation, video, and audio,

the embed code is configured to display three content objects simultaneously using a primary tile and two secondary tiles, and

the primary tile and the two secondary tiles include a video, a title, and a description;

receiving a request for ad module code, where the ad module code to load ad request functionality into the web browser that integrates with the player code to provide the ad request functionality to the video player, wherein;

the request for the ad module code is received after an end user requests playback of the video from the video player functionality, and

the ad module code is written in a runtime programming language; and

sending the ad module code to the web browser, wherein the ad module code;

requests an ad,

receives a determination of the ad from a plurality of ads, wherein the ad is chosen and tracked based on two or more different second metadata including;

genre, playback time, placement of the ad, channel, zone, subject matter, aspect ratio, video quality, and the end-user device,

receives a response specifying where the ad can be retrieved, and

weaves the ad into the playback of the video, wherein the ad is spliced into the video via the ad module code on the end-user device.

2. The method for interacting with the video player embedded into the web page to cause playing of the video as recited in claim 1, wherein:

a first server performs the step of sending the ad module code to the web browser,

the requesting the ad by the ad module code is requested from a second server, and

the first server and the second server are different.

3. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having machine-executable instructions configured to perform the machine-implementable method for interacting with the video player embedded into the web page to cause playing of the video of claim 1.

4. The method for interacting with the video player embedded into the web page to cause playing of the video as recited in claim 1, wherein the first metadata and the second metadata are different from each other.

5. A method for operating a video player embedded into a web page to play a video, comprising:

loading embed code that runs within a web browser;

sending an identifier from the embed code after the web browser loads the embed code;

receiving player code for implementing video player functionality after the web browser loads the embed code;

receiving parameters corresponding to the identifier with the web browser, wherein;

the parameters identify the video that can be rendered by the video player,

the parameters comprise first metadata associated with the video,

the first metadata identifies one or more modules configured to add functionality to the video player,

the identifier is indicative of a type of end-user device and a capability of the web browser,

the identifier specifies a group of content objects,

the group of content objects is one of slideshow, animation, video, and audio,

the embed code is configured to display three content objects simultaneously using a primary tile and two secondary tiles, and

the primary tile and the two secondary tiles include a video, a title, and a description;

sending a request for ad module code to load ad request functionality into the web browser that integrates with the player code to provide the ad request functionality to the video player, wherein;

the request for the ad module code is received after an end user requests playback of the video from the video player functionality, and

the ad module code is written in a runtime programming language; and

receiving the ad module code at the web browser, wherein the ad module code;

requests an ad,

receives a determination of the ad from a plurality of ads, wherein the ad is chosen and tracked based on two or more different second metadata including;

genre, playback time, placement of the ad, channel, zone, subject matter, aspect ratio, video quality, and the end-user device,

receives a response specifying where the ad can be retrieved, and

weaves the ad into the playback of the video, wherein the ad is spliced into the video via the ad module code on the end-user device.

6. The method for operating the video player embedded into the web page to play the video as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

playing the video with the video player; and

presenting an ad formulated by the ad module code querying for the ad.

7. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having machine-executable instructions configured to perform the machine-implementable method for operating the video player embedded into the web page to play the video of claim 5.

8. The method for operating the video player embedded into the web page to play the video as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

receiving the request for the ad from the ad module code, and

sending the ad to the ad module code.

9. A computing device for operating a video player embedded into a web page to play a video, the computing device comprising:

a processor configured to;

load embed code that runs within a web browser;

send an identifier from the embed code after the web browser loads the embed code;

receive player code for implementing video player functionality after the web browser loads the embed code;

receiving parameters corresponding to the identifier with the web browser, wherein;

the parameters identify the video that can be rendered by the video player,

the parameters comprise first metadata associated with the video,

the first metadata identifies one or more modules configured to add functionality to the video player,

the identifier is indicative of a type of end-user device and a capability of the web browser,

the identifier specifies a group of content objects,

the group of content objects is one of slideshow, animation, video, and audio, and

the embed code is configured to display three content objects simultaneously using a primary tile and two secondary tiles,

the primary tile and the two secondary tiles include a video, a title, and a description;

send a request for ad module code to load ad request functionality into the web browser that integrates with the player code to provide the ad request functionality to the video player, wherein;

the request for the ad module code is received after an end user requests playback of the video from the video player functionality, and

the ad module code is written in a runtime programming language; and

receive the ad module code with the web browser, wherein the ad module code;

requests an ad,

receives a determination of the ad from a plurality of ads, wherein the ad is chosen and tracked based on two or more different second metadata including;

genre, playback time, placement of the ad, channel, zone, subject matter, aspect ratio, video quality, and the end-user device,

receives a response specifying where the ad can be retrieved, and

weaves the ad into the playback of the video, wherein the ad is spliced into the video via the ad module code on the end-user device; and

a memory coupled to the processor.

10. The computing device for operating the video player embedded into the web page to play the video as recited in claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

use the ad module code to request an ad from an ad server located away from the computing device, and

insert the ad into playback of the video.