Video advertising

• US 8,705,940 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Sie, John J., Beyler, John C., DePrez, Gregory R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, William
• Application Number:
  US12/906,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20110116766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 386/262
• US Class Current: 386/262
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only

Abstract

According to the invention, a method is disclosed for playing a video program for a user that has an associated commercial that can be avoided to some extent if the user is authorized. In one step, the video program is received with the associated commercial and made available for display. An attempt by the user to avoid normal playback is detected. A playback point in the video program for the associated commercial is determined. The attempt is correlated to the playback point in the video program for the associated commercial. It is determined whether the user is authorized to avoid normal playback of the associated commercial. If the user is not authorized to avoid normal playback of the associated commercial, the attempt is thwarted.

Claims

1. A method for customizing video commercial playback, the method comprising:

automatically determining, by a video player, an identity of a user of the video player from a plurality of users;

selecting, by the video player, from among a plurality of user profiles, a user profile that corresponds to the identity of the user;

collecting information indicative of viewing behavior of the user;

determining, using the information indicative of the viewing behavior of the user, a preference in relation to video content played by the video player;

updating the user profile corresponding to the user to include the preference;

determining advertisement options for the user, wherein;

the advertisement options are based, at least in part, on the user profile corresponding to the user, and

the advertisement options include one or more modifications, relating to the playback of video commercials;

determining whether the user is allowed to fast-forward or skip a currently playing video commercial by the video player, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the advertisement options for the user;

automatically determining, by the video player, an identity of a second user of the video player from the plurality of users;

selecting, by the video player, from among the plurality of user profiles, a second user profile that corresponds to the identity of the second user;

switching from the user profile to the second user profile on the video player;

determining second advertisement options for the second user; and

determining whether the second user is allowed to fast-forward or skip a currently playing video commercial by the video player, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the second advertisement options for the second user, and wherein the advertisement options for the user are different from the second advertisement options for the second user.

2. The method for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the user of the video player is based, at least in part, on the information indicative of the viewing behavior of the user.

3. The method for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the user of the video player includes comparing content of a program displayed on the video player with historical data related to the user.

4. The method for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the user of the video player includes comparing frequency and duration of key presses of a remote control of the video player with historical data related to the user.

5. The method for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the user of the video player includes using biometric data related to the user.

6. The method for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the user of the video player includes receiving input from the user indicating an identity of the user.

7. The method for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the video commercial comprises a first video commercial; and

determining the preference further includes receiving an indication, by the user, of an interest in a second video commercial, the second video commercial being played, by the video player, before the first video commercial.

8. The method for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 1, wherein the advertisement options comprise at least one action from the group consisting of:

removal of all advertising,

removal of certain classes of advertising,

removal of advertisements for certain products,

removal of superimposed commercials,

removal of interlineated commercials during a video program,

removal of commercials during temporal manipulation,

removal of commercials at a beginning of a video program,

removal of commercials at an end of a video program,

removal of cross-promotion menus,

allowing skipping of a single commercial,

allowing skipping of a whole commercial break,

allowing some or all temporal manipulation commands during a commercial,

allowing or preventing targeted advertising customized for the user,

allowing the opening or closing credits of a video program to be skipped or temporally manipulated, and

allowing removal of some or all windowed commercials.

9. The method for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 8, wherein performing the at least one action relating to the playback of the video commercial further is based on the content of the video commercial.

10. The method for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 1, further comprising crediting or debiting an account associated with the user profile.

11. The method for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 1, wherein the user comprises a first user, the method further comprising:

determining an identity associated with a second user of the video player;

wherein the user profile corresponds to the first user and the second user.

12. The method for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 1, further comprising recording audit information based, at least in part, on an action relating to the playback of the video commercial.

13. The method for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 12, further comprising reporting the audit information away from a user location.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method for customizing video commercial playback of claim 1.

15. A method for customizing video commercial playback, the method comprising:

automatically determining, using information received from a video player, an identity of a user of the video player, wherein the determining is at a location of the video player;

selecting, from among a plurality of user profiles, a user profile that corresponds to the identity of the user;

monitoring viewing behavior of the user;

determining, using information indicative of the viewing behavior of the user, a preference in relation to video content played by the video player;

updating the user profile corresponding to the user to include the preference;

sending information regarding advertisement options related to the playback of a video program with advertising wherein;

the advertisement options are based, at least in part, on the user profile corresponding to the user, and

the advertisement options include one or more modifications, relating to the playback of video commercials, that can be performed by the video player;

receiving information regarding a determination whether the user is allowed to fast-forward or skip a currently playing video commercial by the video player, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the information regarding advertisement options for the user;

automatically determining, using information received from the video player, an identity of a second user of the video player from the plurality of users;

selecting, from among the plurality of user profiles, a second user profile that corresponds to the identity of the second user;

switching from the user profile to the second user profile on the video player;

sending information regarding second advertisement options for the second user; and

receiving information regarding a determination whether the second user is allowed to fast-forward or skip a currently playing video commercial by the video player, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the second advertisement options for the second user, and wherein the advertisement options for the user are different from the second advertisement options for the second user.

16. The method for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 15, wherein the advertisement options include the option to play an alternative video commercial instead of the video commercial.

17. The method for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 15, wherein the advertisement options include one or more options based, at least in part, on the content of the video commercial.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for customizing video commercial playback, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to:

determine an identity of a user of a video player;

select, from among a plurality of user profiles, a user profile that corresponds to the identity of the user;

enable the user of the video player to indicate an interest relating to content of video playback of the video player;

update the user profile corresponding to the user to include information indicative of the interest of the user;

determine advertisement options for the user, wherein;

the advertisement options are based, at least in part, on the user profile corresponding to the user, and

the advertisement options include one or more modifications, relating to the playback of video commercials;

determining whether the user is allowed to fast-forward or skip a currently playing video commercial by the video player, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the advertisement options for the user;

automatically determine an identity of a second user of the video player from the plurality of users;

select from among the plurality of user profiles, a second user profile that corresponds to the identity of the second user;

switch from the user profile to the second user profile on the video player;

determine second advertisement options for the second user; and

determine whether the second user is allowed to fast-forward or skip a currently playing video commercial by the video player, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the second advertisement options for the second user, and wherein the advertisement options for the user are different from the second advertisement options for the second user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 18, wherein enabling the user to indicate an interest relating to content of video playback of the video player comprises enabling the user to indicate an interest in a particular video commercial.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for customizing video commercial playback as recited in claim 19, wherein enabling the user to indicate an interest relating to content of video playback of the video player comprises enabling the user to indicate categories of video commercials to skip.