Third party server for verifying inventory splits

• US 8,775,258 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2013
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: This Technology, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Mick, John Raymond Jr., Sherwin, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Long, Meredith A
• Application Number:
  US13/875,576
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/14.7
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/237 Communication with additional data server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82

Abstract

A method and system for verifying inventory splits is disclosed. A server retrieves from a memory a first inventory policy provided by a first content provider. The server retrieves from the memory a second inventory policy provided by the second content provider. The server verifies that the first inventory policy and the second inventory policy are in agreement for at least one stipulation pertaining to a percentage of compensation to the first content provider for inventory owned by the first content provider and played by the second content provider. The server transmits the first inventory policy to a placement opportunity information service (POIS) communicatively connected to the second content provider. The server transmits the second inventory policy to a placement opportunity information service (POIS) communicatively connected to the first content provider.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving, by a server from a memory, a first inventory policy provided by a first content provider;

retrieving, by the server from a memory, a second inventory policy provided by the second content provider;

verifying, by the server, that the first inventory policy and the second inventory policy are in agreement for at least one stipulation pertaining to a percentage of compensation to the first content provider for inventory owned by the first content provider and played by the second content provider;

transmitting, by the server, the first inventory policy to a second placement opportunity information service (POIS) communicatively connected to the second content provider; and

transmitting, by the server, the second inventory policy to a first placement opportunity information service (POIS) communicatively connected to the first content provider.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before transmitting the first inventory policy to a second content provider, receiving, by the server, an authorization of the first inventory policy from the second content provider;

before transmitting the second inventory policy to the first content provider, receiving, using the server, an authorization of the second inventory policy from the first content provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one stipulation pertaining to a percentage of compensation comprises at least one stipulation pertaining to percentages of ownership of inventory.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one stipulation pertaining to percentages of ownership of inventory is based on at least one of measuring a number of requests for placement opportunities, measuring actual split percentages of types of placement opportunities, and calculating percentages of placement opportunities based on received status notifications.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one stipulation pertaining to percentages of ownership of inventory is enforced by the second placement opportunity information service communicatively connected to the second content provider and the first placement opportunity information service communicatively connected to the first content provider.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a first router is coupled between the first placement opportunity information service and an advertisement decision service owned by the first content provider and wherein a second router is coupled between the second placement opportunity information service and an advertisement decision service owned by the second content provider.

7. The method of claim 6,

wherein the first router transmits first data between the first placement opportunity information service and the advertisement decision service owned by the first content provider,

wherein the second router transmits second data between the second placement opportunity information service and the advertisement decision service owned by the second content provider, and

wherein the first data and the second data provide information for enforcing the at least one stipulation pertaining to percentages of ownership of inventory.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first content provider or the second content provider is a multiple system/service operator (MSO).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first content provider or the second content provider is a programming network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein inventory comprises advertisement placement opportunities.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the advertisement placement opportunities are dynamically insertable advertisement placement opportunities.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the inventory comprises content.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first inventory policy or the second inventory policy apply to internet-based transmission of inventory.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first inventory policy or the second inventory policy applies to video-on-demand cable, optical, or over-the-air transmission of inventory.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein designated time interval for placement opportunities corresponds to breaks, pre-rolls, post-rolls, mid-rolls, interstitials, pauses, and video-on-demand requests.

16. A system, comprising:

a memory;

a processing device, coupled to the memory, the processing device to;

retrieve, from the memory, a first inventory policy provided by a first content provider;

retrieve, from the memory, a second inventory policy provided by the second content provider;

verify that the first inventory policy and the second inventory policy are in agreement for at least one stipulation pertaining to a percentage of compensation to the first content provider for inventory owned by the first content provider and played by the second content provider;

transmit the first inventory policy to a second placement opportunity information service (POIS) communicatively connected to the second content provider; and

transmit the second inventory policy to a first placement opportunity information service (POIS) communicatively connected to the first content provider.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a console communicatively connected to the server, wherein at least one of the first inventory policy or the second inventory policy are authored or authorized using the console.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one stipulation pertaining to a percentage of compensation comprises at least one stipulation pertaining to percentages of ownership of inventory.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one stipulation pertaining to percentages of ownership of inventory is based on at least one of measuring a number of requests for placement opportunities, measuring actual split percentages of types of placement opportunities, and calculating percentages of placement opportunities based on received status notifications.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a first router is coupled between the first placement opportunity information service and an advertisement decision service owned by the first content provider and

a second router is coupled between the second placement opportunity information service and an advertisement decision service owned by the second content provider,

wherein the at least one stipulation pertaining to percentages of ownership of inventory is enforced by the second placement opportunity information service communicatively connected to the second content provider and the first placement opportunity information service communicatively connected to the first content provider.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

wherein the first router transmits first data between the first placement opportunity information service and the advertisement decision service owned by the first content provider,

wherein the second router transmits second data between the second placement opportunity information service and the advertisement decision service owned by the second content provider, and

wherein the first data and the second data provide information for enforcing the at least one stipulation pertaining to percentages of ownership of inventory.

22. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing system, causes the processing system to perform operations, comprising:

retrieve from a memory a first inventory policy provided by a first content provider;

retrieve from the memory a second inventory policy provided by the second content provider;

verify that the first inventory policy and the second inventory policy are in agreement for at least one stipulation pertaining to a percentage of compensation to the first content provider for inventory owned by the first content provider and played by the second content provider;

transmit the first inventory policy to a second placement opportunity information service (POIS) communicatively connected to the second content provider; and

transmit the second inventory policy to a first placement opportunity information service (POIS) communicatively connected to the first content provider.