Processing workflow for recommending media programs

• US 8,832,735 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Wei, Eugene Chuan-Huai, Sargent, Peter E., Zheng, Hua, Laxminarayan, Chaitanya, Mak, Wing Chit
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhong, Jun Fei
• Application Number:
  US13/074,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20120096488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32- 36, 725 86- 88
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• 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 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/237 Communication with additional data server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• 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 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/40 Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording

Abstract

A processing workflow method, system, and computer program product provide the ability; to recommend alternative programming during playback of a source media program. A media program player plays the source media program to a first viewer and provides information regarding the first viewer to a recommendation engine. The recommendation engine calculates and sends the media player a list of recommended media program candidates (including identifications of the candidates) based on the information. Prior to reaching an advertising break in the source media program, the media player transmits a request (including the identifications) for an advertisement to an advertising server and in response, receives an advertisement that is played to the first viewer during the advertising break.

Claims

1. A processing workflow method for recommending alternative programming during playback of a source media program having a plurality of advertising breaks to a first viewer, comprising a media program player performing:

(a) playing the source media program to the first viewer;

(b) calling a recommendation engine associated with a media program provider;

(c) providing information regarding the first viewer to the recommendation engine;

(d) receiving a list of one or more recommended media program candidates from the recommendation engine, wherein;

(1) the one or more recommended media program candidates are determined from a plurality of media programs that are offered by the media program provider and the information regarding the first viewer; and

(2) the list comprises a recommended media program identification for each of the one or more recommended media program candidates;

(e) prior to reaching an advertising break in the source media program that is playing, transmitting a request for an advertisement to an advertising server, wherein the request includes the one or more recommended media program identifications, and wherein the advertising server determines one or more eligible advertisements in which the media program provider receives payment from an advertiser for the request and dynamically selects between the one of the one or more recommended media program identifications and the one or more eligible advertisements determined by the advertising server to determine the advertisement to provide based on a priority assigned to the one or more recommended media program identifications and the one or more eligible advertisements based on expected revenue, wherein expected revenue for the one or more eligible advertisements is based on payment received from the advertiser and expected revenue for the one or more recommended media program identifications is based on advertisements served if the first viewer watches one of the one or more recommended media program candidates;

(f) in response to the request, receiving, from the advertising server, the advertisement; and

(g) during the advertising break, playing the advertisement.

2. The processing workflow method of claim 1, wherein the media program player is executing on a first computer across a network from the recommendation engine and the advertising server.

3. The processing workflow method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises:

a user identification of the first viewer;

a media identification that identifies the source media program the first viewer is watching; and

a first viewer history of recommended media program exposure.

4. The processing workflow method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement is selected from a group comprising:

a media program trailer advertisement corresponding to one of the recommended media program identifications; and

a non-trailer advertisement corresponding to one of the determined one or more eligible advertisements.

5. The processing workflow method of claim 4, wherein the advertisement that is selected is based on a frequency maximum for the media program trailer advertisements.

6. The processing workflow method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement that is selected recommends one of the one or more recommended media programs and further comprises a personalized message based on the information.

7. The processing workflow method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement that is selected recommends one of the one or more recommended media programs, the method further comprising:

accepting input from the first viewer regarding the one of the one or more recommended media programs; and

recording the input.

8. The processing workflow method of claim 7, wherein:

the recorded input provides for adding a bookmark for later viewing of the one of the one or more recommended media programs for the first viewer.

9. A system for recommending alternative programming during playback of a source media program having a plurality of advertising breaks to a first viewer, in a computer system comprising:

(a) a computer having a memory; and

(b) a media program player executing on the computer, wherein the media program player is configured to;

(1) play the source media program to the first viewer;

(2) call a recommendation engine associated with a media program provider;

(3) provide information regarding the first viewer to the recommendation engine;

(4) receive a list of one or more recommended media program candidates from the recommendation engine, wherein;

(i) the one or more recommended media program candidates are determined from a plurality of media programs that are offered by the media program provider and the information regarding the first viewer; and

(ii) the list comprises a recommended media program identification for each of the one or more recommended media program candidates;

(5) prior to reaching an advertising break in the source media program that is playing, transmitting a request for an advertisement to an advertising server, wherein the request includes the one or more recommended media program identifications, and wherein the advertising server determines one or more eligible advertisements in which the media program provider receives payment from an advertiser for the request and dynamically selects between the one of the one or more recommended media program identifications and the one or more eligible advertisements determined by the advertising server to determine the advertisement to provide based on a priority assigned to the one or more recommended media program identifications and the one or more eligible advertisements based on expected revenue, wherein expected revenue for the one or more eligible advertisements is based on payment received from the advertiser and expected revenue for the one or more recommended media program identifications is based on advertisements served if the first viewer watches one of the one or more recommended media program candidates;

(6) in response to the request, receive, from the advertising server, the advertisement; and

(7) during the advertising break, play the advertisement.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the media program player is executing the computer across a network from the recommendation engine and the advertising server.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the information comprises:

a user identification of the first viewer;

a media identification that identifies the source media program the first viewer is watching; and

a first viewer history of recommended media program exposure.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the advertisement is selected from a group comprising:

a media program trailer advertisement corresponding to one of the recommended media program identifications; and

a non-trailer advertisement corresponding to one of the determined one or more eligible advertisements.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the advertisement that is selected is based on a frequency maximum for the media program trailer advertisements.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the advertisement that is selected recommends one of the one or more recommended media programs and further comprises a personalized message based on the information.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the advertisement that is selected recommends one of the one or more recommended media programs, and wherein the media program player is further configured to:

accept input from the first viewer regarding the one of the one or more recommended media programs; and

record the input.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the recorded input provides for adding a bookmark for later viewing of the one of the one or more recommended media programs for the first viewer.

17. A processing workflow method for recommending alternative programming during playback of a source media program having a plurality of advertising breaks to a first viewer, comprising a recommendation engine performing:

(a) receiving a call from a media program player that is playing the source media program to the first viewer;

(b) receiving information, from the media program player, regarding the first viewer;

(c) calculating a list of one or more recommended media program candidates, wherein;

(1) the one or more recommended media program candidates are determined from a plurality of media programs that are offered by a media program provider and the information regarding the first viewer; and

(2) the list comprises a recommended media program identification for each of the one or more recommended media program candidates;

(d) transmitting the list of one or more recommended media program candidates to the media program player, wherein the media program player is configured to;

(1) prior to reaching an advertising break in the source media program that is playing, transmit a request for an advertisement to an advertising server, wherein the request includes one or more recommended media program identifications, and wherein the advertising server determines one or more eligible advertisements in which the media program provider receives payment from an advertiser for the request and dynamically selects between the one of the one or more recommended media program identifications and the one or more eligible advertisements determined by the advertising server to determine the advertisement to provide based on a priority assigned to the one or more recommended media program identifications and the one or more eligible advertisements based on expected revenue, wherein expected revenue for the one or more eligible advertisements is based on payment received from the advertiser and expected revenue for the one or more recommended media program identifications is based on advertisements served if the first viewer watches one of the one or more recommended media program candidates;

(2) in response to the request, receive, from the advertising server, the advertisement; and

(3) during the advertising break, play the advertisement.

18. The processing workflow method of claim 17, wherein the recommendation engine is executing on a first computer across a network from the media program player.

19. The processing workflow method of claim 17, wherein the information comprises:

a user identification of the first viewer;

a media identification that identifies the source media program the first viewer is watching; and

a first viewer history of recommended media program exposure.

20. The processing workflow method of claim 17, wherein the media program player is configured to select the advertisement from a group comprising:

a media program trailer advertisement corresponding to one of the recommended media program identifications; and

a non-trailer advertisement corresponding to one of the determined one or more eligible advertisements.

21. The processing workflow method of claim 20, wherein the advertisement that is selected is based on a frequency maximum for the media program trailer advertisements.

22. The processing workflow method of claim 17, wherein the advertisement that is selected recommends one of the one or more recommended media programs and further comprises a personalized message based on the information.

23. The processing workflow method of claim 17, wherein the advertisement that is selected recommends one of the one or more recommended media programs, and wherein the recommendation engine further performs:

accepting input from the first viewer, via the media program player, regarding the one of the one or more recommended media programs; and

storing the input for use in future recommendations to the first user.

24. The processing workflow method of claim 23, wherein the recommendation engine further performs the steps of:

adding a bookmark, using the stored input, for later viewing of the one of the one or more recommended media programs for the first viewer.

25. A system for recommending alternative programming during playback of a source media program having a plurality of advertising breaks to a first viewer, in a computer system comprising:

(a) a computer having a memory; and

(b) a recommendation engine executing on the computer, wherein the recommendation engine is configured to;

(1) receive a call from a media program player that is playing the source media program to the first viewer;

(2) receive information, from the media program player, regarding the first viewer;

(3) calculate a list of one or more recommended media program candidates, wherein;

(i) the one or more recommended media program candidates are determined from a plurality of media programs that are offered by the media program provider and the information regarding the first viewer; and

(ii) the list comprises a recommended media program identification for each of the one or more recommended media program candidates;

(4) transmit the list of one or more recommended media program candidates to the media program player, wherein the media program player is configured to;

(i) prior to reaching an advertising break in the source media program that is playing, transmitting a request for an advertisement to an advertising server, wherein the request includes the one or more recommended media program identifications, and wherein the advertising server determines one or more eligible advertisements in which the media program provider receives payment from an advertiser for the request and dynamically selects between the one of the one or more recommended media program identifications and the one or more eligible advertisements determined by the advertising server to determine the advertisement to provide based on a priority assigned to the one or more recommended media program identifications and the one or more eligible advertisements based on expected revenue, wherein expected revenue for the one or more eligible advertisements is based on payment received from the advertiser and expected revenue for the one or more recommended media program identifications is based on advertisements served if the first viewer watches one of the one or more recommended media program candidates;

(ii) in response to the request, receive, from the advertising server, the advertisement; and

(iii) during the advertising break, play the advertisement.

26. The system method of claim 25, wherein the recommendation engine is executing on the computer across a network from the media program player.

27. The system method of claim 25, wherein the information comprises:

a user identification of the first viewer;

a media identification that identifies the source media program the first viewer is watching; and

a first viewer history of recommended media program exposure.

28. The system method of claim 25, wherein the media program player is configured to select the advertisement from a group comprising:

a media program trailer advertisement corresponding to one of the recommended media program identifications; and

a non-trailer advertisement corresponding to one of the determined one or more eligible advertisements.

29. The system method of claim 28, wherein the advertisement that is selected is based on a frequency maximum for the media program trailer advertisements.

30. The system method of claim 25, wherein the advertisement that is selected recommends one of the one or more recommended media programs and further comprises a personalized message based on the information.

31. The system method of claim 25, wherein the recommendation engine is further configured to:

accept input from the first viewer, via the media program player, regarding one of the one or more recommended media programs; and

store the input for use in future recommendations to the first user.

32. The system method of claim 31, wherein the recommendation engine is further configured to:

add a bookmark, using the stored input, for later viewing of the one of the one or more recommended media programs for the first viewer.