Providing a survey during an advertisement opportunity to improve advertising experience

• US 9,202,224 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Kilar, Jason A., Ivy, Jessica Page, Mak, Wing Chit, Tom, Richard W., Wong, Robert Masao, Schafer, Bryon Edward, Zheng, Hua, Colaco, Jean-Paul, Soebekti, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Feliciano, Eliseo Ramos
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUAREZ, FELIX E
• Application Number:
  US13/246,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20120110619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 702/32, 702/34, 702/61, 702/62, 702/186, 702/188, 370/252, 705/14, 709/203, 725/34
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 21/23439 for generating different versions
• 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user device are described. The method permits the user to manage the provision of user information such as surveys and advertisement feedback to the media program provider to improve the advertising experience.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

configuring, by a computing device, a set of locations within a media program where a media program provider is provided the opportunity to initiate transmission of a survey, wherein an indicia of compensation from a user is required to entitle the user to control advertisements associated with the media program;

providing, by the computing device, a segment playlist for segments of the media program, wherein the segment playlist includes discontinuity tags to delineate advertisement opportunities in the media program;

receiving, by the computing device, messages regarding a progress of playback of the media program based on requesting of segments of the media program from the segment playlist;

determining, by the computing device, whether one of the set of locations is encountered in the media program based on the progress;

in response to determining one of the set of locations is encountered, holding, by the computing device, transmission of an advertisement in an advertisement opportunity during playback of the media program;

providing, by the computing device, a survey asking a survey question for a user that requires a survey answer from the user during the advertisement opportunity, wherein the survey indicates the advertisement will be skipped during the advertisement opportunity when the survey question is answered;

determining, by the computing device, when a response from the user to the survey question is received;

determining, by the computing device, when the response satisfies a survey answer requirement;

when the response satisfies the survey answer requirement, determining, by the computing device, the indicia of compensation is received from the user by virtue of receiving the response to the survey question from the user; and

causing, by the computing device, a media player to request a segment of the media program after a discontinuity tag and not play the advertisement during the advertisement opportunity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the survey indicates that playback of the media program will begin when the survey question is answered, and

when the response is the survey answer to the survey question, returning to playback of the media program without playing any more advertisements during the advertisement opportunity.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether an additional advertisement is scheduled for the advertisement opportunity; and

playing the additional advertisement during the advertisement opportunity after not playing the advertisement and then causing the media player to request the segment of the media program after the discontinuity tag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the survey includes a single survey question in which the advertisement is not played during the advertisement opportunity when a single survey answer to the single survey question is received.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the survey provides an input control for receiving the survey answer to the survey question.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the input control provides a plurality of survey answers for selection of a single survey answer by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a timer with a period of time in which the user can provide the survey answer; and

when the period of time elapses without receiving the response with the survey answer, playing the advertisement during the advertisement opportunity.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a timer with a period of time in which the user can provide the survey answer; and

when the period of time elapses without receiving the response with the survey answer, returning to playback of the media program without playing any more advertisements during the advertisement opportunity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the survey answer comprises user information for the user, the method further comprising:

storing the user information for use in determining advertisements for the user in future advertisement opportunities.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the response comprises an indication the user does not want to answer the survey question, the method further comprising:

playing the advertisement during the advertisement opportunity.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when the user qualifies to receive the survey;

providing the survey during the advertisement opportunity when the user qualifies; and

not providing the survey during the advertisement opportunity when the user does not qualify.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, that when executed, control a computer system to be configured for:

configuring a set of locations within a media program where a media program provider is provided the opportunity to initiate transmission of a survey, wherein an indicia of compensation from a user is required to entitle the user to control advertisements associated with the media program;

providing a segment playlist for segments of the media program, wherein the segment playlist includes discontinuity tags to delineate advertisement opportunities in the media program;

receiving messages regarding a progress of playback of the media program based on requesting of segments of the media program from the segment playlist;

determining whether one of the set of locations is encountered in the media program based on the progress;

in response to determining one of the set of locations is encountered, holding transmission of an advertisement in an advertisement opportunity during playback of the media program;

providing a survey asking a survey question for a user that requires a survey answer from the user during the advertisement opportunity, wherein the survey indicates the advertisement will be skipped during the advertisement opportunity when the survey question is answered;

determining when a response from the user to the survey question is received;

determining when the response satisfies a survey answer requirement;

when the response satisfies the survey answer requirement, determining the indicia of compensation is received from the user by virtue of receiving the response to the survey question from the user; and

causing a media player to request a segment of the media program after a discontinuity tag and not play the advertisement during the advertisement opportunity.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein:

the survey indicates that playback of the media program will begin when the survey question is answered, and

when the response is the survey answer to the survey question, returning to playback of the media program without playing any more advertisements during the advertisement opportunity.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether an additional advertisement is scheduled for the advertisement opportunity; and

playing the additional advertisement during the advertisement opportunity after not playing the advertisement and then causing the media player to request the segment of the media program after the discontinuity tag.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the survey includes a single survey question in which the advertisement is not played during the advertisement opportunity when a single survey answer to the single survey question is received.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the survey provides an input control for receiving the survey answer to the survey question.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the input control provides a plurality of answers for selection of a single survey answer by the user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further configured for:

determining a timer with a period of time in which the user can provide the survey answer; and

when the period of time elapses without receiving the response with the survey answer, playing the advertisement during the advertisement opportunity.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further configured for:

determining a timer with a period of time in which the user can provide the survey answer; and

when the period of time elapses without receiving the response with the survey answer, returning to playback of the media program without playing any more advertisements during the advertisement opportunity.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the survey answer comprises user information for the user, further configured for:

storing the user information for use in determining advertisements for the user in future advertisement opportunities.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further configured for:

determining when the user qualifies to receive the survey;

providing the survey during the advertisement opportunity when the user qualifies; and

not providing the survey during the advertisement opportunity when the user does not qualify.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the response comprises an indication the user does not want to answer the survey question, the method further comprising:

playing the advertisement during the advertisement opportunity.

23. A method comprising:

sending, by a computing device, a request for a media program, the media program configured with a set of locations within the media program where a media program provider is provided the opportunity to initiate transmission of a survey, wherein an indicia of compensation from a user is required to entitle the user to control advertisements associated with the media program;

receiving, by the computing device, a segment playlist for segments of the media program, wherein the segment playlist includes discontinuity tags to delineate advertisement opportunities in the media program;

sending, by the computing device, messages regarding a progress of playback of the media program based on requesting of segments of the media program from the segment playlist;

playing, by the computing device, the media program in a media player;

during an advertisement opportunity during the playing of the media program when it is determined one of the set of locations is encountered in the media program based on the progress, receiving, by the computing device, a survey asking a survey question for a user that requires a survey answer from the user during the advertisement opportunity, wherein the survey indicates an advertisement will be skipped during the advertisement opportunity when the survey question is answered, wherein an indicia of compensation from a user is required to entitle the user to control advertisements associated with the media program;

displaying, by the computing device, the survey during the advertisement opportunity;

receiving, by the computing device, a response from the user to the survey question; and

when the response is the survey answer to the survey question and satisfies a survey answer requirement, requesting, by the computing device, a segment of the media program after a discontinuity tag and not playing the advertisement during the advertisement opportunity, wherein it is determined the indicia of compensation is received from the user by virtue of receiving the response to the survey question from the user.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the survey indicates that playback of the media program will begin when the survey question is answered, and

when the response is the survey answer to the survey question, returning to playback of the media program without playing any more advertisements during the advertisement opportunity.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

playing an additional advertisement during the advertisement opportunity after not playing the advertisement when an additional advertisement is scheduled for the advertisement opportunity and then requesting the segment of the media program after the discontinuity tag.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the survey includes a single survey question in which the advertisement is not played during the advertisement opportunity when a single survey answer to the single survey question is received.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the survey provides an input control for receiving the survey answer to the survey question.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the input control provides a plurality of survey answers for selection of a single answer by the user.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

displaying a timer with a period of time in which the user can provide the survey answer; and

when the period of time elapses without receiving the response with the survey answer, playing the advertisement during the advertisement opportunity.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

displaying a timer with a period of time in which the user can provide the survey answer; and

when the period of time elapses without receiving the response with the survey answer, returning to playback of the media program without playing any more advertisements during the advertisement opportunity.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the survey answer comprises user information for the user, the method further comprising:

sending the user information for use in determining advertisements for the user in future advertisement opportunities to a media program provider.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the response comprises an indication the user does not want to answer the survey question, the method further comprising:

playing the advertisement during the advertisement opportunity.