Method and apparatus for context-specific content delivery

• US 9,286,388 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Marsh, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US11/198,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20070033531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,876 Days
• Field of Search: 725/34
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for generating and delivering selected primary content and contextually-related, targeted secondary content to users of a network. In an exemplary embodiment, the network comprises a packet-switched data (e.g., IP) network such as the Internet, and the primary content comprises video or media clips that are user-selectable via a network site or web page. The primary content carries with it descriptive metadata that is accessed by a distribution server and forwarded to a secondary content source. The secondary content source (or its proxy) utilizes the metadata to identify and return contextually-related secondary content such as advertising links. This secondary content is then presented to the user in conjunction with the primary content, such as in a common display window and in a seamless fashion, thereby avoiding distractions to the user associated with generating ancillary windows or other display mechanisms, and providing the user with highly relevant secondary content choices.

Claims

1. In a content distribution network having a server and a consumer premises device in data communication therewith, a method of providing primary content and contextually-related secondary content to users of said network, said method comprising:

receiving at said server from said consumer premises device a request for said primary content for transmission or download;

accessing, in response to said act of receiving, a descriptive data file associated with said primary content, said descriptive data relating to at least one aspect of said primary content;

utilizing said descriptive data file to generate a multi-element search string;

providing said search string to a search entity for a search, if said search string comprises a search string known to said search entity, said search producing a known set of said contextually related secondary content which have been pre-screened to relate to the topic of said primary content;

transmitting said primary and secondary content to said consumer premises device; and

displaying said primary and secondary content on a display device associated with said consumer premises device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of displaying comprises displaying said primary and secondary content in a common display window generated by a software application adapted for playing audiovisual content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

said act of displaying further comprises displaying said secondary content immediately following the completion of the display of said primary content; and

said secondary content comprises textual advertising data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said act of transmitting comprises:

disposing said primary and secondary content within a common data structure; and

transmitting said common data structure to said consumer premises device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said network comprises a cable television network capable of video-on demand (VOD) delivery of content, and said act of transmitting comprises transmitting as part of a VOD session.

6. A method of providing encoded video content and contextually-related markup language advertising content to a plurality of user devices in data communication with at least one server via an Internet, said method comprising:

receiving a request for said encoded video content for download to at least one of said user devices;

in response to said act of receiving, downloading to said at least one user device a software application capable of running thereon and adapted to provide for a display of said encoded video content and markup language advertising content as a single uninterrupted and continuous stream so as to avoid disrupting the attention of a user of said at least one user device;

accessing a metadata file descriptive of one or more content-based attributes of said requested encoded video content;

processing said metadata file to derive one or more search terms;

providing said search terms to a third party advertising server having a search engine running thereon, said search terms being entered into a search of a plurality of available markup language advertising content, said search producing said contextually related advertising content;

receiving said contextually related markup language advertising content from said third party advertising server; and

transmitting said requested encoded video content and said markup language advertising content to said at least one user device for display thereon via said software application;

wherein said software application is adapted to display said requested encoded video content and said markup language advertising content within a single display window generated by said software application; and

wherein said processing of said metadata file reduces an instance of said search producing irrelevant or marginally relevant markup language advertising content.