Content distribution system and method

• US 9,635,408 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quantum Stream, Inc. (XpresSpa Group, Inc. (f/k/a FORM Holdings Corp.))
• Original Assignee: Quantum Stream, Inc. (XpresSpa Group, Inc. (f/k/a FORM Holdings Corp.))
• Inventors: Akadiri, Tayo
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US14/921,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20160044345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 705 144, 705 50, 705 51, 705 57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• 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 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention provide an electronic marketplace that matches units of content from secondary content providers with suitable vacancies from primary content providers. Vacancies may constitute, or be included in, any digital transmission containers, such as a television or radio programming, web pages, and the like. Specifically, the electronic marketplace automatically matches content offered by secondary content providers with vacancies offered by primary content providers thus filling the vacancies in these containers through a real-time content trading, placement, and distribution system. To do so, attributes associated with the vacancies and with units of secondary content are used to trade and match suitable vacancies with suitable content. This invention enables both secondary content owners and vacancy owners (primary content providers) to obtain the full commercial benefit of their secondary content and containers.

Claims

1. An improved method of video content distribution for inserting a digital video advertisement into a digital video program, the method comprising:

transmitting, by at least one first server, the digital video program to at least one consumer device through a first network connector of the at least one first server;

transmitting, by at least one second server, at least one digital video advertisement to the at least one consumer device through a second network connector of the at least one second server and over a network, wherein the at least one digital video advertisement for transmission is selected based on targeted criteria;

receiving, by at least one third server, a notification of a designated region in the digital video program for receiving a digital video advertisement;

in response to the notification, identifying based on real time data at least one digital video advertisement for insertion into the designated region of the digital video program, wherein the identification is based on an automated process of a plurality of advertisers bidding in real time to insert their digital video advertisements into the digital video program;

receiving, by at least one third network connector of the at least one consumer device, the digital video program from the at least one first server; and

inserting, by at least one processor of the at least one consumer device, the identified digital video advertisement into the designated region of the digital video program as a consumer is viewing the digital video program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one consumer device comprises a set top box.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one digital video advertisement is matched in real-time to the targeted criteria.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the targeted criteria comprises consumer profiles.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the targeted criteria comprises contextual content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising implementing automated bidding for a designated region or an attribute of a designated region.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the automated bidding includes bidding high for a larger audience or target audience.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the automated bidding is adjusted based on a dynamic property value of a designated region.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the automated bidding includes bidding for a specific consumer.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the automated bidding is adjusted after each round of bidding.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein if an automated bid fails, the bidding is adjusted to increase a bid.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the automated bidding includes a maximum bid.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the automated bidding is performed by using a neural network or rule based inductive learning.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the automated bidding is based on geographic location of a consumer or length of a designated region.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing transaction details to content providers related to the insertion of digital video advertisements into designated regions.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the providing transaction details further comprises providing statistical information regarding the number of times a digital video advertisement has been inserted into designated regions of a digital video program.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises a notification regarding an availability of the at least one designated region for receiving a digital video advertisement.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining demographic information using at least one of a network address of the consumer and a profile of the consumer.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising using the demographic information for selecting the at least one digital video advertisement.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a packet network.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection is made in response to receiving a request from a consumer to obtain the digital video program.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the bidding occurs automatically in real-time as the audience of the primary content fluctuates.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least third network connector of the at least one consumer devices comprises a first connector and a second connector;

and wherein the at least one consumer device is configured to receive;

(a) the digital video program through the first connector; and

(b) the digital video advertisements through the second connector.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated region is a temporally defined region.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification includes at least one attribute associated with the designated region.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one attribute is a static attribute.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the static attribute is a size of the designated region or the location of the designated region.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the static attribute is a time qualifier of the designated region, date qualifier of the designated region or classification of the designated region.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one attribute is a dynamic attribute.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the dynamic attribute is real time data or consumer demographics.

31. The method of claim 25 further comprising identifying at least one digital video advertisement having at least one attribute that matches the at least one attribute associated with the designated region.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital video program is transmitted to at least one consumer device over the network.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein a designated region is matched with a digital video advertisement based on trading preferences of an advertiser.

34. An improved system of video content distribution for inserting a digital video advertisement into a digital video program, the system comprising:

at least one consumer device having a first network connector and at least one processor;

at least one first server comprising a second network connector, wherein the at least one first server is configured to transmit the digital video program to the at least one consumer device through the second network connector;

at least one second server comprising a third network connector, wherein the at least one second server is configured to transmit at least one digital video advertisement to the at least one consumer device through the third network connector and over a network, wherein the at least one digital video advertisement for transmission is selected based on targeted criteria;

at least one third server configured to receive a notification of a designated region in the digital video program for receiving a digital video advertisement, wherein the at least one third server is configured to, in response to the notification, identify based on real time data at least one digital video advertisement for insertion into the designated region of the digital video program, wherein the identification is based on an automated process of a plurality of advertisers bidding in real time to insert their digital video advertisements into the digital video program; and

wherein the at least one consumer device is configured to receive the digital video program from the at least one first server through the at least one first network connector and;

wherein the at least one processor is configured to insert the identified digital video advertisement into the designated region of the digital video program as a consumer is viewing the digital video program.