Method and Apparatus for Passively Monitoring Online Video Viewing and Viewer Behavior

• US 20110029666A1
• Filed: 10/14/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tubemogul Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilson, Brett, Hughes, John, Rose, Adam, LOPATECKI, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/44226 on social networks
• 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

Abstract

Various user behaviors are passively monitored and recorded when a user/viewer interacts with a network video player, e.g. a web video player, while watching an online video clip. For one embodiment, a data collection agent (DCA) is loaded to the player and/or to a web page that displays the video clip. The DCA passively collects detailed viewing and behavior information without requiring any specific input or actions on the part of the user. Indications of user preferences are inferred by user actions leading up to viewing the video, while viewing the video, and just after and still related to viewing the video. The DCA periodically sends this information to a central server where it is stored in a central database and where it is used to determine preference similarities among different users. Recorded user preference information may also be used to rate a video itself.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating a viewer preference score for a viewer relative to a particular video clip without requiring a viewer to assign a score, comprising the steps of:

recording parameters respective of the viewer'"'"'s actions relating to the video clip, the recording taking place without requesting the viewer for a specific input for rating the video clip;

determining, based on the recorded viewer'"'"'s actions, a viewer preference score relative to the video clip;

recording the viewer preference score in a database of viewer preference scores respective of the viewer; and

associating the viewer preference score with the viewer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewer preference score is associated with the viewer as metadata of the viewer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein recorded parameters reflecting viewer actions prior to playing the video clip comprise any of:

enduring a pre-roll advertisement;

accessing the video clip by a particular method comprising any of;

authenticating, logging-in, and being incentivized to see the video; and

adjusting a bit rate for streaming or downloading the video prior to playing the video, said bit rate adjustment indicating whether the viewer increased or decreased the bit rate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein recorded parameters reflecting viewer actions while playing the video clip comprise any of:

adjusting volume level, muting, or un-muting the video clip;

pausing or un-pausing the video clip;

fast-forwarding or rewinding the video clip;

replaying the video clip, how many times the video clip was replayed, and what portion of the video clip was replayed;

viewing the video clip for a recorded duration and percent completion;

viewing the video clip in full-screen mode;

adjusting the bit rate for streaming or downloading the video clip while playing it, including whether the viewer increased or decreased the bit rate;

clicking-through on an overlay image or on the video clip itself to be taken to another webpage or website;

spending time viewing certain segments of the video clip that are judged to have higher value based on actions of previous viewers; and

enduring a mid-roll advertisement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein recorded parameters reflecting viewer actions after playing the video clip comprise any of:

sharing the video via an embed code;

sharing the video via e-mail;

sharing the video via a social network;

sharing the video in multiple separate events where the number of separate sharing events the viewer initiated to share the video clip are recorded;

waiting for a time duration between viewing the video clip and initiating a sharing event, wherein said time duration is recorded;

bookmarking the video clip for later viewing;

downloading and saving the video for later viewing; and

subscribing to a channel or feed for the video content producer or artist.

6. A method for generating a score for a video clip without requiring a viewer to assign a score, comprising the steps of:

recording parameters respective of the viewer'"'"'s actions relating to the video clip, the recording taking place without requesting the viewer for a specific input for rating the video clip;

determining, based on the recorded viewer'"'"'s actions, a video clip score relative to the video clip;

recording the video clip score in a database of scores respective of the video clip; and

associating the video clip score with the video clip.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the video clip score is associated with the video clip as metadata of the video clip.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein recorded parameters reflecting viewer actions prior to playing the video clip comprise any of:

enduring a pre-roll advertisement;

accessing the video clip by a particular method comprising any of;

authenticating, logging-in, and being incentivized to see the video; and

adjusting the bit rate for streaming or downloading the video prior to playing the video, said bit rate adjustment indicating whether the viewer increased or decreased the bit rate.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein recorded parameters reflecting viewer actions while playing the video clip comprise any of:

adjusting volume level, muting, or un-muting the video clip;

pausing or un-pausing the video clip;

fast-forwarding or rewinding the video clip;

replaying the video clip, how many times the video clip was replayed, and what portion of the video clip was replayed;

viewing the video clip for a recorded duration and percent completion;

viewing the video clip in full-screen mode;

adjusting a bit rate for streaming or downloading the video clip while playing it, said bit rate adjustment indicating whether the viewer increased or decreased the bit rate;

clicking-through on an overlay image or on the video clip itself to be taken to another webpage or website;

spending time viewing certain segments of the video clip that are judged to have higher value based on actions of previous viewers; and

enduring a mid-roll advertisement.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein recorded parameters reflecting viewer actions after playing the video clip comprising any of:

sharing the video via an embed code;

sharing the video via e-mail;

sharing the video via a social network;

sharing the video in multiple separate events where the number of separate sharing events the viewer initiated to share the video clip are recorded;

waiting for a time duration between viewing the video clip and initiating a sharing event, wherein said time duration is recorded;

bookmarking the video clip for later viewing;

downloading and saving the video for later viewing; and

subscribing to a channel or feed for the video content producer or artist.

11. A system for collecting viewership information representing actions of at least one viewer with respect to at least one video clip, comprising:

a data collection agent (DCA) for passively collecting metadata and viewership information related to a viewer for at least one video clip on at least one web page, wherein said collecting takes place without requesting the viewer for a specific input for rating the video clip;

a viewership analytics server (VAS) comprising;

an information collection component for receiving said metadata and said viewership information from said DCA;

a database component for storing said metadata and said viewership information;

an analyzing component for analyzing said metadata and said viewership information;

wherein the viewership information is collected at least one of before, during, or after the video clip is played by the viewer; and

wherein the viewership information is used to create both a score for at least one of a video clip score that is thereafter associated in a database with the video clip, and a user preference score that is thereafter associated in a database with the viewer.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein viewership information reflecting viewer actions prior to playing the video clip comprises any of:

enduring a pre-roll advertisement;

accessing the video clip by a particular method comprising any of;

authenticating, logging-in, and being incentivized to see the video; and

adjusting the bit rate for streaming or downloading the video prior to playing the video clip, said bit rate adjustment indicating whether the viewer increased or decreased the bit rate.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein viewership information reflecting viewer actions while playing the video clip comprise any of:

adjusting volume level, muting, or un-muting the video clip;

pausing or un-pausing the video clip;

fast-forwarding or rewinding the video clip;

replaying the video clip, how many times the video clip was replayed, and what portion of the video clip was replayed;

viewing the video clip for a recorded duration and percent completion;

viewing the video clip in full-screen mode;

adjusting the bit rate for streaming or downloading the video clip while playing the video clip, said bit rate adjustment indicating whether the viewer increased or decreased the bit rate;

clicking-through on an overlay image or on the video clip itself to be taken to another webpage or website;

spending time viewing certain segments of the video clip that are judged to have higher value based on actions of previous viewers; and

enduring a mid-roll advertisement.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein viewership information reflecting viewer actions after playing the video clip comprise any of:

sharing the video via an embed code;

sharing the video via e-mail;

sharing the video via a social network;

sharing the video in multiple separate events where the number of separate sharing events the viewer initiated to share the video clip are recorded;

waiting for a time duration between viewing the video clip and initiating a sharing event, wherein said time duration is recorded;

bookmarking the video clip for later viewing;

downloading and saving the video for later viewing; and

subscribing to a channel or feed for the video content producer or artist.

15. The system of claim 11, said analyzing component configured to process information stored in the database to generate any of viewership-related analytics data, an attention span report, and viewership demographics.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said viewership-related analytics data comprises any of a number of viewers during any period of time for a video clip, for a publisher, or for a group of video clips over different periods of time, generated for a single website or across a plurality of websites.

17. The system of claim 15, said analyzer generating said analytics data by computing a number of viewers in each day, or any other time interval, from said information.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said analyzer attention span report comprises detailed information about duration and repetition of each view, per each video clip, a total number of viewers, and a number of viewers that viewed a complete video clip.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said viewership-geographic report comprises a number of viewers of a video clip in each country around the globe and

wherein said viewership-geographic report is generated by correlating a number of views with IP addresses of a different viewers.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said viewership demographics report correlates a number of viewers with demographics including any of race, age, income, educational attainment, and employment status.