Video Methods and Arrangements

• US 20110247027A1
• Filed: 04/01/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Tony F., Davis, Bruce L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,282,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/5
• 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 21/26613 for generating or managing keys in general key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Novel arrangements are detailed involving delivery of entertainment content, and commercial sponsorship of such content. Some arrangements enable viewers to control presentation of advertising in video, e.g., selecting what commercials are to be presented—if any, and also their order and timing. Ad presentation can also be made dependent on context. Other arrangements ensure that advertising is actually rendered, and is not skipped-over. In still other aspects, entertainment content that is now offered on a paid basis is made available for free to certain viewers. For example, viewers may receive free content as a perk for earlier patronage of certain content sponsors. Fees charged to advertisers can be tied to measured consumer responses (e.g., to correlated increases in sales of advertised products), or to the demographics of the responding viewers (e.g., engagement of affluent consumers merits higher fees). A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving first data corresponding to video entertainment programming;

receiving second data corresponding to an inventory of plural advertising messages; and

preventing a user from rendering the video entertainment programming in its entirety unless the inventory of advertising messages is first rendered in its entirety.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a part of the first data is encrypted, and wherein said preventing include preventing decryption of said part unless at least a part of said advertising messages is rendered.

3. A method comprising:

receiving first data corresponding to video entertainment programming, at least a portion of said first data being encrypted;

receiving second data corresponding to an advertising message;

rendering the second data, and deriving cryptographic key data therefrom; and

decrypting said portion of the first data using the derived cryptographic key data.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the deriving comprises applying a fingerprint extraction process to the second data.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the second data comprises first and second temporal parts, and the rendering includes rendering each of said parts, and deriving parts of the cryptographic key data from each;

wherein both the first and second parts of the second data must be rendered, and cryptographic key data must be derived from each, in order to decrypt said portion of the first data.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the deriving comprises applying a digital watermark decoding process to the second data.

7. A method comprising:

receiving first data corresponding to video entertainment programming, at least a portion of the first data being encrypted;

receiving a listing of plural advertising messages;

presenting a user interface through which a user can make a selection between said plural advertising messages;

rendering a user-selected advertising message, and deriving cryptographic key data therefrom; and

decrypting said portion of the first data with said derived cryptographic key data.

8. A method comprising:

receiving first data corresponding to video entertainment programming, and second data corresponding to plural advertising messages;

presenting a user interface allowing a user to control timing by which the plural advertising messages will be presented relative to presentation of the video entertainment programming; and

rendering the plural advertising messages to the user in accordance with said user-controlled timing;

wherein the user can control two or more of the advertising messages to be rendered in a single block of time, or each rendered at spaced-apart blocks of time with at least a portion of the video entertainment programming interspersed therebetween.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein rendering of the video entertainment programming in its entirety requires rendering each of the plural advertising messages.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein at least a portion of the video entertainment programming is received in an encrypted form, and wherein a decryption key is derived from an advertising message.

11. The method of claim 10 that includes deriving the decryption key by applying a fingerprint process to said advertising message.

12. The method of claim 10 that includes deriving the decryption key by applying a digital watermark decoding process to said advertising message.

13. A method comprising:

presenting video entertainment to a user;

interrupting the presentation of the video entertainment at one or more points therein to present an advertising message to the user;

receiving a signal, initiated by the user, indicating a desire to skip the advertising message;

charging the user a fee for the skipped advertising message; and

resuming presentation of the video entertainment without presenting a remainder of the advertising message.

14. A method comprising:

receiving video entertainment at a user device, from a distributor;

the user performing an action desired by a marketing party, said action being other than viewing an advertising message; and

in consideration of said user action, the marketing party defraying some or all of a charge the user would otherwise be assessed for receiving the video entertainment.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the action comprises purchasing a product promoted by the marketing party.

16. A method comprising:

receiving video entertainment at a user device, from a distributor, the video entertainment being sponsored by a company; and

assessing a variable charge to the user for the video entertainment, depending on the user'"'"'s status with the company.

17. The method of claim 16 that includes:

assessing a first charge if the user is not a customer of the company; and

assessing a second charge less than the first, or no charge, if the user is a customer of the company.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the video entertainment comprises sports programming, and the company is an automobile or financial services company.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the assessed charge varies depending on a purchasing history of the user with the company, wherein a user who has spent relatively less with the company is assessed a larger second charge than a user who has spent relatively more.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the video entertainment comprises a lineup of plural different successive programs.

21. A method comprising:

a distributor distributing video entertainment programming to consumers, the programming including an advertising message associated with a company, the distributor charging a first charge for including the advertising message in the video entertainment programming;

tracking consumer response to the advertising message; and

the distributor charging a further charge for including the advertising message in the video entertainment programming, if the tracked consumer response has a certain character.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the tracked response includes purchase of a product or service promoted by the company.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein a first consumer is charged a first amount for receiving the programming, and a second consumer is charged a lesser amount for receiving the programming because the second consumer is a customer of the company.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the second consumer is charged a lesser amount for receiving the programming because the second consumer has a preferred customer status with the company.

25. A method comprising:

delivering a set of video entertainment programs to both first and second recipients;

charging the first recipient a first fee for the programs, and charging the second recipient a different, lesser fee, or no fee;

wherein a difference in the fees is due to the second recipient'"'"'s patronage of one or more companies that sponsors the set of video entertainment programs.

26. A method comprising:

delivering video entertainment programming to both first and second subscribers;

presenting at least one advertising message in association with the video entertainment programming, to both the first and second subscribers; and

providing to the first subscriber a larger incentive for presentation of the advertising message than is provided to the second subscriber, by reason of differing valuation assessments associated with the first and second subscribers, the valuation assessments being based on other than confirmation that one or more advertising messages has been viewed.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein a valuation assessment of the first subscriber is based on a degree of patronage to a company that sponsors the video entertainment programming.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein a valuation assessment of the first subscriber is based on a degree of subscriber interaction with a widget associated with the advertising message.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein a valuation assessment of the first subscriber is based on a degree of subscriber engagement with an advertiser associated with the advertising message.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein the valuation assessments of the first and second subscribers are based on indicia of relative affluence.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein the valuation assessment of the first subscriber is based on that subscriber'"'"'s responsiveness to advertising messages.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the valuation assessment of the first subscriber is based on data relating to that subscriber'"'"'s historical responsiveness to advertising messages.

33. The method of claim 26 wherein the incentive provided to the first subscriber comprises a rebate, an amount of which is determined after the advertising message has been presented, based on an apparent effect of the advertising message on the subscriber.

34. A method comprising:

receiving first data identifying items purchased by a consumer;

receiving second data identifying advertising messages provided to the consumer, promoting different items;

correlating the first and second data to indicate a relative measure of responsiveness of the consumer to advertising for a particular item.

35. The method of claim 34 that includes receiving the first data from a grocery chain'"'"'s customer loyalty program database.

36. The method of claim 34 that includes receiving the first data from a repository of information collected by, or at the direction of the consumer, and to which the consumer has access.

37. The method of claim 34 that includes establishing pricing for video entertainment programming delivered to a consumer based, in part, on a result of said correlation.

38. The method of claim 34 that includes identifying one or more advertising messages to present to a consumer based, in part, on a result of said correlation.

39. The method of claim 38 that includes identifying an advertising message that promotes an item that the first data indicates the consumer has not purchased.

40. The method of claim 34 that includes receiving the first data from a grocery chain'"'"'s customer loyalty program database.

41. A method comprising:

receiving first data that identifies at least certain items purchased by a consumer at a grocery chain;

receiving second data that identifies advertising messages provided to the consumer with video entertainment programming, the advertising messages promoting different items;

correlating the first and second data to indicate a relative measure of responsiveness of the consumer to advertising for particular items; and

rewarding the consumer with free or reduced cost video entertainment programming.

42. A method comprising:

accessing profile data associated with a consumer;

identifying video advertising related to the consumer profile;

replacing other advertising with the identified advertising in video content delivered to the consumer; and

rewarding the consumer with free or reduced cost video entertainment programming.

43. The method of claim 42 that includes:

querying the consumer to identify one or more classes of video advertising the consumer does not wish to view; and

when video advertising in the identified class would otherwise appear, replacing it with video advertising related to the consumer profile.

44. The method of claim 42 that includes confirming rendering of an advertising message to the consumer by reference to data sensed by a portable device conveyed by the user.

45. The method of claim 42 that includes confirming rendering of an advertising message to the consumer by decryption of video entertainment content using a decryption key available by rendering of the advertising message.

46. A method comprising:

presenting a video advertising message to a consumer; and

rewarding the consumer for enhanced engagement with the video advertising message, said enhanced engagement with the video advertising message comprising more than confirming viewing of the message.