Systems and methods for managing and distributing media content

• US 7,870,580 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2008
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FreeWheel Media Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visible World Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Niemeijer, Gerrit, Weite, David, Haberman, Seth
• Primary Examiner(s): BORISSOV, IGOR N
• Application Number:
  US12/206,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20090177542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 715/201, 715/202, 715/203, 715/204, 715/723, 715/781, 715/762, 715/866, 345/629, 345/619, 345/620, 345/634, 345/638, 345/636, 345/637, 725/32, 725/33, 725/34, 725/35, 725/36, 348/552, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 725/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, a media content management application that allows a user to customize, assemble, distribute, and track one or more versions of media content based on semantic criteria is provided.

Claims

1. A method for delivering commercials to content providers, the method comprising:

presenting a plurality of advertisement campaigns to a user through a computer interface, each advertising campaign comprising a plurality of fillable video segment slots, each fillable segment slot arranged at a specific time point within said advertisement campaign,

in response to receiving a campaign selection input, presenting the user with a first set of criteria associated with the selected advertisement campaign;

receiving a first criteria selection from the user;

accessing a library of media segments stored in the memory device, each of the media segments comprising a portion of an advertisement, each media segment associated with metadata defining the media segment;

transmitting the first criteria selection to an assembly component;

searching the memory device for media segments having metadata correlating with the first criteria selection;

retrieving at least one correlating media segment from the memory device;

inserting the correlating media segment into one of the fillable media slots into the advertisement campaign, thereby generating a completed commercial;

presenting a list of local content providers to the user, wherein each local content provider is selectable by the user;

in response to receiving a user-selected local content provider, presenting delivery options that correspond to the completed commercial to the user, wherein the delivery options include at least one of a delivery format, a delivery address, playback options, and a chargeback number; and

transmitting the version of the commercial to the user-selected local content provider in accordance with the delivery options selected by the user.

2. A method of delivering commercials to content providers, the method comprising:

presenting a plurality of advertisement campaigns to an advertiser through a computer interface, each advertising campaign comprising a plurality of fillable video segment slots, each fillable segment slot arranged at a specific time point within said advertisement campaign,

in response to receiving a campaign selection input, presenting the advertiser with a first set of criteria associated with the selected advertisement campaign;

receiving a first criteria selection from the advertiser;

accessing a library of media segments stored in the memory device, each of the media segments comprising a portion of an advertisement, each media segment associated with metadata defining the media segment;

transmitting the first criteria selection to an assembly component;

searching the memory device for media segments having metadata correlating with the first criteria selection;

retrieving at least one correlating media segment from the memory device;

inserting the correlating media segment into one of the fillable media slots into the advertisement campaign, thereby generating a first version of a completed commercial;

receiving instructions from the advertiser to assemble a second version of a completed commercial using a second set of criteria;

receiving a second criteria selection from the advertiser;

accessing a library of media segments stored in the memory device;

transmitting the second criteria selection to an assembly component;

searching the memory device for media segments having metadata correlating with the second criteria selection;

retrieving at least one correlating media segment from the memory device;

inserting the correlating media segment into one of the fillable media slots into the advertisement campaign, thereby generating a second version of a completed commercial;

storing the first version of the commercial and the second version of the commercial in a storage device;

transmitting a notification to a plurality of content providers, the notification comprising a request for each of the content providers to select at least one of the first version and the second version of the commercial for transmission to an audience associated with that content provider; and

in response to receiving a selection from one of the plurality of content providers, transmitting the selected version to that content provider.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

presenting the advertiser with a preview of the first and second versions of the commercial prior to transmitting the selected version to that content provider, wherein the preview is presented in a first format, and wherein the selected version of the commercial is transmitted in a second format.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first format is a media format capable of being transmitted over the Internet, and wherein the second format is one of:

a videotape, a DVD, a CD, a high definition format, a standard definition format, an MPEG-2 format, an MPEG-4 format, a media format, and a media resolution.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

presenting the advertiser with a preview of the first and second versions of the commercial prior to transmitting the selected version of the commercial to that content provider, wherein the preview is transmitted to the advertiser over the Internet, and wherein the selected versions of the commercial is physically delivered to that content provider in a format selected from the group consisting of;

a videotape, a DVD, a CD, a high definition format, a standard definition format, an MPEG-2 format, an MPEG-4 format, a media format, and a media resolution.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the playback rules comprise at least one of:

a transmission time, a transmission date, a delivery location, and an offers relating to the completed commercial.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining whether the content provider transmitted the completed commercial in accordance with the playback rules; and

preventing the at least one local content provider from transmitting the completed commercial to an audience in response to determining that the at least one local content provider has not complied with the playback rules.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of content providers is associated with the advertiser.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving delivery information for the first and second versions of the commercial;

receiving playback rules for the first and second versions of the commercial; and

transmitting the completed commercial and the playback rules in accordance with the delivery information.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising tracking the number of transmissions of the first and second versions of the commercial.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising presenting the advertiser with a list of content providers to transmit the notification.

12. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing the advertiser with targeting options for the completed commercial, wherein the targeting options include at least one of a delivery format, a delivery address, playback options, and a chargeback number.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the delivery format is one of a videotape, a DVD, a CD, a high definition format, a standard definition format, an MPEG-2 format, an MPEG-4 format, a media format, and a media resolution.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving an order from a content provider for at least one of the first and second versions of the commercial; and

tracking the number of times the first and second versions of the commercial have been ordered.

15. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving an order from a content provider for at least one of the first and second versions of the commercial; and

determining the number of times the first and second versions of the commercial have been ordered; and

providing the advertiser with a purchasing recommendation based on the determination, wherein the purchasing recommendation includes at least one of;

a recommended advertisement campaign, a recommended non-customizable advertisement campaign, a recommended customizable advertisement campaign, a recommended completed commercial, and recommended media segments.

16. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining the number of times the first and second versions of the commercial are transmitted to the plurality of content providers; and

providing the advertiser with a purchasing recommendation based on the determination, wherein the purchasing recommendation includes at least one of;

a recommended advertisement campaign, a recommended non-customizable advertisement campaign, a recommended customizable advertisement campaign, a recommended completed commercial, and recommended media segments.

17. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining the number of times the advertisement campaign is selected by the advertiser; and

providing the advertiser with a purchasing recommendation based on the determination, wherein the purchasing recommendation includes at least one of;

a recommended advertisement campaign, a recommended non-customizable advertisement campaign, a recommended customizable advertisement campaign, a recommended completed commercial, and recommended media segments.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored therein which, when executed by the computer, causing the computer to implement a method for delivering commercials to content providers, comprising:

presenting a plurality of advertisement campaigns to a user through a computer interface, each advertising campaign comprising a plurality of fillable video segment slots, each fillable segment slot arranged at a specific time point within said advertisement campaign,

in response to receiving a campaign selection input, presenting the user with a first set of criteria associated with the selected advertisement campaign;

receiving a first criteria selection from the user;

accessing a library of media segments stored in the memory device, each of the media segments comprising a portion of an advertisement, each media segment associated with metadata defining the media segment;

transmitting the first criteria selection to an assembly component;

searching the memory device for media segments having metadata correlating with the first criteria selection;

retrieving at least one correlating media segment from the memory device;

inserting the correlating media segment into one of the fillable media slots into the advertisement campaign, thereby generating a completed commercial;

presenting a list of local content providers to the user, wherein each local content provider is selectable by the user;

in response to receiving a user-selected local content provider, presenting delivery options that correspond to the completed commercial to the user, wherein the delivery options include at least one of a delivery format, a delivery address, playback options, and a chargeback number; and

transmitting the version of the commercial to the user-selected local content provider in accordance with the delivery options selected by the user.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored therein which, when executed by the computer, causing the computer to implement a method for delivering commercials to content providers, comprising:

presenting a plurality of advertisement campaigns to an advertiser through a computer interface, each advertising campaign comprising a plurality of fillable video segment slots, each fillable segment slot arranged at a specific time point within said advertisement campaign,

in response to receiving a campaign selection input, presenting the advertiser with a first set of criteria associated with the selected advertisement campaign;

receiving a first criteria selection from the advertiser;

accessing a library of media segments stored in the memory device, each of the media segments comprising a portion of an advertisement, each media segment associated with metadata defining the media segment;

transmitting the first criteria selection to an assembly component;

searching the memory device for media segments having metadata correlating with the first criteria selection;

retrieving at least one correlating media segment from the memory device;

inserting the correlating media segment into one of the fillable media slots into the advertisement campaign, thereby generating a first version of a completed commercial;

receiving instructions from the advertiser to assemble a second version of a completed commercial using a second set of criteria;

receiving a second criteria selection from the advertiser;

accessing a library of media segments stored in the memory device;

transmitting the second criteria selection to an assembly component;

searching the memory device for media segments having metadata correlating with the second criteria selection;

retrieving at least one correlating media segment from the memory device;

inserting the correlating media segment into one of the fillable media slots into the advertisement campaign, thereby generating a second version of a completed commercial;

storing the first version of the commercial and the second version of the commercial in a storage device;

transmitting a notification to a plurality of content providers, the notification comprising a request for each of the content providers to select at least one of the first version and the second version of the commercial for transmission to an audience associated with that content provider; and

in response to receiving a selection from one of the plurality of content providers, transmitting the selected version to that content provider.