System and method for advertising using pushed video

• US 8,738,443 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: George M. Davison
• Original Assignee: George M. Davison
• Inventors: Davison, George M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamilton, Matthew L
• Application Number:
  US12/782,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20100293059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.69
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement

Abstract

Computer-based systems and methods for advertising by pushing video to recipients. The subject matter of the videos may be targeted to the affinities of the recipients. The videos embedded in the emails may comprise a short commercial that the recipients view when viewing the video. A computerized host data center may track the recipients'"'"' interaction with the video. Advertisers may be charged advertising rates based on the recipients'"'"' interactions with the video email. The video may be continually pushed to various recipients. The recipients may watch the videos when it is convenient for them simply by opening, for example, an email that included the video in various embodiments.

Claims

1. A computer-based push video system comprising:

at least one database; and

at least one server connected to the at least one database, wherein the at least one server comprises at least one processor, and wherein the at least one server is programmed to;

determine at least one recipient to send electronically a video with an advertisement, based on a relationship between a subject matter of the video and affinity data for the at least one recipient stored in the at least one database, wherein the affinity data relates to one or more topics of interest to the at least one recipient;

transmit an email to the at least one recipient associated with a recipient client device via a data network, wherein the video is playable from the email by the recipient client device, wherein the video includes a start and an end, and comprises a content portion and an advertisement portion, wherein the content portion of the video pertains to an affinity of the at least one recipient, and wherein the advertisement portion of the video starts after the start of the video and wherein the advertisement portion of the video ends prior to the end of the video;

gather recipient interaction data for the at least one recipient by tracking interaction by the at least one recipient with the video, wherein the recipient interaction data is stored in the at least one database, and wherein the recipient interaction data comprises data indicative of;

whether the email was opened by the at least one recipient;

whether a portion of the video was played by the recipient client device;

how much of the video was played by the recipient client device, including whether a portion of the advertisement portion was played; and

whether the at least one recipient accessed a hyperlink in the video associated with the advertisement portion of the video; and

compute an advertisement fee to charge an advertiser associated with the advertisement portion of the video based on the recipient interaction data, wherein the advertisement fee is computed based on at least whether the email was opened by the at least one recipient, whether a portion of the video was played by the recipient client device, how much of the video was played by the recipient client device, including whether a portion of the advertisement portion was played, and whether the at least one recipient accessed the hyperlink in the video associated with the advertisement portion of the video.

2. The push video system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server is programmed to:

send emails to a plurality of recipients associated with respective recipient client devices, each email comprising the video playable by the recipient client devices, the videos comprising the content portion and the advertisement portion;

gather recipient interaction data for the plurality of recipients by tracking interactions by the plurality of recipients with the videos, wherein the recipient interaction data for the plurality of recipients is stored in the at least one database; and

compute advertisement fees to charge the advertiser associated with the advertisement portion of the video based on the recipient interaction data from each of the recipients.

3. The push video system of claim 2, wherein the at least one database comprises contact information for the respective recipient client devices.

4. The push video system of claim 3, wherein the video further comprises an upcoming episode preview portion.

5. The push video system of claim 4, wherein the advertisement portion of the video ends before the upcoming episode preview portion starts.

6. The push video system of claim 5, wherein:

the advertisement portion of the video ends before the content portion of the video ends; and

the content portion of the video ends before the upcoming episode preview portion starts.

7. The push video system of claim 6, further comprising a countdown clock that is shown during the advertisement portion of the video, the countdown clock showing an amount of remaining time for the advertisement portion.

8. The push video system of claim 1, wherein the video comprises a streaming video playable in a media viewer program of the recipient client device, wherein the video is streamed from the at least one server.

10. The push video system of claim 1, further comprising:

upon activation of the hyperlink in the video, the video playing for the at least one recipient is paused and the recipient client device opens in a browser a web site associated with the hyperlink;

the web site allows the at least one recipient to purchase items online; and

the at least one server is further programmed to compute a fee for the advertiser based on a purchase of an item from the web site by the at least one recipient.

12. The push video system of claim 1, wherein the email comprises a link that, upon activation, plays the video.

9. A computer-based push video method comprising:

determining, by at least one server, at least one recipient to send electronically a video with an advertisement, based on a relationship between a subject matter of the video and affinity data for the at least one recipient stored in at least one database, wherein the affinity data relates to one or more topics of interest to the at least one recipient;

transmitting an email by the least one server to the at least one recipient associated with a recipient client device via a data network, wherein the video is playable from the email by the recipient client device, wherein the video includes a start and an end, and comprises a content portion and an advertisement portion, wherein the content portion of the video pertains to an affinity of the at least one recipient based on the affinity data regarding the recipient'"'"'s affinities stored in the at least one database that is in communication with the at least one server, and wherein the advertisement portion of the video starts after the start of the video and wherein the advertisement portion of the video ends prior to the end of the video, and wherein the at least one server comprises a processor;

gathering recipient interaction data for the at least one recipient by tracking by the at least one server interaction by the at least one recipient with the video, wherein the recipient interaction data is stored in the at least one database, and wherein the recipient interaction data comprises data indicative of;

whether the email was opened by the at least one recipient;

whether a portion of the video was played by the recipient client device;

how much of the video was played by the recipient client device, including whether a portion of the advertisement portion was played; and

whether the at least one recipient accessed a hyperlink in the video associated with the advertisement portion of the video; and

computing an advertisement fee to charge an advertiser associated with the advertisement portion of the video based on the recipient interaction data, wherein the advertisement fee is computed based on at least whether the email was opened by the at least one recipient, whether a portion of the video was played by the recipient client device, how much of the video was played by the recipient client device, including whether a portion of the advertisement portion was played, and whether the at least one recipient accessed the hyperlink in the video associated with the advertisement portion of the video.

11. The push video method of claim 9, further comprising:

upon activation of the hyperlink in the video, the video playing for the at least one recipient is paused and the recipient client device opens in a browser a web site associated with the hyperlink;

the web site allows the recipient to purchase items online; and

the method further comprises computing by the at least one server a fee for the advertiser based on a purchase of an item from the web site by the at least one recipient.

13. The push video method of claim 9, wherein the email comprises a link that, upon activation, plays the video.