Abstract:
In a method and system for selecting an advertisement for video on demand, a video player is connected to a video content provider over a network via an access gateway. The video content provider receives a request for a video content from the video player, determines a popularity count for the video content and a geographical area for the video player, selects the advertisement based on the popularity count and the geographical area, and sends the video content combined with the advertisement to the video player. In one embodiment, the advertisement has a corresponding advertisement rule with an advertising condition which specifies a required popularity count and geographical area. If the advertisement condition is satisfied, then the advertisement is selected. In this manner, an advertisement for video on demand is selected based upon both demographics information and location of the video player increasing the effectiveness of the advertisement.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/701,291, filed on Jan. 31, 2007. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field 
     This invention relates to system and method for selecting an advertisement for video on demand. 
     2. Related Arts 
     Businesses constantly look for new and more effective ways to advertise their merchandises or services. 
     With the advent of the Internet, on-line advertising becomes an important venue for businesses. On-line advertisers draw on experience of the traditional advertising channels, including advertising decision based on demographics information. This is particularly attractive to on-line advertising as it is easy to collect demographics information using consumer information, for example, in the form of user inputs or client-side cookies. 
     With the popularity of viewing video contents over the Internet, attaching an advertisement to a video content is common. However, selecting an effective advertisement for a video content remains a challenge. It is often inadequate to only take into account demographics information or consumer information. 
     In one example, John uses his personal computer (PC) at his downtown New York apartment to watch a Houston Rocket&#39;s basketball game highlight video from a sports web portal. Based on demographics information about the video, the portal attaches an advertisement for an athletic shoe store weekend promotion in Houston, Tex. The athletic shoe store fails to attract John, while having to pay the portal for the advertisement. 
     In another example, while vacationing at Maui, Hi., Jenny uses her smartphone to view a recorded episode of “Desperate Housewives” from an on-line video site. Based on demographics information about the episode and user information of Jenny, the on-line video site attaches an advertisement for a jewelry store at Palo Alto, Calif. where Jenny resides. 
     Therefore, there is a need to select an advertisement for video on demand that is based upon both demographics information and location of the viewing device. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In a method and system for selecting an advertisement for video on demand, a video player is connected to a video content provider over a network via an access gateway. The video content provider receives a request for a video content from the video player, determines a popularity count for the video content and a geographical area for the video player, selects the advertisement based on the popularity count and the geographical area, and sends the video content combined with the advertisement to the video player. In one embodiment, the advertisement has a corresponding advertisement rule with an advertising condition which specifies a required popularity count and geographical area. If the advertisement condition is satisfied, then the advertisement is selected. In this manner, an advertisement for video on demand is selected based upon both demographics information and location of the video player, increasing the effectiveness of the advertisement. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a user using a video player to request a video content. 
         FIG. 2 a    illustrates a process for selecting an advertisement based on popularity count of video content and geographic area of video player. 
         FIG. 2 b    illustrates a process for determining the geographical area of video player. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a user using a video player to request a video content. 
     User  110  uses video player  120  located in a geographical area  125  to request a video content  160  from a video content provider  190 . 
     Video content  160  includes video information. In one embodiment, video content  160  is a movie, an animation clip, a video clip, a recorded television program, or a video recording. In one embodiment, video information is encoded in a media digital format such as Moving Picture Experts Group-4 (MPEG-4), Adobe Flash, Windows Media Video (WMV), MPEG-1, MPEG-2, QuickTime file, or Audio Video Interleave (AVI) format. 
     In one embodiment, video content  160  is a news report, a weather update, a local weather report, a live traffic view or an entertainment story. In one embodiment, video content  160  is a movie, such as a drama, a comic, a romance, or a horror movie. In one embodiment, video content  160  is a documentary, such as a wild life, history, archeology, travel, or sport documentary. In one embodiment, video content  160  is a recorded episode of a television series, such as a sitcom, a crime story, a reality show, a talk show. In one embodiment, video content  160  is a recorded television production such as a sport event, a variety show or a beauty pageant contest. In one embodiment, video content  160  is an instructional video, such as for cooking, sport, bonsai, exercise, weight-loss or home improvement video. In one embodiment, video content  160  is a Music TV™ (MTV) production, or a concert recording. In one embodiment, video content  160  is a short video about arts, pets, music, politics, religion, sports highlights, or people. In one embodiment, video content  160  is a short video about news and Internet blogs. 
     Video player  120  is a computing device capable of playing video content. In one embodiment, video player  120  includes a personal desktop computer, a personal laptop computer, a hand-held computing device, a video appliance, or a media center. In one embodiment, video player  120  includes a graphical display screen based on technologies such as Thin-Film Transistor (TFT), Plasma Display Panel (PDP) or Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). In one embodiment, video player  120  includes a media output interface, such as an RCA jack, a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) jack. In one embodiment, video player  120  includes a Personal Area Network (PAN) interface based on, for example, Bluetooth technology. In one embodiment, video player  120  includes a software program such as a web browser such as Internet Explorer™, Netscape™, Safari™ or Firefox™ In one embodiment, video player  120  includes a browser plugin. In one embodiment, video player  120  includes a standalone media player application such as Adobe™ Flash Player, Microsoft™ Media Player, RealPlayer™, or QuickTime™. In one embodiment, video player  120  is a mobile device. In one embodiment, video player  120  is a smartphone, a Personal Data Assistance (PDA) or an MP4 player. 
     In one embodiment, geographical area  125  is a metropolitan area such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington DC Metro Area, or Detroit Mich. In one embodiment, geographical area  125  is a regional division such as the Pacific Coast that includes the states of Oregon, Washington and California, or the Mountain States that includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. In one embodiment, geographical area  125  is a city, such as New York, Chicago, or San Jose. In one embodiment, geographical area  125  is within a section in a shopping district or a shopping center, such as a street block, courtyard, town square, portion of a street block, several adjacent street blocks, a shopping center section, a court yard, a restaurant, a food court, a department store, a rest area, or a parking lot. 
     Video player  120  connects to video content provider  190  over a public data network  139 . In one embodiment, data network  139  includes the Internet. 
     In one embodiment, video player  120  accesses data network  139  via an Internet service provider. Video player  120  accesses data network  139  via an access gateway  127  operated by the Internet service provider. Access gateway  127  is located in the geographical area  125 . In one embodiment, access gateway  127  is a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM), a Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS), a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN), a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) or a Cable Data Modem Termination System (CDMTS). In one embodiment, the access gateway is a wireless hotspot access point. 
     In one embodiment, video content provider  190  is an Internet portal such as Yahoo!™, America Online™ (AOL), or Microsoft Service Network™ (MSN) portal. In one embodiment, video content provider  190  is an Internet portal with journal style content about politics, sports, hobbies or news. In one embodiment, video content provider  190  is a website for social networking or online diaries. In one embodiment, video content provider  190  is a video sharing website such as Yahoo!™ Video, or Google™ Video. In one embodiment, video content provider  190  is an e-commerce website. 
     Video content provider  190  selects an advertisement  170  based on a popularity count  165 , and geographical area  125 . 
     Popularity count  165  indicates the popularity of video content  160 . In one embodiment, popularity count  165  includes the number of times video content  160  has previously been requested by video players located within geographical area  125 . In one embodiment, popularity count  165  includes the number of times video content  160  has previously been requested by video players located within geographical area  125  during a time period. 
     In one embodiment, advertisement  170  is for promoting brand recognition such as automobiles, airline service, vacation cruises, hotel chains, food or beverage. In one embodiment, advertisement  170  is for promoting a local business such as an auto service station, a dental office, a real estate broker, a restaurant, a gym, a retail store, or a beauty salon. In one embodiment, advertisement is for personal business that offers music or sports lesson, palm reading, or private instruction. 
     In one embodiment, advertisement  170  includes video information. Video content provider  190  combines video content  160  and advertisement  170  to generate combined video content  130 . In one embodiment, video content provider  190  combines video content  160  and advertisement  170  by inserting advertisement  170  at the beginning, at the end, or within video content  160 . 
     Video content provider  190  delivers combined video content  130  to video player  120 . In one embodiment, video content provider  190  sends a Universal Resource Identifier (URI) of combined video content  130  to video player  120 . In one embodiment, the URI is based on Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), or Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). 
     In one embodiment, video player  120  receives a RTSP-based URI for combined video content  130 . Video player  120  uses the RTSP-based URI to obtain combined video content  130  streamed from video content provider  190 . In one embodiment, video player  120  receives a FTP-based URI for combined video content  130 . Video player  120  uses the FTP-based URI to download combined video content  130  from video content provider  190 . In one embodiment, video player  120  receives a HTTP-based URI for combined video content  130 . Video player  120  uses the HTTP-based URI to obtain combined video content  130 . 
     Video player  120  plays combined video content  130 . 
       FIG. 2 a    illustrates a process for selecting an advertisement based on popularity count of video content and geographic area of video player. 
     Video content provider  290  receives a request  235  from video player  220  via access gateway  227  for video content  260 . 
     Video content provider  290  determines advertisement  270  based on popularity count  265  of video content  260 , and geographical area  225  of video player  220 . 
     In one embodiment, video content provider  290  connects to a datastore  297 . Datastore  297  stores a plurality of popularity counts, including popularity count  265 . In one embodiment, datastore  297  includes flash memory or a hard disk. In one embodiment, datastore  297  includes a database. 
     In one embodiment, datastore  297  stores a plurality of advertising rules, including advertising rule  275 . Advertising rule  275  includes advertising condition  276  and advertisement  270  identity. Advertising condition  276  includes a required popularity count and a required geographical area. Video content provider  290  selects advertisement  270  if advertising condition  276  is satisfied. In one embodiment, advertising condition  276  is satisfied if popularity count  265  matches the required popularity count, and geographical area  225  matches the required geographical area. 
     In one embodiment, popularity count  265  includes a number counting the times video content  260  has previously been requested by video players located within geographic area  267 . 
     Advertising condition  276  is satisfied if popularity count  265  is at least 1 million and geographical area  225  matches geographic area  267 . 
     Video content provider  290  determines geographical area  225 . The process to determine geographical area  225  is illustrated later in  FIG. 2   b.    
     In one example, popularity count  265  is 1,357,902; geographical area  267  is San Francisco Bay Area; and geographical area  225  is San Francisco Bay Area. Video content provider  290  determines that advertising condition  276  is satisfied; video content provider  290  selects advertisement  270 . 
     In another embodiment, advertising condition  276  includes time period  269 . Popularity count  265  includes a number counting the times video content  260  has previously been requested by video players in geographical area  267  during time period  269  from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Advertising condition  276  is satisfied if popularity count  265  is at least 300,000; geographical area  225  matches geographic area  267  and time of request  235  is within time period  269 . 
     In one example, popularity count  265  is 652,802; geographical area  267  is San Francisco Bay Area; time period  269  is from 7:00 pm to 12:00 am; geographical area  225  is San Francisco Bay Area. In one embodiment, video content provider  290  connects to a clock. Video content provider  290  determines the time of request  235  is 7:23 pm by reading the clock when video content provider  290  receives request  235 . Video content provider  290  determines that advertising condition  276  is satisfied; video content provider  290  selects advertisement  270 . 
     In one embodiment, popularity count  265  is further based on capabilities of video player  220 , including display screen capabilities such as size and resolution. 
     In one embodiment, popularity count  265  is further based on an access network type. Examples of access network types include cellular network, broadband network, hotspot network, WiFi network, or WiMax network. 
     In one embodiment, popularity count  265  is further based on Internet service provider through which video players request for video content  260 . Examples of Internet service provider include cable broadband service providers, DSL Internet service providers, or wireless broadband service providers. 
     In the current state of the art, the video content provider  290  does not have information about the location of the video player where the request  235  comes from. This location information is associated with and known to the entity that operates the access gateway  227 .  FIG. 2 b    illustrates a process for determining the geographical area of video player based on location information about the access gateway  227 . 
     Video content provider  290  determines geographical area  225  based on request  235  sent by video player  220  via access gateway  227 . 
     In one embodiment, request  235  includes an Internet Protocol (IP) data packet. Video content provider  290  extract the source IP address  237  from request  235 . Video content provider  290  determines geographical area  225  based on IP address  237 . 
     In one embodiment, access gateway  227  is a BRAS. Video content provider  290  obtains a name about access gateway  227 . In one embodiment, video content provider  290  uses IP address  237  to obtain the name by means of a reverse Domain Name Service (DNS) query. In one embodiment, video content provider  290  connects to a web site that provides reverse DNS lookup service, for example, web site “remote.12dt.com”. In one embodiment, the name includes an identity of access gateway  227 ; video content provider  290  uses access gateway  227  identity to determine geographical area of access gateway  227 . In one embodiment, video content provider  290  includes a lookup table  295 ; video content provider  290  queries lookup table  295  with the identity of access gateway  227  to obtain geographical area of access gateway  227 . In one embodiment, the name includes an identity of an Internet service provider  229  that operates access gateway  227 . Video content provider  290  queries Internet service provider  229  using the identity of access gateway  227  for the geographical area of access gateway  227 . 
     Video content provider  290  determines geographical area  225  to be the geographical area of access gateway  227 . 
     In one embodiment, access gateway  227  is a mobile access gateway such as GGSN. Video content provider  290  uses IP address  237  to obtain mobile location of video player  220 . In one embodiment, video content provider  290  queries a Location-based Services (LBS) server  228  with IP address  237  using Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Mobile Location Protocol (MLP). In one embodiment, video content provider  290  receives geographical coordinates or a longitude/latitude pair of video player  220 . Video content provider  290  uses the geographical coordinates to determine geographical area  225 . 
     In one embodiment, access gateway  227  is a wireless access point and geographical area  225  is an area covered by access gateway  227 . Video content provider  290  uses IP address  237  to obtain location of access gateway  227  by querying a location server. In one embodiment, request  235  includes a TCP port number or an UDP port number. Video content provider  290  uses IP address  237  and the port number to query the location server for the location of access gateway  227 . In one embodiment, the location of access gateway  227  further includes a coverage radius of access gateway  227 , such as 50 feet, 150 feet or 300 feet. Video content provider  290  uses the location of access gateway  227  to determine geographical area  225 . 
     In one embodiment, video content  160  is associated with a grouping of a plurality of video contents. Popularity count  165  is related to the grouping. In one embodiment, the grouping is based on content similarity of the plurality of video contents, such as sports, comic or history. In one example, the grouping is based on sports; the plurality of video contents includes a recorded basketball game, a documentary about the origin of the Olympic Games, and a skateboard short video. In one embodiment, the grouping is based on the length of the plurality of video contents, such as shorter than 2 minutes, 3-5 minutes, or over 20 minutes. In one embodiment, the grouping is based on language of the plurality of video contents. In one embodiment, the grouping is based on publishing era of the plurality of video contents, such as the 1960s, the 1980s, or 1971-1972. In other embodiments, the grouping is based on the director, the actors or actresses, or the producer of the plurality of video contents. In one embodiment, the grouping is based on age of users of the plurality of video contents, such as age 7-10, 13-18, or over 65. In one embodiment, the grouping is based on user opinion. In one embodiment, the grouping is based on business driven factors such as the highest bidders. In one embodiment, the grouping is based on random selections. 
     In one embodiment, video player  220  includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and request  235  includes geographical coordinates of video player  220  determined by the GPS receiver. Video content provider  290  uses the geographical coordinates in request  235  to determine geographical area  225 . 
     In one embodiment, video player  220  provides time information in request  235 , and video content provider  290  determines advertisement  270  based on the time information. 
     Foregoing described embodiments of the invention are provided as illustrations and descriptions. They are not intended to limit the invention to precise form described. In particular, it is contemplated that functional implementation of invention described herein may be implemented equivalently in hardware, software, firmware, and/or other available functional components or building blocks, and that networks may be wired, wireless, or a combination of wired and wireless. Other variations and embodiments are possible in light of above teachings, and it is thus intended that the scope of invention not be limited by this Detailed Description, but rather by Claims following.