Abstract:
A system and method for interactive video advertising comprising advertising overlays that are displayed on a video screen to prompt user interaction. User interaction causes additional advertising content to be made available in a user interface that may be accessed immediately or at a later time point. Advertising content that populates the user interface is chosen based on marketing and behavioral data and parameters. The user interface allows users to access advertising material, send advertising materials to other users and networks such as social networks, social media, telephone networks, wireless telephone networks, cellular telephone networks, computer networks, cable television networks, satellite television networks, video game system networks, the internet, individuals, or combinations thereof. The types of data and advertising materials that may be shared are videos, pictures, photographs, text messages, sweepstakes, contests, emails, telephone calls, popularity indicators, and combinations thereof.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application incorporates by reference and claims priority to Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/404,393 filed Oct. 4, 2010. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is directed toward a system and method for video advertising. More specifically, the invention relates to an in-video advertising interface that allows viewers to react to advertising impressions in real-time. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Targeting video advertisements to appropriate demographics remains a challenge to the advertising field. Video advertisements, whether on traditional television or through streaming Internet content, typically force viewers to watch advertisements that are not relevant for individual viewers. Such advertisements fail to efficiently reach intended audiences. 
         [0004]    For interactive content, viewers who click on in-program advertising are typically immediately taken away from such content which is a disincentive to engage interactive advertising, therefore effectively minimizing the efficacy of advertising efforts. Advertisements on YouTube™, for example, may be clicked during video content, but immediately remove the user from the video content being viewed in order to follow what is effectively an Internet hyperlink that leads to alternate content. This is a severe disincentive for users to click on advertisements. 
         [0005]    Other forms of video advertising, such as those by GoDaddy.com, are mere suggestions which refer a viewer to visit a website to further view additional advertising content. This necessitates that a viewer record or memorize website addresses to be inputted by the user into a computer system at a later date. This advertising mechanism suffers from numerous disadvantages. Specifically, it relies on a viewer&#39;s memory and forces the viewer to undergo a large number of discrete steps such as accessing a computer, opening a web browser, entering link information, and navigating the internet to view advertising content. Additionally, viewers may remain anonymous which is a disadvantage to advertisers who attempt to collect viewer data. 
         [0006]    Other advertisers have created interactive video advertising systems that allow advertisements to be accessed from a user interface, yet suffer from the limitation that a user must have a specific digital video recordation device to view such content. Furthermore, these advertisements only originate in advertising content, and there is a need in the advertising marketplace to place interactive advertisements in featured video content. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, there is a need for advertisers to both personalize advertising to qualified target demographics while increasing clickthrough rates for interactive video advertising so as to maximize an advertiser&#39;s return on investment. Specifically, there is a need for a system that minimizes content interruption while gathering relevant personalized consumer data so that relevant advertisements reach relevant audiences through video, internet, mobile, social media, and traditional advertising vehicles. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    This invention overcomes many of the current limitations in interactive advertising. In one embodiment, interactive advertising tags appear on a video display to prompt a user&#39;s interaction with additional advertising content. This additional advertising content is made available in a user interface, and is accessible by the user at a time point the user chooses. This allows the user to continue to watch the underlying program without interruption, yet still have the opportunity at a later point to further explore additional advertising content. By having the option to watch the underlying program uninterrupted, this removes the disincentive to interact with advertising content. The interface also allows the user to send or forward advertising content to other people, other computer systems, and social networks, thereby maximizing an advertisement&#39;s efficacy. The interface also allows a user to make purchases and communicate to other people, other computer systems, and social networks about these purchases. 
         [0009]    The system for interactive video advertising contains a video display capable of displaying an advertisement tag, wherein the advertisement tag prompts for user interaction and allows a registry of an interaction history. The video display is a device such as a television, monitor, cable television system, satellite television system, digital video recorder, video game system, portable video game system, digital media receiver, telephone, smartphone, personal digital assistant, computer system, laptop computer, and tablet computing device. The advertisement tag is a visual notification, audible notification, tactile notification, or combination thereof. 
         [0010]    Upon display of an advertisement tag, the user is thereby prompted for interaction with the system. By interacting with the system after an advertisement tag is displayed, an interaction history archive, in the form of an advertising cart user interface is populated with an interaction history record. The user interface is a graphical user interface, text-based user interface, audible user interface, or combinations thereof. Additionally, in the user interface there are controls that allow data viewing, saving, deleting, sorting, distributing, or combinations thereof. 
         [0011]    The user interacts with the system through a remote control, Bluetooth™ device, infrared device, radio frequency device, computer mouse, trackball, touchpad, pointing stick, keyboard, joystick, game controller, webcam, digital camera, touchscreen, stylus, laser rangefinder, motion sensor, proximity sensor, barcode reader, microphone, RFID tag, or combinations thereof. A file, database, computer memory, computer data storage, computer network file, computer network memory, computer network data storage, or combinations thereof stores the interaction history archive. 
         [0012]    The system executes advertisement positioning algorithms that review and prioritize the interaction history created by the user. The data sources used in these algorithms are selected from the group consisting of marketing parameters, advertising data, interaction history archive data, probabilistic market segmentation analysis data, and combinations thereof. 
         [0013]    Probabilistic market segmentation analysis algorithms are executed in order to choose and display advertising content based upon the interaction history. The system utilizes data for probabilistic market segmentation analysis algorithms including marketing parameters, advertising data, market data, interaction history archive data, user behavior data, user profile data, external user profile data, external interaction history archive data, external user behavior data, and combinations thereof. 
         [0014]    The system saves user profile information to bolster the effectiveness of both probabilistic market segmentation analysis algorithms and advertisement position algorithms. The user profile is comprised of data including user name, user address, user phone number, user address, user email address, user age, user marital status, user income, user education, user ethnicity, user race, user system preferences, user contact preferences, user social media account information, user survey data, user bank account information, user credit card information, user e-commerce account information, user VOIP account information, user instant message account information, and combinations thereof. 
         [0015]    Advertising data and content are shared and relayed to other users and networks such as social networks, social media, telephone networks, wireless telephone networks, cellular telephone networks, computer networks, cable television networks, satellite television networks, video game system networks, the internet, individuals, or combinations thereof. The types of data and advertising materials that are shared are videos, pictures, photographs, text messages, sweepstakes, contests, emails, telephone calls, popularity indicators, and combinations thereof. 
         [0016]    User interaction history data, probabilistic market segmentation analysis data, and advertisement position analysis data are separately, or in combination, utilized by the system to form product and service suggestions to users. These suggestions appear in the user interface. Additionally, user interaction history data, probabilistic market segmentation analysis data, and advertisement position analysis data are separately, or in combination, utilized by the system to suggest additional video programming for user viewing. 
         [0017]    The method for interactive video advertising is a series of steps, including the displaying of video content on a video display wherein an advertisement tag is displayed in conjunction with said video content, the interacting with the system during or after the advertisement tag is displayed, thereby populating an interaction history archive with a record of such interaction, the prioritizing of advertising content based on user preferences, user history, advertising data, marketing parameters, market segmentation analysis, or combinations thereof, the displaying of prioritized advertising content in a user interface, the accessing of the user interface in order to adjust user interface settings or controls, and the distributing of advertising data to other individuals or networks. 
         [0018]    The video display utilized in the method for interactive video advertising comprises at least one of a television, monitor, cable television system, satellite television system, digital video recorder, video game system, portable video game system, digital media receiver, telephone, smartphone, personal digital assistant, computer system, laptop computer, and tablet computing device. The advertisement tag displayed comprises either visual notification, audible notification, or tactile notification. 
         [0019]    The method of interacting with the advertising tag on the video display is through a remote control, computer mouse, trackball, touchpad, pointing stick, keyboard, joystick, game controller, webcam, digital camera, touchscreen, stylus, laser rangefinder, motion sensor, proximity sensor, barcode, or combinations thereof. Upon interaction, the interaction is saved in an interaction history archive which is stored in a file, database, computer memory, computer data storage, computer network files, computer network memory, computer network data storage, or combinations thereof. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]    For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating various embodiments of the invention: 
           [0021]      FIG. 1  is a flow chart showing the major components of the advertising system; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart showing one embodiment of the viewer profile creation scheme; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart showing one embodiment of the interactive advertisement system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
       Overview of the System 
       [0025]    Beginning with  FIG. 1 , In one embodiment, the central physical component of the system  100 , is a video display device  110 . The video display device  110 , displays video content  111  to the user of the system  100 . The video display device  110  is typically a television, video projection system, computer system, tablet device, smartphone, or any device capable of displaying video content  111 . 
         [0026]    The system  100  can be hardware based, such as integrated into a television, cable box, satellite receiver, digital video recorder (e.g. Tivo™), video game system (e.g. Playstation™, Nintendo wii™), portable video game system (e.g. Nintendo DS™) digital media receiver (e.g. Apple TV™), smartphone (e.g. Android™, Blackberry™, iPhone™), computer based system (e.g. desktop pc, laptop pc, tablet computing device, PDA), or any hardware capable of displaying video content  111 . Alternatively, the system  100  may be software based such that no hardware integration is required for operation of system  100 . Such systems  100  are embedded in internet sites, internet services, cable services, streaming video content services, or any other mechanism for displaying video content  111  (e.g. Netflix™, Hulu™, GoogleTV™, Vevo™, digital television network websites, cable services) and could be based on either custom software solutions or via means of displaying internet content well established in the art (e.g. Adobe™ Flash™, HTML, XML, CSS, JavaScript, VBScript). Video content  111  includes audio content with or without accompanying video such as exemplified by streaming audio services (e.g. Spotify™, Grooveshark™, Pandora™, Google Music™, Rdio™, or digital cable or satellite TV music channels). 
         [0027]    The display device  110  displays advertisement overlays or “tags”  112  over video content  111 . A tag  112  is any visual or audible or tactile notification to the user, typically a highlighted region, boxed region, flashing region, vibration, AdBug™, or any other indication that notifies the user that the video content  111  is tagged. Tags  112  appear over video content  111  in real-time for a duration designated by viewer preferences or alternatively by system  100  parameters not accessible by the viewer. Tags  112  highlight physical products, service, songs, persons, scenes, locations, or any video content  111  to which an advertiser wishes to direct a viewer&#39;s attention. Inclusion of a tag  112  does not preclude traditional forms of advertisement, such as commercial breaks and pre-roll ads. Commercial breaks may, however, also employ the use of tags  112 . Advertisers and programmers utilize a software development kit (SDK) as a tool to tag  112  video content  111 . The SDK ensures proper tag placement and timing. Tags are accompanied by metadata not limited to product/service type, genre, brand, scene, location, key words, demographic information, and user profile target parameters. 
         [0028]    Users interact with the system  100 , by reacting to tags  112  on the video display device  110 . The user reacts using an input device  120 ,  121 . Typical user interaction comprises using a remote control  120 , computer mouse  121 , infrared input device, radio frequency input device, Bluetooth™ input device, RFID device, touch-sensitive screen input, interacting with a motion sensing input device (e.g. Kinect™, iPhone™), or any other form of device input. 
         [0029]    Upon user interaction to tags  112 , the interaction is recorded by the system  100 . The record of interaction is saved locally on the hardware used to access the system  100 , and/or is saved remotely in a location accessible by the system  100 . The user may access a user interface  130  to access the record of user interactions recorded by the system  100 . The user interface  130  is text-based or a graphical user interface. The user interface  130  provides a means to indicate with which tags  112  a viewer has interacted by displaying a tag indication  131 , which allows a user to access additional advertising materials. 
         [0030]    Tag indications  131  are in icon form, photographic representations, audible cues, textual regions, menus, or any other means to indicate a tag  112  has been selected by the user. 
         [0031]    It is possible to sort, delete, save, or send tag indications  131  to other-viewer user interfaces  130 . The video content  111  does not need to be stopped or paused upon tag-prompted user interaction with the system  100 , and the user may opt to continue viewing uninterrupted video content  111  without first accessing a user interface  130 . When the user interface  130  is accessed by the user, the video content  111  may be paused while the user navigates the user interface  130 , and upon exit from the user interface  130 , the video content is available for continued viewing. 
         [0032]    From within the user interface  130 , advertising content is relayed to mobile media devices  140 , email and traditional mail  150 , video display devices  160 , social media networks  170 , and other digital, electronic, and communications means known or unknown in the art. This advertising content is relayed upon user interaction with controls  132  in the user interface  130  or without any active user interactions. 
       User Profile Creation and Analysis 
       [0033]      FIG. 2  shows how user profile information  260  may enter the system  100  and the general flow of data for market analyses  270 ,  272 ,  275 ,  280 ,  285 . A user profile may be a compilation of information that may include personal data  210 , demographic data  220 , social media data,  230 , mobile network data  240 , payment data  250 , consumer preference and survey data  255 , or any other data known in the art to be relevant to user profiles and advertising. A user profile  260  is not necessary for the system  100  to function, but will augment calculations  280 ,  360  designed to target appropriate advertising content  365  to appropriate viewers. 
         [0034]    Personal data  210  includes name, address, phone numbers, email addresses, or any other data used to describe or identify an individual user. Demographic data  220  includes age, marital status, income, educational information, race, ethnicity, religion, or any other personal information. Social media data  230  includes account login information, handles or usernames, social network preferences, or any other information related to social media use and accounts. Mobile and communication data  240  includes SMS contact information, geo-location data, voice over internet protocol (VoIP) information, or any other information related to mobile communications, communication technology, and related devices. Payment system data  250  includes credit card information or online payment system information or direct access to financial institutions such as Paypal™ or Google™ checkout, credit card accounts, bank accounts, credit card processors, electronic banking, or any other financial information or access. General survey data  255  includes shopping preferences, advertising preferences, buying habits, online purchasing behavior, brand awareness questions, customer satisfaction surveys, or any other consumer-related preference, behavior, habit, or survey data. 
         [0035]    User behavioral data are associated with a user profile  260 . These data include information related to recorded interactions with placed products, information about interactions from the user interface  130 , how long users remain engaged with advertisements, how users share advertisements and information within their social network  170 , what type of advertisements are being saved (or not being saved) for later viewing in the user interface  130 , web browser or Internet cookie information, geo-tag information from mobile devices, user contact lists, and other user behavior data known in the art to be useful for advertising purposes. User data are collected to calculate advertising cost per click, cost per mille, cost per engagement, cost per impression, cost per acquisition, and other advertiser cost metrics. 
         [0036]    The system  100  saves user profile information  260  in a file or database, or may at an external location in a file or database electronically accessible by the system  100 . 
         [0037]    The system  100  utilizes user profile information  260  for probabilistic market segmentation analysis (PMSA)  280  and other marketing analytics. PMSA  280  encompasses the use of data and algorithms associated with advertising efforts. PMSA  280  includes the determining of appropriate target audiences, population segments, or individual users of the system  100  for particular advertising content. PMSA  280  includes the determining of advertisement timing, duration, version, content, tagging means, social media outlet choice, digital and electronic communication means choice, or any other advertising choice or strategy employed to maximize advertising efficacy known in the art. 
         [0038]    Data provided by advertisers  272 , user profile information from external users  275 , external-user performance data  275 , and other information known in the art to be useful for marketing analyses are also be utilized for PMSA  280 . 
         [0039]    Data provided by advertisers  272  includes market segment data, price discrimination data, customer retention data, regional market data, product differentiation data, and any other data known in the art utilized to improve marketing and advertising efficacy. These data are used to determine the type, frequency, and duration advertisements to be featured in a user interface  130 , the type, frequency, and duration of tags  112 , regionally specific advertisement choice, alternate and generic advertisement choice, communication modality choice, and any other choices known in the art made related to maximizing advertising or marketing efficacy. 
         [0040]    User profile information from external users  275  includes all the same type of data collected for a local user to be saved in a local user profile  270  and described in detail above. External users include the body of users who access any aspect of the system  100 , and includes users with a user profile  260 , and those without. 
         [0041]    External user performance data  275  includes information related to recorded user interactions with placed products, information from the user interface  130 , how long users remain engaged with advertisements, how users share advertisements and information within their social network  170 , and what type of advertisements are being saved (or not being saved) for later viewing, web browser or Internet cookie information, geo-tag information from mobile devices, user contact lists, and other external user data or analyses known in the art to be useful for advertising purposes. 
       Operation of the System 
       [0042]      FIG. 3  is a detailed flow chart of one embodiment describing the operation of the system  100 . In this preferred embodiment, the process begins when a user observes  310  video content  111  on a display device  110 . 
         [0043]    In conjunction with video content  111  interactive advertisements may be displayed  320  preferably in the form of tags  112 . Displaying  320  tags  112  comprises visual means, audible means, tactile means, or via any other means indicating to a user that a tag  112  is present. 
         [0044]    A user initiates an interaction  330  with the system  100  at a time point during or after a a display device  110  displays  320  a tag  112 . This user interaction  330  is registered  340  by the system  100 , and a history of user interaction is saved  345  for marketing, advertising, or any related system  100  purposes. 
         [0045]    Advertisement positioning algorithms  360  utilize saved user interaction history data  345 , PMSA data  280 , advertising content data  365  and marketing parameters  365 , either separately or together, for use in any related system  100  purpose. Advertisement position algorithms  360  are utilized to calculate which particular tag indications  131  and associated advertising or marketing materials are accessible to a user in a user interface  130 . Additionally, advertisement position algorithms  360  target particular advertising content  365  to particular users, user groups, demographic groups, social media networks  170 , or mailing and distribution lists or any other advertising or marketing outlets known in the art. Notifications to social networks  170  are sent  380  either automatically or as a result of user interaction with controls  132  in the user interface  130 . Notifications sent  380  to social networks  170  may be automated, customized, or manually entered messages or advertising materials, or may be popularity indicators such as “Like” notifications found on facebook™ or “+1” notifications found on Google™. From the user interface  130  controls  132 , users relay actual advertising content  385  to social media networks  170  and mobile media  140  outlets. 
         [0046]    After advertising content  365  is made accessible to a user in the user interface  130 , a user navigates the user interface  130 , views advertising content  375 , and interacts with tag indications  131 . Any input device known in the art is used for user navigation of the user interface. 
       Method of Integrating Interactive Advertising Content 
       [0047]      FIG. 3  provides, by way of example, a method of integrating interactive video content into real-time video content. The method begins when a user observes  310  video content  111 . An advertisement tag  112  is then displayed  320  over the video content  111 . 
         [0048]    A user then initiates an interaction  330  with the system  100  as a reaction to the advertisement tag  112 . This interaction  330  is then registered  340  and saved  345  by the system  100 . 
         [0049]    Advertising content is then prioritized through advertisement positioning algorithms  360 . Advertisement positioning algorithms load  350  user interaction history into the system  100 . Additionally the system  100  loads  355  probabilistic market segmentation analysis  285  for use by advertisement positioning algorithms. The system  100  also loads  365  advertising data and marketing parameters for use by advertisement positioning algorithms. 
         [0050]    Notifications are then automatically sent  380  to social networks  170 . User-targeted advertisements are also placed  370  in the user interface  130 . A user then accesses the user interface  130  to view  375  a tag indication  131  which allows a viewer to access additional advertising material. Advertising content is then sent  385  by the user from the user interface  130  by interacting with controls  132  found therein.