Patent ID: 12190355

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Systems and methods are described herein for generating an advertisement for output based on an item on a wish list. A wish list can comprise any list of items. It may comprise a list of items that have been selected by a user for themself (i.e., the user is the subject of the wish list). In another example, a wish list may comprise a list of items that have been selected by a first person for a second person. In some examples, the subject of the wish list may be a group of people. In other examples, the subject of the wish list may be an animal. A wish list may form part of an e-commerce site. For example, as a user is browsing an e-commerce site, they may be presented with an option that enables them to add one or more items to a wish list. In other examples, a user may curate a wish list by manually adding items to a wish list. In some examples, a wish list may be generated automatically, based on the browsing and/or viewing history of a user. A wish list may comprise detailed information about the items on the wish list, for example, the wish list may include a brand, model, price and/or a web-link related to the item. In other examples, the wish list may simply comprise an indication of an item, such as “laptop.”

Generating for output includes generating for display, generating for audio output and generating for a combination of display and audio output. Media content includes audio, video and/or any other media content. Audio includes audio-only content, such as podcasts, stories and music. Video includes audiovisual content such as movies and/or television programs. An over-the-top (OTT) content platform may be accessed via a website and/or an app running on a computing device and may receive any type of media content, including live media content and/or on-demand media content. Although the embodiments below may discuss receiving media content from a server, via a network such as the internet, media content may also be received via cable, satellite and/or a terrestrial broadcasting network.

An advertisement is any media content that describes an item. For example, it may comprise audio, video and/or a still image. It may comprise data describing the item, such as a price of the item. In some examples, an advertisement may comprise a link and/or a quick response (QR) code to an e-commerce site selling the item. An advertisement may be interactive, for example, enabling a user to play a game. A representation of an advertisement is any media content based on the advertisement. For example, it may comprise a still from a video, a text description, a short clip and/or an animation. The representation of the advertisement enables something to be output at a computing device before the advertisement is output. In some examples, it may aid a user in selecting an advertisement.

The disclosed methods and systems may be implemented on one or more computing devices. As referred to herein, the computing device can be any device comprising a processor and memory, for example, a television, a smart television, a set-top box, an integrated receiver decoder (IRD) for handling satellite television, a digital storage device, a digital media receiver (DMR), a digital media adapter (DMA), a streaming media device, a DVD player, a DVD recorder, a connected DVD, a local media server, a BLU-RAY player, a BLU-RAY recorder, a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a WebTV box, a personal computer television (PC/TV), a PC media server, a PC media center, a handheld computer, a stationary telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone, a portable video player, a portable music player, a portable gaming machine, a smartphone, a smartwatch, an augmented reality device, a mixed reality device, a virtual reality device, or any other television equipment, computing equipment, or wireless device, and/or combination of the same.

The methods and/or any instructions for performing any of the embodiments discussed herein may be encoded on computer-readable media. Computer-readable media includes any media capable of storing data. The computer-readable media may be transitory, including, but not limited to, propagating electrical or electromagnetic signals, or may be non-transitory, including, but not limited to, volatile and non-volatile computer memory or storage devices such as a hard disk, floppy disk, USB drive, DVD, CD, media cards, register memory, processor caches, random access memory (RAM), etc.

FIG.1shows an example environment in which an advertisement, based on an item on a wish list, is generated for output, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. The environment comprises a computing device, in this example, a smart television100. A user selects a media content item for viewing via a video sharing application, or an OTT application, with the remote control102. The remote control102is communicably coupled to the smart television100via infrared, Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi. In some examples, the remote control may be an application running on a computing device, such as a smartphone or a tablet. A request to obtain the media content item is sent via a network104, such as the internet, to a server106. The network may comprise wired and/or wireless means for transmitting the request to the server106. In some examples, the server106is an edge server. In this example, the following steps108,110,112and114are carried out at the same server106that receives the request; however, any (including all) of the steps may be carried out at one or more other servers. These other servers may be different physical servers, different virtual machines running on the same server and/or a combination of the two. At the server106, a user profile is identified108. For example, this may be a user profile that a user uses to log on to a video sharing platform, an OTT platform or the smart television100. In some examples, the same profile may be used to log on to two or more services and/or devices. A wish list associated with the user profile is accessed110. For example, a user may have linked a profile that they use to log on to a video sharing platform, an OTT platform or the smart television100with an e-commerce website on which they have created a wish list. An item on the wish list is identified112and, based on the identified item on the wish list, an advertisement is identified114. A representation of the advertisement116is transmitted from the server106, via the network104, to the smart television100, where it is generated for output. The advertisement associated with the representation of the advertisement116may be sent to the smart television100, via the network104, and be automatically generated for output. In other examples, a user may need to interact with the representation of the advertisement116before the advertisement is generated for output. In other examples, the user may interact with the advertisement, for example, by selecting the advertisement in order to output more information about the item shown in the advertisement, or to purchase an item described in the advertisement. Once the representation of the advertisement116and/or the advertisement is generated for output and is output at the smart television100, the media content118is generated for output at the smart television100. The media content118is received via the network104, from the server106, and may be cached while the selected advertisement is being output at the smart television100. In other examples, the media content may be received after the selected advertisement is output at the smart television100.

In some examples, a wish list service provider collates multiple wish lists from multiple users and tracks who the users share their wish list(s) with. The wish list service provider may make the wish lists available to an advertisement exchange, for example through a demand-side platform. An item on a wish list can be identified based on a pre-cached bid, in order to fill an order. The advertisement exchange can also exchange data with buyers of advertisements that a user profile meets a specific criterion, or criteria, for example, that an item on a wish list was shared with the user profile. In this way buyers of advertisements can bid on showing an advertisement on a device associated with the user profile. The exchange may select the winning bid, receive instructions for publishing the advertisement, for example via an advertisement server, and the advertisement creatives, for example a link to an XML file that comprises information relating to the advertisement. The advertising exchange may transmit this information to an advertisement publisher, for example through a supply side platform, such that the computing device at which the user profile associated with the winning bid is logged on to receives the advertisement creatives and generates the advertisement for display. In some examples, bids can be made and received in real time, for example, in response to a user selecting “play” at a media player. Real time bids may be made by an automated bidding system. The choice of the advertisement format available for a user can be presented a few seconds before an advertisement timepoint is reached. For example, an option to receive regular advertisements and/or wish list advertisements may be generated for output via a user interface. In another example, a settings menu may allow a user to select a global setting to receive regular advertisements and/or wish list advertisements.

FIG.2shows another example environment in which an advertisement, based on an item on a wish list, is generated for output, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. In a similar manner to the environment depicted inFIG.1, the environment comprises a computing device, in this example, a smart television200. A user selects a media content item for viewing on a video sharing application, or an OTT application, with the remote control202. A request to obtain the media content item is sent via a network204, such as the internet, to a server206. In this example, the following steps208,210,212,214and216are carried out at the same server206that receives the request; however, any (including all) of the steps may be carried out at one or more other servers. These other servers may be different physical servers, different virtual machines running on the same server and/or a combination of the two. At the server206, a user profile is identified208. A wish list associated with the user profile is accessed210. An item on the wish list is identified212and, based on the identified item on the wish list, a first advertisement is identified214and a second advertisement is identified216.

In an example, one or more items on the wish list are somewhat related to the media content. For example, if the media content comprises a character applying make-up, the first advertisement may be for make-up and the second advertisement may also be for make-up. Metadata such as price and whether the product is an original item on the wish list or is similar to an item on the wish list can be displayed as part of the representation of the advertisement and/or the advertisement to help the user select an item. In another example, a user can set a preference that filters the wish list items, such that only advertisements for items that meet a certain criterion (e.g., show advertisements for items on the wish list that cost less than $40) are generated for display. In another example, a user can be presented with a user interface element that enables the user to randomly order any item on a wish list that is less than, for example, a certain price, such as $40. For example, this feature can be offered through a “Surprise Me” button. In another example, a notification can be sent to the user. For example, an ordered item can be automatically added to a user's “Current Orders” on an e-commerce site. In any of the above examples the user interface element may be replace by and/or supplemented with a voice command.

The first advertisement may reflect the exact item that is on the wish list, for example the same brand and model of item. The second advertisement may be for an item that is similar to the item that is shown in the first advertisement, for example, the same type of item, but a different brand and/or model. The second advertisement may, in some examples, be for an item that is on sale or is at a lower price compared to the first advertisement. A representation of the first advertisement218and a representation of the second advertisement220are transmitted from the server206, via the network204, to the smart television200, where they are generated for output, along with a user interface222. The user interface may enable a user to select the representation of the first advertisement218or the representation of the second advertisement220for output. The user may use the remote control202to select the advertisement for output. In other examples, the user may generate a touch event on the touchscreen of a computing device in order to select an advertisement. The selected advertisement is sent to the smart television200, via the network204, and may be automatically generated for output. In other examples, the user may interact with the advertisement, for example, by selecting the advertisement in order to output more information about the item shown in the advertisement, or to purchase an item described in the advertisement. Once the selected advertisement is generated for output and is output at the smart television200, the media content224is generated for output at the smart television200. The media content224is received via the network204, from the server206.

FIG.3shows another example environment in which an advertisement, based on an item on a wish list, is generated for output, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. In a similar manner to the environment depicted inFIGS.1and2, the environment comprises a computing device, in this example, a smart television300. A user selects a media content item for viewing via a video sharing application, or an OTT application, with the remote control302. A request to obtain the media content item is sent via a network304, such as the internet, to a server306. In this example, the following steps308,310,312,314and316are carried out at the same server306that receives the request; however, any (including all) of the steps may be carried out at one or more other servers. These other servers may be different physical servers, different virtual machines running on the same server and/or a combination of the two. At the server306, a user profile is identified308. A wish list associated with the user profile is accessed310. An item on the wish list is identified312, and it is identified whether or not the item has been purchased314. For example, a wish list that is associated with an e-commerce site may be updated in real time, or substantially real time, such that when an item on a wish list is purchased for a user, the wish list is updated to indicate that the item has been purchased. If the item has been purchased, another item is identified. An advertisement is identified316based on the identified item on the wish list. A representation of the advertisement318is transmitted from the server306, via the network304, to the smart television300, where it is generated for output. The advertisement associated with the representation of the advertisement318may be sent to the smart television300, via the network304, and be automatically generated for output. In other examples, a user may need to interact with the representation of the advertisement318before the advertisement is generated for output. In other examples, the user may interact with the advertisement, for example, by selecting the advertisement, in order to output more information about the item shown in the advertisement, or to purchase an item described in the advertisement. Once the representation of the advertisement318and/or the advertisement is generated for output and is output at the smart television300, the media content320is generated for output at the smart television300. The media content320is received via the network304, from the server306. In this example, a single representation of an advertisement is generated for output; however, it is also contemplated that two representations of advertisements may be generated for output in a similar manner to that described in connection withFIG.2, wherein step314comprises identifying whether the same or a similar item from the wish list has been purchased.

FIG.4shows another example environment in which an advertisement, based on an item on a wish list, is generated for output, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. In a similar manner to the environment depicted inFIGS.1-3, the environment comprises a computing device, in this example, a smart television400. A user selects a media content item for viewing via a video sharing application, or an OTT application, with the remote control402. A request to obtain the media content item is sent via a network404, such as the internet, to a server406. In this example, the following steps408,410,412,414,416,418and420are carried out at the same server406that receives the request; however, any (including all) of the steps may be carried out at one or more other servers. These other servers may be different physical servers, different virtual machines running on the same server and/or a combination of the two. At the server406, a user profile is identified408. A wish list associated with the user profile is accessed410. An item on the wish list is identified412.

Based on the identified item, a webpage is scraped414, and a data item is extracted416from the webpage. For example, an advertisement may not have been created for an item on the wish list; however, a manufacturer may have a promotional video on their website. Image recognition may be utilized order to identify a brand and/or model of an item in an image associated with a wish list, and a web search may be automatically performed in order to identify an appropriate website. In this example, the manufacturer's website may be scraped in order to extract the promotional video, and the promotional video may be used as the advertisement. In other examples, a format of the video may be altered before it is sent to a user. For example, if the promotional video on the manufacturer's website is in a high definition, it may be transcoded to a lower definition. In a similar manner, if the promotional video is in a high resolution, it may be transcoded to a lower resolution. This transcoding may be based on the capabilities of the device receiving the advertisement. In other examples, other data such as up-to-date prices, promotional sales and/or any other information may be scraped from a website, such as an e-commerce website, and may form at least a part of the advertisement that is sent to the computing device.

In another example, the advertisement may be a product review that was posted or shared by a verified purchaser. For example, a product review video posted by a verified purchaser can be presented based on how many users indicated a positive response to the product review video. In some examples, a user may request, via a UI element in a user interface and/or an overlay, a top product review video after watching the advertisement in order to help decide whether to buy the item or not.

An advertisement is identified by generating an advertisement418based on the identified item on the wish list and the scraped data. A representation of the advertisement418is transmitted from the server406, via the network404, to the smart television400, where it is generated for output. The advertisement associated with the representation of the advertisement418may be sent to the smart television400, via the network404and be automatically generated for output. In other examples, a user may need to interact with the representation of the advertisement418before the advertisement is generated for output. In other examples, the user may interact with the advertisement, for example, by selecting the advertisement in order to output more information about the item shown in the advertisement, or to purchase an item described in the advertisement. Once the representation of the advertisement418and/or the advertisement is generated for output and is output at the smart television400, the media content420is generated for output at the smart television400. The media content420is received via the network404, from the server406. In this example, a single representation of an advertisement is generated for output; however, it is also contemplated that two representations of advertisements may be generated for output in a similar manner to that described in connection withFIG.2, wherein webpages are scraped for either of, or both of, the identified advertisements.

FIG.5shows another example environment in which an advertisement, based on an item on a wish list, is generated for output, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. In a similar manner to the environment depicted inFIGS.1-4, the environment comprises a computing device, in this example, a smart television500. A user selects a media content item for viewing on a video sharing application, or an OTT application, with the remote control502. A request to obtain the media content item is sent via a network504, such as the internet, to a server506. In this example, the following steps508,510,512,514and516are carried out at the same server506that receives the request; however, any (including all) of the steps may be carried out at one or more other servers. These other servers may be different physical servers, different virtual machines running on the same server and/or a combination of the two. At the server506, a user profile is identified508. A wish list associated with the user profile is accessed510. An item on the wish list is identified512and, based on the identified item on the wish list, a first advertisement is identified514and a second advertisement is identified516. The first advertisement may reflect the exact item that is on the wish list, for example, the same brand and model of item. The second advertisement may be for an item that is similar to the item that is shown in the first advertisement, for example, the same type of item, but a different brand and/or model. The second advertisement may, in some examples, be for an item that is on sale or is at a lower price compared to the first advertisement. A representation of the first advertisement518and a representation of the second advertisement520are transmitted from the server506, via the network504, to the smart television500, where they are generated for output, along with a user interface522. The user interface522may enable a user to select the representation of the first advertisement518or the representation of the second advertisement520for output. The user interface522also comprises a reminder524that is generated for output. The reminder may indicate a name of the wish list from which an item has been selected and/or may indicate a date associated with the wish list. In this example, the reminder is “Emma's Birthday Wish List August 19.” The reminder indicates the name of the wish list, “Emma's Birthday Wish List” and a date associated with the wish list, “August 19.” In some examples, an explicit date may be replaced with a countdown, for example, “in THREE days!” Data for including in the reminder may be obtained via the wish list itself. In other examples, a calendar associated with the user profile may be accessed and the wish list may be associated with an event in the calendar. The date may be obtained via the calendar. In another example, a trained machine learning model may be used to associate a wish list with an event of a plurality of events in a calendar. The user may use the remote control502to select the advertisement for output. In other examples, the user may generate a touch event on the touchscreen of a computing device in order to select an advertisement. The selected advertisement is sent to the smart television500, via the network504, and may be automatically generated for output. In other examples, the user may interact with the advertisement, for example, by selecting the advertisement in order to output more information about the item shown in the advertisement, or to purchase an item described in the advertisement. Once the selected advertisement is generated for output and is output at the smart television500, the media content526is generated for output at the smart television500. The media content526is received via the network504, from the server506.

FIG.6shows another example environment in which an advertisement, based on an item on a wish list, is generated for output, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. In a similar manner to the environment depicted inFIGS.1-5, the environment comprises a computing device, in this example, a smart television600. A user selects a media content item for viewing via a video sharing application, or an OTT application, with the remote control602. A request to obtain the media content item is sent via a network604, such as the internet, to a server606. In this example, the following steps608,610,612and614are carried out at the same server606that receives the request; however, any (including all) of the steps may be carried out at one or more other servers. These other servers may be different physical servers, different virtual machines running on the same server and/or a combination of the two. At the server606, a user profile is identified608. A wish list associated with the user profile is accessed610. An item on the wish list is identified612. An advertisement is identified614based on the identified item on the wish list. A representation of the advertisement618is transmitted from the server606, via the network604, to the smart television600, where it is generated for output. The advertisement associated with the representation of the advertisement618may be sent to the smart television600, via the network604and be automatically generated for output. In other examples, a user may need to interact with the representation of the advertisement618before the advertisement is generated for output. In other examples, the user may interact with the advertisement, for example, by selecting the advertisement in order to output more information about the item shown in the advertisement, or to purchase an item described in the advertisement. Once the representation of the advertisement618and/or the advertisement is generated for output and is output at the smart television600, the media content620is generated for output at the smart television600. The media content620is received via the network604, from the server606. Receiving the media content may comprise receiving a manifest file616, the manifest file indicating a plurality of media content segments. Receiving the first advertisement further comprises adding a plurality of first advertisement segments to the manifest file616. Similarly, the links to the video advertisement segments can be automatically added to the manifest file for the media content620(e.g., when server-side ad insertion or SSAI is utilized). Such bids can take place when the user hits “play” or even while a user is watching live TV. The manifest file may be an HTML 5 manifest file, such as a media presentation description file (.mpd) file for MPEG DASH streaming. In another example, the manifest file may be an M3U8 playlist file (.m3u8) for HTTP live streaming (HLS). The manifest file may describe media content segments for streaming media content and may be appended to describe segments of the advertisement. The manifest file is typically received before any advertisement and/or media content is received at the computing device. In this example, a single representation of an advertisement is generated for output; however, it is also contemplated that two representations of advertisements may be generated for output in a similar manner to that described in connection withFIG.2.

FIG.7shows another example environment in which an advertisement, based on an item on a wish list, is generated for output, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. In a similar manner to the environment depicted inFIGS.1-6, the environment comprises a computing device, in this example, a smart television700. A user selects a media content item for viewing via a video sharing application, or an OTT application, with the remote control702. A request to obtain the media content item is sent via a network704, such as the internet, to a server706. In this example, the following steps708,710,712,714and716are carried out at the same server706that receives the request; however, any (including all) of the steps may be carried out at one or more other servers. These other servers may be different physical servers, different virtual machines running on the same server and/or a combination of the two. At the server706, a user profile is identified708and a social network associated with the profile is accessed710. A user may log on to an OTT platform, such as Amazon Prime, at their smart television700. The user may have a social network account associated with their OTT platform account. In some examples, the user may use their social network account to log on to the OTT platform. The user may have a wish list stored as part of their social media profile, which may be accessed via the OTT platform. The OTT platform may have an account on the social media platform that a user is connected to, and by connecting to the OTT platform account, the user may enable the OTT platform account to access parts of their social media profile, such as the wish list. A wish list associated with the user profile is accessed712. An item on the wish list is identified714. An advertisement is identified716based on the identified item on the wish list. A representation of the advertisement718is transmitted from the server706, via the network704, to the smart television700, where it is generated for output. The advertisement associated with the representation of the advertisement718may be sent to the smart television700, via the network704, and be automatically generated for output. In other examples, a user may need to interact with the representation of the advertisement718before the advertisement is generated for output. In other examples, the user may interact with the advertisement, for example, by selecting the advertisement in order to output more information about the item shown in the advertisement, or to purchase an item described in the advertisement. Once the representation of the advertisement718and/or the advertisement is generated for output and is output at the smart television700, the media content720is generated for output at the smart television700. The media content720is received via the network704, from the server706. In this example, a single representation of an advertisement is generated for output; however, it is also contemplated that two representations of advertisements may be generated for output in a similar manner to that described in connection withFIG.2.

FIG.8shows another example environment in which an advertisement, based on an item on a wish list, is generated for output, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. In a similar manner to the environment depicted inFIGS.1-7, the environment comprises a computing device, in this example, a smart television800. A user selects a media content item for viewing on a video sharing application, or an OTT application, with the remote control802. A request to obtain the media content item is sent via a network804, such as the internet, to a server806. In this example, the following steps808,810,812,814,816and818are carried out at the same server806that receives the request; however, any (including all) of the steps may be carried out at one or more other servers. These other servers may be different physical servers, different virtual machines running on the same server and/or a combination of the two. At the server806, a user profile is identified808. A wish list associated with the user profile is accessed810. An item on the wish list is identified812and, based on the identified item on the wish list, a first advertisement is identified814and a second advertisement is identified816. The first advertisement may reflect the exact item that is on the wish list, for example the same brand and model of item. The second advertisement may be for an item that is similar to the item that is shown in the first advertisement, for example, the same type of item, but a different brand and/or model. The second advertisement may, in some examples, be for an item that is on sale or is at a lower price compared to the first advertisement. A representation of the first advertisement818and a representation of the second advertisement820are transmitted from the server806, via the network804, to the smart television800where they are generated for output, along with a user interface822. The user interface822may enable a user to select the representation of the first advertisement818or the representation of the second advertisement820for output. In addition, the user interface822may comprise an UI element, such as a button824, that enables a user to purchase an item associated with the representation of the advertisement or the advertisement. In some examples, the user may already be logged on to an e-commerce site and the selectable element may enable the user to purchase the item without having to provide any additional details. In some examples, if the item is a digital download, then the digital download may automatically be sent to the subject of the wish list. For example, a link to download and/or activate a game and/or digital media content may be sent to the subject of the wish list. In some examples, the digital content may be automatically installed on a computing device associated with subject of the wish list. The user may use the remote control802to select the advertisement for output and/or to select the button824. In other examples, the user may generate a touch event on the touchscreen of a computing device in order to select an advertisement for output and/or to select the button824. The selected advertisement is sent to the smart television800, via the network804, and may be automatically generated for output. In other examples, the user may interact with the advertisement, for example, by selecting the advertisement in order to output more information about the item shown in the advertisement, or to purchase an item described in the advertisement. Once the selected advertisement is generated for output and is output at the smart television800, the media content826is generated for output at the smart television200. The media content826is received via the network804, from the server806.

In some examples, the representation of the advertisement and/or the advertisement may comprise a user interface element that enables a user to complete a purchase of an item associated with the representation of the advertisement and/or the advertisement. For example, the user interface element may enable a user to send a link, such as a link to a web page, to a mobile computing device, such as a smartphone. The link may be sent via a messaging service, such as WhatsApp and/or may be displayed to a user via a notification on the computing device. In another example, the user interface element may enable a user to purchase an item via their OTT service. For example, on receiving a selection of a user interface element, the user may be billed via their OTT service and the item may be shipped to an address associated with the OTT service, for example an address associated with a user profile that is logged on to the OTT service. The user interface element may include a sale price and/or lower price that is only valid for a set period of time, in order to entice a user to purchase an item.

In some examples, the advertisement is not directly related to items on a wish list but is based on items that a user has purchased in the past. For example, a user might have purchased an electric toothbrush two years ago, in which case an advertisement selection algorithm might determine that the user might want to buy the newer model. An advertisement in such scenario may be based on the new model and may further comprise an indication that the user purchased an older model two years ago. Similarly, an advertisement can identified in response to an item on wish list, wherein the price has been lowered. In some examples, the wish list may be a user's personal shopping list. In this example, the advertisement can be based on such an item with an indication that the item is on the user's personal shopping list and that the price has been lowered. The lowering of the price may be in response to a brand winning a bid for the advertisement and deciding to make the item available at a lower price for certain period.

FIG.9shows a block diagram representing components of a computing device and data flow therebetween for generating an advertisement for output based on an item on a wish list, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Computing device900(e.g., a smart television100,200,300,400,500,600,700,800) as discussed above comprises input circuitry904, control circuitry908and an output module942. Control circuitry908may be based on any suitable processing circuitry (not shown) and comprises control circuits and memory circuits, which may be disposed on a single integrated circuit or may be discrete components and processing circuitry. As referred to herein, processing circuitry should be understood to mean circuitry based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, programmable logic devices, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc., and may include a multi-core processor (e.g., dual-core, quad-core, hexa-core, or any suitable number of cores). In some embodiments, processing circuitry may be distributed across multiple separate processors or processing units, for example, multiple of the same type of processing units (e.g., two Intel Core i9 processors) or multiple different processors (e.g., an Intel Core i5 processor and an Intel Core i7 processor) and/or a system on a chip (e.g., a Qualcomm Snapdragon888). Some control circuits may be implemented in hardware, firmware, or software.

A user provides an input902, which is received by the input circuitry904. The input circuitry904is configured to receive a user input related to a computing device. For example, this may be via a touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, microphone, infra-red controller, Bluetooth controller and/or Wi-Fi controller of the computing device900. The input circuitry904transmits906the user input to the control circuitry908.

The control circuitry908comprises a media content requesting module910, a user profile identifying module914, a wish list accessing module918, an item identifying module922, an advertisement identifying module926, an advertisement representation receiving module930, a media content receiving module934, an advertisement representation generating module938and a media content generating module944. The user input is transmitted906to the media content requesting module910. At the media content requesting module910, a media content item is requested. On requesting the media content item, an indication is transmitted912to the user profile identifying module914, where a user profile is identified. The user profile is transmitted916to the wish list accessing module918, where a wish list is accessed based on the user profile. The wish list is transmitted920to the item identifying module922, where an item on the wish list is identified. The identified item is transmitted924to the advertisement identifying module926, where an advertisement is identified. An indication of the identified advertisement is transmitted928to the advertisement representation receiving module930, where a representation of the advertisement is received. An indication that a representation of the advertisement has been received is transmitted932to the media content receiving module934, where the media content item is received. An indication is transmitted936to the output module938. At the output module938, the advertisement representation generation module938generates a representation of the advertisement for output and an indication is transmitted942to the media content generating module944, where the media content item is generated for output.

FIG.10shows a flowchart of illustrative steps involved in generating an advertisement for output based on an item on a wish list, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. Process1000may be implemented on any of the aforementioned computing devices (e.g., smart television100,200,300,400,500,600,700,800). In addition, one or more actions of the process1000may be incorporated into or combined with one or more actions of any other process or embodiments described herein.

At1002, a request to obtain media content is received. At1004, a user profile is identified. At1006, a wish list is accessed. At1008, an item on the wish list is identified. At1010, an advertisement is identified. At1012, a representation of an advertisement is received. At1014, media content is received. At1016, a representation of the advertisement is generated. At1018, a media content item is generated for display.

The processes described above are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. One skilled in the art would appreciate that the steps of the processes discussed herein may be omitted, modified, combined, and/or rearranged, and any additional steps may be performed without departing from the scope of the disclosure. More generally, the above disclosure is meant to be exemplary and not limiting. Furthermore, it should be noted that the features and limitations described in any one embodiment may be applied to any other embodiment herein, and flowcharts or examples relating to one embodiment may be combined with any other embodiment in a suitable manner, done in different orders, or done in parallel. In addition, the systems and methods described herein may be performed in real time. It should also be noted that the systems and/or methods described above may be applied to, or used in accordance with, other systems and/or methods.