U.S. patent application number 12/702665 was filed with the patent office on 2011-08-11 for customized television advertising.
This patent application is currently assigned to GOOGLE INC.. Invention is credited to Nicholas S. Arini, Andrew Gildfind, Kyle Maddison, Alastair Peter William Maw, Iain Merrick, Raimundo Mirisola, Ant Oztaskent, Simon M. Rowe, Yaroslav Volovich.
Application Number | 20110197220 12/702665 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44354678 |
Filed Date | 2011-08-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110197220 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rowe; Simon M. ; et
al. |
August 11, 2011 |
CUSTOMIZED TELEVISION ADVERTISING
Abstract
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs
encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing customized
television advertisements. In one aspect, television advertising
templates are used for generating customized television
advertisements. The television advertisement templates include
targeting criteria specifying targeting conditions for the
television advertising template, which are conditions for selecting
the television advertisement template for an advertisement
availability, and content selection criteria specifying
availability content associated with an advertisement availability
for use in selecting variable advertisement content elements for
inclusion in a customized television advertisement generated from
the television advertising template. The variable advertisement
content elements can include video elements, audio elements, and
text elements.
Inventors: |
Rowe; Simon M.;
(Finchampstead, GB) ; Maw; Alastair Peter William;
(London, GB) ; Arini; Nicholas S.; (Southampton,
GB) ; Merrick; Iain; (London, GB) ; Oztaskent;
Ant; (Sutton, GB) ; Volovich; Yaroslav;
(Cambridge, GB) ; Maddison; Kyle; (Wimbledon,
GB) ; Gildfind; Andrew; (Brixton, GB) ;
Mirisola; Raimundo; (London, GB) |
Assignee: |
GOOGLE INC.
Mountain View
CA
|
Family ID: |
44354678 |
Appl. No.: |
12/702665 |
Filed: |
February 9, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
725/32 ;
725/53 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/25883 20130101;
G06Q 30/00 20130101; H04N 21/4828 20130101; H04N 21/23424 20130101;
H04N 21/812 20130101; H04N 21/2668 20130101; H04N 21/266 20130101;
H04N 21/4821 20130101; H04N 21/84 20130101; H04N 21/233 20130101;
H04N 21/23418 20130101; G06Q 30/0251 20130101; H04N 21/44016
20130101; H04N 21/234 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
725/32 ;
725/53 |
International
Class: |
H04N 7/025 20060101
H04N007/025 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method performed by a data processing
apparatus, comprising: accessing, by a data processing apparatus,
television advertising templates, each of the television
advertising templates for use in generating customized television
advertisements and including: variable advertisement content
elements, each variable advertisement content element being
selectable for inclusion in a customized television advertisement
generated from the television advertising template; targeting
criteria specifying targeting conditions for the television
advertising template, the targeting conditions being conditions for
selecting the television advertisement template for an
advertisement availability; and content selection criteria
specifying availability content associated with an advertisement
availability for use in selecting variable advertisement content
elements for inclusion in a customized television advertisement
generated from the television advertising template; identifying, by
the data processing apparatus, an advertising availability that
satisfies the targeting conditions for one or more of the
television advertising templates; selecting, by the data processing
apparatus, one of the television advertising templates having
targeting conditions satisfied by the advertising availability;
identifying, by the data processing apparatus, availability content
based on the content selection criteria of the selected television
advertising template; selecting, by the data processing apparatus,
one or more of the variable advertisement content elements of the
selected television advertising template; generating, by the data
processing apparatus, a customized television advertisement from
the selected television advertising template and the selected
variable advertisement content elements; and providing, by the data
processing apparatus, the customized television advertisement for
airing during the advertisement availability that satisfies the
targeting conditions of the selected television advertising
template.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein, for each
television advertising template, the variable advertisement
elements include one or more of: video elements, each video element
being data that generates television video that can be used in a
customized television advertisement; audio elements, each audio
element being audio data that generate television audio that can be
used in a customized television advertisement; and text elements,
each text element being data that generates television text that
can be used in a customized television advertisement.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein: for each
television advertising template, the targeting criteria specifying
targeting conditions for the television advertising template
include targeting criteria specifying television programs during
which a customized advertisement generated from the television
advertising template may air; and content selection criteria
specifying availability content associated with an advertisement
availability for use in selecting variable advertisement content
elements includes: keyword selection criteria specifying keyword
types for extracting keywords from electronic program guide
descriptions of the television programs; and keyword matching
criteria specifying, for each variable advertisement content
element, one or more matching keywords.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein identifying
an advertising availability that satisfies the targeting conditions
for one or more of the television advertising templates comprises
an advertisement availability for a television program specified by
the targeting criteria.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein: identifying
availability content based on the content selection criteria of the
selected television advertising template comprises extracting from
the electronic program guide information keywords of the keyword
types; and selecting one or more of the variable advertisement
content elements of the selected television advertising template
comprises selecting variable advertisement content elements for
which the specified matching keywords match the keywords extracted
from the program guide information.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each
television advertising template further includes static
advertisement content elements, each static advertisement content
element being included in each customized television advertisement
generated from the television advertising template.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein, for each
television advertising template, the variable advertisement
elements include one or more of: video elements, each video element
being data that generates television video that can be used in a
customized television advertisement; audio elements, each audio
element being audio data that generate television audio that can be
used in a customized television advertisement; and text elements,
each text element being data that generates television text that
can be used in a customized television advertisement.
8. A computer-implemented method, comprising: accessing, by a first
data processing apparatus, television advertising templates, each
of the television advertising templates for use in generating
customized television advertisements and including: targeting
criteria specifying targeting conditions for the television
advertising template, the targeting conditions being conditions for
selecting the television advertisement template for an
advertisement availability; and content selection criteria
specifying availability content associated with an advertisement
availability for use in selecting variable advertisement content
elements for inclusion in a customized television advertisement
generated from the television advertising template; identifying, by
the first data processing apparatus, an advertising availability
that satisfies the targeting conditions for one or more of the
television advertising templates; selecting, by the first data
processing apparatus, one of the television advertising templates
having targeting conditions satisfied by the advertising
availability; identifying, by the first data processing apparatus,
availability content based on the content selection criteria of the
selected television advertising template; providing, by the first
data processing apparatus to a second data processing apparatus,
the identified availability content; receiving, by the data first
data processing apparatus from the second data processing
apparatus, variable advertisement content elements for the selected
television advertising template, each variable advertisement
content element being selected for inclusion in a customized
television advertisement generated from the television advertising
template; generating, by the first data processing apparatus, from
the selected television advertising template and the received
variable advertisement content elements, a customized television
advertisement; and providing, by the data processing apparatus, the
customized television advertisement for airing during the
advertisement availability that satisfies the targeting conditions
of the selected television advertising template.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein, for each
television advertising template, the variable advertisement
elements include one or more of: video elements, each video element
being data that generates television video that can be used in a
customized television advertisement; audio elements, each audio
element being audio data that generate television audio that can be
used in a customized television advertisement; and text elements,
each text element being data that generates television text that
can be used in a customized television advertisement.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein: for each
television advertising template, the targeting criteria specifying
targeting conditions for the television advertising template
include targeting criteria specifying television programs during
which a customized advertisement generated from the television
advertising template may air; and content selection criteria
specifying availability content associated with an advertisement
availability for use in selecting variable advertisement content
elements includes keyword selection criteria specifying keyword
types for extracting keywords from electronic program guide
descriptions of the television programs.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein:
identifying an advertising availability that satisfies the
targeting conditions for one or more of the television advertising
templates comprises an advertisement availability for a television
program specified by the targeting criteria; and identifying
availability content based on the content selection criteria of the
selected television advertising template comprises extracting from
the electronic program guide information keywords of the keyword
types.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein each
television advertising template further includes static
advertisement content elements, each static advertisement content
element being included in each customized television advertisement
generated from the television advertising template.
13. A system, comprising: one or more computers; a memory in data
communication with the one or more computers and storing
instructions executable by the one or more computers that upon such
execution cause the one or more computers to perform operations
comprising: accessing television advertising templates, each of the
television advertising templates for use in generating customized
television advertisements and including: targeting criteria
specifying targeting conditions for the television advertising
template, the targeting conditions being conditions for selecting
the television advertisement template for an advertisement
availability; and content selection criteria specifying
availability content associated with an advertisement availability
for use in selecting variable advertisement content elements for
inclusion in a customized television advertisement generated from
the television advertising template; identifying an advertising
availability that satisfies the targeting conditions for one or
more of the television advertising templates; selecting one of the
television advertising templates having targeting conditions
satisfied by the advertising availability; identifying availability
content based on the content selection criteria of the selected
television advertising template; providing to a variable
advertisement content provider the identified availability content;
receiving from the variable advertisement content provider variable
advertisement content elements for the selected television
advertising template, each variable advertisement content element
being selected for inclusion in a customized television
advertisement generated from the television advertising template;
generating from the selected television advertising template and
the received variable advertisement content elements, a customized
television advertisement; and providing the customized television
advertisement for airing during the advertisement availability that
satisfies the targeting conditions of the selected television
advertising template.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein, for each television
advertising template, the variable advertisement elements include
one or more of: video elements, each video element being data that
generates television video that can be used in a customized
television advertisement; audio elements, each audio element being
audio data that generate television audio that can be used in a
customized television advertisement; and text elements, each text
element being data that generates television text that can be used
in a customized television advertisement.
15. The system of claim 13, wherein: for each television
advertising template, the targeting criteria specifying targeting
conditions for the television advertising template include
targeting criteria specifying television programs during which a
customized advertisement generated from the television advertising
template may air; and content selection criteria specifying
availability content associated with an advertisement availability
for use in selecting variable advertisement content elements
includes keyword selection criteria specifying keyword types for
extracting keywords from electronic program guide descriptions of
the television programs.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein: identifying an advertising
availability that satisfies the targeting conditions for one or
more of the television advertising templates comprises an
advertisement availability for a television program specified by
the targeting criteria; and identifying availability content based
on the content selection criteria of the selected television
advertising template comprises extracting from the electronic
program guide information keywords of the keyword types.
17. A computer-implemented method, comprising: identifying, by a
data processing apparatus, a television advertisement availability
for a television program; selecting, by the data processing
apparatus, a television advertisement template, the television
adverting template including: targeting criteria specifying
targeting conditions for the television advertising template, the
targeting conditions specifying television programs for which the
television adverting template may be used to generate a customized
television advertisement; and content selection criteria specifying
keyword types for extracting keywords from electronic program guide
descriptions of the television programs during which the identified
television availability occurs; wherein the selection of the
television advertising template is based on the television program
being one of the television programs specified by the targeting
criteria; extracting from the electronic program guide information
keywords of the keyword types; requesting variable advertisement
content elements for the selected television advertising template,
the request including the extracted keywords, the variable
advertisement content element for inclusion in a customized
television advertisement generated from the television advertising
template; receiving variable advertisement content elements in
response to the request, the variable advertisement content
elements having been selected based on the extracted keywords;
generating a customized television advertisement from the selected
television advertising template and the received variable
advertisement content elements; and providing the customized
television advertisement for airing during the advertisement
availability.
18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the
variable advertisement elements include one or more of: video
elements, each video element being data that generates television
video that can be used in a customized television advertisement;
audio elements, each audio element being audio data that generate
television audio that can be used in a customized television
advertisement; and text elements, each text element being data that
generates television text that can be used in a customized
television advertisement.
19. A system, comprising: one or more computers; a data storage
device storing a plurality of television advertising templates,
each of the television advertising templates for use in generating
customized television advertisements and including: variable
advertisement content elements, each variable advertisement content
element being selectable for inclusion in a customized television
advertisement generated from the television advertising template;
targeting criteria specifying targeting conditions for the
television advertising template, the targeting conditions being
conditions for selecting the television advertisement template for
an advertisement availability; and content selection criteria
specifying availability content associated with an advertisement
availability for use in selecting variable advertisement content
elements for inclusion in a customized television advertisement
generated from the television advertising template; a memory in
data communication with the one or more computers and storing
instructions executable by the one or more computers that upon such
execution cause the one or more computers to perform operations
comprising: accessing the television advertising templates;
identifying an advertising availability that satisfies the
targeting conditions for one or more of the television advertising
templates; selecting one of the television advertising templates
having targeting conditions satisfied by the advertising
availability; identifying availability content based on the content
selection criteria of the selected television advertising template;
selecting one or more of the variable advertisement content
elements of the selected television advertising template;
generating from the selected television advertising template and
the selected variable advertisement content elements, a customized
television advertisement; and providing the customized television
advertisement for airing during the advertisement availability that
satisfies the targeting conditions of the selected television
advertising template.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein, for each television
advertising template, the variable advertisement elements include
one or more of: video elements, each video element being data that
generates television video that can be used in a customized
television advertisement; audio elements, each audio element being
audio data that generate television audio that can be used in a
customized television advertisement; and text elements, each text
element being data that generates television text that can be used
in a customized television advertisement.
21. A computer-implemented method performed by a data processing
apparatus, comprising: accessing, by a data processing apparatus,
television advertising templates, each of the television
advertising templates for use in generating customized television
advertisements and associated targeting criteria specifying
targeting conditions for the television advertising template, the
targeting conditions being conditions for selecting the television
advertisement template for an advertisement availability;
identifying, by the data processing apparatus, an advertising
availability that satisfies targeting conditions for one or more of
the television advertising templates; selecting, by the data
processing apparatus, one of the television advertising templates
having targeting conditions satisfied by the advertising
availability; selecting, by the data processing apparatus, one or
more variable advertisement content elements for the selected
television advertising template, each variable advertisement
content element being selected for inclusion in a customized
television advertisement generated from the television advertising
template; generating, by the data processing apparatus, a
customized television advertisement from the selected television
advertising template and the selected variable advertisement
content elements; and providing, by the data processing apparatus,
the customized television advertisement for airing during the
advertisement availability that satisfies the targeting conditions
of the selected television advertising template.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] This specification relates to television advertising.
[0002] An advertiser, such as a business entity, can purchase
airtime during a television broadcast to air television
advertisements. Example television advertisements include
commercials that are aired during a program break, transparent
overlays that are aired during a program, and text banners that are
aired during a program, product placements in a program, etc.
[0003] Television advertisements can be targeted for particular
programs and events. For example, travel advertisements, e.g.,
television commercials for cruise packages, can be aired during
specific travel-related television programs. Television
advertisements, however, are typically created days or even weeks
in advance of the television programs during which they air. As a
result, the same television advertisements are often aired many
times during particular programs, which can lead to ad blindness.
Additionally, the television advertisement may not be particularly
relevant to the actual content of the television program. For
example, the television commercial for cruise packages may be aired
for any episode of a particular travel-related program. If the
subject of a particular episode of the travel-related program is
tropical vacation cruises, then the television advertisement may be
of great interest to the viewers. However, if the subject of a
particular episode of the travel-related program is skiing in
Switzerland, then the television advertisement for tropical cruises
may be of less interest to the viewers.
[0004] Thus, given the production lead time for television
commercials, and the varying subject matter for each episode of a
television program, it is difficult, if not impossible, for a
single advertiser to produce multiple different television
commercials that are tailored to the particular subject matter of a
television program and still realize an acceptable advertising
return on investment (ROI).
SUMMARY
[0005] In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in
this specification can be embodied in methods that include the
actions of accessing television advertising templates, each of the
television advertising templates for use in generating customized
television advertisements and including variable advertisement
content elements, each variable advertisement content element being
selectable for inclusion in a customized television advertisement
generated from the television advertising template, targeting
criteria specifying targeting conditions for the television
advertising template, the targeting conditions being conditions for
selecting the television advertisement template for an
advertisement availability, and content selection criteria
specifying availability content associated with an advertisement
availability for use in selecting variable advertisement content
elements for inclusion in a customized television advertisement
generated from the television advertising template; identifying an
advertising availability that satisfies the targeting conditions
for one or more of the television advertising templates; selecting
one of the television advertising templates having targeting
conditions satisfied by the advertising availability; identifying
availability content based on the content selection criteria of the
selected television advertising template; selecting one or more of
the variable advertisement content elements of the selected
television advertising template; generating a customized television
advertisement from the selected television advertising template and
the selected variable advertisement content elements; and providing
the customized television advertisement for airing during the
advertisement availability that satisfies the targeting conditions
of the selected television advertising template. Other embodiments
of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and
computer programs, configured to perform the actions of the
methods, encoded on computer storage devices.
[0006] Another aspect of the subject matter described in this
specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions
accessing television advertising templates, each of the television
advertising templates for use in generating customized television
advertisements and including: targeting criteria specifying
targeting conditions for the television advertising template, the
targeting conditions being conditions for selecting the television
advertisement template for an advertisement availability, and
content selection criteria specifying availability content
associated with an advertisement availability for use in selecting
variable advertisement content elements for inclusion in a
customized television advertisement generated from the television
advertising template; identifying an advertising availability that
satisfies the targeting conditions for one or more of the
television advertising templates; selecting one of the television
advertising templates having targeting conditions satisfied by the
advertising availability; identifying availability content based on
the content selection criteria of the selected television
advertising template; providing to a variable advertisement content
provider the identified availability content; receiving from the
variable advertisement content provider variable advertisement
content elements for the selected television advertising template,
each variable advertisement content element being selected for
inclusion in a customized television advertisement generated from
the television advertising template; generating a customized
television advertisement from the selected television advertising
template and the received variable advertisement content elements;
and providing the customized television advertisement for airing
during the advertisement availability that satisfies the targeting
conditions of the selected television advertising template. Other
embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems,
apparatus, and computer programs, configured to perform the actions
of the methods, encoded on computer storage devices.
[0007] Another aspect of the subject matter described in this
specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions
of identifying a television advertisement availability for a
television program; selecting a television advertisement template,
the television adverting template including: targeting criteria
specifying targeting conditions for the television advertising
template, the targeting conditions specifying television programs
for which the television adverting template may be used to generate
a customized television advertisement and content selection
criteria specifying keyword types for extracting keywords from
electronic program guide descriptions of the television programs
during which the identified television availability occurs; wherein
the selection of the television advertising template is based on
the television program being one of the television programs
specified by the targeting criteria; extracting from the electronic
program guide information keywords of the keyword types; requesting
variable advertisement content elements for the selected television
advertising template, the request including the extracted keywords,
the variable advertisement content element for inclusion in a
customized television advertisement generated from the television
advertising template; receiving variable advertisement content
elements in response to the request, the variable advertisement
content elements having been selected based on the extracted
keywords; generating a customized television advertisement from the
selected television advertising template and the received variable
advertisement content elements; and providing the customized
television advertisement for airing during the advertisement
availability. Other embodiments of this aspect include
corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer programs, configured
to perform the actions of the methods, encoded on computer storage
devices.
[0008] Particular embodiments of the subject matter described in
this specification can be implemented to realize one or more of the
following advantages. Relevant advertisements that are particularly
tailored to the specific subject matter of a program can be
provided for presentation. Multiple different television
advertisements can be generated from a single television
advertising template, and the cost of producing the multiple
advertisements from the templates is much less than the cost of
producing multiple unique television advertisements. The advantages
and features listed above are optional and not exhaustive. The
advantages and features can be separately realized or realized in
various combinations.
[0009] The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter
described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying
drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and
advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the
description, the drawings, and the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example television
advertisement system.
[0011] FIGS. 2A-2C are block diagrams of an example television
advertising template and customized advertisements generated from
the television advertising template.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example process for
generating a customized television advertisement from a television
advertising template.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an example process for selecting
variable advertisement content based on electronic programming
guide information.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example viewing device.
[0015] Like reference numbers and designations in the various
drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example television
advertising system 100. The television advertising system 100
delivers television advertisements to viewers to facilitate
operator monetization of programming and quantification of
advertisement delivery to target markets. The television
advertising system 100 can be implemented on one or more computer
servers, and can provide and receive data over a network. Example
networks include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks
(WANs), telephonic networks, and wireless networks (e.g., 802.11x
compliant networks, satellite networks, cellular networks, etc.).
Additionally, the television advertising system 100 can communicate
over several different types of networks, e.g., the Internet, a
satellite network, and a telephonic network.
[0017] The television advertising system 100 receives television
advertisement templates 102 from advertisers 140, e.g., entities
that provide television advertisements. The television advertising
system 100 can facilitate the provisioning of customized television
advertisements to a television provider 160, e.g., an entity that
facilitates the delivery of a television broadcast to viewers, such
as a cable provider, a head end, or a digital satellite
provider.
[0018] The television advertising system facilitates the
presentation of customized television advertisements generated from
the television advertising templates 102. Customized television
advertisements are television advertisements that are presented
during a television program and are customized to be relevant to
the specific content of the television programming. As used in this
description, "specific content" of the television programming
refers to the specific subject matter of the television program.
Examples of specific subject matter include a particular subject of
an episode (e.g., the city of London is a particular subject of an
episode of a travel related program, a series of conflicts, such as
the War of the Roses, is a particular subject of an episode of
history related program, and particular teams, such as Queens Park
Rangers and Preston North End, are particular subjects of a
televised sporting event). Specific content thus relates to the
specific subject of a particular television program. Conversely,
the general content of a television program, which is the topic or
category to which the program belongs--e.g., a travel related
program, a sports related program--does not always identify the
specific content of the television program.
[0019] The provider 160 provides advertisement availability
schedules to the television advertising system 100. Example
advertisement availability schedules include scheduling data
related to advertisement spots, times slots, pods (groups of time
slots), screen real estate (e.g., a region in a text banner or
screen corner for an overlay), etc.
[0020] The television advertising system 100 selects advertisements
to air during an advertisement availability based on programming
content, account advertiser bids, budgets, quality metrics that
have been collected, e.g., conversions, viewer actions,
impressions, etc. In particular, the television advertising system
100 selects television advertising templates 102 and generates
customized television advertisements based on the specific content
of television programs. Advertisements for airing are then provided
to the provider 160.
[0021] In some implementations, the television advertising system
100 includes data stores storing television advertising templates
102, programming data 108, log data 110, performance data 112, and
accounting data 114.
[0022] Each television advertising template include targeting
criteria 102a, content selection criteria 102b, variable content
elements 102c, and static content elements 102d. The targeting
criteria 102a specify targeting conditions for a television
advertising template 102. The targeting conditions are conditions
that must be satisfied for the television advertisement template to
be selected for a particular advertisement availability.
[0023] The content selection criteria 102b specify availability
content associated with an advertisement availability for use in
selecting variable advertisement content elements for inclusion in
a customized television advertisement generated from the television
advertising template 102. As used herein, the term "availability
content" is data that specifies the specific content of a
television program for a particular advertisement availability.
Example availability content is programming data 108, such as
electronic programming guide data. For example, for a 30-second
advertisement availability that occurs during a particular episode
of a travel related program, the availability content is the
electronic programming guide data that specifies the specific
content of the particular episode of the program.
[0024] The variable advertisement content elements 102c are
selectable for inclusion in a customized television advertisement
generated from the television advertising template. Example
variable content elements include video elements, i.e., video data
that generate television video and that can be used in a customized
television advertisement; audio elements, i.e., audio data that
generates television audio and that can be used in a customized
television advertisement; and text elements, i.e., text data that
generate television text and that can be used in a customized
television advertisement.
[0025] The static content elements 102d are content elements (e.g.,
video elements, audio elements, and text elements) that are
included in each customized television advertisement generated from
a television advertising template 102. For example, a particular
television advertising template 102 may specify that each
customized commercial begins with a video of a plane leaving an
airport, and the audio line "It's time to get away to your
destination." The video of the plane and the audio line are thus
static content elements, as they are included in every customized
commercial.
[0026] The television advertisement templates 102 can, for example,
include additional data that can also be used in selecting the
templates 102, such as cost per action parameters, frequency
values, competitive restrictions, advertising budget data,
geographic data, targeting data, etc.
[0027] The parameters for each template can, for example, be
specified by the advertiser 140 that manages the template, and/or
can be automatically updated based on the performance of
advertisements during an advertisement campaign.
[0028] The log data 110 includes data logs from viewing devices
164, e.g., set top boxes, satellite receivers, etc. The log data
can include reporting data that identifies channel tunes, e.g., a
channel identifier to which the viewing device was tuned, such as
may occur when the viewing device 164 is processing video data to
record and/or display, and channel tune times, e.g., the times that
the viewing device was tuned to a channel.
[0029] The performance data 112 includes quality data, e.g., a
total number of impressions for each advertisement, or an
impression rate for each advertisement, and/or other quality
parameter and/or impression parameters.
[0030] The accounting data 114 includes accounting data related to
advertisements and advertisers 140. Example accounting data 114
includes campaign budgets, monthly spend parameters, and account
balances for advertisers.
[0031] The example television advertising system 100 includes an
advertisement front end engine 120, a reporting engine 122, an
accounting engine 124 and an advertisement selection engine 126.
The advertisement front end engine 120, reporting engine 122
accounting engine 124 and the advertisement selection engine 126
can, for example, be distributed among a plurality of computer
devices, e.g., server computers communicating over a network.
[0032] The advertisement front end engine 120 receives
advertisement data and television advertisement templates 102 from
the advertisers 140. For example, the advertisement front end
engine 120 can be implemented in software, and which includes an
API and network interface for establishing data communications with
computer devices of the advertisers 140.
[0033] The reporting engine 122 receives television advertisement
report data from the provider 160 and determines whether the
selected television advertisement aired is based on the television
advertisement report data, and can determine whether an impression
should be attributed to the airing.
[0034] The accounting engine 124 receives the impression data from
the reporting engine 122 and generates accounting data for
advertisers, e.g., the accounting data can detail fees owed to the
television advertising system 100.
[0035] The advertisement selection engine 126 accesses the
television advertising templates 102 and identifies an advertising
availability that satisfies the targeting conditions for one or
more of the television advertising templates 102. Those television
advertising templates 102 that have targeting conditions that the
advertising availability satisfies are then selected. If more than
one television advertising template 102 is selected for the same
advertising availability, e.g., two or more templates 102 are
selected for the same 30 second advertising spot, then the
advertisement selection engine 126 can select one of the television
advertising templates 102 based on one or more selection criteria,
e.g., performance data, a rank in an auction, etc.
[0036] Once the advertisement selection engine 120 selects a
television advertising template 102, the advertisement selection
engine 120 identifies availability content based on the content
selection criteria 102b of the selected television advertising
template. Availability content is data that specifies the specific
content of a television program for a particular advertisement
availability. For example, assume advertisement selection engine
122 uses the programming data 108, e.g., electronic programming
guide data, as the availability content. For a particular template
102, its corresponding content selection criteria 102b are keyword
selection criteria specifying keyword types for extracting keywords
from electronic program guide descriptions of the television
programs. For example, for a template targeted to availabilities
during travel related programs, the keyword selection criteria may
specify that a program category keyword and any keywords specifying
a country, city or geographic region be extracted from the
electronic program guide data. Likewise, for a template targeted to
availabilities during a televised sporting event, the keyword
selection criteria may specify that keywords specifying the team
names and type of sport (e.g., "football") be extracted from the
electronic program guide data.
[0037] The content selection criteria 102b can also include keyword
matching criteria specifying, for each variable advertisement
content element, one or more matching keywords. The variable
advertisement content elements 102c having matching keywords that
match the extracted keywords are selected for inclusion in a
customized advertisement. For example, assuming that a customized
advertisement for a sports drink is to be made for airing during a
televised football match between two teams--the Queens Park Rangers
and Preston North End soccer teams. The advertising template 102
for the customized advertisement has, as variable content elements
102c, short video clips of many players from many different soccer
teams for possible inclusion in the customized advertisement.
Furthermore, the content selection criteria 102b specifies that the
names of the sports teams are to be extracted from electronic
programming guide data. A short video clip of a player from the
Queens Park Rangers, and another short video clip of a player from
Preston North End, have the respectively specified matching
keywords of "queens park rangers" and "preston north end." As the
extracted keywords for the televised football match are "Queens
Park Rangers" and "Preston North End," the short video clips of the
players from these teams are selected and included in the
customized advertisement. Accordingly, the customized television
advertisement will likely hold a viewer's interest more effectively
than a non-customized advertisement that has a video clip of a
player or sports figure from a team other than the Queens Park
Rangers or Preston North End.
[0038] Another example of generating customized television
advertisements is shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, which are block diagrams of
an example television advertising template 102 and customized
advertisements 220 and 240 generated from the television
advertising template.
[0039] FIG. 2A graphically depicts an advertising template 102 with
areas 202, 204 and 206 in which variable content elements 102c and
static content elements 102d are shown. The area 202 is an area in
which a video clip or image of a selected variable content element
102c is rendered. The area 204 is an area in which advertisement
text is shown. The text includes variable files <PROGRAM
NAME>, <LOCATION>, and <URL>, each of which receive
text corresponding to selected variable content elements 102c. A
video clip of spokesperson 206 is also depicted in FIG. 2A. The
video clip is the same for all customized advertisements, and the
spokesperson speaks the same line of audio in each commercial. For
example, the television advertising template 102 is directed to
advertising vacation packages, and the line of audio is generic
with respect to locations, e.g., "Example Travel has the best rates
to locations just like those shown in the program you are watching
right now--visit us on the web at the address below to find out
more!"
[0040] The targeting criteria 102a, for example, specifies
particular television programs by their name and programming times.
For example, the targeting criteria specifies three travel
programs--e.g., "Destinations," "Get Aways," and "Long Weekends,"
and specifies the time period between 9:00 AM and 10:00 PM.
Accordingly, any of the three travel programs airing between the
specified time will satisfy the targeting criteria 102a, and thus
so will the advertisement availabilities during those programs.
[0041] The content selection criteria 102b specifies keywords to
extract from the electronic program guide data describing a
particular episode of the programs. For example, the content
selection criteria may specify the program name as a keywords for
extraction, and the location name as a keywords for extraction.
Using this content selection criteria 102b, the advertisement
selection engine 126 will extract from the electronic program guide
information the program name and the location names that satisfy
the targeting criteria 102a.
[0042] The content selection criteria 102b also specifies matching
keywords for variable content elements 102c. For example, the video
clip shown in the area 202 are location specific. Accordingly, a
video clip depicting visual features of Japan may be associated
with the matching keywords "Japan," "Tokyo," "Mt. Fuji," "Osaka,"
etc. Conversely, a video clip depicting visual features of vacation
spots in the Yucatan Peninsula may be associated with the keywords
"Yucatan," "Cancun," "Cozumel," "Holbox," etc. Likewise, various
location names be associated with each other so that the customized
advertisements may reference any of the vacation locations in the
Yucatan Peninsula. For example, if the keyword "Cozumel" is
extracted from the electronic program guide information, then the
location shown in the area 204 may be any of Cancun, Cozumel,
Holbox, etc. Additionally, different audio tracks, e.g., background
music, can be associated with matching keywords. For example, a
first audio track of Japanese inspired music can be associated with
matching keywords "Japan," "Tokyo," "Mt. Fuji," "Osaka," etc.
Likewise, a second audio track of Mexican inspired music can be
associated with matching keywords "Yucatan," "Cancun," "Cozumel,"
"Holbox," etc.
[0043] Finally, additional variable content elements 102c can also
be associated with matching keywords. For example, a portion of a
URL string can be specified with matching keywords so that the
displayed URL is one that includes data specific to the location
being shown in the customized television advertisement.
[0044] FIG. 2B graphically depicts a customized advertisement 220
generated from the template 102 of FIG. 2A. The customized
advertisement 220 is generated for a particular episode of the
travel program "Destinations." As the travel program is one of the
targeted programs for the television advertising template 102, and
airs during the specified targeted time period, the advertisement
selection engine 126 selects the television advertising template
102 to generate a customized television advertisement to air on a
commercial spot during the television program.
[0045] Using the content selection criteria 102b, the advertisement
selection engine extracts the keywords "Destinations," "Tokyo,"
"Japan," and "Mt. Fuji" from the electronic programming guide data
108. Using these keywords, the advertisement selection engine 126
selects a video clip related to Japan and selects text to populate
the text fields in the television advertising template. The video
clip that is selected is a video clip that has an associated
matching keyword that match one or more the keywords "Tokyo,"
"Japan," and "Mt. Fuji." Likewise, the text that is selected are
words that have associated matching keywords that match one or more
of the keywords "Destinations," "Tokyo," "Japan," and "Mt. Fuji."
Additionally, Japanese inspired background music is also played
during the airing of the customized television advertisement
220.
[0046] FIG. 2C graphically depicts a customized advertisement 240
generated from the template 102 of FIG. 2A. The advertisement 240
is similar to the advertisement 220 of FIG. 2B, except that the
variable content elements that are selected result in a television
advertisement that is customized to the location of Cancun,
Mexico.
[0047] In some implementations, the advertisement selection engine
126 generates the customized television advertisements in near real
time, e.g., minutes or even seconds before the customized
television advertisements actually aired. In other implementations,
the advertisement selection engine 126 generates the customized
television advertisements well in advance of airing a particular
program, e.g., hours or even days before the program airs.
[0048] In some implementations, the variable content elements 102c
and static content elements 102d are stored with the television
advertising template data 102 at the television advertising system
100. In other implementations, the variable content elements 102c
and static content elements 102d are stored in a server maintained
by respective advertisers 140, and the television advertising
system 100 accesses the respective servers by means of an
appropriate API or other communication method. The servers at the
respective advertisers receive information specifying the selected
template and availability content, and provide the corresponding
variable content elements 102c in return. In this latter
implementation, the respective advertisers 140 can update the
variable content elements 102c and static content elements 102d
more quickly than if those elements are maintained at the
television advertising system 100.
[0049] Although the electronic program guide is used an example
programming data source, other data can also be used. For example,
closed captioning data can be used for the programming data instead
of, or in addition to, electronic programming guide data.
[0050] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example process 300 for
generating a customized television advertisement from a television
advertising template. Example process 300 can be implemented in the
television advertising system 100, or other data processing
apparatus in data communication with the television advertising
system 100.
[0051] The process 300 accesses television advertising templates
(302). For example, the advertisement selection engine 126 accesses
television advertising template data 102, which stores television
advertising templates for advertisers 140.
[0052] The process 300 identifies an advertising availability that
satisfies targeting conditions for one or more of the television
advertising templates (304). For example, the advertisement
selection engine 126 identifies commercial spots during a
particular television program that satisfies targeting conditions
for one or more of the television advertising templates 102.
[0053] The process 300 selects one of the television advertising
templates having targeting conditions satisfied by the advertising
availability (306). For example, if only one television
advertisement template 102 has targeting conditions that are
satisfied by the advertising availability, then that television
advertisement template 102 is selected. Conversely, many television
advertisement templates have targeting conditions that are
satisfied by the availability, and one of the television
advertisement templates is selected based on, for example, an
auction.
[0054] The process 300 identifies availability content based on the
content selection criteria of the selected television advertising
template (308). For example, the advertisement selection engine 126
identifies particular keywords of the electronic program guide data
as availability content.
[0055] The process 300 selects one or more the variable
advertisement content elements of the selected television
advertising template (310). For example, the advertisement
selection engine 126 selects variable advertising content elements
associated with matching keywords that match the keywords extracted
from the electronic program guide data.
[0056] The process generates a customized advertisement from the
selected television advertising template and the selected variable
advertisement content elements (312). For example, the
advertisement selection engine 122 generates a customized
television advertisement by rendering the variable advertisement
content elements, along with static content elements, if any, to
generate customized television advertisement.
[0057] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an example process for selecting
variable advertisement content based on electronic programming
guide information. Example process 400 can be implemented in the
television advertising system 100, or other data processing
apparatus in data communication with the television advertising
system 100.
[0058] Process 400 specifies keyword types for extracting keywords
from electronic program guide descriptions of the television
programs (402), and specifies, for each variable advertisement
content element, one or more matching keywords (404). For example,
an advertiser 140 can upload the content selection criteria 102b to
the television advertising system 100, and the content selection
criteria 102b is stored in the television advertising system 100.
The advertiser 140 has specified various keywords for extraction
from program guide information for a particular television
advertising template, and has selected matching keywords for each
of the variable content elements 102c.
[0059] The process 400 extracts from the electronic program guide
information keywords or keyword types specified in the availability
content (406). For example, for selected television advertising
template 102, the advertisement selection engine 126 accesses the
content selection criteria 102b, and uses content selection
criteria 102b to extract the specified keywords from the electronic
programming guide information.
[0060] The process 400 selects variable advertisement content
elements for which the specified matching keyword match the
keywords extracted from the program guide information (408). For
example, the advertisement selection engine 126 compares the
extracted keywords to the matching keywords the variable content
elements 102c. Variable content elements having matching keywords
that match the extracted keywords are selected. If multiple
variable content elements are selected, then, in some
implementations, the variable content element can be randomly
selected from the multiple variable content elements. In other
implementations, the least most selected verbal content element
among multiple variable content elements can be selected to
increase diversity in the customized television advertisements.
[0061] In some implementations, the advertisement templates 102 can
have content selection criteria 102b specifying that content be
selected based on local data stored at a subscriber's location. For
example, a viewing device 164 can store data local to a particular
subscriber, e.g., a zip code of the subscriber and a city name
corresponding to the zip code. The advertisement data provided to
the viewing device can include data that is filtered based on the
local data. For example, the advertisement data can include local
phone numbers based on zip codes, and the viewing device can filter
the advertisement data so that the advertisement generated from the
advertisement data includes only the local phone number
corresponding to the subscriber's zip code.
[0062] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example viewing device 164.
The viewing device 164 includes an input/output (I/O) subsystem
402, television signal processing circuitry 504, and a data storage
device 506.
[0063] The I/O subsystem 502 can receive video signals from the
provider 160 and can provide a video signal output for display on a
television display device. The data storage device 506 stores local
data, such as the subscribers zip code, location, demographics,
etc.
[0064] The television processing circuitry 504 generates video
signals for display on a television display device. Additionally,
the television processing circuitry 504 selects data for display
with television advertisements based on the local data stored in
the storage device 506. For example, advertisement data for an
advertisement generated from an advertisement template 102 can
include a mapping of zip codes to local phone numbers. The
television processing circuitry 504 can access the zip code stored
in the data storage device 506 and select the phone number
corresponding to the zip code stored in the data storage device
506. This phone number can then be displayed as part of the
television advertisement.
[0065] The viewing device 164 can be implemented as a set-top box,
a satellite receiver, or other device capable of receiving video
input data and outputting a video signal for display on a
television device.
[0066] The apparatus, methods, flow diagrams, and structure block
diagrams described in this patent document may be implemented in
computer processing systems including program code comprising
program instructions that are executable by the computer processing
system. Other implementations may also be used. Additionally, the
flow diagrams and structure block diagrams described in this patent
document, which describe particular methods and/or corresponding
acts in support of steps and corresponding functions in support of
disclosed structural means, may also be utilized to implement
corresponding software structures and algorithms, and equivalents
thereof.
[0067] Embodiments of the subject matter described in this
specification can be implemented as one or more computer program
products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program
instructions encoded on a tangible program carrier for execution
by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus. The
computer readable medium can be a machine readable storage device,
a machine readable storage substrate, a memory device, or a
combination of one or more of them.
[0068] A computer program (also known as a program, software,
software application, script, or code) can be written in any form
of programming language, including compiled or interpreted
languages, or declarative or procedural languages, and it can be
deployed in any form, including as a stand alone program or as a
module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a
computing environment. A computer program does not necessarily
correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a
portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or
more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single
file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple
coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub
programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployed
to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are
located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and
interconnected by a communication network.
[0069] The processes and logic flows described in this
specification can be performed by one or more programmable
processors executing one or more computer programs to perform
functions by operating on input data and generating output. The
processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus
can also be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g.,
an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application
specific integrated circuit).
[0070] Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program
include, by way of example, both general and special purpose
microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of
digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions
and data from a read only memory or a random access memory or both.
The essential elements of a computer are a processor for performing
instructions and one or more memory devices for storing
instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or
be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or
both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g.,
magnetic, magneto optical disks, or optical disks. However, a
computer need not have such devices.
[0071] To provide for interaction with a user, embodiments of the
subject matter described in this specification can be implemented
on a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray
tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, for displaying
information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device, e.g.,
a mouse or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to the
computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for
interaction with a user as well; for example, feedback provided to
the user can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g., visual
feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from
the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech,
or tactile input.
[0072] Embodiments of the subject matter described in this
specification can be implemented in a computing system that
includes a back end component, e.g., as a data server, or that
includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, or
that includes a front end component, e.g., a client computer having
a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user
can interact with some implementations of the subject matter
described is this specification, or any combination of one or more
such back end, middleware, or front end components. The components
of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of
digital data communication, e.g., a communication network. The
computing system can include clients and servers. A client and
server are generally remote from each other and typically interact
through a communication network. The relationship of client and
server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the
respective computers and having a client server relationship to
each other.
[0073] While this specification contains many specific
implementation details, these should not be construed as
limitations on the scope of any invention or of what may be
claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be
specific to particular embodiments of particular inventions.
Certain features that are described in this specification in the
context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in
combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features
that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also
be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any
suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be
described above as acting in certain combinations and even
initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed
combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and
the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or
variation of a subcombination.
[0074] Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in
a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that
such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in
sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed,
to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances,
multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover,
the separation of various system components in the embodiments
described above should not be understood as requiring such
separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the
described program components and systems can generally be
integrated together in a single software product or packaged into
multiple software products.
[0075] This written description sets forth the best mode of the
invention and provides examples to describe the invention and to
enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the
invention. This written description does not limit the invention to
the precise terms set forth. Thus, while the invention has been
described in detail with reference to the examples set forth above,
those of ordinary skill in the art may effect alterations,
modifications and variations to the examples without departing from
the scope of the invention.
* * * * *