U.S. patent application number 14/824980 was filed with the patent office on 2015-12-03 for advertisement selecting apparatus, advertisement selecting method, and storage medium.
This patent application is currently assigned to SONY CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is SONY CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Masaaki Hoshino, Toshio Inoue, Tomoharu Ohsumi, Tomohiro Tsunoda.
Application Number | 20150348129 14/824980 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26616448 |
Filed Date | 2015-12-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150348129 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Inoue; Toshio ; et
al. |
December 3, 2015 |
ADVERTISEMENT SELECTING APPARATUS, ADVERTISEMENT SELECTING METHOD,
AND STORAGE MEDIUM
Abstract
An advertisement selecting system is disclosed providing, when
selecting advertisements to be exposed to subscribers over the
Internet, exposure control reflecting the inventory of
advertisements by taking into account results of past exposure of
each of the advertisements. When subscribers with a particular
profile biased to specific tastes or preferences gain access to
contents carrying advertisements, the first-ranked advertisement,
i.e., the one best targeted for the subscribers in question, is
exposed repeatedly but in a manner also making way for the
advertisements in second and subsequent places which would be less
likely to be exposed if handled conventionally, so that the stocked
advertisements are exposed in fairly averaged fashion.
Advertisement exposure is thus controlled in a manner averting
lopsided exposure of certain (or partial) advertisement information
by giving consideration to the advertisement inventory.
Inventors: |
Inoue; Toshio; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Tsunoda; Tomohiro; (Tokyo, JP) ;
Hoshino; Masaaki; (Tokyo, JP) ; Ohsumi; Tomoharu;
(Tokyo, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SONY CORPORATION |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
SONY CORPORATION
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
26616448 |
Appl. No.: |
14/824980 |
Filed: |
August 12, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10343872 |
Oct 8, 2003 |
9154823 |
|
|
PCT/JP02/05622 |
Jun 6, 2002 |
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14824980 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.66 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/25883 20130101;
G06Q 30/02 20130101; G06Q 30/0269 20130101; H04N 21/812 20130101;
H04N 21/25866 20130101; H04N 7/165 20130101; H04N 21/25891
20130101; G06Q 30/0272 20130101; G06Q 30/0258 20130101; H04N
21/26233 20130101; H04N 21/2668 20130101; H04N 21/84 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20060101
G06Q030/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 6, 2001 |
JP |
2001-171319 |
Jun 6, 2001 |
JP |
2001-171321 |
Claims
1-46. (canceled)
47. An advertisement information selecting apparatus for selecting
advertisement information comprising: circuitry configured to
receive a first information input by a first client terminal of a
first user, the first information includes all of sex, age, country
of residence, family information, and job information of the first
user; receive an advertisement information with a second
information input by a second client terminal of a second user, the
second information includes all of sex, age, country of residence,
family information, and job information; select the advertisement
information based on the first information and the second
information, and provide, via a data interface, the selected
advertisement information to the client terminal of the first
user.
48. The advertisement information selecting apparatus according to
claim 47, wherein the first information further includes first user
interests.
49. The advertisement information selecting apparatus according to
claim 47, wherein the selection of advertisement information is
based on a user-by-user basis.
50. An advertisement information selecting method comprising the
steps of: receiving a first information input by a first client
terminal of a first user, the first information includes all of
sex, age, country of residence, family information, and job
information of the first user; receiving an advertisement
information with a second information input by a second client
terminal of a second user, the second information includes all of
sex, age, country of residence, family information, and job
information; selecting the advertisement information based on the
first information and the second information, and providing, via a
data interface, the selected advertisement information to the
client terminal of the first user.
51. The advertisement information selecting method according to
claim 50, wherein the first information further includes first user
interests.
52. The advertisement information selecting method according to
claim 50, wherein the selection of advertisement information is
based on a user-by-user basis.
53. An advertisement information selecting system comprising: first
circuitry configured to receive a first information input by a
first client terminal of a first user, the first information
includes all of sex, age, country of residence, family information,
and job information of the first user; second circuitry configured
to receive an advertisement information with a second information
input by a second client terminal of a second user, the second
information includes all of sex, age, country of residence, family
information, and job information; and third circuitry configured to
select the advertisement information based on the first information
and the second information, and provide, via a data interface, the
selected advertisement information to the client terminal of the
first user.
54. The advertisement information selecting system according to
claim 53, wherein the first information further includes first user
interests.
55. The advertisement information selecting system according to
claim 53, wherein the selection of advertisement information is
based on a user-by-user basis.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to an advertisement selecting
apparatus, an advertisement selecting method, and a storage medium
for properly selecting advertisements to be inserted into contents.
More particularly, the invention relates to an advertisement
selecting apparatus, an advertisement selecting method, and a
storage medium for suitably selecting advertisements to be inserted
into contents that are distributed over a wide-area network such as
the Internet.
[0002] Even more particularly, this invention relates to an
advertisement selecting apparatus, an advertisement selecting
method, and a storage medium for selecting, in a manner
personalized for each subscriber, advertisement information used in
contents that are offered to the subscribers under a so-called
pull-type distribution scheme over the Internet or similar
networks. Still more particularly, the invention relates to an
advertisement selecting apparatus, an advertisement selecting
method, and a storage medium for selectively attaching
advertisement information to contents in a manner both personalized
for each subscriber and better reflecting the interests of the
subscribers, commercial sponsors, and content providers.
[0003] Yet more particularly, this invention relates to an
advertisement selecting apparatus, an advertisement selecting
method, and a storage medium for controlling exposure of
advertisement information to subscribers in a manner both
corresponding to inventories of advertisements and reflecting the
past results of advertisement information exposure to the
subscribers.
BACKGROUND ART
[0004] Contents like images and music have long been distributed by
content distribution services over media such as television. Some
of these content distribution services are chargeable; others are
offered free of charge to subscribers, with advertisement
information such as commercials inserted into contents so that
advertising or sponsoring fees are obtained from commercial
sponsors.
[0005] Such advertising or sponsoring fees either make up business
income for content providers or cover their expenses for producing
contents. The sponsors generally include diverse enterprises and
business entities which offer on a chargeable basis household
electrical appliances, industrial goods, and other products as well
as varieties of services. Having advertisement information such as
commercials inserted into contents helps draw more customers to the
products and services marketed by commercial sponsors. The
advertising campaign allows the sponsors to recoup benefits that
will justify their expenditure on the advertisements. Although
content subscribers enjoy distributed contents apparently free of
charge, they may be regarded in fact as paying for the privilege by
watching the advertisement information. The advertising businesses
have already extended their operations throughout the broadcasting
and publishing industries as well as in diverse content
distribution services.
[0006] Under these circumstances, there exist certain linkages
between subscribers, commercial sponsors, and content providers.
That is, commercial sponsors get content providers to insert
advertisement information prepared to attract subscribers' interest
into contents. This promotes consumption of the advertised products
and services, boosting the revenues of the commercial sponsors. The
sponsors pay the advertising fees, expecting to derive further
income and expansion of their business from the expenditure. With
their earnings thus increased, the content providers expend more in
producing better contents. This advertising business model works on
the assumption that advertisement information inserted into
contents is actually effective. In other words, attaching
ineffective advertisement information to contents yields few
benefits for the subscribers, commercial sponsors, or content
providers.
[0007] Recent innovations and advances in data processing and
telecommunication technologies have prompted a significant
evolution of content distribution services. Traditionally, the
so-called push-type content distribution services such as TV and
radio broadcasting were the norm. Lately, by contrast, pull-type
content distribution services such as those utilizing wide-area
networks including the Internet are gradually gaining widespread
acceptance.
[0008] Illustratively, over a TCP/IP (Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol) network like the Internet, there exist
information-providing spaces exemplified by the WWW (World Wide
Web). In such a setup, resource identification information in URL
(Uniform Resource Locator) format is used to search through the
information-filled space for gaining access to desired information
resources described in HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) format.
Information resources of that type are viewed as home pages by the
party called clients activating a WWW browser. In that setup,
content providers superpose their advertisement information as
"banner ads" on the home pages they run to gain advertising
revenues.
[0009] Today, as network circuits such as telephone lines
(asymmetric digital subscriber lines known as ADSL) and cable TV
networks are getting faster in data transmission, the business
prospects for image content distribution services handling moving
pictures such as movies, animation films, and live broadcasts are
brightening up.
[0010] One promising development is the so-called streaming
technology that is starting to gain widespread use. The technology
involves allowing a user to playback files even as they are being
downloaded, not after completion of the download. Content
distribution by streaming is considered to be the key to
next-generation Internet usages. At present, well-known content
distribution systems implementing the streaming technology include
"RealSystem G2" and "Windows Media Technologies."
[0011] These image content distribution services are also receptive
to the advertising business model. That is, advertisement
information is inserted into contents so that it may be distributed
at a very low cost or free of charge to far more subscribers than
in the case that the contents are chargeable. This can constitute a
business that benefits three parties: subscribers, content
providers, and commercial sponsors. As mentioned, however, the
business presupposes that advertisement information attached to
contents is significantly effective.
[0012] Pull-type content-providing businesses such as
Internet-based content distribution services can personalize or
customize advertisement information for each subscriber before
inserting the information into contents for distribution to the
subscribers.
[0013] Generally, advertisement information to be distributed is
selected on the basis of individual subscribers' profiles, tastes
and preferences so that the subscribers are better satisfied.
However, pursuing the subscribers' requirements alone conflicts
with commercial sponsors' desires to insert their advertisement
information into those contents related to the products or services
marketed or offered by the sponsors. Content providers, for their
part, may wish to have the sponsors insert their advertisement
information in accordance with the details of the offered contents
and in keeping with the context of content distribution.
[0014] Illustratively, a content distribution system involving a
content provider, sponsors, and subscribers may be organized in
such a manner as to constitute a business model called the
advertisement selecting business, wherein the three parties
involved may have their requirements fulfilled in a manner
maximizing the degree of satisfaction for the system as a
whole.
[0015] Individual contents offered by the content provider retain
their own attribute information together with requirements
regarding the selection of advertisement information to be inserted
into the contents in question. Individual pieces of advertisement
information prepared by the sponsors hold their own attribute
information along with requirements specifying which advertisement
information is to be inserted selectively into what kind of
contents. Individual subscribers also have their own attribute
information supplemented by requirements about what kind of
advertisement information they wish to watch selectively.
[0016] However, there has been few advertisement information
offering services that would selectively offer advertisement
information by taking into account the overall benefits of the
three parties, i.e., subscribers, sponsors, and content
providers.
[0017] Some conventional advertisement selecting systems are
selectively designed to insert specific advertisement information
into certain contents by taking into consideration the satisfaction
of part or all of the content provider, commercial sponsors, and
subscribers involved. However, if the calculated values of cost
effectiveness are used as the sole criteria for selecting
advertisement information to be exposed, only the first-ranked
advertisement information, i.e., information deemed to be the most
applicable to the subscriber, is repeatedly exposed; and the
information ranked in second and subsequent places tends to be slow
in getting exposed.
[0018] In such cases, the prepared inventory of advertisements is
not effectively utilized. Indeed, most of the stored advertisement
information is just hoarded up and remains idle. When the income
picture is one-sided in favor of particular sponsors, other
sponsors cannot get their advertisement information exposed in
desired volumes. Subscribers, for their part, watch certain
advertisements so frequently that they become tired of them. The
effectiveness of advertisements as a whole thus dwindle down. In
such advertisement personalizing services, the sponsors are billed
for the advertising (sponsoring) fees reflecting the number of
times their advertisement information has been exposed. With the
lopsided exposure of advertisements they handle, the content
providers collect fees only from specific (or limited) sponsors so
that their advertising revenues are diminished correspondingly.
[0019] As a result, the content distribution services may let their
viability and their functionality as advertising media be seriously
compromised in the eyes of those they do business with.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
[0020] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
overcome the above and other deficiencies of the prior art and to
provide an advertisement selecting system, an advertisement
selecting method, and a storage medium for properly selecting
advertisement information to be inserted into contents that are
distributed over a wide-area network such as the Internet.
[0021] It is another object of the present invention to provide an
advertisement selecting system, an advertisement selecting method,
and a storage medium for selecting, in a manner personalized for
each subscriber, advertisement information used in contents that
are offered to the subscribers under a pull-type distribution
scheme over the Internet or similar networks.
[0022] It is a further object of the present invention to provide
an advertisement selecting system, an advertisement selecting
method, and a storage medium for selectively attaching
advertisement information to contents in a manner both personalized
for each subscriber and better reflecting the interests of the
subscribers, commercial sponsors, and content providers.
[0023] It is an even further object of the present invention to
provide an advertisement selecting apparatus, an advertisement
selecting method, and a storage medium for controlling exposure of
advertisement information to subscribers in a manner both
corresponding to the inventory of advertisements and taking into
account factors reflecting the past results of having exposed these
advertisements to the subscribers.
[0024] It is a still further object of the present invention to
provide an advertisement selecting apparatus, an advertisement
selecting method, and a storage medium for controlling exposure of
advertisement information in such a manner that exposure will not
concentrate on particular (or limited) advertisement information
out of the inventory of advertisements.
[0025] In achieving the foregoing and other objects of the present
invention and according to a first aspect thereof, there is
provided an advertisement selecting system or method for selecting
advertisement information to be inserted into contents requested by
a subscriber for audiovisual use in an information-providing space,
involving parties made up of a content provider providing contents,
a commercial sponsor offering advertisement information to be
attached to the contents, and the subscriber, and the advertisement
selecting system or method including means or steps of: comparing
means or step for comparing attribute information held individually
by the contents, the advertisement information, and the subscriber,
with requirements held individually by the contents, the
advertisement information, and the subscriber regarding the
selection of advertisements, in order to acquire individual degrees
of satisfaction for the content provider, the commercial sponsor,
and the subscriber; and selecting means or step for selecting the
advertisement which maximizes the overall degree of satisfaction
for the content provider, the commercial sponsor, and the
subscriber, as the selected advertisement to be inserted into the
contents requested by the subscriber for audiovisual use.
[0026] Throughout this description, the term "system" refers to a
logically aggregated set of a plurality of component devices (or
functional modules each implementing specific capabilities); and
whether the devices (or modules are housed in a single enclosure
does not matter (same for the following).
[0027] Where the advertisement selecting system or method according
to the first aspect of the invention is in use, the attribute
information held individually by the contents, advertisement
information and subscriber is compared with the requirements held
by the contents, advertisement information and subscriber regarding
the selection of advertisement. The comparison yields individual
degrees of satisfaction or cost effectiveness for the content
provider, commercial sponsor and subscriber. The degrees resulting
from the comparison are referenced in selecting advertisement
information to be inserted into contents.
[0028] Therefore, the advertisement information is selected in a
manner not excessively favoring any one of the parties making up
the information-providing space, but maximizing the degree of
satisfaction for the system as a whole, whereby the contents are
offered to subscribers in personalized fashion.
[0029] Preferably, the contents may hold the requirements related
to attributes and advertisements; the advertisement information may
hold the requirements related to attributes, contents and
subscribers; and the subscriber may hold the requirements related
to attributes and advertisements.
[0030] In the case above, the comparing means or step may further
include means or steps of: first comparing means or step for
comparing the attribute information held by the advertisement
information with the requirements of the contents; second comparing
means or step for comparing the attribute information held by the
contents with the requirements of the advertisement information;
third comparing means or step for comparing the attribute
information held by the subscriber with the requirements of the
advertisement information; and fourth comparing means or step for
comparing the attribute information held by the advertisement
information with the requirements of the subscriber.
[0031] The selecting means or step, according to the first to
fourth means or steps, may preferably select the advertisement to
be inserted into the contents requested by the subscriber for
audiovisual use, based on the comparison between at least one
requirement and the corresponding attribute.
[0032] The selecting means or step, according to the first to
fourth means or steps, may preferably assign score to the
individual degrees of satisfaction for the content provider, the
commercial sponsor, and the subscriber in a manner reflecting a
policy for advertisement selection, before selecting the
advertisement which maximizes the degree of satisfaction for the
system as a whole.
[0033] In the above case, a business operator controlling the
selection of advertisement information to be inserted into contents
can control the score of requirements for the three parties
involved, i.e., the content provider, commercial sponsor, and
subscriber. It is thus possible for the advertisement selection
business operator to reflect its intentions in comparing the
attributes with the requirements regarding the selection of
advertisements.
[0034] Preferably, the attribute information held individually by
the contents, the advertisement information, and the subscriber may
be made up of a plurality of items; and the requirements held
individually by the contents, the advertisement information, and
the subscriber regarding the selection of advertisements with
respect to the other parties involved may be constituted by a
plurality of items.
[0035] In that case, the content provider may set the relevant
items in a manner representing the attributes of the contents
provided by the convent provider and the requirements of the
content provider with respect to the other parties involved; the
commercial sponsor may set the relevant items in a manner
representing the attributes of the contents offered by the
commercial sponsor and the requirements of the commercial sponsor
with respect to the other parties involved regarding the selection
of advertisements; and the subscriber may set the relevant items in
a manner representing the attributes of the subscriber and the
requirements of the subscriber with respect to the other parties
involved regarding the selection of advertisements.
[0036] Preferably, the content provider, the commercial sponsor and
the subscriber may each set the items making up the attribute
information and the items constituting the requirements for the
selection of advertisements in one of the manners consisting of: a
restricting manner, a preferring manner, an inhibiting manner, and
a grading manner. The restricting manner may make the selection
exclusively if a requirement is met; the preferring manner may make
the selection preferably, not exclusively, if a requirement is met;
the inhibiting manner may inhibit the selection if a requirement is
met; and the grading manner may represent in numbers the degree of
preference for each requirement.
[0037] Preferably, the content provider, the commercial sponsor,
and the subscriber may each be allowed to set on an item-by-item
basis the attribute information and the requirements held thereby
regarding the selection of advertisements and may each be allowed
to specify whether each item of the requirements is to be either
met or not met regarding the selection of advertisements.
[0038] Preferably, the comparing means or step above may represent
in numbers the degree of satisfaction for each of the parties
involved.
[0039] Preferably, upon comparison, the comparing means or step
above may clearly distinguish the attribute information held
individually by the contents, the advertisement information, and
the subscriber, from the requirements held individually by the
contents, the advertisement information, and the subscriber
regarding the selection of advertisements. This feature is designed
to forestall cases where advertisements of a totally different kind
from those desired by the subscriber could be inserted in order to
reflect the inventions of the commercial sponsor.
[0040] Preferably, either the attribute information or the
requirements alone may be allowed to be set. In this case, the
comparing means or step may handle the settings either of the
attribute information or of the requirements as those of the other
as well.
[0041] Preferably, the contents, the advertisement information, and
the subscriber may each have a plurality of items of attribute
information and/or a plurality of requirements regarding the
selection of advertisements. In this case, the comparing means or
step may either handle the attribute information and the
requirements selectively, or compare any of the plurality of items
and the plurality of requirements, depending on circumstances.
[0042] Preferably, where the attribute information held
individually by the contents, the advertisement information, and
the subscriber is made up of a plurality of items; and the
requirements held individually by the contents, the advertisement
information, and the subscriber regarding the selection of
advertisements with respect to the other parties involved are
constituted by a plurality of items, the content provider, the
commercial sponsor and the subscriber may each set the items making
up the attribute information and the items constituting the
requirements for the selection of advertisements in one of the
manners consisting of a restricting manner, a preferring manner, an
inhibiting manner, and a grading manner. The restricting manner may
consist of making the selection exclusively if a requirement is
met; the preferring manner may consist of making the selection
preferably, not exclusively, if a requirement is met; the
inhibiting manner may consist of inhibiting the selection if a
requirement is met; and the grading manner may consist of
representing in numbers the degree of preference for each
requirement. In such cases, the comparing means or step may compare
initially the items set in the restricting manner and in the
inhibiting manner, before comparing the items set in the grading
manner. This feature is designed to reduce the workload on the
selecting means or step above in extracting candidate
advertisements.
[0043] Preferably, the comparing means or step above may verify
initially the items set in the restricting manner before verifying
the items set in the inhibiting manner. This feature is also
designed to reduce the workload on the selecting means or step in
extracting candidate advertisements.
[0044] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is
provided a storage medium which stores physically, in a
computer-readable format, computer software for causing a computer
system to select advertisement information to be inserted into
contents requested by a subscriber for audiovisual use in an
information-providing space involving parties made up of a content
provider providing contents, a commercial sponsor offering
advertisement information to be attached to the contents, and the
subscriber, and the computer software including the steps of: a
comparing step for comparing attribute information held
individually by the contents, the advertisement information, and
the subscriber, with requirements held individually by the
contents, the advertisement information, and the subscriber
regarding the selection of advertisements, in order to acquire
individual degrees of satisfaction for the content provider, the
commercial sponsor, and the subscriber; and a selecting step for
selecting the advertisement which maximizes the overall degree of
satisfaction for the content provider, the commercial sponsor, and
the subscriber, as the selected advertisement to be inserted into
the contents requested by the subscriber for audiovisual use.
[0045] The storage medium according to the second aspect of the
invention is any one of storage media that offer computer software
in a computer-readable format illustratively to a general-purpose
computer system capable of executing diverse program codes. Such
storage media typically include CDs (compact discs), FDs (flexible
discs), MOs (magneto-optical discs), and other portable media that
are readily mounted and discounted. It is also technically possible
to transmit computer software to a specific computer system over
transmission media such as networks (which may be wired or
wireless).
[0046] The storage medium is arranged so as to define its
structurally or functionally collaborative relations with computer
software that causes a computer system to implement specific
functions. In other words, when relevant computer software is
installed into the computer system via the storage medium according
to the second aspect of the invention, the computer system operates
in collaboration with the installed software to provide the same
effects as those of the advertisement selecting system and method
according to the first aspect of the invention.
[0047] According to a third aspect of the invention, there is
provided an advertisement selecting apparatus or method for
selecting advertisement information for exposure to a subscriber,
the advertisement selecting apparatus or method including means or
steps of: advertisement exposure result managing means or step for
managing results of the past exposure to the subscriber of
individual advertisements constituting the advertisement
information; and advertisement information selecting means or step
for selecting, from among candidate advertisements, those to be
exposed to the subscriber based on the results of the past
exposure.
[0048] In a case where moving picture contents are distributed by
streaming technology to the subscriber illustratively over the
Internet, the advertisement selecting apparatus or method according
to the third aspect of the invention allows the advertisement
information such as commercials to be selectively inserted into a
slot within the contents based on the results of the past exposure,
i.e., in a manner reflecting the number of times each of the
advertisements involved has been exposed to the subscriber.
[0049] Preferably, the advertisement information selecting means or
step above may select the advertisement information by taking into
account an exposure count quota imposed on each of the individual
advertisements.
[0050] Preferably, the advertisement selecting apparatus may
further include means or step for acting, in response to a content
viewing request made by the subscriber, to insert the advertisement
information selected by the advertisement information selecting
means or step into a slot within contents before providing the
contents to the subscriber.
[0051] Preferably, in an information-providing space involving
parties made up of a content provider providing contents, a
commercial sponsor offering advertisement information to be
attached to the contents, and the subscriber, the advertisement
information selecting means or step above may compare attribute
information held individually by the contents, the advertisement
information, and the subscriber, with requirements held
individually by the contents, the advertisement information, and
the subscriber regarding the selection of advertisements, in order
to acquire individual degrees of satisfaction for the content
provider, the commercial sponsor, and the subscriber. The
advertisement information selecting means or step may further
obtain at least one candidate advertisement through calculation
based on the individual degrees of satisfaction for the parties
involved. The advertisement information selecting means or step
above may then select the advertisement from the obtained candidate
advertisements in accordance with the result of the past exposure
regarding each of the individual advertisements.
[0052] Preferably, each of the individual advertisements may have a
selection priority for exposure to the subscriber, and the
advertisement information selecting means or step above may select
the advertisement information to be exposed to the subscriber by
taking into account the selection priority of each of the
individual advertisements and the results of the past exposure.
Typically, the exposure results may be updated in real time as
viewing by the subscriber is taking place.
[0053] Illustratively, the advertisement information selecting
means or step above may select the advertisement information to be
exposed to the subscriber based on the selection priority of each
of the individual advertisements which is multiplied by a degree of
exposure inhibition derived from a predetermined inhibition
coefficient being raised to the power of a past advertisement
exposure count of the advertisement in question.
[0054] The advertisement selecting apparatus and method according
to the third aspect of the invention may be used illustratively in
conjunction with an advertising system for inserting advertisement
information such as commercials into moving picture contents
distributed by streaming technology over the Internet. When
selecting advertisements to be exposed to the subscriber over the
Internet, the system takes into account the result of past exposure
of each of the advertisements in exposure control reflecting the
advertisement inventory.
[0055] Illustratively, if subscribers with a particular profile
biased to specific tastes or preferences gain access to contents
that carry advertisements, the first-ranked advertisement, i.e.,
the one best targeted for the subscribers in question, is exposed
repeatedly but in a manner also making way for the advertisements
in second and subsequent places which would be less likely to be
exposed if handled conventionally, so that the stocked
advertisements are exposed in fairly averaged fashion.
[0056] The inventive apparatus and method thus allow commercial
sponsors to schedule their advertisement exposure. As a result,
content/advertisement providing systems implementing this invention
have their values significantly enhanced as viable advertising
media.
[0057] During system operation, the advertisement selecting
apparatus and method according to the third aspect of the invention
permit advertisement exposure control by monitoring the inventory
of advertisements. This makes it more or less possible to bring
about a desired peak-to-valley exposure picture during the term of
the contract, which offers numerous exposure menus to the
commercial sponsor under contract.
[0058] Preferably, the advertisement information selecting means or
step above may select the advertisement information to be exposed
to the subscriber by taking into account the selection priority of
each of the individual advertisements, the results of the past
exposure, and an exposure count quota imposed on each of the
individual advertisements. More specifically, the advertisement
information selecting means or step may select the advertisement
information to be exposed to the subscriber by inhibiting the
selection priority of each of the individual advertisements in
keeping with an increase of a quota attainment quotient obtained by
dividing the results of the past exposure by an exposure count
quota imposed on each of the individual advertisements.
[0059] Illustratively, the exposure count quota may be calculated
for a certain period (e.g., one day) based on the term of an
advertisement exposure contract and on the number of times the
advertisement in question is expected to be exposed during the
contract period. The quota is updated periodically (e.g., every
day). Calculation of the quota may take into account such factors
affecting the viewing count (exposure count) as days of the week,
holidays, festival days, and consecutive holidays.
[0060] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is
provided a storage medium which stores physically, in a
computer-readable format, computer software for causing a computer
system to select advertisement information for exposure to a
subscriber, the computer software including the steps of: a
managing step for managing results of the past exposure to the
subscriber of individual advertisements constituting the
advertisement information; and a selecting step for selecting, from
among candidate advertisements, those to be exposed to the
subscriber based on the results of the past exposure.
[0061] The storage medium according to the fourth aspect of the
invention is any one of storage media that offer computer software
in a computer-readable format illustratively to a general-purpose
computer system capable of executing diverse program codes. Such
storage media typically include CDs (compact discs), FDs (flexible
discs), MOs (magneto-optical discs), and other portable media that
are readily mounted and discounted. It is also technically possible
to transmit computer software to a specific computer system over
transmission media such as networks (which may be wired or
wireless).
[0062] The storage medium is arranged so as to define its
structurally or functionally collaborative relations with computer
software that causes a computer system to implement specific
functions. In other words, when relevant computer software is
installed into the computer system via the storage medium according
to the fourth aspect of this invention, the computer system
operates in collaboration with the installed software to provide
the same effects as those of the advertisement selecting apparatus
and method according, to the third aspect of the invention.
[0063] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will
become more apparent upon a reading of the following description
and appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0064] FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a
content/advertisement providing system 1 according to the
invention;
[0065] FIG. 2 is a schematic view depicting a structure of a
computer system that may be used as a server or a client;
[0066] FIG. 3 is a conceptual view of an advertisement selecting
server 40;
[0067] FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a structure of
mounted modules in the advertisement selecting server 40 according
to the invention;
[0068] FIG. 5 is a schematic view indicating how matching is done
by the content/advertisement providing system 1 of the
invention;
[0069] FIG. 6 is an explanatory view picturing how to input
subscriber OPTINOUT data (graded in numbers);
[0070] FIG. 7 is a schematic view sketching a data structure of the
subscriber OPTINOUT data;
[0071] FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing how to grade in numbers
an item (manufacturer A as a commercial sponsor) included in
commercial sponsor category data;
[0072] FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing how to grade in numbers
an item (children) included in product category data;
[0073] FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing how to grade in numbers
an item (world heritage) included in content meta INOUT data;
[0074] FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing how to grade in numbers
an item (children) included in content category INOUT data;
[0075] FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing how to grade in numbers
an item (children) included in TargetINOUT data;
[0076] FIG. 13 is a schematic view depicting a data structure of
the TargetINOUT data;
[0077] FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing how to grade in numbers
an item included in content category data as part of content
attribute information;
[0078] FIG. 15 is a schematic view showing how to grade in numbers
an item included in advertisement INOUT data as part of content
OPTINOUT information;
[0079] FIG. 16 is a schematic view showing how to grade in numbers
an item included in commercial sponsor INOUT data as part of the
content OPTINOUT information;
[0080] FIG. 17 is a schematic view showing how to grade in numbers
an item included in product INOUT data as part of the content
OPTINOUT information;
[0081] FIG. 18 is a schematic view explaining how the subscriber
OPTINOUT data shown in FIG. 6 are divided into a positive and a
negative side for use;
[0082] FIG. 19 is another schematic view explaining how the
subscriber OPTINOUT data shown in FIG. 6 are divided into the
positive and the negative side for use;
[0083] FIG. 20 is a schematic view explaining how the OPTINOUT data
for the subscriber, shown in FIG. 12, are divided into a plurality
of portions for use;
[0084] FIG. 21 is another schematic view explaining how the
OPTINOUT data for the subscriber in FIG. 12 are divided into a
plurality of portions for use;
[0085] FIG. 22 is still another schematic view explaining how the
OPTINOUT data for the subscriber in FIG. 12 are divided into a
plurality of portions for use;
[0086] FIG. 23 is a flowchart of steps carried out by a rule unit
41 of the advertisement selecting server 40;
[0087] FIG. 24 is a flowchart of detailed steps for extracting
candidate advertisements based on rules;
[0088] FIG. 25 is an explanatory view showing how a set of
candidate advertisements selected in phase 1 is redefined while
being expanded by the number of times the set is allowed to be
inserted repeatedly;
[0089] FIG. 26 is an explanatory view indicating how a set of
scored advertisement information is redefined while being expanded
by the number of times the set is allowed to be inserted
repeatedly;
[0090] FIG. 27 is a schematic view giving (specific) results of
processing performed by an MP unit 42 in phase 2;
[0091] FIG. 28 is a schematic view giving a comprehensive sketch of
the results of processing performed by the MP unit 42 in phase 2
shown in FIG. 27;
[0092] FIG. 29 is a schematic view illustrating a functional
structure of an advertisement exposure control system implemented
on the advertisement selecting server 40 according to the
invention;
[0093] FIG. 30 is a schematic view showing a scheme under which the
advertisement selecting server 40 of the invention performs
advertisement exposure control by taking an inventory of
advertisements into account;
[0094] FIG. 31 is a schematic view indicating another scheme under
which the advertisement selecting server 40 of the invention
performs advertisement exposure control reflecting the inventory of
advertisements;
[0095] FIG. 32 is a graphic representation depicting
characteristics of a function f(x) for acquiring a degree of
exposure inhibition for individual pieces of advertisement
information based on a quota attainment quotient "x";
[0096] FIG. 33 is another graphic representation picturing
characteristics of the function f(x) for acquiring the degree of
exposure inhibition for individual pieces of advertisement
information based on the quota attainment quotient "x"; and
[0097] FIG. 34 is still another graphic representation picturing
characteristics of the function f(x) for acquiring the degree of
exposure inhibition for individual pieces of advertisement
information based on the quota attainment quotient "x."
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0098] Preferred embodiments of this invention will now be
described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
A. System Configuration
[0099] FIG. 1 schematically shows a configuration of a
content/advertisement providing system 1 embodying the invention.
The system 1 distributes illustratively image contents made up of
moving pictures to subscribers over a wide-area network such as the
Internet together with personalized advertisement information
targeted for the subscribers.
[0100] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the content/advertisement
providing system 1 is constituted by a content server 10, an
advertisement server 20, a subscriber terminal 30, and an
advertisement selecting server 40. The content server 10 is run by
a content provider offering a content distribution service
involving the distribution of contents such as images. The
advertisement server 20 is operated by a commercial sponsor
offering accumulated advertisement information to be inserted into
contents for distribution. The subscriber terminal 30 is owned by a
subscriber viewing distributed contents. The advertisement
selecting server 40 is run by an advertisement selection business
operator offering a personalized advertisement selection service
involving the selection of advertisement information to be inserted
into contents for distribution.
[0101] In the description that follows, the content provider,
commercial sponsor, subscriber, and advertisement selection
business operator taking part in the content/advertisement
providing system 1 will also be referred to as the players where
appropriate.
[0102] The server machines 10, 20 and 40 may each be implemented
illustratively by starting up a suitable server application program
on a workstation (WS) or a personal computer (PC). The subscriber
terminal 30 may be implemented illustratively by booting a client
application program such as a Web browser on the personal
computer.
[0103] The server and client machines are connected to a TCP/IP
network such as the Internet through physical connecting means such
as the Ethernet (registered trademark). The machines are
interconnected securely through appropriate authenticating
procedures.
[0104] The subscriber terminal 30 is connected to the content
server 10 via the network. By operating the subscriber terminal 30,
the subscriber may designate contents such as moving pictures to be
provided by the content server 10. Where the content server 10
incorporates streaming techniques such as RealServer and where the
subscriber terminal 30 has moving picture playback software such as
RealPlayer installed therein, the subscriber is able to watch and
listen to the requested content in real time.
[0105] The content server 10 is also connected to the advertisement
server 30 and advertisement selecting server 40 via the network. In
this setup, the content server 10 can issue an advertisement
selection request to the connected servers, i.e., a request for
advertisement information to be inserted into the content requested
by the subscriber for distribution. The advertisement information
selected by and returned from the advertisement selecting server 40
is acquired from the advertisement server 20 and inserted into the
content, whereby the advertisement in question is exposed on the
subscriber terminal 30.
[0106] The content server 10 of this invention also has the
function of detecting advertisement information being exposed on
the subscriber terminal 30. Upon advertisement exposure, the
content server 10 transmits an advertisement viewing log to the
advertisement selecting server 40. Illustratively, suitable plug-in
software may be installed into the content server 40 so as to
implement on the server 40 such extended functions as the request
for selection of advertisements and the transmission of
advertisement exposure logs.
[0107] The advertisement selecting server 40 is connected via the
network to various databases such as those of subscriber profiles,
advertisement attributes, and content attributes. Upon receipt of
an advertisement selection request from the content server 10, the
advertisement selecting server 40 selects advertisement information
to be exposed along with contents in keeping with the details of
the request and based on what is available from the databases. When
receiving an advertisement exposure log from the content server 10,
advertisement selecting server 40 stores the received log into a
database as part of an advertisement viewing history.
[0108] The advertisement selecting server 40 is implemented using a
workstation or a personal computer capable of running a server
application "Weblogic Server." Software for processing
advertisement selection requests and storing advertisement exposure
logs may be described illustratively in Java Program.
[0109] The databases for accumulating subscriber information
(tastes, preferences, ages, addresses), advertisement attributes
(for subscriber targeting), content attributes (information about
preferential advertisements), etc., may be implemented
illustratively using a workstation or a personal computer capable
of running Oracle, i.e., a relational database (RDB) system.
[0110] What follows is a description of a computer system that can
constitute a host terminal acting as any of the servers 10, 20 and
40 catering to their clients. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a
typical hardware configuration of this computer system 100.
[0111] A CPU (central processing unit) 111, main controller of the
system 100, performs various application programs under control of
an operating system (OS). Illustratively, when the CPU 111 executes
a server application for providing contents, a server application
for providing advertisement information, a server application for
selecting advertisement information to be inserted into contents,
or a client application for viewing contents, the system 100
functions as the server 10, 20, 40, or subscriber terminal 30,
respectively.
[0112] As shown in FIG. 1, the CPU 111 is interconnected with other
component devices (to be described later) via a bus 117. The
devices on the bus 117 are each given a unique memory address or
I/O address. These addresses allow the CPU 111 to access the
corresponding devices. The bus 117 is typically a PCI (Peripheral
Component Interconnect) bus.
[0113] A memory 112 is a storage device that temporarily
accommodates program codes being executed or work data being
handled by the CPU 111. The memory 112 in FIG. 2 embraces a
volatile and a nonvolatile memory.
[0114] A display controller 113 is a dedicated controller for
actually processing graphics-drawing instructions issued by the CPU
111. Illustratively, the controller 113 supports bit-mapped
graphics-drawing functions compatible with SVGA (Super Video
Graphic Array) or XGA (extended Graphic Array) norms. Graphic data
processed by the display controller 113 are written temporarily to
a frame buffer (not shown) before being output onto a display unit
121. The display unit 121 is illustratively a CRT (cathode ray
tube) display or an LCD (liquid crystal display).
[0115] An input unit interface 114 is designed to interface user
input units such as a keyboard 122 and a mouse 123 to the system
100. As will be described later, it is necessary to enter various
items of attribute information into the content providing server 10
regarding contents, into the advertisement providing server 10
about advertisement information, and into the subscriber terminal
30 with respect to the subscriber, along with requirements
(OPTINOUT information) for advertisement selection. The computer
system 100 allows settings of these items to be input through the
keyboard 122 and mouse 123. The detailed settings of the items
making up the attribute information about contents, advertisement
information and subscriber, as well as the requirements (OPTINOUT
information) regarding the selection of advertisements, will be
discussed later.
[0116] A network interface 115 is designed to interface the system
100 to a network such as a LAN (local area network) in accordance
with suitable communication protocols like the Ethernet (registered
trademark). Generally, the network interface 115 is furnished in
the form of a LAN adapter card that is inserted into a PCI bus slot
on a motherboard (not shown). Alternatively, the system 100 may be
connected to an external network not through the network interface
but via a modem (not shown).
[0117] On the LAN, a plurality of host machines (computers) are
connected in a transparent manner constituting a distributed
computing environment. Part of the host machines operate as routers
connected to external networks such as other LANs and the Internet.
Over the Internet, software programs and data contents are
distributed through the routers.
[0118] It is assumed for this embodiment that contents and
advertisement information to be inserted into the contents are
distributed over the network. Illustratively, the content server 10
distributes contents such as moving pictures to subscriber
terminals by streaming technology.
[0119] The attribute information set for contents, for
advertisement information and for subscribers, along with the
requirements (OPTINOUT information) regarding the selection of
advertisements, may be moved between systems over the network. On
the computer system working as the advertisement selecting server
40, the attribute information set for contents, advertisement
information and subscribers together with the requirements
(OPTINOUT information) regarding advertisement selection is stored
in databases. When a subscriber requests a certain content, the
advertisement information to be inserted into the requested content
is selected by a matching process involving these databases in a
manner maximizing the benefits for the content/advertisement
providing system 1 as a whole (as will be discussed later). The
advertisement selecting server 40 can report the result of the
advertisement information selection to other host terminals such as
the content server 10 and advertisement server 30 over the
network.
[0120] An external unit interface 116 is designed to interface
external units such as a hard disc drive (HDD) 124 and a media
drive 125 to the system 100. The external unit interface 116
complies illustratively with such interface standards as IDE
(Integrated Drive Electronics) and SCSI (Small Computer System
Interface).
[0121] The HDD 124 is a known external storage unit that has
magnetic discs mounted in fixed fashion as storage media. The HDD
124 is superior to other external storage devices in terms of
storage capacity and data transfer speed. When a software program
is placed onto the HDD 126 in an executable manner, the program is
said to be "installed" into the system. Usually, the HDD 124
accommodates in nonvolatile fashion the program codes of the
operating system to be executed by the CPU 111, as well as
application programs and device drivers.
[0122] For example, the content server application program,
advertisement server application program, advertisement selection
server application program, and subscriber terminal client
application program of this embodiment are installed on the HDD
124. The HDD 124 may also accumulate the attribute information
established with respect to contents, advertisement information,
and subscribers, along with the requirements (OPTINOUT information)
regarding the selection of advertisements. The advertisement
selecting server 40 may record onto the HDD 124 an advertisement
viewing history made up of advertisement exposure logs detailing
the advertisements having been exposed to the subscribers.
[0123] The media drive 125 is a device which, when loaded with
portable media including the CD (compact disc), MO (magneto-optical
disc) and DVD (digital versatile disc), gains access to their data
recorded surfaces. The portable media are used primarily for the
backup of software programs and data files in a computer-readable
format, as well as for moving these resources between systems
(e.g., for marketing and distribution).
[0124] Illustratively, the content server application program,
advertisement server application program, advertisement selection
server application program, and subscriber terminal client
application program of this embodiment may be distributed using
such portable media. Furthermore, the portable media may be used to
distribute the attribute information established with regard to
contents, advertisement information, and subscribers, along with
the requirements (OPTINOUT information) relative to the selection
of advertisements. Obviously, moving picture contents carrying
personalized advertisement information targeted for individual
subscribers may also be placed on this type of storage media for
movement between systems, instead of being distributed by streaming
from the content server 10.
[0125] The computer system 100 in FIG. 2 is typically a PC/AT
(Personal Computer/Advanced Technology) compatible computer or its
successor. A computer system having a different architecture may
also be utilized as a host terminal of this embodiment.
B. Personalized Content Distribution Service
[0126] The content/advertisement providing system 1 shown in FIG. 1
provides advertisement-carrying contents to the subscriber terminal
30 in the following steps:
[0127] (1) The subscriber terminal 30 makes a content-viewing
request to the content server 10.
[0128] (2) The content server 10 requests the advertisement
selecting server 40 to select advertisement information to be
inserted into the requested content.
[0129] (3) The advertisement selecting server 40 selects
advertisement information deemed optimal through the process of
matching the subscriber's profile with advertisement and content
attributes (to be described later), and notifies the requesting
content server 10 of the selected information.
[0130] (4) The content server 10 acquires the optimal advertisement
information from the advertisement server 20.
[0131] (5) The content server 10 inserts the acquired optimal
advertisement information into the content designated by the
subscriber terminal 30, and distributes the content to the
subscriber terminal 30 in SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integrated
language) format.
[0132] (6) The designated moving picture content is playbacked in
real time on the subscriber terminal 30.
[0133] The SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integrated language),
worked out and established by W3C (WWW Consortium), is an
integrating technology for displaying independent multimedia
objects in a synchronized manner. Data written in SMIL format can
describe the temporal behavior in audiovisual multimedia
presentations and presentation layouts on the screen.
[0134] When the subscriber selects the content, the advertisement
selecting server 40 coordinates the interests of the subscriber,
content provider, commercial sponsor, and advertisement selection
business operator before selecting a suitable advertisement from
the group of advertisement information stored in the advertisement
server 20.
[0135] FIGS. 3 and 4 give conceptual views of the advertisement
selecting server 40. This server is constituted by a rule unit 41
and an MP (mathematical programming) unit 42.
[0136] The rule unit 41 verifies restrictions on the matching
between the attributes of the players involved and their
advertisement selection requirements (i.e., extraction of candidate
advertisements). The unit 41 also prepares cost allocation (cost
allocation of candidate advertisements). The MP unit 42 narrows
down candidate advertisements through a linear programming problem,
and calculates assignment of candidate advertisements to a slot
through an integer programming problem.
[0137] With this embodiment, the advertisement selecting server 40
performs comparisons (also called matching hereunder), between the
players, of their attribute information and their guidelines or
requirements (called OPTINOUT information) regarding the selection
of advertisement information. The server 40 selects advertisements
based on the result of the matching.
[0138] FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a structure of
mounted modules in the advertisement selecting server 40 according
to the invention. As shown FIG. 4, the rule unit 41 is constituted
by modules called AdSelectRules.java, AdSelect.ilr, and
AdSelectMP.java.
[0139] The AdSelectRules.java module receives an advertisement
selection request from a Servelet module outside and gives a
response to the request. The AdSelectRules.java module also loads
objects needed for matching into a work area of memory, and starts
up a rule engine.
[0140] The AdSelect.ilr module is made up of a plurality of rules.
They make up a rule set which selects candidate advertisements by
taking into account matching-based restrictions and inhibiting
conditions and which performs cost allocation of the candidate
advertisements.
[0141] The AdSelectMP.java module generates information (such as
customized cost allocation and advertisement lengths) to be handed
over to the MP unit 42. The AdSelectMP.java module also starts up
processing of the MP unit 42 and acquires the result of that
processing.
[0142] The MP unit 42 is constituted by modules called
JniPadMatching.java and JniPadMatching.cpp.
[0143] The JniPadMatching.java module acts as a JNI Wrapper that
invokes a C++native class (JniPadMatching.cpp) for carrying out
processing based on MP (mathematical programming).
[0144] The JniPadMatching.cpp module performs actual processes
through the use of mathematical programming.
[0145] With this embodiment of the invention, the players involved
have attribute information specific to each player, or selection
guidelines (OPTINOUT information) describing the guidelines or
requirements allowing each player to select the other players; or
the players have both the attribute information and the selection
guidelines each. Some players may have the OPTINOUT information
that is the same as their own attribute information.
[0146] Attribute information and OPTINOUT information are made up
of a plurality of items. In the advertisement selecting server 40,
the rule unit 41 matches the corresponding items between the
attribute information about one player and the OPTINOUT data about
other players regarding the selection of advertisements.
[0147] The attribute information constitutes data that represent
the attributes of contents, advertisements, and subscribers. The
information, making up master data (to be described later), is
constituted by a plurality of items. The degree of matching between
the items is graded in numbers ranging from 0 to 1.0. In
particular, attribute data items that have only two alternatives
each (e.g., male or female) are expressed by a number 1 for
matching and by 0 for mismatching.
[0148] The OPTINOUT data denote guidelines or requirements
regarding the selection of advertisements, and are made up of a
plurality of items constituting master data, to be described later.
Each of the items is graded in numbers with respect to one of four
types of attributes: restricting, preferring, inhibiting, or
grading, as described below. In the case that the OPTINOUT data are
expressed in terms of numbers, each of the items making up the data
are graded in numbers ranging from -1.0 to 1.0.
[0149] Restricting attribute type: if the condition is met, the
advertisement is selected exclusively.
[0150] Preferring attribute type: if the condition is met, the
advertisement is selected not exclusively but preferentially (i.e.,
selected at least once).
[0151] Inhibiting attribute type: if the condition is met, the
advertisement is not selected.
[0152] Grading attribute type: the degree of preference for the
condition is graded in numbers.
[0153] The rule unit 41 selects advertisement information based on
the result of matching between attribute information and OPTINOUT
data. The content/advertisement providing system 1 of this
embodiment carries out the following four major types of matching
(see FIG. 5):
[0154] Matching 1 (M1): compares advertisement attributes with
content OPTINOUT data.
[0155] Matching 2 (M2): compares content attributes with
advertisement OPTINOUT data.
[0156] Matching 3 (M3): compares subscriber attributes and
subscriber OPTINOUT data, with advertisement OPTINOUT data.
[0157] Matching 4 (M4): compares advertisement attributes with
subscriber OPTINOUT data.
[0158] Each of these four types of matching is made up of more
detailed types of matching, as will be described later.
[0159] As shown in FIG. 5, part of matching 3 involves comparing
advertisement OPTINOUT data with subscriber OPTINOUT data. In fact,
the actual process considers the subscriber OPTINOUT data to be
part of the subscriber attributes.
[0160] The four types of matching yield cost allocation for each
type. The allocated cost components are scored to reflect the
advertisement selection business operator's policy. More
specifically, a scoring factor is allotted to each type of matching
when the different types of matching are carried out (using the
formula below), whereby a definitive cost allocation is generated
for a candidate advertisement:
Cost=a.times.M1+b.times.M2+c.times.M3+d.times.M4
(where, a+b+c+d=1)
C. Data for Use in Selecting Advertisements
[0161] What follows is a detailed description of data used for
matching between the players. Because the data for matching by the
rule unit 41 and the data entered by each player through a host
terminal differ slightly in format, the data to be entered by the
players will be discussed first.
Subscriber Attribute Data
[0162] The attribute data about each subscriber are composed of
subscriber data including: sex, date of birth, country of
residence, area of residence, ZIP code for place of residence, ID
for country of employment, ID for area of employment, ZIP code for
area of employment, mother tongue, knowledge of foreign languages,
job ID, annual income ID, marital status, residence ID, and family
structure. The subscriber attribute data are to be matched with
TargetINOUT data, i.e., advertisement OPTINOUT information.
Subscriber OPTINOUT DATA
[0163] The subscriber OPTINOUT data are constituted by the items
listed as master data (M_OPT) in Table 1 below. The requirement for
each of the items regarding the subscriber in question is described
either as an inhibiting type or as a grading type. If the
description is of grading type, the item in question is graded in
numbers ranging from -1.0 to 1.0. Illustratively, for an item
"children," a value close to 1 is input if it is desired to watch
child-oriented advertisements; a negative value is input if it is
not desired to watch child-oriented advertisements; a value close
to zero is input if it does not matter (see FIG. 6).
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 OPT_ID OPT_KB OPT_NM A000 1 Travel A001 2
Domestic travel A0011 3 Where there is the sea A0012 3 Where there
is greenery A0013 3 Resort A0014 3 Gourmet A0015 3 Shopping A0016 3
Tour of remains A0017 3 Watch a game of sports A0018 3 Take part in
sports A0019 3 Hot springs A002 2 Travel abroad A0021 3 Where there
is the sea A0022 3 Where there is greenery A0023 3 Resort A0024 3
Gourmet A0025 3 Shopping A0026 3 Tour of remains A0027 3 Watch a
game of sports A0028 3 Take part in sports A003 2 Drive-related
information A0031 3 Dating A0032 3 Family drive A0033 3 Drive alone
A004 2 leisure facilities A005 2 Travel-related services B000 1 Car
supplies B001 2 Domestic cars B0011 3 Sedan B0012 3 Hard-top B0013
3 Hatch-back B0014 3 Coupe, sports car B0015 3 Convertible,
cabriolet B0016 3 Station wagon B0017 3 Sport-utility vehicle (SUV)
B0018 3 Recreational vehicle (RV) B0019 3 Minivan, one-box car B002
2 Imported vehicle B0021 3 Sedan B0022 3 Hard-top B0023 3
Hatch-back B0024 3 Coupe, sports car
[0164] The subscriber OPTINOUT data are to be matched with
TargetINOUT data (i.e., advertisement OPTINOUT data) and product
category data.
[0165] This embodiment allows each subscriber to have a plurality
of profiles by preparing a plurality of sets of subscriber data for
different uses or situations, such as for home use and for use at
work. With regard to each profile, the subscriber may input each of
the items constituting the subscriber OPTINOUT data. That means
each subscriber is provided with subscriber OPTINOUT data having a
data structure such as one shown in FIG. 7.
[0166] The subscriber attribute information and subscriber OPTINOUT
information are input by each subscriber subscribing to the
content/advertisement providing system 1. The data input is done by
all subscribers through their own subscriber terminals 30.
Advertisement Attribute Information
[0167] The attribute information about each advertisement is made
up of advertisement meta data, commercial sponsor category data,
and product category data.
[0168] The advertisement meta data are constituted by an
advertisement ID for uniquely identifying each advertisement, and
the advertisement meta data are to be matched with advertisement
INOUT data, i.e., content OPTINOUT information.
[0169] The commercial sponsor category data describe the IDs of the
commercial sponsors involved with the advertisement information in
question. There exist what may be called joint advertisements each
representing a plurality of commercial sponsors. The relevant items
regarding any such advertisement are each graded in numbers ranging
from 0 to 1.0 reflecting the degree of participation by each of the
sponsors involved. The commercial sponsor category data are to be
matched with commercial sponsor OPTINOUT data, i.e., content
OPTINOUT information. FIG. 8 schematically shows how to grade in
numbers an item (e.g., manufacturer A as a commercial sponsor)
included in the commercial sponsor category data.
[0170] The product category data are made up of the items
constituting the master data (M_OPT) shown in Table 1. Attribute
information about each product category regarding the advertisement
information in question is graded in numbers. The product category
data are to be matched with product INOUT data, i.e., content
OPTINOUT information. FIG. 9 schematically shows how to grade in
numbers an item (children) included in the product category
data.
Advertisement OPTINOUT Information
[0171] The OPTINOUT information about each advertisement is
composed of content meta INOUT data, content category INOUT data,
and TargetINOUT data.
[0172] The content meta INOUT data designate the requirements for
the advertisement information applicable to each of the contents
supplied by the content provider. Specifically, the data describe
the requirements in a restricting, inhibiting, or grading manner
with regard to a content ID unique to each content. If the
description is of grading type, the requirements are each graded in
numbers ranging from -1.0 to 1.0. FIG. 10 schematically shows how
to grade a content (world heritage) in numbers. The content meta
INOUT data are to be matched with the advertisement meta data
(advertisement IDs).
[0173] The content category INOUT data designate the requirements
(i.e., OPTINOUT) for the content categories about the advertisement
information in question. The items constituting the master data in
Table 2 below (M_CONTENT_CATEGORY) have their requirements
described in a restricting, inhibiting, or grading manner. If the
description is of grading type, each item is graded in numbers
ranging from -1.0 to 1.0. Illustratively, for an item "children," a
value close to 1 is input if it is desired to insert the
advertisement in question into child-oriented contents; a value
close to -1 is input if it is not desired to insert the
advertisement into child-oriented contents; a value close to zero
is input if it does not matter (see FIG. 11).
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 CONTENT_CAT_ID CONTENT_CAT_NM 1 General
contents 2 Weekly photo magazines (gossip sites) 3 Contents for
male teenagers (fashion, culture) 4 Contents for young male
(fashion, culture) 5 Contents for male young adults (general) 6
Contents for male young adults (fashion-related) 7 Contents for
male young adults (entertainment-related) 8 Business, money, and
news contents 9 News reports and documentaries 10 Interviews 11
Fashion-related contents for female teenagers 12
Entertainment-related contents for female teenagers 13
Fashion-related contents for young female 14 Entertainment-related
contents for young female 15 Fashion-related contents for female
young adults 16 Entertainment-related contents for female young
adults 17 Career- and life-related contents for female young adults
18 Contents for young housewives 19 Contents for housewives 20
Maternity and child-rearing contents 21 Town information contents
22 Town information contents for females 23 Gadget and trend
information contents 24 TV/FM information contents 25 Travel and
leisure contents 26 Sports contents 27 Golf contents 28 Vehicle and
motorcycle contents 29 PC-related contents 30 Literature and
history contents 31 Health-related contents 32 Film and music
contents 33 Building and housing information contents 34 Seminar
contents 35 Animation contents 36 Popular entertainment contents 37
Creative activity contents 38 Science contents 39 Game contents 40
Educational contents 41 Pet contents 42 Gourmet contents
[0174] The content INOUT data are to be matched with the commercial
sponsor category data.
[0175] The TargetINOUT data designate the requirements (i.e.,
OPTINOUT) for the subscriber viewing the advertisement information
in question. The items constituting the master data in Table 3
below (M TARGET) have their requirements described in a
restricting, inhibiting, or grading manner. Illustratively, for an
item "children," a value close to 1 is input if it is desired to
show the advertisement to the subscriber who feels more or less
close to children (the closer the subscriber feels, the closer the
value is to 1); a value close to -1 is input if it is desired to
show the advertisement to the subscriber who feels more or less
estranged from children (the more estranged the subscriber feels,
the closer the value is to -1); a value close to zero is input if
it does not matter (see FIG. 12).
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 TARGET TABLE_ID TABLE_NM 1 Sex Sex 2 Age
from Age from 3 Age to Age to 4 M_COUNTRY Country of residence 5
M_AREA Area of residence 6 ZIP code for area ZIP code for area of
residence of residence 7 M_COUNTRY Country of employment 8 M_AREA
Area of employment 9 ZIP code for area ZIP code for area of
employment of employment 10 M_JOB Profession 11 M_SALARY Annual
income for household 12 Spouse Marital status 13 M_FAMILY Family
structure 14 M_HOUSE Type of house 15 M-OPT Optin information
[0176] The TargetINOUT data are to be matched with the subscriber
data (subscriber attribute information) and subscriber OPTINOUT
data.
[0177] With this embodiment of the invention, each piece of
advertisement information can be targeted for a plurality of
subscribers. Each advertisement target may have TargetINOUT data
whose items are allowed to be input. The advertisement OPTINOUT
data are thus given a data structure such as one shown in FIG.
13.
[0178] Because the content/advertisement providing system 1 of this
embodiment allows a single piece of advertisement information to be
viewed by a plurality of subscribers simultaneously, the
advertisement selecting server 40 performs matching processes on a
subscriber-by-subscriber basis. The MP unit 42 (to be described
later) is designed to skip advertisement targets applicable to the
same advertisement information. That is, the AND relation exists
between items of the OPTINOUT information established within the
same advertisement target, whereas the OR relation is in effect
between items of the OPTINOUT information set for different
advertisement targets.
[0179] The advertisement attribute information and OPTINOUT
information may be input in units of advertisements illustratively
through the advertisement server 20 by the commercial sponsor
distributing advertisement information by use of the
content/advertisement providing system 1.
Content Attribute Information
[0180] The content attribute information is composed of content
meta data and content category data.
[0181] The content meta data constitute a content ID for uniquely
identifying each content, and the content meta data are to be
matched with the content meta OPTINOUT data, i.e., advertisement
OPTINOUT information.
[0182] The content category data designate the category of the
content in question. Specifically, the data describe an attribute
value for each of the items making up the master data
(M_CONTENT_CATEGORY) shown in Table 2, the value being graded in
numbers ranging from 0 to 1.0. Illustratively, for an item
"children," a value close to 1 is input if the content is
child-oriented; otherwise a value close to 0 is input (see FIG.
14). The content category data are to be matched with the content
category OPTINOUT data (advertisement OPTINOUT information).
Content OPTINOUT Information
[0183] The content OPTINOUT information is made up of advertisement
INOUT data (content-->advertisement), commercial sponsor INOUT
data (content-->advertisement), and product INOUT data
(content-->advertisement).
[0184] The advertisement INOUT data designate the requirements
(OPTINOUT information) for each piece of advertisement information
regarding the content in question. Specifically, the data describe,
in a restricting, preferring, inhibiting, or grading manner, each
of the items constituting the advertisement information provided by
the advertisement server 20, i.e., advertisement meta data
(advertisement IDs). If the description is of grading type, each
item is graded in numbers ranging from -1.0 to 1.0. For example, a
value close to 1 is input if it is desired to insert advertisement
information about a product A into the content; a value close to -1
is input if it is not desired to insert the advertisement
information about the product A into the content; a value close to
0 is input if it does not matter (see FIG. 15). The advertisement
INOUT data are to be matched with the advertisement meta data
(advertisement attribute information).
[0185] The advertisement INOUT data designate the requirements
(OPTINOUT) for each of the commercial sponsor categories applicable
to the content in question. Specifically, the data describe, in a
restricting, preferring, inhibiting, or grading manner, each of the
items constituting the master data (M_CUSTOMER) shown in Table 4
below. For example, a value close to 1 is input if it is desired to
insert advertisement information from a manufacturer A into the
content; a value close to -1 is input if it is not desired to
insert the advertisement information from the manufacturer A into
the content; a value close to 0 is input if it does not matter (see
FIG. 16).
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 CONTENT_CAT_ID CONTENT_CAT_NM A303 M
Electric A130 M Electric Products A140 M Industries . J915 T
Industries B070 T Automobile B050 D Industries B120 H Giken B130 M
Auto Industries B380 DC Nippon B140 Y Motor A060 S D180 F F383 DH
F165 S Japan F777 B F720 Z M404 HU H050 E Pharmaceutical H295 T
Pharmaceutical J450 M Cosmetics J400 S Cosmetics J710 K Chemicals
J160 K Cosmetics K02N Y Shoyu K10N H Foods L215 K Distillery L131 S
Winery L020 S Distillery L712 K Soft Drinks L510 A Foods M576 W
Clothing P398 N Non-life Insurance P210 S Life Insurance P426 D
Securities P614 Q Credit P39D A Group P665 P Finance Q26J M
Clothing Q21E M Department Store Q58C B Electric Products R438 M
Real Estate G252 A Industries
[0186] The advertisement INOUT data are to be matched with the
commercial sponsor category data (advertisement OPTINOUT
information).
[0187] The product INOUT data designate the requirements (OPTINOUT)
for each of the product categories applicable to the content in
question. Specifically, the data describe, in a restricting,
preferring, inhibiting, or grading manner, the requirements for
each of the items constituting the master data (M_OPT) shown in
Table 2. If the description is of grading type, each item is graded
in numbers ranging from -1.0 to 1.0. For example, a value close to
1 is input if it is desired to insert advertisement information of
a product category A into the content; a value close to -1 is input
if it is not desired to insert the advertisement information of the
product category A into the content; a value close to 0 is input if
it does not matter (see FIG. 17). The product INOUT data are to be
matched with the product category data (advertisement attribute
information).
[0188] The above-described content attribute information and
OPTINOUT information may be input in units of contents
illustratively through the content server 10 by the content
provider distributing contents by use of the content/advertisement
providing system 1.
[0189] As described above, the advertisement selecting server 40
run by the advertisement selection business operator selects
advertisement information to be inserted into the content requested
by a given subscriber, the selection being made based on the
results of the four types of matching (matching 1 through matching
4) between the attribute information held by the subscriber,
advertisement information, and content on one hand, and the
OPTINOUT information on the other hand.
[0190] In other words, the advertisement selecting server 40
selects the advertisement information to be inserted into the
content by judging comprehensively the interests of the subscriber,
commercial sponsor, and content provider through the four types of
matching. The results from these four types of matching are each
scored by factors "a," "b," "c" and "d" (a+b+c+d=1) so that the
advertisement selection business operator's policy may be reflected
in the selection of advertisement information.
[0191] In each type of matching, the scored data may be used
between different items. It is also possible to set penalty values
for cases where advertisements overlap.
[0192] The advertisement selecting server 40 performs matching
processes using the attribute information input for each
subscriber, each advertisement, and each content as well as the
OPTINOUT Information. There are two cases of matching with regard
to the use of information: in one case, the input attribute
information and OPTINOUT information are used unmodified; in the
other case, the input attribute information and OPTINOUT
information are further processed by the advertisement selecting
server 40 before being put to use. Table 5 below shows detailed
data used by the advertisement selecting server 40 for matching
purposes.
TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Players Data types Data names Grade in
numbers Details Subscriber Attribute Subscriber SUB_TRGT None
C.sup.(a31) Sex, date of birth, country of residence, (Subscriber)
(Attribute) data (0 or 1) area of residence, ZIP code for place of
residence, ID for country of employment, ID for area of employment,
ZIP code for area of employment, mother tongue, knowledge of
foreign languages, job ID, annual income ID, marital status,
residence ID, and family structure. C.sup.(aa1) = 1 only upon
matching with T_TARGET_INOUT (--> subscriber attributes).
(Subscriber T_OPT_INOUT Positive side 0 to 1.0 C.sup.(a32) OPT
category (either always takes 0) OPTINOUT Negative side C.sup.(a33)
data) OPTINOUT Subscriber T_OPTINOUT -1.0 to 1.0 C.sup.(o41) OPT
category (--> adver- OPTINOUT tisement) data Ad (adver-
Attribute Adver- T_AD None C.sup.(a11) Advertisement ID only (ID
for uniquely tisement (Attribute) tisement (0 or 1) identifying
advertisement). C.sup.(aa1) = 1 only information) meta data upon
matching with T_IMG_INOUT. Sponsor T_ADV 0 to 1.0 C.sup.(a12)
Transaction master category data Product T_PRD 0 to 1.0 C.sup.(a13)
= OPT category master category data C.sup.(a41) OPTINOUT Content
meta T_ADC_INOUT -1.0 to 1.0 C.sup.(o21) ID for uniquely
identifying content (--> content) OPTINOUT data Content
T_ADCC_INOUT -1.0 to 1.0 C.sup.(o22) Content category master
category OPTINOUT data OPTINOUT Tar- T_TRGT_INOUT To-subscriber
-1.0 to 1.0 C.sup.(o31) Sex, age from, age to, country of
residence, (--> sub- getINOUT attribute area of residence, ZIP
code for place of scriber) data residence, ID for country of
employment, ID for area of employment, ZIP code for area of
employment, mother tongue, knowledge of foreign languages, job ID,
annual income ID, marital status, residence ID, and family
structure TO-OPT C.sup.(o32) OPT category (either always takes 0)
category; positive side TO-OPT C.sup.(o33) category; negative side
Contents Attribute Content T_CONTENT None C.sup.(a21) Content ID
only (ID for uniquely (Attribute) meta data (0 or 1) identifying
content). C.sup.(ca1) = 1 only upon matching with T_TDC_INOUT.
Content T_CONT_CAT 0 to 1.0 C.sup.(a22) Opt category master
category data OPTINOUT Adver- T_IMG_INOUT -1.0 to 1.0 C.sup.(o11)
ID for uniquely identifying (--> sub- tisement advertisement
information scriber) INOUT data Sponsor T_ADV_INOUT -1.0 to 1.0
C.sup.(o12) Transaction master INOUT data Product T_PRD_INOUT -1.0
to 1.0 C.sup.(o13) OPT category master INOUT data Adver- Business
Scoring between different 0 to 1.0 C.sup.(p1) Score used in four
types of tisement operator's types of matching matching are
determined. selection policy Scoring between different 0 to 1.0
C.sup.(p2) Score between categories (large, business categories
medium, small) are determined operator for each OPTINOUT data item
(Dad) having a category.
[0193] Where the subscriber attribute information is concerned, the
attribute data and OPTINOUT data representing the subscriber's
taste are generated from the same subscriber's OPTINOUT data at the
time of matching. Where the subscriber OPTINOUT information is to
be handled as the subscriber attribute data, the OPTINOUT data are
divided into the positive and the negative sides as shown in FIG.
6, so that the positive-side data and negative-side data are
treated as attribute values as indicated in FIGS. 18 and 19. In
such cases, at least either the positive or the negative side takes
the value of zero.
[0194] The subscriber OPTINOUT information may be used as input at
the time of matching. The advertisement OPTINOUT information may
also be used as input upon matching.
[0195] Where the advertisement OPTINOUT information is concerned,
the positive-side and negative-side TargetINOUT data are generated
out of the TargetINOUT data applicable to the OPT category item at
the time of matching. For example, the subscriber OPTINOUT data
shown in FIG. 12 may be divided into a plurality of portions as
indicated in FIG. 20, and then reconstituted into two kinds of
OPTINOUT data depicted in FIGS. 21 and 22. This allows the
commercial sponsor to perform subscriber targeting bidirectionally:
either according to the subscriber's degree of preference for a
specific item, or depending on the subscriber's degree of distaste
for that item. Of the input TargetINOUT data, those corresponding
to the subscriber attribute items are used unmodified at the time
of matching.
[0196] The content-related attribute information and OPTINOUT
information are used as input at the time of matching.
D. Extraction of Candidate Advertisements by Rule Unit
[0197] Described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 23
are the steps carried out by the rule unit 41 of the advertisement
selecting server 40 to extract candidates of advertisement
information (candidate advertisements) to be inserted into the
content requested by a subscriber.
[0198] In step S1, AdSelectRules.java is booted to initialize the
context.
[0199] In step S2, data objects needed for the subscriber,
advertisement information, and content are loaded. The data objects
here refer to attribute information and OPTINOUT information input
or processed with regard to the subscriber, advertisement
information, and content.
[0200] In step S3, AdSelectRules.java and AdSelect.ilr are carried
out to extract candidate advertisements according to rules.
[0201] FIG. 24 is a flowchart of detailed steps performed by the
rule unit 41 to extract candidate advertisements based on
predetermined rules. In step S11, initialization is effected
preparatory to extracting candidate advertisements. Specifically,
PadStatus objects are generated so as to prepare AdList (a list of
candidate advertisements) and AdTargetList (a list of candidate
advertisement targets).
[0202] If there exist any rules over the contract of advertisement
exposure, they need to be applied here. For example, if a specific
day of the week or a specific time zone of the day is designated
for the advertisement information, only those advertisements
meeting the requirement are left as candidates in AdList.
[0203] In step S12, the restricting process of matching 1 is
performed. More specifically, if there exist restricted
advertisements applicable to matching 1, the applicable AdTargets
alone are added to AdTargetList in step S13. If there are no such
advertisements, all AdTargets are added to AdTargetList in step
S14.
[0204] In any type of matching, it should be noted, any object to
be compared is effective only if its attribute has a value larger
than zero.
[0205] In step S15, the restricting process of matching 2 is
performed. If there exist restricted advertisements applicable to
matching 2 and the restricting condition does not comply with the
content attribute, the applicable AdTargets are deleted from
AdTargetList in step S16.
[0206] In step S17, the restricting process of matching 3 is
carried out. If there exist restricted advertisements applicable to
matching 3 and the restricting condition does not comply with the
subscriber attribute, the applicable AdTargets are deleted from
AdTargetList in step S18.
[0207] In step S19, the inhibiting process of matching 1 is
performed. If there exist inhibited advertisements applicable to
matching 1, the applicable AdTargets are deleted from AdTargetList
in step S20.
[0208] In step S21, the inhibiting process of matching 2 is
performed. If there exist inhibited advertisements applicable to
matching 2, the applicable AdTargets are deleted from AdTargetList
in step S22.
[0209] In step S23, the inhibiting process of matching 3 is carried
out. If there exist inhibited advertisements applicable to matching
3, the applicable AdTargets are deleted from AdTargetList in step
S24.
[0210] In step S25, the inhibiting process of matching 3 is carried
out. If there exist inhibited advertisements applicable to matching
4, the applicable AdTargets are deleted from AdTargetList in step
S26.
[0211] Following the restricting and inhibiting processes in the
different types of matching, AdTargetList is completed in step
S27.
[0212] With this embodiment, the items set as restricting type are
verified before the items set as inhibiting type. The staggering
arrangement reduces the number of processes to be carried out to
extract candidate advertisements.
[0213] In step S28, cost allocation is prepared by calculating
points of AdTargets by grading in numbers each of those AdTargets
in AdTargetList which comply with the conditions involved. The cost
allocation thus prepared is transferred to the MP unit 42 located
downstream.
[0214] In the cost allocation, when OPTINOUT data, wherein the
grade and the restricting condition in any type of matching is set,
comply with the attribute to be compared with, respectively, the
cost of the AdTarget of the matching is calculated, and added to
the cost allocation.
[0215] In this context, the score for the i-th AdTarget is
expressed as follows:
[0216] k=number of items
[0217] r=number of items such that
(C.sub.k.sup.(oxy).times.C.sub.k.sup.(axy))) will not become zero
(calculations are made with r=1 for BL2.)
[0218] if r.noteq.0
costMxy ( i ) = k ( C k ( oxy ) .times. C k ( axy ) ) r
##EQU00001##
[0219] if r=0
[0220] costMxy.sup.(i)=0
[0221] For this embodiment of the invention, the grade of any item
furnished with a restricting condition is taken as 1.0.
[0222] Table 6 below shows typical relations between the different
types of matching on one hand and the cost allocation on the other
hand.
TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 Sub Object to be compared Cost for Scoring
between Matching Matching OPTINOUT Attribute AdTarget.sup.(i)
matching types M1 M11 C.sup.(o11) C.sup.(a11) Cost M11.sup.(i)
costM1.sup.(i) C.sup.(p1)[1] M12 C.sup.(o12) C.sup.(a12) Cost
M12.sup.(i) M13 C.sup.(o13) C.sup.(a13) Cost M13.sup.(i) M2 M21
C.sup.(o21) C.sup.(a21) Cost M21.sup.(i) costM2.sup.(i)
C.sup.(p1)[2] M22 C.sup.(o22) C.sup.(a22) Cost M22.sup.(i) M3 M31
C.sup.(o31) C.sup.(a31) Cost M31.sup.(i) costM3.sup.(i)
C.sup.(p1)[3] M32 C.sup.(o32) C.sup.(a32) Cost M32.sup.(i) M33
C.sup.(o33) C.sup.(a33) Cost M33.sup.(i) M4 C.sup.(o41) C.sup.(a41)
costM4.sup.(i) C.sup.(p1)[4]
[0223] Based on the obtained cost for sub-matching types, the cost
of each type of matching is given by the following expression:
costMx ( i ) = y = 1 m costMxy ( i ) m ##EQU00002##
(where, m=sub-matching count for Mx)
[0224] The policy of the advertisement selection business operator
is reflected in the acquired cost for each type of matching. Where
parameters for changing the score for matching are considered, the
score for the i-th AdTarget is given by the following
expression:
cost ( i ) = x = 1 4 ( C ( p 1 ) [ x ] .times. costMx ( i ) )
##EQU00003##
From this, the cost allocation is given as:
[0225] Cost=[cost.sup.(1), cost.sup.(2), . . . , cost.sup.(n))]
(n=number of loaded advertisements)
E. Selection of Advertisements and Control Over Advertisement
Exposure by Advertisement Selection Server
[0226] When the subscriber selects the content, the advertisement
selecting server 40 can select an appropriate advertisement from an
advertisement information group held in the advertisement server
20, the selection being made by adjusting the interests of four
players: the subscriber, content provider, commercial sponsor, and
advertisement selection business operator. More specifically, the
attribute information held by each of the subscriber, content
provider, and commercial sponsor is compared with the requirements
for the other players involved for cost calculation. The interests
of the three players are taken into account in selecting
advertisement information so that the benefit for the
content/advertisement providing system 1 as a whole is maximized
and no single player is favored disproportionately.
[0227] Control over exposure of advertisement information is quite
important from the viewpoint of adjusting the inventory of
advertisement information. However, this process is not
indispensable in selecting the advertisement information to be
inserted into slots of contents.
[0228] As mentioned above, the content provider, commercial
sponsor, and subscriber possess their own attribute information and
are each furnished with the guidelines for advertisement selection
or the selection guidelines (OPTINOUT information) describing
requirements, or both.
[0229] The attribute information and OPTINOUT information are each
made up of a plurality of items. The advertisement selecting server
40 compares the same items between the attribute information for
one player and the OPTINOUT data for another player, in order to
determine the degree of matching therebetween with respect to
advertisement selection. The results of the matching processes are
judged comprehensively before selecting advertisement information
candidates (i.e., candidate advertisements) to be used along with
the content.
[0230] The attribute information constitutes data representing the
attributes of contents, advertisements, and subscribers. The
attribute information is made up of a plurality of items (to be
described later) each graded in numbers ranging from 0 to 1.0. For
any attribute data item that has only two alternatives (e.g., sex),
a number 1 is given for matching and zero for mismatching.
[0231] The OPTINOUT data represent the guidelines or requirements
regarding the selection of a given advertisement. In order to
define the selection guidelines, the OPTINOUT data are constituted
by a plurality of items provided as master data. Each of the items
is given an attribute value defined as one of four types:
restricting, preferring, inhibiting, or grading. Where the OPTINOUT
data are defined as grading type, the items making up the data are
each graded in numbers ranging from -1.0 to 1.0.
[0232] The advertisement selecting server 40 selects advertisement
information based on the results of matching between attribute
information and OPTINOUT data. For the content/advertisement
providing system 1 of this embodiment, there are four major types
of matching (see FIG. 5):
[0233] Matching 1 (M1): compares advertisement attributes with
content OPTINOUT data.
[0234] Matching 2 (M2): compares content attributes with
advertisement OPTINOUT data.
[0235] Matching 3 (M3): compares subscriber attributes and
subscriber OPTINOUT data, with advertisement OPTINOUT data.
[0236] Matching 4 (M4): compares advertisement attributes with
subscriber OPTINOUT data.
[0237] As shown in FIG. 5, part of matching 3 involves comparing
advertisement OPTINOUT data with subscriber OPTINOUT data. In fact,
the actual process considers the subscriber OPTINOUT data to be
part of the subscriber attributes.
[0238] The four types of matching yield cost allocation for each
type. The allocated cost components are scored to reflect the
advertisement selection business operator's policy (using the
formula below), whereby a definitive cost allocation is generated
for a candidate advertisement:
Cost=a.times.M1+b.times.M2+c.times.M3+d.times.M4
(where, a+b+c+d=1)
[0239] Obviously, it is also possible for the advertisement
selecting server 40 to bill any given commercial sponsor for
advertising fees in proportion to the number of times the
applicable advertisement information has been selected (or exposed
to subscribers).
[0240] Where advertisements for exposure to subscribers are to be
selected, the advertisement selecting server 40 of this embodiment
may include in the selection criteria some factors that reflect the
past results of exposure of each advertisement. Inclusion of the
factors into the selection criteria permits advertisement exposure
control whereby the inventory of advertisements is taken into
account.
[0241] In general, the effect of an advertisement increases in
proportion to the frequency with which the advertisement is
exposed. Conventionally, if subscribers of a specific profile
biased to certain tastes and preferences gain access to
advertisement-carrying contents, only the first-ranked
advertisement, i.e., information deemed most applicable to the
subscriber profile or preferences, is repeatedly exposed and the
advertisements ranked in second and subsequent places tend to be
slow in getting exposed. This phenomenon thwarts the commercial
sponsor's intention to expose as much advertisement information as
planned, which can detract from the values and functionality of the
advertisement selection business operator as viable advertising
media.
[0242] That disadvantage is circumvented by the inventive
advertisement selecting server 40 causing the past results of
advertisement-by-advertisement exposure to be taken as significant
factors into the criteria for advertisement selection. This enables
exposure control in accordance with the advertisement
inventory.
[0243] FIG. 29 schematically illustrates a functional structure of
an advertisement exposure control system implemented on the
advertisement selecting server 40 according to the invention. This
exposure control system includes four steps of: narrowing down
advertisement candidates based on rules, calculating selection
priority for advertisements, reflecting past results of
advertisement exposure in selection criteria, and optimizing
assignment of advertisements into slots.
[0244] (1) Narrowing Down Advertisement Candidates Based on
Rules
[0245] The system extracts as candidates only those advertisements
that satisfy all inhibiting and restricting conditions specific to
the advertisement, content, and subscriber involved.
[0246] (2) Calculating Selection Priority for Advertisements
(Ranking, Matching)
[0247] The system prioritizes individual advertisements by
calculating the degrees of matching (i.e., selection priorities)
between the advertisement, content, and subscriber involved.
[0248] (3) Reflecting Past Results of Advertisement Exposure in
Selection Criteria
[0249] Depending on the past results of advertisement exposure, the
system processes the selection priorities for individual
advertisements so that the higher the frequency of past exposure,
the lower the selection priority set for the advertisement in
question. This step helps adjust the inventory of
advertisements.
[0250] As a parameter (factor) for inventory adjustment, an
exposure count quota per day (or for a predetermined period) may be
added to the past results of advertisement exposure. The quota
represents the number of times a given advertisement is to be
exposed during the day (or during the predetermined period),
determined in keeping with an estimated exposure count derived from
the contract of advertisement exposure over a specific period.
[0251] The exposure quota may be determined or calculated by taking
into account two kinds of factors, static and dynamic, which can
trigger an increase or a decrease in viewership. The static factors
are factors known in advance, such as days of the week and holidays
(festival days, consecutive holidays, etc.). These factors are
taken into consideration in predicting the ebb and flow of
viewership and in determining the quota accordingly.
[0252] The dynamic factors are factors which occur irregularly or
are difficult to predict in incidence, such as man-made events
(e.g., entertainments including concerts, e-mail magazines sent to
subscribers, disclosure of new contents) and natural phenomena. The
factors are taken into account in predicting the increase and
decrease in viewership and in determining the quota
accordingly.
[0253] The results of advertisement exposure are updated in real
time by the system.
[0254] (4) Optimizing Assignment of Advertisements into Slots
[0255] The system optimizes assignment of advertisements to be
inserted into slots on the basis of the priorities specific to the
advertisements.
[0256] FIG. 30 shows a scheme under which the inventive
advertisement selecting server 40 performs advertisement exposure
control by taking the inventory of advertisements into account.
[0257] According to conventional judgment criteria for
advertisement selection, as shown in FIG. 30, an advertisement A
with the highest selection priority is selected inevitably. For
example, once the cost (i.e., selection priority) of the
advertisement A is maximized as a result of matching in terms of
attribute information and OPTINOUT information between the players
involved, only the advertisement A with the highest cost is
selected repeatedly at the expense of an advertisement B with the
second-highest cost and other advertisements of lower ranks in
cost. In that case, the advertisement inventory except for the
top-ranked advertisement tends to be slow in getting exposed.
[0258] By contrast, the advertisement selecting method shown in
FIG. 30 involves calculating degrees of exposure inhibition
reflecting the past results of exposure regarding individual
advertisements (i.e., past exposure count). A score relevant to the
degree of exposure inhibition is added to the selection priority of
each piece of advertisement information.
[0259] The control scheme in FIG. 30 is intended to select the
advertisement information having the highest selection priority
that is obtained again when the selection priority based on
conventional judgment criteria is multiplied by a corresponding
degree of exposure inhibition. The degree of exposure inhibition is
derived from a predetermined inhibition coefficient being raised to
the power of a past advertisement exposure count of the
advertisement in question. However, this technique of calculating
the degree of exposure inhibition is not limitative of the
invention, and any other suitable techniques may be used as long as
they embrace factors reflecting the past results of exposure.
[0260] The degree of exposure inhibition for an advertisement that
has never been exposed is defined as 1, which is the largest value.
The greater the past advertisement exposure count, the closer the
degree of exposure inhibition to zero. Thus if there exist a
plurality of advertisements having the same selection priority
based on conventional judgment criteria, advertisements with
smaller past exposure counts are more likely to be exposed because
their newly calculated selection priorities are higher.
[0261] Under advertisement exposure control based on the past
results of exposure, as shown in FIG. 30, advertisements which are
applicable to the target but which have second-ranked or lower
priorities are more likely to be exposed. The inventory of
advertisements is thus exposed in an averaged manner. For example,
an advertisement C having been exposed only once can be set for
more frequent exposure from now on.
[0262] The exposure inhibition coefficient can be modified while
the content/advertisement providing system 1 is still in operation.
This makes it possible to adjust a gap between the selection
priorities based on conventional judgment criteria on one hand, and
the newly calculated selection criteria on the other hand, in
keeping with how the group of advertisements selected as candidates
through matching (discussed above) is organized.
[0263] FIG. 31 is a tabular view indicating another scheme under
which the inventive advertisement selecting server 40 performs
advertisement exposure control reflecting the inventory of
advertisements.
[0264] In the example of FIG. 30, the degree of exposure inhibition
is calculated in accordance with the past exposure count so that
the past results of exposure of individual advertisements may be
reflected. A score corresponding to the calculated degree of
exposure inhibition is then added to the selection priority of each
advertisement. In the example of FIG. 31, by contrast, the
advertisement information to be exposed to the subscriber may be
selected by taking into account not only the past results of
advertisement exposure but also an exposure count quota imposed on
each of the individual advertisements involved.
[0265] More specifically, the advertisement information to be
exposed to the subscriber may be selected by inhibiting the
selection priority of each of the individual advertisements in
keeping with an increase of a quota attainment quotient "x"
obtained by dividing the results of the past exposure by an
exposure count quota imposed on each of the individual
advertisements.
[0266] Illustratively, the exposure count quota may be calculated
for a certain period (e.g., one day) based on the term of an
advertisement exposure contract and on the number of times the
advertisement in question is expected to be exposed during the
contract period. The quota is updated periodically (e.g., every
day). Calculation of the quota may take into account such
factors-affecting the viewing count (exposure count) as days of the
week, holidays, festival days, and consecutive holidays.
[0267] A function f(x) indicated below is one which acquires the
degree of exposure inhibition for a given piece of advertisement
information based on a quota attainment quotient "x," i.e., the
value derived from the past result of exposure of the advertisement
in question and from the quota on that advertisement. Preferably,
the function f(x) may be a decreasing function with regard to the
variable "x" as shown below (see FIG. 32):
x = past_exposure _count quota ##EQU00004## f ( x ) = 1 1 + - ( 1 -
x ) / T ##EQU00004.2##
[0268] The function f(x) for acquiring the degree of exposure
inhibition may be varied in its characteristic with the coordinate
axes shifted as described below (see FIGS. 33 and 34):
f ( x ) = 2 1 + - ( 1 - x ) / T - 1 ##EQU00005## f ( x ) = 1 1 + -
( c - x ) / T ##EQU00005.2##
[0269] Without recourse to a function, table such as one below may
alternatively be created to determine degrees of exposure
inhibition corresponding to quota attainment quotients:
TABLE-US-00007 Quota attainment quotient (past exposure
count/quota) 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 Degree of
1.0 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.0 exposure inhibition
[0270] After a degree of exposure inhibition is obtained, a new
selection priority for the advertisement in question is calculated
by multiplying the old selection priority by the acquired degree of
exposure inhibition. Since, the lower the selection priority is
made, the higher the quota attainment quotient for a given
advertisement is, the advertisements with less quota attainment
quotients are more likely to be given higher selection priorities.
This permits adjustment of the advertisement inventory.
[0271] In its simplest form, the formula for calculating the
advertisement exposure quota is defined as follows: [0272]
remaining .sub.-- No. .sub.-- of .sub.-- times .sub.--
advertisement .sub.-- is
[0272] quota = expected_to _be _exposed remaining_contract _period
##EQU00006##
where, the remaining number of times the advertisement in question
is expected to be exposed is obtained by subtracting the past
exposure count from the total number of times the advertisement is
expected to be exposed during the contract period. If the different
days of the week are to be considered, the remaining expected
exposure count is evenly apportioned over the remaining number of
weeks under contract. For each remaining week, the apportioned
exposure count is adjustably divided based on what may be called
daily allocation ratios, before being assigned to each of the days
constituting the week. The daily allocation ratio refers to a ratio
of quota to be allocated to each day of the week. Below is a table
showing seven days of the week amounting illustratively to 1.0.
TABLE-US-00008 Mon. Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun. 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
0.2 0.3 0.1
[0273] For example, suppose that the remaining number of times a
given advertisement is expected to be exposed is 100, the remaining
contract period is 10 days, and the day of the week for which to
calculate the quota is Saturday. In that case, the remaining number
of weeks is given as:
remaining_No . _of _days _under _contract 7 = 10 7 = 1.43
##EQU00007##
[0274] That is, the remaining contract period is one week and three
days. Because the fractional number represents three days and the
target day of the week is Saturday, the fractional remaining number
of weeks is interpreted as the three days starting on Saturday with
their specific daily allocation ratios added up:
Remaining No. of weeks=1+0.3+0.1+0.1=1.5
Quota = remaining_expected _exposure _count remaining_No . _of
_weeks .times. totaled daily allocation ratio = 100 1.5 .times. 0.2
= 13.3 ##EQU00008##
[0275] When the fractional number of the above result is raised to
the nearest whole number, the quota for the target day (Saturday)
is calculated at 14. For a week containing consecutive holidays or
an extra holiday, another daily allocation ratio table that is
slightly different in listed numbers but similar in nature is
utilized. The table may be expanded up to a year by arranging a
plurality of daily allocation ratio tables on the calendar time
base. The tables making up the yearly table should preferably be
rearranged dynamically so as to cope with dynamically occurring
events.
F. Assignment of Candidate Advertisements by MP Unit
[0276] The MP unit 42 assigns suitable advertisements to slots in
the content based on the costs of individual advertisements
transferred from the rule unit 41.
[0277] Specifically, the MP unit 42 solves a two-dimensional
assignment problem so as to assign a plurality of candidate
advertisements to a plurality of slots in the content in such a
manner that the degree of matching for each advertisement is
maximized under the constraints discussed below. With this
embodiment, the allocation problem is solved by 0-1 integer
programming.
[0278] (1) In the system, advertisement information is handled in
units of AdTargets by the system components leading up to the rule
unit 41. From the MP unit 42 on, the information is reconstituted
into individual advertisements for processing. If an advertisement
has a plurality of AdTargets, the highest of the costs for the
targets involved is regarded as the cost for the advertisement in
question (alternatively, the costs may be averaged).
[0279] (2) Each slot is assigned with an advertisement that falls
within a designated period of time. If the advertisement lasts less
than the designated time period, the slot may be retained for a
predetermined time period (e.g., up to 15 seconds).
[0280] (3) The same advertisement may be assigned a plurality of
times to different slots. It should be noted, however, that any
advertisement may not appear more than a predetermined number of
times in the same content.
[0281] (4) A two-phase selection scheme is adopted under processing
time constraints. In phase 1, a sufficient number of advertisements
are selected with no overlap from all candidates under the slot
time constraint. The candidate advertisements are selected in units
of AdTargets, as described in paragraph (1) above. Arrangements are
made so that a plurality of AdTargets belonging to the same
advertisement will not overlap within the same slot.
[0282] In phase 2, a set of candidates selected in phase 1 is
solved as a two-dimensional assignment problem for optimization.
What needs to be considered at this point is the number of times
each advertisement is allowed to be inserted in overlapping fashion
in the same content handed over by use of a reach argument.
[0283] More detailed processes of the phases involved are discussed
below.
Phase 1
[0284] In phase 1, a sufficient number of advertisements are
selected under the slot time constraint, with no overlap within the
same slot, from all candidate advertisements (discussed above)
handed over from the rule unit 41. The conditions applicable to
phase 1 are: information about the slot into which to insert the
advertisement in the designated content, an advertisement variable
array y.sub.i, and a related information array.
[0285] If the length of a j-th slot in the content is represented
by slotTime.sub.j, the length may be expressed as follows:
[0286] slotTime.sub.j=length of each slot (time)
[0287] j=0, 1, 2,,, (slot index).
[0288] For example, suppose that there are three slots in a given
content, the slots having lengths of 45 seconds, 30 seconds, and 60
seconds respectively. In such a case, the lengths of these slots
may be expressed as:
[0289] slotTime[0]=45, slotTime[1]=30, slotTime[2]=60.
[0290] The advertisement variable array y.sub.i and the related
information array may be expressed as follows:
[0291] y.sub.i.epsilon.0 or 1: 1 for adopting a given
advertisement; 0 for not adopting it
[0292] CMtime.sub.i=length of the advertisement (time period)
[0293] cost.sub.i=score for the advertisement
[0294] For each slot, an integer programming problem made up of the
following objective function and constraint function is solved:
[0295] Objective Function
i cost i .times. y i -> max ##EQU00009##
[0296] Constraint Function
i CMTime i .times. y i -> slotTime j ##EQU00010##
where, y.sub.i is fixed to zero for this embodiment so that any
advertisement selected for a given slot will not be selected for
the next slot.
[0297] The actual flow of processes for solving the integer
programming problem above is shown below in the form of a
pseudo-code.
TABLE-US-00009 For(j=0;j< No. of slots; j++){ // Set the
following constraints in the model environment of CPLEX: i cost i
.times. y i .fwdarw. max ##EQU00011## i CMTime i .times. y i
.fwdarw. slotTime j ##EQU00012## // Solve the CPLEX problem.
Cplex.solve( ); // Set CheckFlag to 1 for the selected
advertisement (CM). for(i=0;i< No. of candidate advertisements
i++) if(y[i]!=0) CheckFlag[i]=1 // In order to avoid assigning the
once-selected CM yi to the next slot; // Exclude this from the
calculation ( 1). for(i=0;i< No. of candidate advertisements
i++) X[i].setUb(0.0); } } 1) Fixing the upper limit of y.sub.i to 0
causes the once- selected advertisement to be excluded from the
calculation for the next slot. In practice, a method y[i].setUb
(0.0) is used for setting values, where y[i] denotes a special
array type called IloNumVarArray used as a variable in the CPLEX
calculation.
[0298] Solving the integer programming problem gives answers in a
manner assigning candidate advertisements to different slots as
shown below. The set of candidate advertisements obtained in phase
1 is forwarded to phase 2 where more detailed assignment problems
will be solved.
[0299] Answer to slot 0
[0300] y.sub.i=0,1,1,0 . . . . . . 0, . . . . 0
[0301] Answer to slot 1
[0302] y.sub.i=1,0,0,0 . . . . . . 1, . . . . 0
[0303] Answer to slot 2
[0304] y.sub.i=0,0,0,1 . . . . . . 0, . . . . 0
[0305] OR of the above answers provides:
[0306] checkFlag.sub.i=1,1,1,1, . . . . . . 1, . . . . 0
Phase 2
[0307] In phase 2, the set of candidate advertisements narrowed
down in phase 1 is subjected to a redefinition process including
the score of individual candidates for the reasons to be explained
below. Definitive two-dimensional assignment problems are then
solved for the slots.
[0308] One object of redefining candidate advertisements is both to
let the same advertisement information be inserted repeatedly and
to change score for advertisements having different lengths
(illustratively, under the influence of the objective function, a
30-second slot is preferentially assigned two 15-second
advertisements instead of a single 30-second advertisement).
Another object of the redefinition of candidate advertisements is
to deal with cases where the number of candidates in the set is
smaller than the number of available slots (if, say, three slots
are not filled with as many candidate advertisements, then special
advertisement information provided by the advertisement selection
business operator may illustratively be inserted instead).
[0309] In phase 2, the two-dimensional assignment problem is solved
given the following two new conditions:
[0310] (1) Number of Times an Advertisement is Inserted Repeatedly
within the Same Content
[0311] reach.sub.i=No. of times each advertisement can be inserted
(repeatable up to 5 times)
[0312] i=0, 1, 2, . . . advertisement index (<No. of candidate
advertisements)
[0313] (2) Expanded Candidate Advertisement Array
[0314] x.sub.ij.epsilon.0 or 1: 1 for adopting an i-th
advertisement (AdTarget) in slot j; 0 for not adopting it
[0315] CMTimePhase2.sub.i=length of the advertisement (time
period); expandable by up to 5 times
[0316] costPhase2.sub.i=score for the advertisement; expandable by
up to 5 times [0317] i=0, 1, 2, . . . ; advertisement index
(<No. of candidate advertisements.times.5) [0318] j=0, 1, 2, . .
. ; slot number
[0319] In phase 2, one advertisement (AdTarget) is scored
differently so as to be handled as different advertisements over
time, i.e., one for first-time use, another for second-time use, .
. . , and another for fifth-time use. More specifically, for a
typical redefinition process such as one shown in FIG. 25, the set
of candidate advertisements selected in phase 1 is expanded by a
factor of a repeatable insertion count to constitute a
two-dimensional array x.sub.ij in conjunction with the slots
available for insertion. For an expanded redefinition process such
as one indicated in FIG. 26, the cost of advertisements is also
expanded by a factor of the repeatable insertion count.
[0320] In phase 2, a five-fold expanded cost allocation is
represented by costPhase2 in the objective function and constraint
function which are redefined as follows:
.A-inverted. j .di-elect cons. SLOT i .di-elect cons. CM costPhase
2 i .times. x ij -> max ##EQU00013## .A-inverted. j .di-elect
cons. SLOT i .di-elect cons. CM CMTimePhase 2 i .times. x ij =
slotTime j ##EQU00013.2## Where overlapping is allowed for
.A-inverted. i .di-elect cons. CM , .A-inverted. j .di-elect cons.
SLOT i x ij .ltoreq. 1 ##EQU00013.3## A transposed matrix of x ji
of x ij is used to accelerate the calculation . ##EQU00013.4##
[0321] As a result of the processing in phase 2, it might happen
that given a total of five candidate advertisements and a total of
three slots, the first of advertisement candidate is inserted into
slots 0 and 1, the second of advertisement candidate into slots 0
and 2, . . . , and the fifth of advertisement candidate into slot
1. In such a case, the processed result is output in a format such
as one shown in FIG. 27. FIG. 28 shows a more comprehensive picture
of what has taken place as the result of such processing.
Addendum
[0322] Although the description above contains much specificity,
these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the
invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the
presently preferred embodiments of this invention. It is evident
that many alternatives, modifications and variations will become
apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the
description.
[0323] For example, although the description above has focused
primarily on the service of distributing image contents to personal
computers over the Internet, this is not limitative of the
invention. Alternatively, the advertisement selecting method of
this invention may also be applied to content-providing services
involving mobile terminals such as mobile telephones and PDAs
(personal digital assistants), as well as to bi-directional
information services associated with digital TV.
[0324] As another alternative, the inventive advertisement
selecting method may be applied to content-providing services
involving suitable distribution means allowing packaged contents
such as DVDs (digital versatile discs) to be supplemented with
commercial images being offered over the Internet. In such cases,
the packaged contents like the DVDs are expected to be distributed
free of charge or at a low cost.
[0325] Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the
appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the
examples given.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0326] The invention provides an advertisement selecting system, an
advertisement selecting method, and a storage medium for properly
selecting advertisement information to be inserted into contents
that are distributed over a wide-area network such as the
Internet.
[0327] The invention also provides an advertisement selecting
system, an advertisement selecting method, and a storage medium for
selecting, in a manner personalized for each subscriber,
advertisement information used in contents that are offered to the
subscribers under a pull-type distribution scheme over the Internet
or similar networks.
[0328] The invention further provides an advertisement selecting
system, an advertisement selecting method, and a storage medium for
selectively attaching advertisement information to contents in a
manner both personalized for each subscriber and better reflecting
the interests of the subscriber, the commercial sponsor, and the
content provider.
[0329] According to the invention, the content provider, the
commercial sponsor, and the subscriber are each allowed to set
items constituting the requirements (OPTINOUT) for the selection of
advertisements, each item being specifiable as preferring,
inhibiting, restricting, or grading type. This makes it possible
for each of the parties involved to express detailed requirements
regarding the selection of advertisements. Illustratively, a
negative condition set as a requirement permits targeted exposure
of advertisements to those who are averse to something that is
designated by the condition.
[0330] According to the invention, costs of advertisements are
obtained from the process of matching between the attributes held
by the subscriber, commercial sponsor, and content provider on one
hand, and their respective requirements on the other hand. The
costs thus acquired represent in numbers the degree of satisfaction
of the commercial sponsor in offering each advertisement, i.e., how
appropriate each advertisement is from the sponsor's viewpoint for
insertion into the content destined for a specific subscriber.
[0331] The advertisement selecting method according to the
invention allows the subscriber to use selectively any one of a
plurality of profiles depending on the circumstances.
Illustratively, the subscriber may assume one profile at work and
another at home.
[0332] The inventive advertisement selecting method allows the
commercial sponsor to establish a plurality of estimated subscriber
targets. The established targets enable the commercial sponsor to
personalize advertisements for the sake of subscribers more
precisely than before.
[0333] In addition, the advertisement selecting method of the
invention allows not only the subscriber, commercial sponsor and
content provider, but also the advertisement selection business
operator performing the personalized advertisement selection
service, to reflect their intentions in the selection of
advertisements. This makes it possible for the interests of all
parties involved to be taken into consideration either equitably or
in a manner favoring a predetermined party or parties over the
others.
[0334] The invention also provides an advertisement selecting
system, an advertisement selecting method, and a storage medium for
effecting inventory-based advertisement exposure control by taking
into consideration the factors representative of how individual
advertisements have so far been exposed to subscribers.
[0335] The invention further provides an advertisement selecting
system, an advertisement selecting method, and a storage medium for
effecting inventory-conscious advertisement exposure control by
ensuring that the advertisement information in the inventory will
not be exposed partially or in a manner favoring any specific
advertisement or advertisements over the others.
[0336] When advertisements are to be selected for exposure to
subscribers according to the invention, the factors representing
the past result of advertisement-by-advertisement exposure are
reflected in the selection judgment criteria for exposure control
in keeping with the advertisement inventory. Where subscribers with
a particular profile biased to specific tastes or preferences gain
access to contents that carry advertisements, the first-ranked
advertisement, i.e., the one best targeted for the subscribers in
question, is exposed repeatedly but in a manner also making way for
the advertisements in second and subsequent places which are then
more likely to be exposed than if handled conventionally, so that
the stocked advertisements are exposed in fairly averaged fashion.
The inventive apparatus and method thus allow the commercial
sponsors to schedule their advertisement exposure. As a result, the
content/advertisement providing system implementing this invention
may have its values significantly enhanced as viable advertising
media.
[0337] The advertisement selecting apparatus and method according
to the invention permit advertisement exposure control during
system operation by monitoring the inventory of advertisements.
This makes it more or less possible to bring about a desired
peak-to-valley exposure picture during the term of the contract,
which offers numerous exposure menus to the commercial sponsor
under contract.
IN THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
[0338] 1) CONTENT/ADVERTISEMENT PROVIDING SYSTEM [0339] 10) CONTENT
SERVER [0340] 20) ADVERTISEMENT SERVER [0341] 30) SUBSCRIBER
TERMINAL [0342] 40) ADVERTISEMENT SELECTING SERVER [0343] 41) RULE
UNIT [0344] 42) MP UNIT [0345] A) CONTENT DATA [0346] B) SUBSCRIBER
MANAGEMENT DATABASE [0347] C) SERVER-TO-SERVER AUTHENTICATION
[0348] D) SERVER-TO-CLIENT AUTHENTICATION [0349] E) ADVERTISEMENT
INFORMATION [0350] F) VIEWING LOG FOR PROFILE ANALYSIS [0351] G)
SUBSCRIBER PROFILE DATABASE [0352] H) ADVERTISEMENT ATTRIBUTE
DATABASE [0353] I) CONTENT ATTRIBUTE DATABASE [0354] J)
ADVERTISEMENT VIEWING LOG [0355] (1) VIEWING REQUESTED (CONTENT ID,
USER ID) [0356] (2) SELECTION REQUEST OF ADVERTISEMENT INFORMATION
(CONTENT ID, USER ID, SITE ID, ETC.) [0357] (3) OPTIMAL
ADVERTISEMENT INFORMATION (CM ID, URS OR SMIL) [0358] (4)
ADVERTISEMENT INFORMATION REQUEST TO BE TRANSMITTED [0359] (5) SMIL
CONTENT INCORPORATING OPTIMAL ADVERTISEMENT INFORMATION [0360] (6)
VIEWING TO BE STARTED
FIG. 2
[0360] [0361] A) INTERNET [0362] B) PORTABLE MEDIA [0363] 112)
MEMORY [0364] 115) NETWORK INTERFACE [0365] 117) BUS [0366] 113)
DISPLAY CONTROLLER [0367] 121) DISPLAY [0368] 114) INPUT UNIT
INTERFACE [0369] 116) EXTERNAL UNIT INTERFACE [0370] 125) MEDIA
DRIVE [0371] 100) COMPUTER SYSTEM
FIG. 3
[0371] [0372] A) SUBSCRIBER INFORMATION, CONTENT INFORMATION [0373]
B) ADVERTISEMENT INFORMATION [0374] 40) ADVERTISEMENT SELECTING
SERVER [0375] C) ADVERTISEMENT SATISFYING THE INTERESTS OF FOUR
PLAYERS (SUBSCRIBER, COMMERCIAL SPONSOR, CONTENT PROVIDER, AND
ADVERTISEMENT SELECTION BUSINESS OPERATOR) IS SELECTED.
FIG. 4
[0375] [0376] A) SUBSCRIBER INFORMATION, CONTENT INFORMATION [0377]
B) ADVERTISEMENT INFORMATION [0378] 40) ADVERTISEMENT SELECTING
SERVER 40 [0379] C) ADVERTISEMENT SATISFYING THE INTERESTS OF FOUR
PLAYERS (SUBSCRIBER, COMMERCIAL SPONSOR, CONTENT PROVIDER, AND
ADVERTISEMENT SELECTION BUSINESS OPERATOR) IS SELECTED. [0380] 10)
CONTENT SERVER [0381] 41) RULE UNIT [0382] 42) MP UNIT
FIG. 5
[0382] [0383] A) ADVERTISEMENT SELECTION BUSINESS OPERATOR'S POLICY
(DIFFERENT SCORE FOR DIFFERENT KINDS OF MATCHING) [0384] B)
CONTENTS [0385] C) ATTRIBUTES [0386] D) ADVERTISEMENTS [0387] E)
SUBSCRIBERS [0388] (1) PRODUCT INOUT DATA, COMMERCIAL SPONSOR INOUT
DATA, ADVERTISEMENT INOUT DATA--->PRODUCT CATEGORY DATA,
COMMERCIAL SPONSOR DATA, ADVERTISEMENT META DATA [0389] (2) CONTENT
CATEGORY INOUT DATA, CONTENT META INOUT DATA ---> CONTENT
CATEGORY DATA, CONTENT META DATA [0390] (3) TargetINOUT
DATA--->SUBSCRIPTION DATA, SUBSCRIBER OPTINOUT DATA [0391] (4)
SUBSCRIBER OPTINOUT DATA--->PRODUCT CATEGORY DATA
FIG. 6
[0391] [0392] 1) CHILDREN [0393] 2) DON'T WANT TO WATCH
CHILD-ORIENTED ADVERTISEMENTS [0394] 3) DON'T CARE [0395] 4) WANT
TO WATCH CHILD-ORIENTED ADVERTISEMENTS
FIG. 7
[0395] [0396] PROFILE
FIG. 8
[0396] [0397] MANUFACTURER A
FIG. 9
[0397] [0398] 1) CHILDREN [0399] 2) CHILD-ORIENTED
ADVERTISEMENTS
FIG. 10
[0399] [0400] 1) WORLD HERITAGE (CONTENT NAME) [0401] 2) DON'T WANT
TO INSERT INTO WORLD HERITAGE [0402] 3) DON'T CARE [0403] 4) WANT
TO INSERT INTO WORLD HERITAGE
FIG. 11
[0403] [0404] 1) CHILDREN [0405] 2) DON'T WANT TO INSERT INTO
CHILD-ORIENTED CONTENTS [0406] 3) DON'T CARE [0407] 4) WANT TO
INSERT INTO CHILD-ORIENTED CONTENTS
FIG. 12
[0407] [0408] 1) CHILDREN [0409] 2) WANT TO SHOW TO PEOPLE WHO HATE
CHILDREN [0410] 3) WANT TO SHOW TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT LIKE CHILDREN
[0411] 4) DON'T CARE [0412] 5) WANT TO SHOW TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT
HATE CHILDREN [0413] 6) WANT TO SHOW TO PEOPLE WHO LIKE
CHILDREN
FIG. 13
[0413] [0414] 1) ADVERTISEMENT INFORMATION [0415] 2) ADVERTISEMENT
TARGET (SUBSCRIBER)
FIG. 14
[0415] [0416] 1) CHILDREN [0417] 2) CHILD-ORIENTED CONTENTS
FIG. 15
[0417] [0418] 1) PRODUCT A (ADVERTISEMENT NAME) [0419] 2) DON'T
WANT TO INSERT ADVERTISEMENT OF PRODUCT A [0420] 3) DON'T CARE
[0421] 4) WANT TO INSERT ADVERTISEMENT OF PRODUCT A
FIG. 16
[0421] [0422] 1) MANUFACTURER A [0423] 2) DON'T WANT TO INSERT
ADVERTISEMENT OF MANUFACTURER A [0424] 3) DON'T CARE [0425] 4) WANT
TO INSERT ADVERTISEMENT OF MANUFACTURER A
FIG. 17
[0425] [0426] 1) PRODUCT CATEGORY A [0427] 2) DON'T WANT TO INSERT
ADVERTISEMENT OF PRODUCT CATEGORY A [0428] 3) DON'T CARE [0429] 4)
WANT TO INSERT ADVERTISEMENT OF PRODUCT CATEGORY A
FIG. 18
[0429] [0430] TENDENCY TO LOVE CHILDREN
FIG. 19
[0430] [0431] TENDENCY TO HATE CHILDREN
FIG. 20
[0431] [0432] 1) CHILDREN [0433] 2) WANT TO SHOW TO PEOPLE WHO HATE
CHILDREN [0434] 3) WANT TO SHOW TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT LIKE CHILDREN
[0435] 4) DON'T CARE [0436] 5). WANT TO SHOW TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT
HATE CHILDREN [0437] 6) WANT TO SHOW TO PEOPLE WHO LIKE
CHILDREN
FIG. 21
[0437] [0438] 1) CHILDREN [0439] 2) WANT TO SHOW TO PEOPLE WHO DO
NOT LIKE CHILDREN [0440] 3) DON'T CARE [0441] 4) WANT TO SHOW TO
PEOPLE WHO LIKE CHILDREN
FIG. 22
[0441] [0442] 1) CHILDREN [0443] 2) WANT TO SHOW TO PEOPLE WHO DO
NOT HATE CHILDREN [0444] 3) DON'T CARE [0445] 4) WANT TO SHOW TO
PEOPLE WHO HATE CHILDREN
FIG. 23
[0446] START [0447] S1) INITIALIZE CONTEXT [0448] S2) LOAD
NECESSARY DATA OBJECTS [0449] S3) EXTRACT CANDIDATE ADVERTISEMENTS
BASED ON RULES
[0450] END
FIG. 24
[0451] A) YES [0452] B) NO [0453] S11) GENERATE PadStatus OBJECTS
(GENERATE AdTargetList) [0454] S12) RESTRICTING PROCESS IN MATCHING
1? [0455] S13) ADD ONLY APPLICABLE AdTargets TO AdTargetList [0456]
S14) ADD ALL AdTargets to AdTargetList [0457] S15) RESTRICTING
PROCESS IN MATCHING 2? [0458] S16) IF RESTRICTING CONDITION DOES
NOT COMPLY WITH CONTENT ATTRIBUTE, DELETE APPLICABLE AdTarget FROM
AdTargetList [0459] S17) RESTRICTING PROCESS IN MATCHING 3? [0460]
S18) IF RESTRICTING CONDITION DOES NOT COMPLY WITH SUBSCRIBER
ATTRIBUTE, DELETE APPLICABLE AdTarget FROM AdTargetList [0461] S19)
INHIBITING PROCESS IN MATCHING 1? [0462] S20) DELETE APPLICABLE
AdTarget FROM AdTargetList [0463] S21) INHIBITING PROCESS IN
MATCHING 2? [0464] S22) DELETE APPLICABLE AdTarget FROM
AdTargetList [0465] S23) INHIBITING PROCESS IN MATCHING 3? [0466]
S24) DELETE APPLICABLE AdTarget FROM AdTargetList [0467] S25)
INHIBITING PROCESS IN MATCHING 4? [0468] S26) DELETE APPLICABLE
AdTarget FROM AdTargetList [0469] S27) COMPLETE APPLICABLE
AdTargets [0470] S28) CALCULATE POINTS OF AdTargets COMPLYING WITH
CONDITIONS WITHIN AdTargetList AND PREPARE COST ALLOCATION FOR
TRANSFER TO MP UNIT
FIG. 25
[0470] [0471] 1) PORTION OF PHASE 2 [0472] 2) EXPANDED PORTION OF
PHASE 2 [0473] 3) FIRST-TIME CANDIDATE y . . . [0474] 4)
SECOND-TIME CANDIDATE y . . . [0475] 5) THIRD-TIME CANDIDATE y . .
. [0476] 6) FOURTH-TIME CANDIDATE y . . . [0477] 7) FIFTH-TIME
CANDIDATE y . . . [0478] 8) SLOT 0 [0479] 9) TWO-DIMENSIONAL ARRAY
[0480] 10) REDEFINED AS y.sub.i --->x.sub.ji
FIG. 26
[0480] [0481] 1) FIRST-TIME COST... [0482] 2) SECOND-TIME COST...
[0483] 3) THIRD-TIME COST... [0484] 4) FOURTH-TIME COST... [0485]
5) FIFTH-TIME COST... [0486] 6) THE SCORE (COST) FOR THE SAME
ADVERTISEMENT INFORMATION IS GRADUALLY DECREASED FROM THE SECOND
TIME ON.
FIG. 27
[0486] [0487] 1) FIRST-TIME CANDIDATE [0488] 2) SECOND-TIME
CANDIDATE [0489] 3) THIRD-TIME CANDIDATE...
FIG. 28
[0489] [0490] 1) MOVIE
FIG. 29
[0490] [0491] 1) NARROW DOWN ADVERTISEMENT CANDIDATES ACCORDING TO
RULES [0492] 2) CALCULATE SELECTION PRIORITIES FOR ADVERTISEMENTS
[0493] 3) REFLECT PAST RESULTS OF ADVERTISEMENT EXPOSURE. [0494] 4)
OPTIMIZE ALLOCATIONS TO SLOTS [0495] 5) ACQUIRE PAST RESULTS OF
ADVERTISEMENT EXPOSURE [0496] 6) GENERATE QUOTAS
FIG. 30
[0496] [0497] 1) CONVENTIONAL JUDGMENT CRITERIA [0498] 2)
ADVERTISEMENT [0499] 3) SELECTION PRIORITY (0-1) [0500] 4)
REFLECTING PAST RESULTS OF EXPOSURE [0501] 5) PAST EXPOSURE COUNT
[0502] 6) DEGREE OF EXPOSURE INHIBITION (0-1) [0503] 7) EXPOSURE
CONTROL BASED ON ADVERTISEMENT INVENTORY [0504] 8) NEW SELECTION
PRIORITY (SELECTION PRIORITY X DEGREE OF EXPOSURE INHIBITION)
[0505] 9) ADVERTISEMENT C WITH THE HIGHEST SELECTION PRIORITY IS
EXPOSED. [0506] 10) INHIBITION COEFFICIENT OF 0.5 RAISED TO THE
POWER OF PAST EXPOSURE COUNT [0507] 11) INHIBITION COEFFICIENT MAY
BE CHANGED DURING SYSTEM OPERATION.
FIG. 31
[0507] [0508] 1) CONVENTIONAL JUDGMENT CRITERIA [0509] 2)
ADVERTISEMENT [0510] 3) SELECTION PRIORITY (0-1) [0511] 4)
REFLECTING PAST RESULTS OF EXPOSURE AND QUOTA [0512] 5) PAST
EXPOSURE COUNT [0513] 6) QUOTA [0514] 7) DEGREE OF EXPOSURE
INHIBITION (f(x)) [0515] 8) EXPOSURE CONTROL BASED ON ADVERTISEMENT
INVENTORY [0516] 9) NEW SELECTION PRIORITY (SELECTION PRIORITY X
DEGREE OF EXPOSURE INHIBITION) [0517] 10) ADVERTISEMENT B WITH THE
HIGHEST SELECTION PRIORITY IS EXPOSED. [0518] 11) EXPOSURE COUNT
[0519] 12) QUOTA [0520] 13) PAST EXPOSURE COUNTS AND QUOTAS MAY BE
CHANGED AS NEEDED DURING SYSTEM OPERATION.
* * * * *