Delivering auxiliary content and determining proper engagement response

1. A computer implemented method for detecting engagement by a user with auxiliary content consumed by the user at a playback device, the method comprising the steps, at a server of a content delivery system, of:

receiving a request for auxiliary content associated with media content selected by the user for viewing at the playback device;

providing a piece of auxiliary content to the playback device;

receiving a user engagement response from the playback device in response to the user interacting with the piece of auxiliary content;

determining if the user has interacted properly with the piece of auxiliary content, by assessing whether an expected user actuation has been executed;

reducing a user-specific weighting of for the piece of auxiliary content, if it is determined that the user has responded in accordance with an expected user actuation,

wherein the user-specific weighting affects future delivery of the piece of auxiliary content to the content consuming user,

the method further comprising:

determining whether content delivery system users usually engage with the auxiliary content in accordance with the expected user actuation, by determining whether the success rate of user engagement with the auxiliary content for content delivery system users is in accordance with an expected user actuation exceeding a predetermined threshold, wherein the step of increasing the user-specific weighting of the piece of auxiliary content is dependent on a determination that users do usually engage with the auxiliary content in accordance with the expected user actuation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein if it is determined that content delivery system users do not usually engage with the auxiliary content in accordance with the expected user actuation, reducing the user-specific weighting of the piece of auxiliary content.

3. A server of a content delivery system configured to detect engagement by a user with auxiliary content consumed by the user at a playback device, the server being further configured to:

receive a request for auxiliary content associated with media content selected by the user for viewing at the playback device;

provide a piece of auxiliary content to the playback device;

receive a user engagement response from the playback device in response to the user interacting with the piece of auxiliary content;

determine if the user has interacted properly with the piece of auxiliary content, by assessing whether an expected user actuation has been executed; and

reduce a user-specific weighting of for the piece of auxiliary content, if it is determined that the user has responded in accordance with an expected user actuation,

wherein the weighting affects future delivery of the piece of auxiliary content to the content consuming user,

the server further configured to:

determine that content delivery system users do not usually engage with the auxiliary content in accordance with the expected user actuation; and

reduce the user-specific weighting of the piece of auxiliary content.

4. A computer implemented method for detecting engagement by a user with auxiliary content consumed by the user at a playback device, the method comprising the steps, at a server of a content delivery system, of:

receiving a request for auxiliary content associated with media content selected by the user for viewing at the playback device;

providing a piece of auxiliary content to the playback device;

receiving a user engagement response from the playback device in response to the user interacting with the piece of auxiliary content;

determining if the user has interacted properly with the piece of auxiliary content, by assessing whether an expected user actuation has been executed; and

reducing a user-specific weighting of for the piece of auxiliary content, if it is determined that the user has responded in accordance with an expected user actuation, wherein the weighting affects future delivery of the piece of auxiliary content to the content consuming user, wherein the delivery frequency of a piece of auxiliary content is thereby reduced in response to determination that the content consuming user has responded in accordance with an expected user actuation, such that the amount of data that is required to be delivered over the network is reduced for a provider of auxiliary content to be satisfied that the information concerning the auxiliary content has been conveyed to the user.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of reducing the user-specific weighting decrements the weighting by a predetermined amount.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

increasing the user-specific weighting for the piece of auxiliary content, if it is determined that the user has not responded in accordance with the expected user actuation.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of increasing the user-specific weighting increments the weighting by a predetermined amount.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising determining whether content delivery system users usually engage with the auxiliary content in accordance with the expected user actuation, by determining whether the success rate of user engagement with the auxiliary content for content delivery system users is in accordance with an expected user actuation exceeding a predetermined threshold, wherein the step of increasing the user-specific weighting of the piece of auxiliary content is dependent on a determination that users do usually engage with the auxiliary content in accordance with the expected user actuation.

9. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

determining if the user has responded in accordance with an expected user actuation; and

adjusting a score for the piece of auxiliary content in dependence thereon.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein if it is determined that the user has responded in accordance with an expected user actuation, the score for the piece of auxiliary content is adjusted to indicate a successful user engagement with the auxiliary content.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein if it is determined that the user has not responded in accordance with an expected user actuation, the score for the piece of auxiliary content is adjusted to indicate an unsuccessful user engagement with the auxiliary content.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein there are provided a plurality of pieces of auxiliary content, each piece of auxiliary content being associated with a score.

13. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of providing further comprises providing a plurality of pieces of auxiliary content, and the step of determining further comprises determining if the user has interacted properly with each piece of auxiliary content.

14. The method of claim 4 , wherein there is a provided a plurality of pieces of auxiliary content, each piece of auxiliary content being associated with a plurality of weightings, each weighting being for one of a plurality of users.

15. A non-transitory computer program product for storing computer program code which, when implemented on a computer, performs the method of claim 4 .

16. A server of a content delivery system configured to detect engagement by a user with auxiliary content consumed by the user at a playback device, the server being further configured to:

receive a request for auxiliary content associated with media content selected by the user for viewing at the playback device;

provide a piece of auxiliary content to the playback device;

receive a user engagement response from the playback device in response to the user interacting with the piece of auxiliary content;

determine if the user has interacted properly with the piece of auxiliary content, by assessing whether an expected user actuation has been executed; and

reduce a user-specific weighting of for the piece of auxiliary content, if it is determined that the user has responded in accordance with an expected user actuation, wherein the weighting affects future delivery of the piece of auxiliary content to the content consuming user,

wherein the server is further configured to:

reduce the delivery frequency of a piece of auxiliary content in response to determination that the content consuming user has responded in accordance with an expected user actuation, such that the amount of data that is required to be delivered over the network is reduced for a provider of auxiliary content to be satisfied that the information concerning the auxiliary content has been conveyed to the user.

17. The server of claim 16 , further configured to:

increase the user-specific weighting for the piece of auxiliary content if it is determined that the user has not responded in accordance with the expected user actuation.

18. The server of claim 17 , further configured to:

determine whether the content delivery system users usually engage with the auxiliary content in accordance with the expected user actuation, by determining whether the success rate of user engagement with the auxiliary content for content delivery system users is in accordance with an expected user actuation exceeding a predetermined threshold; and

increase the user-specific weighting of the piece of auxiliary content dependent on a determination that users do usually engage with the auxiliary content in accordance with the expected user actuation.

19. The server of claim 16 , further configured to:

provide a plurality of pieces of auxiliary content; and

determine if the user has interacted properly with each piece of auxiliary content.

20. The server according to claim 16 further configured to determine that content delivery system users do not usually engage with the auxiliary content in accordance with the expected user actuation, and reduce the user-specific weighting of the piece of auxiliary content.