IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,200,284
Granted Patent B2
US 12,200,284 · App. 18/473,141 · Granted Jan 14, 2025

Digital advertisement frequency correction

Inventor: R. Drew Major (Orem, UT)
Assignee: Sling TV L.L.C.
H04N21/26241G06Q30/0272H04H60/372H04H60/375H04N21/23424
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,200,284
App. No.
18/473,141
Granted
Jan 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, devices, and automated processes allow automatic replacement of advertisements or other content in media programs. A content management system, another computer system, or the like operating on a digital network receives indicia from playback devices that have encountered identified advertisements in a media program. The encounters may be recorded in a database for subsequent analysis. If desired, for example if the identified advertisement become saturated for a viewer or particular playback device, the advertisements may be replaced with more relevant or engaging advertisements prior to playback of the advertisement to the viewer, thereby allowing a fresher, more relevant and more engaging experience for the viewer.

Claims (51)

1. An automated process performed by a content management system having a computing hardware comprising a processor, a data storage, and an interface to a network, the automated process comprising:

providing, by the content management system via the network to a playback device located remotely from the content management system, metadata describing a plurality of identified advertisements in a media program;

providing, by the content management system via the network to the playback device, an electronic program guide;

receiving, by the content management system via the network, an indication that the playback device has encountered an identified advertisement of the plurality of identified advertisements during playback of the media program requested by the playback device from a first content source that provides the media program to the playback device, wherein the playback device transmits the indication of the identified advertisement in response to recognizing an upcoming presentation of the identified advertisement by the playback device, and wherein the indication identifies the identified advertisement;

comparing, by the processor of the content management system, a number of times that the playback device has previously encountered the identified advertisement to a threshold value; and

replacing the identified advertisement, by the content management system, in response to the number of times being greater than the threshold value, comprising:

selecting, by the content management system, a replacement advertisement for the identified advertisement; and

responding, by the content management system, to the received indication by transmitting to the playback device via the network an identifier of the selected replacement advertisement to thereby direct the playback device to obtain the replacement advertisement from a second content source using the identifier and to present the replacement advertisement during playback of the media program instead of the identified advertisement, wherein:

the content management system computing hardware is separate from the first content source and the second content source;

the content management system does not provide the media program to the playback device; and

the content management system does not provide the replacement advertisement to the playback device.

2. The automated process of claim 1 , wherein selecting a replacement advertisement comprises selecting a replacement advertisement that has not been previously encountered by the playback device.

3. The automated process of claim 1 , wherein selecting a replacement advertisement comprises selecting a replacement advertisement available to the playback device via the network.

4. The automated process of claim 3 , wherein the network comprises the Internet.

5. The automated process of claim 3 , wherein the media program and the identified advertisement are provided from the first content source to the playback device via a satellite system.

6. The automated process of claim 5 , wherein the network on which the replacement advertisement is available is a separate network from the satellite system.

7. The automated process of claim 3 , wherein the identifier of the replacement advertisement comprises a uniform resource locator of the replacement advertisement on the network.

8. The automated process of claim 1 , wherein the media program comprises at least one selected from the group of a live program, a broadcast program, and a streamed program.

9. The automated process of claim 1 , wherein the replacement advertisement is selected based upon an automated analysis that predicts subsequently-viewed advertisements that the playback device is likely to encounter in the near future, and wherein the replacement advertisement is selected to be different from the subsequently-viewed advertisements.

10. The automated process of claim 1 , wherein the replacement advertisement is selected at least in part based upon an automated analysis that predicts subsequently-viewed advertisements that the playback device is likely to encounter in the near future, and wherein the replacement advertisement is selected to lay foundation for the subsequently-viewed advertisements.

11. A content management system having a computing hardware comprising a processor, a data storage, and an interface to a network, wherein the processor is configured to execute programmed logic to perform an automated process that comprises:

providing, by the content management system via the network to a playback device located remotely from the content management system, metadata describing a plurality of identified advertisements in a media program;

providing, by the content management system via the network to the playback device, an electronic program guide;

receiving, by the content management system via the network, an indication that the playback device has encountered an identified advertisement of the plurality of identified advertisements during playback of the media program requested by the playback device from a first content source that provides the media program to the playback device, wherein the playback device transmits the indication of the identified advertisement in response to recognizing an upcoming presentation of the identified advertisement by the playback device, and wherein the indication identifies the identified advertisement;

comparing, by the processor of the content management system, a number of times that the playback device has previously encountered the identified advertisement to a threshold value; and

replacing the identified advertisement, by the content management system, in response to the number of times being greater than the threshold value, comprising:

selecting, by the content management system, a replacement advertisement for the identified advertisement; and

responding, by the content management system, to the received indication by transmitting to the playback device via the network an identifier of the selected replacement advertisement to thereby direct the playback device to obtain the replacement advertisement from a second content source using the identifier and to present the replacement advertisement during playback of the media program instead of the identified advertisement, wherein:

the content management system computing hardware is separate from the first content source and the second content source;

the content management system does not provide the media program to the playback device; and

the content management system does not provide the replacement advertisement to the playback device.

12. The content management system of claim 11 , wherein selecting a replacement advertisement comprises selecting a replacement advertisement that has not been previously encountered by the playback device.

13. The content management system of claim 11 , wherein selecting a replacement advertisement comprises selecting a replacement advertisement available to the playback device via the network.

14. The content management system of claim 13 , wherein the network comprises the Internet.

15. The content management system of claim 13 , wherein the media program and the identified advertisement are provided from the first content source to the playback device via a satellite system.

16. The content management system of claim 15 , wherein the network on which the replacement advertisement is available is a separate network from the satellite system.

17. The content management system of claim 13 , wherein the identifier of the replacement advertisement comprises a uniform resource locator of the replacement advertisement on the network.

18. The content management system of claim 11 , wherein the media program comprises at least one selected from the group of a live program, a broadcast program, and a streamed program.

19. The content management system of claim 11 , wherein the replacement advertisement is selected based upon an automated analysis that predicts subsequently-viewed advertisements that the playback device is likely to encounter in the near future, and wherein the replacement advertisement is selected to be different from the subsequently-viewed advertisements.

20. An automated process performed by a playback device having an interface to a network, the automated process comprising:

receiving, via the network from a content management system located remotely from the playback device, metadata describing a plurality of identified advertisements in a media program, wherein the content management system comprises a computing hardware;

receiving, via the network from the content management system, an electronic program guide;

receiving the media program and the plurality of identified advertisements from a first content source via a satellite system, wherein the satellite system is separate from the network;

recognizing an upcoming encounter with an identified advertisement of the plurality of identified advertisements;

transmitting, to the content management system via the network, an indication of the identified advertisement during playback of the media program, wherein the indication identifies the identified advertisement;

responsively receiving, from the content management system via the network, an identifier of a replacement advertisement available to the playback device from a second content source via the network, wherein:

the content management system computing hardware is separate from the first content source and the second content source;

the playback device does not receive the media program from the content management system; and

the playback device does not receive the replacement advertisement from the content management system;

obtaining the replacement advertisement via the network using the received identifier of the replacement advertisement; and

presenting the replacement advertisement during playback of the media program instead of the identified advertisement.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2023
From: MAJOR, R. DREW
To: SLING TV L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 065002/0369 →
Continuity (13)
Continuation 16732277 · Dec 31, 2019
Continuation In Part 16514865 · Jul 17, 2019
Continuation In Part 15856405 · Dec 28, 2017
Continuation In Part 15600334 · May 19, 2017
Continuation In Part 15393548 · Dec 29, 2016
Continuation In Part 14216235 · Mar 17, 2014
Continuation In Part 13836688 · Mar 15, 2013
Provisional Application 62787169 · Dec 31, 2018
Provisional Application 62699473 · Jul 17, 2018
Provisional Application 62440013 · Dec 29, 2016
Provisional Application 62274106 · Dec 31, 2015
Provisional Application 61800847 · Mar 15, 2013
Related Publication 20240015348A1 · Jan 11, 2024
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