US-12621507-B2 - Time-based dynamic secondary content placement calls in time-shifted content

US12621507B2US 12621507 B2US12621507 B2US 12621507B2US-12621507-B2

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for enabling time-based secondary content scheduling and dynamic placement for users of a content distribution network. In one embodiment, the network comprises a managed network, and the secondary content comprises advertising which was scheduled at the time the primary content was stored/recorded. A management process is adapted to identify the originally scheduled advertisements and utilize a temporal reference (e.g., time stamp) or other data associated with the original recording provided to the management process when an advertisement call is made dynamically, thereby preserving such relationship when the recorded content is requested for playback with a certain period of time, without having to store the advertisements with each recording. In another embodiment, a Campaign Management System (CMS) is used to associate campaigns based on a time period “in the past” (e.g., via use of one or more historic records regarding the advertisement placement for each user individually).

Inventors

Basil Badawiyeh

Assignees

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS OPERATING, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220616

Claims (20)

1 . A computerized method of delivering digitally rendered content to a computerized client device of a user via a content distribution network so as to preserve one or more measurement requirements, the computerized method comprising: receiving data representative of a request for storing digitally rendered programming content, the request initiated from the computerized client device; based at least on the request, causing (i) storage of the digitally rendered programming content without any secondary content associated therewith, and (ii) obtainment of context data; causing storage of: (i) the context data, (ii) a temporal reference related to the request to store the digitally rendered programming content, and (iii) at least one of: (a) device identifier data associated with the computerized client device, (b) asset-related data associated with the digitally rendered programming content, or (c) channel-related data associated with a delivery mechanism of the digitally rendered programming content; thereafter: receiving data representative of a request for playback of at least a portion of the stored digitally rendered programming content; based at least on a determination that the request for the playback has a prescribed temporal relationship relative to a time the storage of the digitally rendered programming content is effected: causing an association of the (i) the temporal reference, and (ii) the at least one of: (a) the device identifier data, (b) the asset-related data, or (c) the channel-related data, with user profile data associated with a user of the computerized client device; and based on the association, selecting one or more digitally rendered secondary content elements; and causing delivery of the digitally rendered programming content and the selected one or more digitally rendered secondary content elements to the computerized client device; wherein the context data enables re-creation of at least one of a state or context of at least one of the computerized client device or the user thereof, at the time the storage of the digitally rendered programming content is effected; and wherein the re-creation of the at least one of the state or the context, and the prescribed temporal relationship, cooperate to enable obeyance of a contractual measurement obligation by an operator of the content distribution network.
2 . The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the causing of the obtainment of the context data comprises obtaining data descriptive of a situation in which the request for the storing of the digitally rendered programming content was initiated from the computerized client device.
3 . The computerized method of claim 2 , wherein the obtaining of the data descriptive of the situation in which the request for the storing of the digitally rendered programming content was initiated from the computerized client device comprises obtaining at least: (i) historical data associated with viewing activity immediately before the request for the storing of the digitally rendered programming content was initiated, (ii) user location data, and (iii) one or more rendering parameters associated with the computerized client device.
4 . The computerized method of claim 2 , wherein the obtaining of the data descriptive of the situation in which the request for the storing of the digitally rendered programming content was initiated from the computerized client device comprises obtaining data gleaned from a social media account related to a status of the user of the computerized client device.
5 . The computerized method of claim 2 , wherein the obtaining of the data descriptive of the situation in which the request for the storing of the digitally rendered programming content was initiated from the computerized client device comprises obtaining data captured via one or more sensors of the computerized client device.
6 . The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein: the selected one or more digitally rendered secondary content elements are to be inserted within the digitally rendered programming content; and the dynamically causing of the delivery of the digitally rendered programming content and the selected one or more digitally rendered secondary content elements to the computerized client device comprises (i) inserting the selected one or more digitally rendered secondary content elements at one or more insertion points specified within the digitally rendered programming content to generate combined content, and (ii) causing delivery of the combined content.
7 . A computer-readable apparatus comprising a non-transitory storage medium, the non-transitory storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed by a processor apparatus, cause a computerized apparatus to: receive data representative of a request to store digitally rendered programming content, the request to store the digitally rendered programming content originating from a computerized client device; based at least on the request to store the digitally rendered programming content, cause storage of the digitally rendered programming content without any secondary content elements broadcasted with the digitally rendered programming content; obtain context-related data, the context-related data comprises data captured via one or more sensors of the computerized client device during a time period that the request to store the digitally rendered programming content was transmitted from the computerized client device; receive data representative of a request for playback of at least a portion of the stored digitally rendered programming content; cause delivery of the at least portion of the stored digitally rendered programming content to the computerized client device; receive data representative of a request for one or more digitally rendered secondary content elements; and based on a determination that the request for one or more digitally rendered secondary content elements has a prescribed temporal relationship relative to a time the storage of the digitally rendered programming content was effected: (i) utilize the context-related data to cause selection of one or more appropriate digitally rendered secondary content elements; and (ii) cause delivery of the one or more appropriate digitally rendered secondary content elements; wherein: the context-related data enables re-creation of at least one of a specified state or specified context relating to when the request to store the digitally rendered programming content was effected; the re-creation of the at least one of the specified state or the specified context relating, and the prescribed temporal relationship, cooperate to enable obeyance of a contractual measurement obligation by an operator of a content distribution network; and the storage of the digitally rendered programming content only without the any secondary content elements broadcasted with the digitally rendered programming content and the selection of the one or more appropriate digitally rendered secondary content elements only after the receipt of the data representative of the request for the playback of at least the portion of the stored digitally rendered programming content reduce storage requirements relative to storing the any secondary content elements broadcasted with the digitally rendered programming content together with the digitally rendered programming content.
8 . The computer-readable apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the context-related data comprises state information descriptive of at least one of (i) a location of a user of the computerized client device, or (ii) an activity of the user of the computerized client device, at a time when the request to store the digitally rendered programming content was effected.
9 . The computer-readable apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the state information descriptive of the at least one of (i) the location of the user of the computerized client device, or (ii) the activity of the user of the computerized client device, at the time when the request to store the digitally rendered programming content was effected, comprises data extracted from a social media account related to a status of the user.
10 . The computer-readable apparatus of claim 7 , wherein: the causation of the delivery of the at least portion of the stored digitally rendered programming content to the computerized client device comprises causation of delivery of the at least portion of the stored digitally rendered programming content with one or more digital data cues therein; and the receipt of the data representative of the request for the one or more digitally rendered secondary content elements is based on the one or more digital data cues being reached during a rendering of the at least portion of the stored digitally rendered programming content at the computerized client device.
11 . The computer-readable apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the one or more digital data cues comprise Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE)-35 cues.
12 . The computer-readable apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processor apparatus, cause the computerized apparatus to: based at least on the request to store the digitally rendered programming content, cause storage of: (i) the context-related data, (ii) a temporal reference related to the request to store the digitally rendered programming content, and (iii) at least one of: (a) device identifier data associated with the computerized client device, (b) asset-related data associated with the digitally rendered programming content, or (c) channel-related data associated with a delivery mechanism of the digitally rendered programming content.
13 . The computer-readable apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processor apparatus, cause the computerized apparatus to: based on the receipt of the data representative of the request for the one or more digitally rendered secondary content elements, cause an association of the (i) the temporal reference, and (ii) the at least one of: (a) the device identifier data, (b) the asset-related data, or (c) the channel-related data, with user profile data associated with a user of the computerized client device; and wherein the selection of the one or more appropriate digitally rendered secondary content elements further comprises use of the association.
14 . The computer-readable apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the user profile data comprises data indicative of at least descriptive data associated with a subscriber account associated with the user.
15 . The computer-readable apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processor apparatus, cause the computerized apparatus to: generate temporal reference data associated with at least one of (i) the receipt of the data representative of the request to store the digitally rendered programming content, or (ii) the storage of the digitally rendered programming content; and based on the receipt of the data representative of the request for the one or more digitally rendered secondary content elements, evaluate at least the temporal reference data against a then-current time the receipt of the data representative of the request for the one or more digitally rendered secondary content elements was effected to determine whether the receipt of the data representative of the request for the one or more digitally rendered secondary content elements is within a prescribed time period from the at least one of (i) the receipt of the data representative of the request to store the digitally rendered programming content, or (ii) the storage of the digitally rendered programming content; wherein the utilization of the context-related data to cause the selection of the one or more appropriate digitally rendered secondary content elements is based on a determination that the receipt of the data representative of the request for the one or more digitally rendered secondary content elements is within the prescribed time period.
16 . The computer-readable apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the utilization of the context-related data to cause the selection of the one or more appropriate digitally rendered secondary content elements comprises utilization of the context-related data and user profile data associated with a user of the computerized client device to generate input data for a secondary content network process, the secondary content network process configured to select the one or more appropriate digitally rendered secondary content elements based on the input data.
17 . The computer-readable apparatus of claim 7 , the utilization of the context-related data to cause the selection of the one or more appropriate digitally rendered secondary content elements comprises utilization of the at least one of the specified state or the specified context to identify the one or more appropriate digitally rendered secondary content elements.
18 . Computerized network apparatus configured for use within a content distribution network, the computerized network apparatus comprising: digital processor apparatus; first network data interface apparatus in data communication with the digital processor apparatus and configured to communicate with one or more network entities configured to select appropriate digitally rendered secondary content for respective ones of a plurality of computerized user devices; second network data interface apparatus in data communication with the digital processor apparatus and configured to communicate with a network content storage apparatus; third network data interface apparatus in data communication with the digital processor apparatus and configured to communicate with the plurality of computerized user devices via at least one or more communication channels of the content distribution network; and storage apparatus in data communication with the digital processor apparatus, the storage apparatus comprising at least one computer program configured to, when executed on the digital processor apparatus, cause the computerized network apparatus to: receive from a computerized user device of the plurality of computerized user devices via the third network data interface apparatus, data representative of a request to store digitally rendered programming content, the request being received through the content distribution network; cause, via at least data communication with the network content storage apparatus via the second network data interface apparatus, storage of the digitally rendered programming content without any secondary content elements broadcasted with the digitally rendered programming content; cause storage of data relating to a determined transitory secondary content context; and communicate with one or more computerized network entities via the first network data interface apparatus to identify the appropriate digitally rendered secondary content for the computerized user device via at least use of an association between the stored data relating to the determined transitory secondary content context and the stored digitally rendered programming content, such that upon access of the stored digitally rendered programming content by the computerized user device, the stored data relating to the determined secondary content context and associated with the stored digitally rendered programming content is utilized in at least provision of the appropriate digitally rendered secondary content; wherein: a time of the access of the stored digitally rendered programming content by the computerized user device and a time the storage of the digitally rendered programming content is effected have a prescribed temporal relationship; the determined transitory secondary content context enables re-creation of at least one of a state or context of at least one of the computerized user device or a user thereof, at a time of at least one of (i) a receipt of data representative of a request to store the digitally rendered programming content, or (ii) the storage of the digitally rendered programming content, is effected; the determined transitory secondary content context comprising data descriptive data of an activity performed by the user of the computerized user device at the time of the at least one of (i) the receipt of the data representative of the request to store the digitally rendered programming content, or (ii) the storage of the digitally rendered programming content, is effected, the data descriptive data of the activity comprises data extracted from a social media account related to a status of the user of the computerized user device; the re-creation of the at least one of the state or the context, and the prescribed temporal relationship, cooperate to enable obeyance of a contractual measurement obligation by an operator of the content distribution network; and the appropriate digitally rendered secondary content comprises at least one of (1) one or more of the secondary content elements broadcasted with the digitally rendered programming content, or (2) one or more secondary content elements of a common campaign of the one or more of the secondary content elements broadcasted with the digitally rendered programming content.
19 . The computerized network apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the determined transitory secondary content context comprises a data structure indicative of a listing of secondary content elements temporally appropriate for a time when the request to store the digitally rendered programming content was received by the computerized network apparatus.
20 . The computerized network apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the listing of secondary content elements temporally appropriate for the time when the request was received by the computerized network apparatus comprises one or more secondary content elements that are also contextually appropriate to at least one of a subject matter or a theme associated with the digitally rendered programming content.

Description

PRIORITY This application is a divisional of and claims priority to co-owned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/186,345 of the same title filed Nov. 9, 2018, which is a continuation of and claims priority to co-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/458,868 of the same title filed Mar. 14, 2017, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,129,593 on Nov. 13, 2018, each of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. COPYRIGHT A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. BACKGROUND 1. Technological Field The present disclosure relates generally to the field of content data delivery over a network. More particularly, the present disclosure is related in one exemplary aspect to apparatus and methods for secondary content (e.g., advertising, promotions, infomercials, etc.) management and provision within a managed content distribution network such as a cable, satellite, or hybrid fiber/copper (HFCu) distribution network. 2. Description of Related Technology Digital video recorders (DVRs) and personal video recorders (PVRs) are devices which record video content, in digital format, to a disk drive or other medium. The use of such devices is now ubiquitous, and they provide conveniences to TV viewers such as e.g., (i) allowing a user to record a program for later review, (ii) allowing a user to record every episode of a program for a period, and/or (iii) automatically recording programs for the user based on viewing habits and preferences. Further, the presentation of the recorded programming content can be manipulated by exercising rewind, pause, play, stop, and fast-forward functions (hereinafter referred to as “trick mode” functions) in such DVRs and PVRs. Similarly, nPVR/nDVR functionality provides a user with the ability to control delivery of the content similar to a VoD session, yet for broadcast or live programs (“linear” content). And unlike traditional DVR/PVR approaches, the subscriber need not maintain a recording device within their premises. The MSO or other entity in effect maintains the recorder for the subscriber at the headend or distribution node. Accordingly, “broadcast” or other scheduled internet content could be treated under an nPVR/nDVR paradigm, and recorded and replayed via a network-based device. “Start-over” technology allows, among other things, a user to restart an in-progress program regardless of whether the user has previously elected to record the program locally. In other words, the “start-over” service obviates the need of a proactive effort otherwise required of a typical DVR user, which includes deciding and actively electing in advance what shows to record. One type of content that can be recorded, whether locally or at the network, comprises linear or broadcast content to be delivered in real time; i.e., the re-multiplexed MPEG-2 (or other format) transport stream is delivered as part of the broadcast stream created at the headend or server hub. The provision of “on-demand” (OD) services, such as e.g., video on-demand or VOD, is well known in the prior art. In a typical configuration, the VOD service makes available to its users a selection of multiple video programs that they can choose from and watch over a network connection with minimum setup delay. At a high level, a VOD system consists of one or more VOD servers that pass and/or store the relevant content; one or more network connections that are used for program selection and program delivery; and customer premises equipment (CPE) to receive, decode and present the video on a display unit. The content is typically distributed to the CPE over a Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC), satellite, or Hybrid Fiber Copper (HFCu) network. Alternatively, so-called “OTT” or “over-the-top” OD content is delivered via the aforementioned networks, but in effect only using the network as a carrier between a third-party server and the user's client device (e.g., IP-enabled tablet, Smart TV, smartphone, etc.). The provision of content is not managed or subscribed by the network operator. Internet or other “OTT” content may be broadcast or delivered on-demand, such as in response to an affirmative user selection via e.g., a PC, mobile device, or on-screen user interface. Such content stream is typically delivered to the subscriber and recorded locally, such as by a digital video recorder (DVR), the content being stored on a local repository (e.g., hard drive, SSD, or other mass storage device) associated therewith. Network-based DVRs can also be used for storage of OTT content, although this requires coordination/cooperation between the network operator (e.g., MSO) and the OTT content source. Video Processi