Hulu, LLC

Richard W Tom

Jason A Kilar

Jean-Paul Colaco

Hua Zheng

Eric I Feng

Wing Chit Mak

Jessica Page Ivy

Robert Masao Wong

Brian Soebekti

Xin Jin

Bryon Edward Schafer

Hang Li

Ting-Hao Yang

Thomas C Tate

Eric Buehl

Adam W Miller

Qi Zhang

Yingan Wang

Eugene Chuan-Huai Wei

Yupeng Liao

Arash Nikkar

Xuan Wei

Bradley J Suter

Eugene C Wei

Arthur Switalski

Haisheng Wu

Betina J Chan-Martin

Gavin F Hewitt

Damon A Young

Wei Eugene Chuan-Huai

Bryon Schafer

Jason Kilar

A method transmits configuration information including a set of events that define when a media program player should send information regarding playback of an advertisement during an advertisement break in a media program. Also, the method transmits, to the user device, advertising control options configured to be output on the user device. A user selection for a control option in the advertising control options is received from the user device, wherein the control option controls sending of an advertisement to the user device during the advertisement break. The method then receives advertisement viewing data describing a viewing of the advertisement on the user device, wherein sending of the advertisement viewing data by the media program player is triggered based on an event in the set of events occurring at the media program player.

Media player configuration to provide viewing data feedback

In one embodiment, a method maintains files of an asset of video content at a plurality of content delivery networks (CDNs) for delivery to users. The method determines that the asset of video content has been distributed based on a first delivery classification that is used to determine a first combination of file sizes and CDNs. A set of asset characteristics is monitored and analyzed to determine whether the first delivery classification is changed to a second delivery classification. Different values for the set of asset characteristics result in different delivery classifications. When the first delivery classification of the asset of video content is changed to the second delivery classification, a distribution of the asset of video content is automatically changed where the second delivery classification is used to determine a second combination of file sizes and CDNs and the second combination is different from the first combination.

Dynamic maintenance and distribution of video content on content delivery networks

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for presenting an advertisement for playback in conjunction with a streamed media program are described. The method permits the user to control advertising breaks and in particular, the timing of advertising breaks associated with the media program.

Method and apparatus for providing user control of advertising breaks associated with a media program

A method determines user preference information for a user for a number of advertisements in a set of advertising blocks and a temporal distribution of the advertising blocks. When each advertising block in the set of advertising blocks occurs according to the temporal distribution during sending of a video program, the method determines a number of advertisements in the advertising block based on the user preference information, determines advertisements for the advertising block equal to the number of advertisements, and sends the determined advertisements during the advertising block.

Providing directed advertising based on user preferences

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user device are described. The method permits the user to control the presentation of advertisements. In one embodiment, the method receives an identification of the media program to be sent to the user device, transmits metadata defining an advertising break having at least one advertisement opportunity within the media program, at the advertisement opportunity, transmits advertising control options, receives a user selection for the advertising control options, sends the advertisement to the user device according to the user selection for the advertising control options, receives advertising viewing data describing the streaming of the advertisement to the user device, and stores the advertisement viewing data.

Method and apparatus for providing directed advertising based on user preferences

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user device are described. The method permits the user to manage the provision of user information such as surveys and advertisement feedback to the media program provider to improve the advertising experience.

Providing a survey during an advertisement opportunity to improve advertising experience

In one embodiment, a method distributes files for assets to a plurality of content delivery networks (CDNs). The method determines a set of asset characteristics related to an asset of video content and analyzes the set of asset characteristics to determine a delivery classification for the asset. Different asset characteristics result in different delivery classifications. The method then automatically determines a set of content delivery networks to distribute files for the asset based on the delivery classification where assets with different delivery classifications have files delivered differently to sets of content delivery networks.

Dynamic optimization of video content distribution

Commenting tied to user-selected times during play of audio/video content is enabled by a computer system. An apparatus detects a time that input of user comment data is received during playback of audio/video content on an electronic display device. The apparatus determines a temporal point relative to the playback of the audio/video content correlated to the user comment data, based on the time. The apparatus transmits the user comment data correlated to identifiers for the audio-video content and the temporal point to a computer server. The server may configure the video data for publishing on a website so that the comment data is displayed for a limited period based on the temporal point. Users may thereby conveniently record audio or textual comments that are output during subsequent play of the audio/video content, for sharing with friends and others.

Commenting correlated to temporal point of video data

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user device are described. The method permits the user to interrupt the playback of the advertisement and continue with the playback of the media program with no further advertisements, or to interrupt the playback of the advertisement to substitute a different version of the advertisement.

Method and apparatus for permitting user interruption of an advertisement and the substitution of alternate advertisement version

Configuration of advertisements in a streaming video segment works in cooperation with a client device. Using a selection algorithm, a server selects a first number of default video advertisements for a video streaming session, and a second number of alternative video ads greater than the first number. The server provides identifiers for the alternative video advertisements and transmits the identifiers to the client device prior to a corresponding ad break in the streaming video. During or before streaming of one of the default video advertisements to the client device, the server detects a signal from the client device requesting that one of the alternative video advertisements be swapped for the one of the default video advertisements, interrupts streaming of the default video, and initiates streaming of the one of the alternative video advertisements, in response to detecting the signal. Corresponding operations may be performed by the client device.

Video ad swapping in a video streaming system

A method, apparatus, system, article of manufacture, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to predict and utilize a user's attributes. A sample user behavior and a sample user attribute are collected. A model is trained based on the sample user behavior and sample user attribute. Using the model, a probability of a predicted user attribute based on the sample user behavior is predicted. Using the model and the probability, the predicted user attribute is fuzzily determined based on a real user behavior. The predicted user attribute is used to improve a user's experience.

Predicting users' attributes based on users' behaviors

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user device are described. The method permits the user to control the presentation of advertisements to select prefacing advertisements in lieu of more time consuming or more numerous intervening advertisements presented during the media program.

Method and apparatus for user selection of advertising combinations

To address the requirements described above, a method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user computer. The method permits the user to provide survey responses in exchange for viewing a media program with fewer advertisement, and permits the user to manage the survey responses.

Method and apparatus for collecting viewer survey data and for providing compensation for same

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements into a streamed media program is disclosed. One embodiment comprises a user computer for accepting user input, the user input directly defining user preferences regarding the presentation of the advertisements in the streamed media program and for inserting advertisements in the streamed media program according to the defined user preferences; and a media program provider communicatively coupled to the user computer, for transmitting the streamed media program to the user computer for presentation to the user on a display communicatively coupled to the user computer.

Growing community of inventors

Marina Del Rey, CA, United States of America

Richard W Tom