Patent Application
20140130182
Online advertising, also referred to as internet advertising, is used to deliver custom media content, for example, promotional marketing messages or advertisements to consumers or users through a communication network, for example, the internet. Online advertising comprises, for example, marketing via electronic mail (email), search engine marketing, social media marketing, display advertising, mobile advertising, video advertising, etc. Online video advertising is growing rapidly as online video advertising provides an effective method of engaging users when compared to conventional direct advertising methods, for example, via television. Many websites contain advertisement placements which are areas or sections of web pages configured for displaying advertisements. Typically, advertisement placements are static, that is, they are hard coded on a web page such that an advertisement is visible to each user on the web page. Advertisers demand more premium video inventory, greater transparency, better performance, and audience targeting. Advertisers often search for premium video inventory, but premium video inventory is scarce because video advertisements are typically displayed only before online video content, which is more expensive to produce and distribute at scale than other forms of online media content such as textual articles, photo galleries, etc.
Furthermore, premium online media content owners who are not focused on producing and distributing video content, for example, newspapers, magazines, radio station websites, etc., are struggling to generate revenue from low value display advertisement products which typically generate less revenue than online video advertisements. Some media content owners also charge users for providing access to their content by requiring payment of subscription fees from the users prior to providing the users with partial or complete access to the content on the media content owner's hosting platform, for example, a website. Many potential users may be unwilling to pay the subscription fees for obtaining access to the content and therefore stop visiting the media content owner's or publisher's website resulting in lost revenue opportunities. Few websites generate a subscription rate higher than about 5% of visitors. These media content owners are actively seeking new ways to conduct their businesses, including finding new sources of revenue, engaging loyal users more effectively, and generating revenue via portable devices such as mobile phones and tablet devices.
Currently, owners of multimedia content such as video content and audio content depend on “forced view” models to generate revenue where advertisements are shown to users either before or during playback of multimedia content segments selected by the users. An example of a forced view model is a video pre-roll, where a video advertisement is shown to a user before a selected video content segment. Another example of a forced view model is a video mid-roll, where a video advertisement is shown to a user in the middle of a selected video content segment. These forced view models effectively gate access to the selected content segments in such a way that the user must access advertisements to access the selected content segments. These forced view models do not require payment of any subscription fees and hence are more effective in engaging the users and generating revenue. However, the forced view models currently available are applicable only to multimedia content, for example, video content and audio content, where a single content segment must be presented to the user over a period of time determined by the length of the content segment. These forced view models do not provide an option to gate static content such as web pages, textual articles, photographs, etc., where the content can be displayed to the user all at once.
Some forced view models allow multimedia content owners to control access to their content by specifying access rules and parameters. For example, some forced view models allow multimedia content owners to specify when a video advertisement should be shown to the user during playback of a video content segment selected by the user. These rules may leverage information about the user such as subscription status of the user as well as information about the selected content segment such as length of the content segment. In another example, a forced view model may allow a multimedia content owner to specify how many video advertisements are to be displayed during playback of a video content segment selected by a user who is a paid subscriber of the multimedia content owner's website. Furthermore, some forced view models use sophisticated rules and parameters to select advertisements to be shown during playback of gated multimedia content segments. However, these forced view models do not compute or generate optimal rules to control access to media content based on decision criteria set by the media content owner, user characteristics, and other decision criteria.
Hence, there is a long felt but unresolved need for a computer implemented method and system that controls grant of access of media content to users based on decision criteria set by the media content owner, user characteristics, and other decision criteria. Furthermore, there is a need for a computer implemented method and system that enables the users to engage with media content, for example, an advertisement to a higher degree, and to generate a higher revenue from the users without requiring the users to directly pay for the media content. Furthermore, there is a need for a computer implemented method and system that allows gating of static content and multimedia content hosted on a content delivery platform such as a website.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further disclosed in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The computer implemented method and system disclosed herein addresses the above stated needs for controlling grant of access of media content to users based on multiple inputs such as decision criteria set by a media content owner, user characteristics, and other decision criteria. As used herein, the term “decision criteria” refers to parameters specified by the media content owner to influence lock decision behavior. Also, as used herein, the term “user” refers to a person or a group of persons or entities that accesses a content delivery platform, for example, a website, a web page, a web application, a software application on a mobile device, etc., that hosts and delivers media content on a content display interface, for example, a web page, for viewing, obtaining information, performing activities such as watching videos, listening to audio clips, playing games, social networking, etc., and utilizing the content delivery platform for any other purpose. Also, as used herein, the term “media content owner” refers to an entity that generates and delivers media content to a user. Media content owners comprise, for example, website publishers, newspapers, magazines, radio station operators, etc. Furthermore, the computer implemented method and system disclosed herein enables users to engage with media content, for example, an advertisement displayed on the content display interface to a higher degree and generate higher revenue from the users without requiring the users to directly pay for the media content. Furthermore, the computer implemented method and system disclosed herein allows gating of static content and multimedia content hosted on the content delivery platform. As used herein, the term “gating” refers to a locking mechanism, where first media content, for example, content of a web page is completely removed and replaced with one or more dynamic media content objects comprising, for example, sponsored content, until a user meets an access condition. Gating, in general, restricts access to the first media content. Also, as used herein, the term “static content” refers to content that can be presented to a user on the content display interface all at once. The static content comprises, for example, web pages, textual articles, photographs, etc. Also, as used herein, the term “multimedia content” refers to content, for example, video content or audio content that is presented to the user over a period of time determined by the length of a content segment. Also, as used herein, the term “first media content” refers to user selected content, for example, a video clip, an audio clip, an article, written text content, a television show, a collection of photographs, a game or an application, a voucher or an offer to obtain a special price on a purchase, a recipe, entry to a sweepstakes competition, etc., that is rendered by the content delivery platform for providing information and experiences to users of the content delivery platform. In an embodiment, the first media content comprises, for example, structured hypertext markup language content including static content and multimedia content.
The computer implemented method and system disclosed herein provides a content access management application executable by at least one processor configured to control grant of access to first media content hosted on a content delivery platform to a user. The content access management application detects a user attempt to access the first media content on a content display interface. The content display interface is a graphical user interface, for example, a web page of a website, an online web interface, a web based downloadable application interface, a mobile based downloadable application interface, etc.
The content access management application dynamically analyzes user characteristics on detection of the user attempt to access the first media content. The analyzed user characteristics comprise, for example, user information, device information, user activity, user history, user interests, user preferences, subscription status, user value scores, user profile information, audience profile information, etc. In an embodiment, the content access management application assigns user value scores to each of multiple users based on offer availability, that is, an availability of advertisers that want to sponsor each user and the premium that the advertisers are willing to pay to display second media content to each user based on demographic information obtained from prior usage of the content delivery platform. As used herein, the term “second media content” refers to interactive media content used to unlock the first media content. The second media content comprises, for example, one or more of advertisements such as a video advertisement, an audio advertisement, etc., games such as puzzles, videos, audio messages, surveys, online tasks, etc.
The content access management application receives decision criteria via a criteria reception interface provided by the content access management application. As used herein, the term “criteria reception interface” refers to a graphical user interface provided by the content access management application for receiving data from media content owners. The decision criteria comprise, for example, one or more of preset rules, preset user segments, preset content segments, preset segment optimization goals, etc., that are preset by a media content owner of the content delivery platform using the criteria reception interface.
The content access management application generates monetization strategies for each user that determines the type of first media content to be locked for each user, when the first media content is locked for each user, how frequently the first media content is locked for each user, a type of lock mechanism to be used during each attempt to lock the first media content for each user, etc., using the analyzed user characteristics and one or more of the received decision criteria. The content access management application processes various inputs comprising one or more of the decision criteria received via the criteria reception interface, the analyzed user characteristics, etc., to generate monetization strategies.
The content access management application dynamically creates one or more dynamic media content objects based on the analyzed user characteristics and one or more of the received decision criteria. As used herein, the term “dynamic media content object” refers to a dynamic placement comprising sponsored media content that is inserted into the content display interface for creating monetization opportunities. Each of the dynamically created dynamic media content objects comprises the second media content. In an embodiment, each of the dynamically created dynamic media content objects communicates with a content server via a network for loading and displaying the second media content. Each dynamic media content object is configured as a locking media content object with an access condition or a non-locking media content object for controlling grant of access of the first media content to a user. As used herein, the term “access condition” refers to a condition that a user must perform in order to unlock the first media content. The access condition defines one or more engagement tasks with the second media content to be completed. The engagement tasks comprise, for example, completing a challenge response for confirming full attention to the second media content, selecting and listening to audio content such as an audio clip, selecting and viewing multimedia content such as a media clip, answering survey questions, sharing information with social media contacts, answering a quiz correctly, completing a game, confirming attention paid to a media clip, downloading the second media content hosted on or outside a content application server, downloading an application hosted on or outside the content application server, creating a user profile on a content delivery platform, visiting another content display interface such as another web page, liking the advertiser on a social networking platform through a like option, filling in a form, joining an electronic mailing list, solving a mathematical equation, making a payment through a payment mode such as with a credit card, an online wallet, or another payment method, choosing to apply points or credits earned during prior interactions with the content delivery platform or through other reward programs or loyalty programs, etc., and any combination thereof.
In an embodiment, the content access management application continuously analyzes engagement data of the content delivery platform to determine monetization strategies for optimizing revenue generation and the dynamic creation of one or more dynamic media content objects, and promoting desired user behavior on the content delivery platform. The engagement data comprises, for example, user level metrics and site wide engagement metrics which are continuously calculated and analyzed by the content access management application to determine the monetization strategies.
The content access management application dynamically inserts the dynamically created dynamic media content objects into one or more sections of the content display interface based on the analyzed user characteristics and one or more of the received decision criteria. The content access management application dynamically inserts the dynamically created dynamic media content objects into one or more sections of the content display interface, for example, by replacing the first media content with the dynamically created dynamic media content objects, by gating the first media content with the dynamically created dynamic media content objects, or by obscuring the first media content with the dynamically created dynamic media content objects. Each of the dynamically inserted dynamic media content objects either restricts access of the first media content displayed on the content display interface to a user until the access condition is met or grants access to the first media content while displaying the second media content. The content access management application generates and renders notifications with instructions to be transmitted to the user during the dynamic insertion of the dynamically created dynamic media content objects into one or more sections of the content display interface.
The content access management application locks the first media content, renders or displays the second media content on the content display interface to the user, and unlocks the first media content when the access condition is met by the user. In an embodiment, the content access management application locks the first media content at a time instant when a user accesses the content display interface. In another embodiment, the content access management application locks the first media content after a user performs one or more of a predefined set of actions on the content display interface. In another embodiment, the content access management application grants time based access of the first media content to a user based on time spent by the user in engaging with the second media content. In another embodiment, the content access management application dynamically inserts another dynamically created dynamic media content object into one or more sections of the content display interface after the access condition contained in a previous dynamically created dynamic media content object is met. For example, the content access management application dynamically inserts a non-locking media content object into one or more sections of the content display interface after the user has met the access condition for a previously inserted locking media content object. In an embodiment, the locking media content object inserted by the content access management application provides a preview of the first media content based on a content type of the first media content. In an embodiment, the content access management application generates reports pertaining to, for example, one or more of revenue generated, targets achieved, frequency of locking of the first media content, and other information requested by the media content owner.
The content access management application can customize monetization strategies and website experiences for each user by choosing from a range of placement types and sponsored content material, for example, videos, surveys, display banners, interactive advertisement units, etc. The content access management application provides media content owners access to new and growing revenue. The content access management application provides a scalable cross-platform solution and greater audience insight to media content owners. The content access management application also provides advertisers with access to premium inventory at scale, premium content adjacency, high transparency, and industry leading click through rate (CTR)/view-through rate (VTR) performance. Click through rate (CTR) measures the success of an advertisement for a particular website as well as the effectiveness of an electronic mail (email) campaign by the number of users that clicked a specific link. View through rate (VTR) measures the number of post impression response or view-through from display media impressions viewed during and following an advertisement. The content access management application provides a click to play user-initiated advertising environment. The content access management application also allows advertising brands to pay on a cost per view (CPV) basis and have complete visibility over who watches their advertisements. The content access management application allows media content owners to gate any type of first media content comprising, for example, articles, photo galleries, recipes, sweepstakes, etc., on the content delivery platform. The content access management application allows media content owners to monetize international traffic. The content access management application also allows media content owners to use their own advertisements in the dynamic media content objects inserted on the content display interface of the content delivery platform.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, exemplary constructions of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention is not limited to the specific methods and components disclosed herein. The description of a structure or a method step referenced by a numeral in a drawing carries over to the description of that structure or method step shown by that same numeral in any subsequent drawing herein.
The computer implemented method disclosed herein provides 101 a content access management application executable by at least one processor configured to control grant of access to the first media content hosted on the content delivery platform. The content access management application allows adaptive media content monetization that is tailored to the characteristics of each user. The content access management application assesses the value of each audience member or user and allows the user to pay for access to the first media content by consuming second media content comprising, for example, video advertisements, audio advertisements, etc. The content access management application therefore provides a payment model for the content delivery platform and other connected devices worldwide via exchange of metered attention to the first media content. In an embodiment, the content access management application is deployed on the content delivery platform. Once the content access management application is deployed on the content delivery platform, the content access management application can modify content display interfaces, for example, web pages hosted on the content delivery platform, before the content display interfaces are displayed to users. The content access management application creates monetization opportunities on the content delivery platform by inserting dynamic placements containing sponsored media content into web pages requested by the users.
The content delivery platform and the content access management application is accessible to media content owners and the users, for example, through a broad spectrum of technologies and devices such as personal computers with access to the internet, internet enabled cellular phones, tablet computing devices, etc., via a network. As used herein, the term “media content owner” refers to an entity that generates and delivers media content to a user. Media content owners comprise, for example, website publishers, newspapers, magazines, radio station operators, etc. The network is, for example, the internet, an intranet, a wireless network, a network that implements WiFi® of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance, Inc., an ultra-wideband communication network (UWB), a wireless universal serial bus (USB) communication network, a communication network that implements ZigBee® of ZigBee Alliance Corporation, a general packet radio service (GPRS) network, a mobile telecommunication network such as a global system for mobile (GSM) communications network, a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, a third generation (3G) mobile communication network, a fourth generation (4G) mobile communication network, a long-term evolution (LTE) mobile communication network, a public telephone network, etc., a local area network, a wide area network, an internet connection network, an infrared communication network, etc., or a network formed from any combination of these networks.
The content access management application detects 102 a user attempt to access the first media content on the content display interface. The content display interface is a graphical user interface, for example, a web page of a website, an online web interface, a web based downloadable application interface, a mobile based downloadable application interface, etc. The content access management application is accessible to users via multiple user devices via the network. As used herein, the term “user device” refers to an electronic device utilized by a user to access the first media content via the network. The user device is, for example, a personal computer, a tablet computing device, a mobile computer, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a portable computing device, a laptop, a personal digital assistant, a touch centric device, a workstation, a client device, a portable electronic device, a network enabled computing device, an interactive network enabled communication device, a gaming device, a set top box, a television, a web browser, any other suitable computing equipment, and combinations of multiple pieces of computing equipment, etc. The user device may also be a hybrid device that combines the functionality of multiple devices. Examples of a hybrid device comprise a cellular telephone that includes a media player functionality, a gaming device that includes a wireless communications capability, a cellular telephone that includes game and electronic mail (email) functions, and a portable device that receives email, supports mobile telephone calls, has music player functionality, and supports web browsing.
The content access management application dynamically analyzes 103 user characteristics on detection of the user attempt to access the first media content. The analyzed user characteristics comprise, for example, user information, device information, user activity, user history, user interests, user preferences, subscription status, user value scores, user profile information, audience profile information, etc. In an embodiment, the content access management application assigns a user value score to each of multiple users based on offer availability, that is, an availability of advertisers that want to sponsor each user and the premium that the advertisers are willing to pay to display the second media content to each user based on demographic information obtained from prior usage of the content delivery platform. The demographic information comprises, for example, gender, age, ethnicity, knowledge of languages, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, location, etc., of the user. The demographic information can also be obtained, for example, by presenting a survey question to the user or from a third party by reference to a third party tracking cookie on a browser of the user device. In an embodiment, the content access management application creates a user profile for each user of the content delivery platform to store and analyze user behavior and determine an optimal or ideal monetization strategy for the user in real time and for future sessions.
The content access management application receives 104 decision criteria via a criteria reception interface provided by the content access management application. As used herein, the term “criteria reception interface” refers to a graphical user interface provided by the content access management application for receiving data from media content owners. Also, as used herein, the term “decision criteria” refers to parameters specified by the media content owner to influence lock decision behavior. The decision criteria comprise, for example, one or more of preset rules, preset user segments, preset content segments, preset segment optimization goals, etc., that are preset by a media content owner of the content delivery platform using the criteria reception interface.
In an embodiment, the content access management application generates monetization strategies that determine type of the first media content to be locked for each user, when the first media content is locked for each user, how frequently the first media content is locked for each user, a type of lock mechanism to be used during each attempt to lock the first media content for each user, etc., using the analyzed user characteristics and one or more of the received decision criteria. The content access management application processes various inputs comprising the decision criteria received via the criteria reception interface, the user characteristics, etc., to generate the monetization strategies. In an embodiment, the content access management application adjusts monetization strategies based on the assigned user value scores. In an embodiment, if no offer is available to a particular user, the user value score of the user is lowered such that first media content is never locked. In another embodiment, if one or more offers are available to a user and the premium offered by advertisers to display second media content to the user is very low, the user value score is adjusted such that content is locked more frequently than for those users for whom advertisers are willing to pay a higher premium.
The content access management application dynamically creates 105 one or more dynamic media content objects based on the analyzed user characteristics and one or more of the received decision criteria. As used herein, the term “dynamic media content object” refers to a dynamic placement comprising sponsored media content that is inserted into the content display interface for creating monetization opportunities. In an embodiment, the content access management application continuously analyzes engagement data of the content delivery platform to determine monetization strategies for optimizing revenue generation and the dynamic creation of one or more dynamic media content objects, and promoting desired user behavior on the content delivery platform. The engagement data comprise, for example, user level metrics and site wide engagement metrics which are continuously calculated and analyzed by the content access management application to determine monetization strategies. Each of the dynamically created dynamic media content objects comprises second media content. As used herein, the term “second media content” refers to interactive media content used to unlock the first media content. The second media content comprises, for example, one or more of advertisements such as a video advertisement, an audio advertisement, etc., games such as puzzles, videos, audio messages, surveys, online tasks, etc. In an embodiment, each of the dynamically created dynamic media content objects communicates with a content server via the network for loading and displaying the second media content.
Each dynamic media content object is configured as a locking media content object with an access condition, or a non-locking media content object for controlling grant of access to the first media content. As used herein, the term “access condition” refers to a condition that a user must perform, for example, watch a video, answer a survey, etc., in order to unlock the first media content. The locking media content objects restrict access to the first media content that the user wants to consume on the content display interface in such a way that the user must engage with the second media content or the sponsored media content and satisfy an unlock condition in order to gain access to the first media content. In an embodiment, the content access management application recognizes only one class of locking media content objects. However, the visual layout and functionality of the locking media content objects may vary based on the type of locking mechanism used. One locking mechanism may be preferred over another for displaying a particular type of sponsored content. The non-locking media content objects can be inserted into the content display interface in such a way that the user is able to access the first media content at the same time as the second media content. The non-locking media content objects do not restrict user access to the first media content on the content display interface. In an embodiment, the non-locking media content objects can be injected at any time. The content access management application recognizes many classes of non-locking media content objects including, for example, banner placements of different sizes, pop up placements, leave-behind placements, etc.
The content access management application dynamically inserts 106 the dynamically created dynamic media content objects into one or more sections of the content display interface based on the analyzed user characteristics and one or more of the received decision criteria. In an embodiment, the content access management application dynamically injects the dynamic media content objects on any web page after the user's browser has requested the web page. The content access management application dynamically inserts the dynamically created dynamic media content objects into one or more sections of the content display interface, for example, by replacing the first media content with the dynamically created dynamic media content objects, gating the first media content with the dynamically created dynamic media content objects, or obscuring the first media content with the dynamically created dynamic media content objects. As used herein, the term “gating” refers to a locking mechanism employed by the content access management application, where the first media content of a web page is completely removed and replaced with one or more dynamic media content objects comprising, for example, sponsored content, until a user meets an access condition. Gating, in general, restricts access to the first media content. In an embodiment, the content access management application generates and renders notifications with instructions to be transmitted to the user during the dynamic insertion of the dynamically created dynamic media content objects into one or more sections of the content display interface.
Each of the dynamically inserted dynamic media content objects either restricts access 106a to the first media content displayed on the content display interface until the access condition is met or grants access 106b to the first media content while displaying the second media content. For example, the locking media content object comprising the second media content and the access condition restricts access to the first media content displayed on the content display interface until the access condition is met, while the non-locking media content object grants access to the first media content while displaying the second media content. The content access management application locks the first media content, renders the second media content on the content display interface, and unlocks the first media content when the access condition is met. The access condition defines one or more of multiple engagement tasks with the second media content to be completed. The engagement tasks comprise, for example, completing a challenge response for confirming full attention to the second media content, selecting and listening to audio content such as an audio clip, selecting and viewing multimedia content such as a multimedia clip, answering survey questions, sharing information with social media contacts, answering a quiz correctly, completing a game, confirming attention paid to a media clip, downloading the second media content hosted on or outside a content application server, downloading an application hosted either on or outside the content application server, creating a user profile on the content delivery platform, visiting another content display interface such as another web page, liking an advertiser on a social networking platform through a like option, filling in a form, joining an electronic mailing list, solving a mathematical equation, making a payment through a payment mode such as with a credit card, an online wallet, or another payment method, choosing to apply points or credits earned during prior interactions with the content delivery platform or through other reward programs or loyalty programs, etc., and any combination thereof.
In an embodiment, the content access management application allows media content owners to apply different lock settings to different sections of the content display interface. For example, the media content owners can set photo gallery content to be locked more frequently than other editorial content. The content access management application further provides an asynchronous mode setting that can be used to lock photo gallery pages after the user has viewed a certain number of photographs. In an embodiment, the locking media content object provides a preview of the first media content based on a content type of the first media content. For example, the content access management application provides users with a short preview of a text article by retaining the first paragraph of the text article while locking the remaining part of the text article. The preview is visible during a web page lock. This results in increased engagement of the users with the dynamic media content object or the second media content.
In an embodiment, the content access management application locks the first media content at a time instant when a user accesses the content display interface. For example, the content access management application locks the first media content as soon as the user lands on a web page. In another embodiment, the content access management application locks the first media content after a user performs one or more of a predefined set of actions on the content display interface. For example, if a web page displays a photo gallery, the content access management application locks the first media content only once the user has browsed through a certain number of images in the photo gallery. In another example, the content access management application locks the first media content only once the user has scrolled past a certain point on the content display interface or the web page. In another embodiment, the content access management application grants time based access to the first media content to the user based on time spent by the user in engaging with the second media content as disclosed in the detailed description of
In another embodiment, the content access management application generates a user interface to allow a user to perform one or more of the following: register with the content access management application or the content delivery platform and create a user account or a user profile, log in and access the user account, set preferences for the user interface, provide information about interests and characteristics of the user for targeting advertisements to the user, revisit previously viewed media content, earn credits by interacting with the second media content, etc. The user interface enables the user to earn and store credits in the user account for future use, and to redeem credits to unlock the first media content. If the user registers with the content access management application or the content delivery platform or is tagged as a user of the content access management application, for example, by use of a browser cookie, the user can interact with the user interface at other media sources that implement the content access management application and have access to the same user-specific profile information, settings, credit balances, etc. In another embodiment, the content access management application creates a user profile for each user for storing the analyzed user characteristics to determine a monetization strategy for the dynamic creation of one or more dynamic media content objects for each users in real time and for future sessions.
The content access management application determines 206 whether a content locking mechanism is to be applied to the web page using the collected data and the decision criteria. The decision criteria comprise decision rules or the preset decision rules obtained from a decisioning module of the content access management application. The decision rules comprise information and preferences obtained from the media content owner via the criteria reception interface provided by the content access management application. If the content access management application determines not to apply the content locking mechanism, then the first media content is not locked and the web page loads 207 as normal. If the content access management application decides to apply the content locking mechanism to the web page, then the content access management application blocks 208 the tagged parts of the web page identified by the media content owner, so that they are hidden from and are not visible to the user, and renders a dynamic media content object which presents the user with an opportunity to engage with a piece of second media content. For example, the dynamic media content object presents the user with an opportunity to select a video to watch. In an embodiment, the content access management application also generates a notification to be presented to the user with instructions for the user to follow in order to access the first media content, that is, the hidden parts of the web page. The user engages 209 with the second media content, for example, by clicking a play button on the video and watching the video. When the engagement of the user with the second media content is complete, that is, when the video finishes playing and the user interacts correctly with the second media content as defined by the access condition, the content access management application unlocks the first media content and reveals 210 the hidden parts of the web page to the user.
The content access management application creates 304 impression level decisions such as decisions about whether to deliver an impression of the second media content using the real time user valuation information obtained via data matching 302a and user value scoring 302c. Information obtained by data matching 302a is used for campaign matching 304a, for example, via Peer39® semantic parsing 304b. Information obtained by user value scoring 302c is used for calculating a value exchange 304d based on offer availability 304e of advertisement units 306 such as video advertisements 306a, display banners 306b, native video placements 306c, consumer surveys 306d, paywalls 306e, and cost per engagement (CPE) display units 306f. As used herein, the term “paywall” is a system that prevents users from accessing the first media content without a paid subscription. The content access management application performs yield optimization 304c using the media content owner control information 303. The content access management application performs 305 reporting and optimization by providing daily reports 305a to the media content owners which can be accessed via a content owner console 305b. Furthermore, the content access management application connects to an advertiser demand side application 307 that manages advertiser accounts 307a, a campaign setup 307b, asset management 307c, scheduling 307d, invoicing 307e, etc., and generates analytics on campaign performance 307f.
The decisioning module 403 determines access conditions of the dynamic media content objects based on the decision criteria. The decisioning module 403 computes a monetization strategy for each user 401 or visitor to the website. The monetization strategy comprises a set of rules for the locking media content objects and another set of rules for the non-locking media content objects to be rendered on the content display interface 402 in a session. These rules, also referred to herein as “monetization strategy rules”, determine when, where, and how frequently the dynamic media content objects will be displayed on the content display interface 402. The monetization strategy rules comprise, for example, frequency capping rules, session depth rules, content based rules, and lock mechanism rules. The frequency capping rules place an upper limit on the number of times the locking media content objects can be displayed to the user 401 in a particular time period. The frequency capping rules limit the number of times the first media content can be locked for the user 401 during that time period. For example, the first media content can be locked a maximum of 3 times in 48 hours. In this example, the frequency cap is set as 3/48. In another example, the first media content can be locked as many times a required, that is, the frequency cap is set to none. In another example, the first media content cannot be locked for the user 401 for a 24 hour time period. The frequency cap in this example is 0/24. If the user 401 does not complete an engagement task on the second media content before navigating to another content display interface 402 or web page on the website, the content access management application does not count the dynamic media content object towards the frequency cap.
The session depth rules determine when a certain dynamic media content object is displayed during a session. As used herein, the term “session depth” refers to the number of web pages viewed by a user 401 during a particular session or during a specified amount of time. That is, the session depth of a user 401 in a particular session is the number of page views the user 401 has accessed in the session including the current page view. For example, on the user's 401 fourth page view in a session, the session depth is 4. A session comprises a sequence of web page views consumed by the user 401 before the user 401 leaves the website, or before a set period of browser inactivity. The session depth rules for the locking media content objects can be used in conjunction with frequency capping rules. For example, the content access management application inserts a locking media content object on a user's 401 first web page view followed by uninterrupted access to 3 articles before the user 401 encounters another locking media content object on the fifth web page view. The session depth in this example, is set as 1, 5. In another example, the user 401 encounters a locking media content object on the second web page view and the fourth web page view, followed by uninterrupted access to the first media content for 24 hours. The session depth in this example, is 2, 4, etc., and frequency cap is 2/24, that is two times in 24 hours. In this example, the frequency capping rules take precedence over the session depth rules in such a way that once the frequency cap is reached, the session depth rules cannot be applied. In another example, the user 401 may view a particular class of non-locking media content objects on the first, third, and fifth web page views only when the session depth is set as 1, 3, and 5.
The content based rules consider the content type of the first media content encountered by the user 401 on each web page view. For example, the content access management application creates and displays a locking media content object on the content display interface 402 when the first media content such as an article comprises a certain keyword. In another example, the content access management application creates and displays a non-locking media content object for all articles labeled as “breaking news”. When the content based rules and the frequency capping rules are used together, the content access management application determines which of the two takes precedence. The lock mechanism rules determine which lock mechanism will be utilized each time a locking media content object is displayed on the content display interface 402. For example, the content access management application utilizes a content gating lock mechanism on a first web page view followed by a content replacement on every other web page view. In this example, the content access management application sets the session depth as 1 and the placement type as a locking media content object for inserting the locking media content object in the first web page view, and the session depth as 2, 4, 6, etc., and the placement type is a locking media content object for replacing the locking media content object on every other web page view. The content gating lock mechanism completely removes content of a web page and replaces the content with sponsored content until the user 401 meets an access condition.
The decisioning module 403 of the content access management application determines an optimal monetization strategy for a user 401 by utilizing decisioning inputs. The decisioning inputs comprise, for example, raw session data, user profile information, and audience profile information. The raw session data comprises, for example, data points such as referral source information, geographic location, device information, browser information, and other web page level data that is accessible by the content access management application, number of previous web page views, etc. The raw session data is stored in the data warehouse 301b.
The user profiling module 404 provides the user profile information for determining the optimal monetization strategy for a user 401. The user profile information comprises, for example, aggregated session data, engagement history, subscription status of the user 401, and information about affinity groups of the user 401. The aggregated session data comprises, for example, the user's 401 frequency of visits to the website over a time period, average time spent on the website per visit by the user 401, top referral sources for the user 401, etc. The engagement history comprises, for example, details about sponsored content displayed to the user 401 by the content access management application. For example, the user profiling module 404 determines that the user 401 leaves the website 13% of the time when a locking media content object is displayed, the user 401 interacts with 3% of banner advertisements shown, the user 401 completes watching 20% of video advertisements shown, etc. The subscription status indicates, for example, whether the user 401 is a paid subscriber, whether the user 401 has been a paid subscriber in the past, etc. The information about the user's 401 affinity groups indicates, for example, whether the user 401 is an auto-enthusiast, the user 401 is aged between 18 years to 25 years, etc.
The audience profiling module 405 analyzes collective website usage for all users 401 of the website to compute aggregated usage and engagement metrics, and to determine how the engagement metrics correlate to user data and monetization strategies. The audience profiling module 405 provides the decisioning module 403 with the ability to draw insights comprising, for example, site wide engagement metrics, site wise usage metrics, correlations between data inputs and usage/engagement metrics, and correlations between monetization strategies and usage/engagement metrics. The site wide engagement metrics comprise, for example, abandon rate, view through rate, click through rate, etc. The abandon rate indicates the percentage of users 401 who leave the website when a locking media content object is displayed on the content display interface 402. The view through rate indicates the percentage of users 401 who complete an engagement task associated with the second media content, for example, watching a video advertisement shown to them. The click through rate indicates the percentage of users 401 who complete an interaction with a display/banner advertisement on the website. The site wide usage comprises, for example, average web page views per user 401, a bounce rate, top referral sources, average time on the website, etc. For correlations between data inputs and usage/engagement metrics, the audience profile generated by the audience profiling module 405 can be used, for example, to look up an abandon rate for search traffic, a completion rate for users 401 on mobile devices, average time spent on the website by users 401 based in the United States using mobile devices, etc. For correlations between monetization strategies and usage/engagement metrics, the audience profile generated by the audience profiling module 405 can be used, for example, to look up the abandon rate when a locking media content object is displayed on the second web page view. In another example, the audience profile generated by the audience profiling module 405 can be used to determine average time on the website when a locking media content object is shown on the first web page view.
The content access management application allows the media content owner, for example, a publisher to set decision criteria or monetization parameters via the criteria reception interface 406 to influence or control monetization strategies generated by the decisioning module 403 of the content access management application. The content access management application allows a media content owner to specify one set of parameters for the entire website or create different sets of parameters for predefined user segments and/or content segments via the criteria reception interface 406. The monetization parameters comprise, for example, user segments, content segments, explicit monetization strategies, parameters for segment optimization, and parameters for automatic segmentation. The media content owner can set different sets of parameters for different user segments via the criteria reception interface 406. The media content owner can create new user segments from any combination of raw session data inputs such as referral sources, device information, geographic location, etc., via the criteria reception interface 406. For example, the media content owner can create a user segment for mobile users 401 who arrive at the website from any social networking platform. In another example, the media content owner can create a user segment for users 401 located in the United States or for users 401 located in the United Kingdom. The media content owners can also create user segments based on data contained in the user profiles via the criteria reception interface 406. For example, the media content owner can a create a user segment for users 401 who visit the website more than 10 times in a month or for users 401 who spend more than 20 minutes on the website per visit. In another example, the media content owner can create a user segment for users 401 who were paid subscribers in the past.
The media content owner can set different sets of parameters for different types of content and/or pages on their websites or the content delivery platform via the criteria reception interface 406. For example, the media content owner can create a content segment for web pages that contain the keyword “weather”. In another example, the media content owner can create a content segment for web pages that include photo galleries. The content access management application allows media content owners to set explicit monetization strategies, for example, frequency capping rules, session depth rules, lock mechanism rules, content segment rules for any user segment or content segment via the criteria reception interface 406. In an embodiment, instead of specifying explicit monetization strategies, the media content owners can set success goals, for example, “maximize revenue”, “maximize time on site”, “maximize web page views”, etc., for any user 401 or content segment via the criteria reception interface 406. The media content owner can also set numeric revenue targets for the content access management application via the criteria reception interface 406. The decisioning module 403 utilizes the user profile information and the audience profile information to compute optimal strategies for each user segment based on the goals or targets set by the media content owner. The media content owners can also instruct the content access management application via the criteria reception interface 406 to automatically segment the audience to meet combination goals or targets. The decisioning module 403 automatically segments the audience based on insights derived from various data inputs.
The content access management application creates, for example, a locking media content object based on the decision criteria received from the media content owner and inserts the locking media content object to lock the first media content as exemplarily illustrated in
In an embodiment, the content access management application runs with default settings during an initial calibration period. The length of the calibration period will depend on the volume of daily traffic on the website. The media content owner can monitor performance and optimize lock settings after completion of the calibration period. In another embodiment, the content access management application provides media content owners with granular control over which web pages are locked, for whom they are locked, and how often they are locked. For example, as a default setting, the content access management application displays a dynamic media content object on the first page view of each new session for each visitor or user to the website. In this example, a new session begins when a new visitor or user arrives on the website or when a user returns to the website after about 30 minutes of inactivity. In another embodiment, the content access management application provides metered access, that is, the content access management application allows the media content owner to specify how many unlocked articles a user should be able to view after they have completed watching the second media content on the website. The content access management application locks the web pages after the free page views have been consumed by the user. The media content owners can also provide users with uninterrupted access for any time period, for example, 24 hours after the users have watched a preset amount of second media content. For example, applying a frequency cap of 2/24 ensures that users view a maximum of two advertisements per day. In another example, the media content owner can disable web page locking for users arriving to the website from a list of referral sources. These users will not be shown any second media content. For example, the media content owner can disable the dynamic media content objects for direct traffic, that is, most loyal traffic. Conversely, in another example, the content access management application allows media content owners to monetize social traffic more aggressively than other sources. In an embodiment, the content access management application further provides an asynchronous mode setting that can be used, for example, to lock photo gallery pages after the user has viewed a certain number of photographs.
The content access management application 906 comprises the modules 902a, 902b, 902c, 902d, 902e, 906f, 403, 404, etc., executable by the processor for controlling grant of access to the first media content hosted on the content delivery platform 907. The content access management application 906 comprises a detection module 906a, the user profiling module 404, the decisioning module 403, a content object creation module 906b, a content object management module 906c, a user value exchange module 906d, a notification module 906e, and a report generation module 906f. The content delivery platform 907 further hosts the content display interface 402 such a web page of a website hosted by the content delivery platform 907, and the criteria reception interface 406. The detection module 906a detects a user attempt to access the first media content on the content display interface 402. The user profiling module 404 dynamically analyzes user characteristics on detection of the user attempt to access the first media content. In an embodiment, the user profiling module 404 assigns user value scores to each of the users 401 based on offer availability, that is, an availability of advertisers 905 that want to sponsor each user 401 and the premium that the advertisers 905 are willing to pay to display the second media content to each user 401 based on demographic information obtained from prior usage of the content delivery platform 907. The user profiling module 404 determines the user value which is affected by user characteristics and offer availability. The user value exchange module 906d determines a value exchange between the users 401 and the media content owner 901 based on the user value scores. The user profiling module 404 further continuously analyzes engagement data of the content delivery platform 907 to determine monetization strategies for optimizing revenue generation and dynamic creation of one or more dynamic media content objects, and promoting desired user behavior on the content delivery platform 907.
The decisioning module 403 receives decision criteria, for example, one or more of preset rules, preset user segments, preset content segments, preset segment optimization goals, etc., via the criteria reception interface 406 provided by the content access management application 906. The decisioning module 403 generates monetization strategies for each user 401 using the analyzed user characteristics and one or more of the received decision criteria for determining a type of the first media content to be locked for each user 401, when the first media content is locked for each user 401, how frequently the first media content is locked for each user 401, and a type of lock mechanism to be used during each attempt to lock the first media content for each user 401. The decisioning module 403 further processes multiple inputs comprising the decision criteria received via the criteria reception interface 406 and the user characteristics for generating the monetization strategies.
The content object creation module 906b dynamically creates one or more dynamic media content objects comprising the second media content based on the analyzed user characteristics and one or more of the received decision criteria. Each dynamic media content object is configured as a locking media content object with an access condition or a non-locking media content object for controlling grant of access to the first media content. The locking media content object provides a preview of the first media content based on a content type of the first media content. The content object management module 906c dynamically inserts the dynamically created dynamic media content objects into one or more sections of the content display interface 402 based on the analyzed user characteristics and one or more of the received decision criteria. The notification module 906e generates and renders notifications with instructions during the dynamic insertion of the dynamically created dynamic media content objects into one or more sections of the content display interface 402. The content object management module 906c either restricts access to the first media content displayed on the content display interface 402 until the access condition is met or grants access to the first media content while displaying the second media content based on the type of dynamic media content object inserted on the content display interface 402. In an embodiment, each of the dynamic media content objects communicates with a content server 904 via the network 903 for loading and displaying the second media content available from multiple advertisers 905.
The content object management module 906c locks the first media content based on the access condition, renders the second media content on the content display interface 402, and unlocks the first media content when the access condition is met. The access condition defines one or more engagement tasks with the second media content to be completed by a user 401 as disclosed in the detailed description of
The computer system 1000 comprises, for example, a processor 1001, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium such as a memory unit 1002 for storing programs and data, an input/output (I/O) controller 1003, a network interface 1004, a data bus 1005, a display unit 1006, input devices 1007, a fixed media drive 1008, a removable media drive 1009 for receiving removable media, output devices 1010, etc. The processor 1001 refers to any one or more microprocessors, central processing unit (CPU) devices, finite state machines, computers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, logic, a logic device, an electronic circuit, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a chip, etc., or any combination thereof, capable of executing computer programs or a series of commands, instructions, or state transitions. The processor 1001 may also be implemented as a processor set comprising, for example, a general purpose microprocessor and a math or graphics co-processor. The processor 1001 is selected, for example, from the Intel® processors such as the Itanium® microprocessor or the Pentium® processors, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD®) processors such as the Athlon® processor, UltraSPARC® processors, microSPARC™ processors, hp® processors, International Business Machines (IBM®) processors such as the PowerPC® microprocessor, the MIPS° reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processor of MIPS Technologies, Inc., RISC based computer processors of ARM Holdings, Motorola® processors, Qualcomm® processors, etc. The content delivery platform 907 disclosed herein is not limited to a computer system 1000 employing a processor 1001. The computer system 1000 may also employ a controller or a microcontroller. The processor 1001 executes the modules, for example, 906a, 906b, 906c, 906d, 906e, 906f, 403, 404, etc., of the content access management application 906 hosted by the content delivery platform 907.
The memory unit 1002 is used for storing programs, applications, and data. For example, the detection module 906a, the user profiling module 404, the decisioning module 403, the content object creation module 906b, the content object management module 906c, the user value exchange module 906d, the notification module 906e, the report generation module 906f, etc., of the content access management application 906 are stored in the memory unit 1002 of the computer system 1000. The memory unit 1002 is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or another type of dynamic storage device that stores information and instructions for execution by the processor 1001. The memory unit 1002 also stores temporary variables and other intermediate information used during execution of the instructions by the processor 1001. The computer system 1000 further comprises a read only memory (ROM) or another type of static storage device that stores static information and instructions for the processor 1001.
The network interface 1004 enables connection of the computer system 1000 to the network 903. For example, the content delivery platform 907 hosting the content access management application 906 connects to the network 903 via the network interface 1004. In an embodiment, the network interface 1004 is provided as an interface card also referred to as a line card. The network interface 1004 comprises, for example, one or more of an infrared (IR) interface, an interface implementing Wi-Fi® of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance, Inc., a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a FireWire® interface of Apple, Inc., an Ethernet interface, a frame relay interface, a cable interface, a digital subscriber line (DSL) interface, a token ring interface, a peripheral controller interconnect (PCI) interface, a local area network (LAN) interface, a wide area network (WAN) interface, interfaces using serial protocols, interfaces using parallel protocols, and Ethernet communication interfaces, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) interfaces, a high speed serial interface (HSSI), a fiber distributed data interface (FDDI), interfaces based on transmission control protocol (TCP)/internet protocol (IP), interfaces based on wireless communications technology such as satellite technology, radio frequency (RF) technology, near field communication, etc. The I/O controller 1003 controls input actions and output actions performed by the content delivery platform 907. The data bus 1005 permits communications between the modules, for example, 906a, 906b, 906c, 906d, 906e, 906f, 403, 404, etc., of the content access management application 906.
The display unit 1006 displays information, etc., for allowing the media content owner 901 to set the decision criteria such as rules, preferences, etc. The display unit 1006 comprises, for example, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) based display, etc. The input devices 1007 are used for inputting data, for example, the raw session data into the computer system 1000. The input devices 1007 are, for example, a keyboard such as an alphanumeric keyboard, a microphone, a joystick, a pointing device such as a computer mouse, a touch pad, a light pen, a physical button, a touch sensitive display device, a track ball, a pointing stick, any device capable of sensing a tactile input, etc.
Computer applications and programs are used for operating the computer system 1000. The programs are loaded onto the fixed media drive 1008 and into the memory unit 1002 of the computer system 1000 via the removable media drive 1009. In an embodiment, the computer applications and programs may be loaded directly via the network 903. Computer applications and programs are executed by double clicking a related icon displayed on the display unit 1006 using one of the input devices 1007. The output devices 1010 output the results of operations performed by the content delivery platform 907. For example, the content delivery platform 907 displays the generated reports using the output devices 1010.
The processor 1001 executes an operating system, for example, the Linux® operating system, the Unix® operating system, any version of the Microsoft® Windows® operating system, the Mac OS of Apple Inc., the IBM® OS/2, VxWorks® of Wind River Systems, inc., QNX Neutrino® developed by QNX Software Systems Ltd., the Palm OS®, the Solaris operating system developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc., the Android operating system, the Windows Phone® operating system of Microsoft Corporation, the BlackBerry® operating system of Research in Motion Limited, the iOS operating system of Apple Inc., the Symbian® operating system of Symbian Foundation Limited, etc. The computer system 1000 employs the operating system for performing multiple tasks. The operating system is responsible for management and coordination of activities and sharing of resources of the computer system 1000. The operating system further manages security of the computer system 1000, peripheral devices connected to the computer system 1000, and network connections. The operating system employed on the computer system 1000 recognizes, for example, inputs provided by the media content owners 901 using one of the input devices 1007, the output display, files, and directories stored locally on the fixed media drive 1008, for example, a hard drive. The operating system on the computer system 1000 executes different programs using the processor 1001. The processor 1001 and the operating system together define a computer platform for which application programs in high level programming languages are written.
The processor 1001 retrieves instructions for executing the modules, for example, 906a, 906b, 906c, 906d, 906e, 906f, 403, 404, etc., of the content access management application 906 from the memory unit 1002. A program counter determines the location of the instructions in the memory unit 1002. The program counter stores a number that identifies the current position in the program of each of the modules, for example, 906a, 906b, 906c, 906d, 906e, 906f, 403, 404, etc., of the content access management application 906. The instructions fetched by the processor 1001 from the memory unit 1002 after being processed are decoded. The instructions are stored in an instruction register in the processor 1001. After processing and decoding, the processor 1001 executes the instructions. For example, the detection module 906a defines instructions for detecting a user attempt to access the first media content on the content display interface 402. The user profiling module 404 defines instructions for dynamically analyzing user characteristics on detection of the user attempt to access the first media content. In an embodiment, the user profiling module 404 defines instructions for assigning user value scores to each user 401 based on offer availability, that is, an availability of advertisers 905 that want to sponsor each user 401 and the premium that the advertisers 905 are willing to pay to display the second media content to each user 401 based on demographic information obtained from prior usage of the content delivery platform. The user value exchange module 906d defines instructions for determining a value exchange between the users 401 and the media content owner 901 based on the user value scores. The user profiling module 404 defines instructions for continuously analyzing engagement data of the content delivery platform 907 to determine monetization strategies for optimizing revenue generation and the dynamic creation of one or more dynamic media content objects, and promoting desired user behavior on the content delivery platform 907.
The decisioning module 403 defines instructions for receiving decision criteria via the criteria reception interface 406 provided by the content access management application 906. The decisioning module 403 further defines instructions for generating monetization strategies for each user 401 using the analyzed user characteristics and one or more of the received decision criteria for determining a type of the first media content to be locked for each user 401, when the first media content is locked for each user 401, how frequently the first media content is locked for each user 401, and a type of lock mechanism to be used during each attempt to lock the first media content for each user 401. The decisioning module 403 further defines instructions for processing multiple inputs comprising the decision criteria received via the criteria reception interface 406 and the user characteristics for generating the monetization strategies.
The content object creation module 906b defines instructions for dynamically creating one or more dynamic media content objects based on the analyzed user characteristics and one or more of the received decision criteria. The content object management module 906c defines instructions for dynamically inserting the dynamically created dynamic media content objects into one or more sections of the content display interface 402 based on the analyzed user characteristics and one or more of the received decision criteria. The notification module 906e defines instructions for generating and rendering notifications with instructions during the dynamic insertion of the dynamically created dynamic media content objects into one or more sections of the content display interface 402. The content object management module 906c further defines instructions for restricting access to the first media content displayed on the content display interface 402 until the access condition is met or for granting access to the first media content while displaying the second media content based on the type of dynamic media content object inserted on the content display interface 402. The content object management module 906c further defines instructions for locking the first media content, rendering the second media content on the content display interface 402, and unlocking the first media content when the access condition is met. In an embodiment, the content object management module 906c defines instructions for locking the first media content at a time instant when a user 401 accesses the content display interface 402. In another embodiment, the content object management module 906c defines instructions for locking the first media content after a user 401 performs one or more of a predefined set of actions on the content display interface 402. In another embodiment, the content object management module 906c defines instructions for dynamically inserting another dynamically created dynamic media content object into one or more sections of the content display interface 402 after the access condition associated with a previously inserted dynamic media content object is met. In another embodiment, the content object management module 906c further defines instructions for providing a preview of the first media content based on a content type of the first media content. In another embodiment, the content object management module 906c further defines instructions for granting time based access to the first media content based on time spent by the user 401 in engaging with the second media content. The report generation module 906f defines instructions for generating reports pertaining to, for example, one or more of revenue generated, targets achieved, frequency of locking of the first media content, and other information requested by the media content owner 901. The generated reports are accessible by the media content owner 901 via the content display interface 402.
The processor 1001 of the computer system 1000 employed by the content delivery platform 907 retrieves the instructions defined by the detection module 906a, the user profiling module 404, the decisioning module 403, the content object creation module 906b, the content object management module 906c, the user value exchange module 906d, the notification module 906e, and the report generation module 906f, and executes the instructions, thereby performing one or more processes defined by those instructions.
At the time of execution, the instructions stored in the instruction register are examined to determine operations to be performed. The processor 1001 then performs the specified operations. The operations comprise arithmetic operations and logic operations. The operating system performs multiple routines for performing a number of tasks required to assign the input devices 1007, the output devices 1010, and memory for execution of the modules, for example, 906a, 906b, 906c, 906d, 906e, 906f, 403, 404, etc., of the content delivery platform 907. The tasks performed by the operating system comprise, for example, assigning memory to the modules, for example, 906a, 906b, 906c, 906d, 906e, 906f, 403, 404, etc., of the content delivery platform 907, and to data used by the content delivery platform 907, moving data between the memory unit 1002 and disk units, and handling input/output operations. The operating system performs the tasks on request by the operations and after performing the tasks, the operating system transfers the execution control back to the processor 1001. The processor 1001 continues the execution to obtain one or more outputs. The outputs of the execution of the modules, for example, 906a, 906b, 906c, 906d, 906e, 906f, 403, 404, etc., of the content delivery platform 907 are displayed to the user 401 on the display unit 1006.
For purposes of illustration, the detailed description refers to the content delivery platform 907 being run locally on the computer system 1000; however the scope of the computer implemented method and system 900 disclosed herein is not limited to the content delivery platform 907 being run locally on the computer system 1000 via the operating system and the processor 1001, but may be extended to run remotely over the network 903 by employing a web browser and a remote server, a mobile phone, or other electronic devices. One or more portions of the computer system 1000 may be distributed across one or more computer systems (not shown) coupled to the network 903.
Disclosed herein is also a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores computer program codes comprising instructions executable by at least one processor 1001 for controlling grant of access to the first media content hosted on the content delivery platform 907. The computer program product comprises a first computer program code for detecting a user attempt to access the first media content on the content display interface 402; a second computer program code for dynamically analyzing user characteristics on detection of the user attempt to access the first media content; a third computer program code for receiving decision criteria via the criteria reception interface 406; a fourth computer program code for dynamically creating one or more dynamic media content objects based on the analyzed user characteristics and one or more of the received decision criteria; and a fifth computer program code for dynamically inserting the dynamically created dynamic media content objects into one or more sections of the content display interface 402 based on the analyzed user characteristics and one or more of the received decision criteria. The fifth computer program code comprises a sixth computer program code for restricting access to the first media content displayed on the content display interface 402 until the access condition is met and a seventh computer program code for granting access to the first media content while displaying the second media content. The computer program product disclosed herein further comprises an eighth computer program code for locking the first media content, rendering the second media content on the content display interface 402, and unlocking the first media content when the access condition is met.
The computer program product disclosed herein further comprises one or more additional computer program codes for performing additional steps that may be required and contemplated for controlling grant of access to the first media content hosted on the content delivery platform 907. In an embodiment, a single piece of computer program code comprising computer executable instructions performs one or more steps of the computer implemented method disclosed herein for controlling grant of access to the first media content hosted on the content delivery platform 907. The computer program codes comprising computer executable instructions are embodied on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The processor 1001 of the computer system 1000 retrieves these computer executable instructions and executes them. When the computer executable instructions are executed by the processor 1001, the computer executable instructions cause the processor 1001 to perform the steps of the computer implemented method for controlling grant of access to the first media content hosted on the content delivery platform 907.
The content access management application 906 allows the media content owner 901 exemplarily illustrated in
It will be readily apparent that the various methods, algorithms, and computer programs disclosed herein may be implemented on computer readable media appropriately programmed for computing devices. As used herein, the term “computer readable media” refers to non-transitory computer readable media that participate in providing data, for example, instructions that may be read by a computer, a processor or a similar device. Non-transitory computer readable media comprise all computer readable media, for example, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media, except for a transitory, propagating signal. Non-volatile media comprise, for example, optical discs or magnetic disks and other persistent memory volatile media including a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes a main memory. Volatile media comprise, for example, a register memory, a processor cache, a random access memory (RAM), etc. Transmission media comprise, for example, coaxial cables, copper wire, fiber optic cables, modems, etc., including wires that constitute a system bus coupled to a processor, etc. Common forms of computer readable media comprise, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, magnetic tape, a laser disc, a Blu-ray Disc®, any magnetic medium, a compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc (DVD), any optical medium, a flash memory card, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a random access memory (RAM), a programmable read only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer can read.
The computer programs that implement the methods and algorithms disclosed herein may be stored and transmitted using a variety of media, for example, the computer readable media in a number of manners. In an embodiment, hard-wired circuitry or custom hardware may be used in place of, or in combination with, software instructions for implementation of the processes of various embodiments. Therefore, the embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software. In general, the computer program codes comprising computer executable instructions may be implemented in any programming language. Some examples of programming languages that can be used comprise C, C++, C#, Java®, JavaScript®, Fortran, Ruby, Pascal, Perl®, Python®, Visual Basic®, hypertext preprocessor (PHP), Microsoft®.NET etc. Other object-oriented, functional, scripting, and/or logical programming languages may also be used. The computer program codes or software programs may be stored on or in one or more mediums as object code. Various aspects of the method and system disclosed herein may be implemented in a non-programmed environment comprising documents created, for example, in a hypertext markup language (HTML), an extensible markup language (XML), or other format that render aspects of a graphical user interface (GUI) or perform other functions, when viewed in a visual area or a window of a browser program. Various aspects of the method and system disclosed herein may be implemented as programmed elements, or non-programmed elements, or any suitable combination thereof. The computer program product disclosed herein comprises computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer program product comprises one or more computer program codes for implementing the processes of various embodiments.
Where databases are described such as the databases 907a and the session data warehouse 301b, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that (i) alternative database structures to those described may be readily employed, and (ii) other memory structures besides databases may be readily employed. Any illustrations or descriptions of any sample databases disclosed herein are illustrative arrangements for stored representations of information. Any number of other arrangements may be employed besides those suggested by tables illustrated in the drawings or elsewhere. Similarly, any illustrated entries of the databases represent exemplary information only; one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the number and content of the entries can be different from those disclosed herein. Further, despite any depiction of the databases as tables, other formats including relational databases, object-based models, and/or distributed databases may be used to store and manipulate the data types disclosed herein. Likewise, object methods or behaviors of a database can be used to implement various processes such as those disclosed herein. In addition, the databases may, in a known manner, be stored locally or remotely from a device that accesses data in such a database. In embodiments where there are multiple databases in the system, the databases may be integrated to communicate with each other for enabling simultaneous updates of data linked across the databases, when there are any updates to the data in one of the databases.
The present invention can be configured to work in a network environment comprising one or more computers that are in communication with one or more devices via a network. The computers may communicate with the devices directly or indirectly, via a wired medium or a wireless medium such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) or the Ethernet, a token ring, or via any appropriate communications mediums or combination of communications mediums. Each of the devices comprises processors, some examples of which are disclosed above, that are adapted to communicate with the computers. In an embodiment, each of the computers is equipped with a network communication device, for example, a network interface card, a modem, or other network connection device suitable for connecting to a network. Each of the computers and the devices executes an operating system, some examples of which are disclosed above. While the operating system may differ depending on the type of computer, the operating system will continue to provide the appropriate communications protocols to establish communication links with the network. Any number and type of machines may be in communication with the computers.
The present invention is not limited to a particular computer system platform, processor, operating system, or network. One or more aspects of the present invention may be distributed among one or more computer systems, for example, servers configured to provide one or more services to one or more client computers, or to perform a complete task in a distributed system. For example, one or more aspects of the present invention may be performed on a client-server system that comprises components distributed among one or more server systems that perform multiple functions according to various embodiments. These components comprise, for example, executable, intermediate, or interpreted code, which communicate over a network using a communication protocol. The present invention is not limited to be executable on any particular system or group of systems, and is not limited to any particular distributed architecture, network, or communication protocol.
The foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the present invention disclosed herein. While the invention has been described with reference to various embodiments, it is understood that the words, which have been used herein, are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Further, although the invention has been described herein with reference to particular means, materials, and embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, the invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims. Those skilled in the art, having the benefit of the teachings of this specification, may affect numerous modifications thereto and changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention in its aspects.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of provisional patent application No. 61/721,627 titled “Unlocking Of Locked Media Content”, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Nov. 2, 2012. The application also claims the benefit of the following patent applications: 1. Non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 12/485,955, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,561,097, titled “Multimedia Content Viewing Confirmation”, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Jun. 17, 2009.2. Continuation-in-part patent application Ser. No. 12/544,233 titled “Multimedia Content Viewing Confirmation”, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Aug. 20, 2009.3. Continuation-in-part patent application Ser. No. 12/822,526, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,484,563, titled “View Confirmation For On-demand Multimedia Content”, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Jun. 24, 2010.4. Continuation-in-part patent application Ser. No. 13/216,256 titled “View Confirmation Using A Challenge”, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Aug. 24, 2011. The specifications of the above referenced patent applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61721627 | Nov 2012 | US |
