This invention relates to apparatus and method for management of digital media metrics data, and more specifically, for management and analysis of digital media metrics data received from a plurality of sources.
As a result of the increase in the number of computing devices available to users, the proportion of media viewed and/or heard by the public through an internet connection has increased. It is expected in the coming years that this proportion will increase further so that a significant proportion of the media viewed and/or heard by users will be viewed on electronic devices such as laptops, netbooks, tablets and mobile phones through interfaces such as web browsers.
The introduction of personal video recorders (PVRs), digital set-top boxes and digital radios in recent years has decreased the effectiveness of advertisements within such traditional areas as television and/or radio “ad-breaks” The placement of advertisements to capture the emerging mechanisms for viewing and listening to media has therefore been a subject of interest within the advertising industry in recent years.
In particular, digital video and/or audio advertising is increasingly used. An advertiser or advertising agency will create media, typically in the form of an advertisement, i.e. a digital video and/or digital audio. The advertisement is distributed by a publisher who delivers the digital video and/or audio content to positions within web pages to be viewed and/or heard by a user. It is common for an advertiser to pay the publisher per instance of the digital video and/or audio content delivered, in other terms per “impression” or “placement”. However, in order for the advertiser to be confident that they are receiving value for money it is important that the digital video and/or audio content is provided to the viewer and/or listener in a way that enables the viewer and/or listener to view and/or listen to the media, for example in the form of visible and/or audible digital video and/or audio content.
In order to ascertain the effectiveness, and therefore the value, of an advertising campaign directed to digital media obtained through an internet connection, a number of metrics are useful to track. Metric data may include an indication whether played media such as an advertisement is, for example: displayed on the screen; clicked on by a user during play of the advertisement; paused or stopped by a user before completion of the advertisement; fully played back by the user device; repeatedly played back by the user; etc, Tracking metric data across the internet and then analyzing the tracked metric data may be extremely memory and processing intensive as the number of user devices playing the media advertisement over a specific period of time, for example 24 hours, may be vast and produce large data sets. Accordingly, the costs in processing time and processing power in the management of metrics data may become substantial.
There is a need for a digital media metrics data management apparatus and method that addresses or at least alleviates the above issues.
An aspect of the invention is a metrics data management apparatus comprising an ingestion module to receive event data of a series of events from a source, and to process the event data into a format identifying the source and a session of each event; and an event repository to populate the event data relevant to a series of connected events of a session.
In an embodiment the ingestion module receives event data from a plurality of sources.
In an embodiment the session starts at the moment a request is received at the source to access a digital media.
In an embodiment the ingestion module is arranged to process the event data into a format identifying the time order of each event data within a session.
In an embodiment the ingestion module is arranged to process the event data into a format identifying the time order of each session.
In an embodiment the ingestion module is arranged to process the event data into a format comprising a time stamp.
In an embodiment the ingestion module is arranged to process the event data into a format comprising an error correction code (ECC).
In an embodiment the ingestion module is arranged to process the event data into a format comprising a data length.
In an embodiment the source is a user device.
An aspect of the invention is a metrics data management apparatus comprising an event repository to populate event data relevant to a series of connected events of a session, wherein the event data is of a series of events from a source in a format identifying the source and a session of each event; and a session build module to determine a complete session from event data relevant to a series of connected events of a single session by a predetermined event.
In an embodiment the session ends at a predetermined event. The predetermined event may be a period of time. The predetermined event may be defined by predefined parameters.
In an embodiment the session may have a current status before the predetermined event and an expired status after the predetermined event. The session build module may be arranged to transmit the session with an expired status for further processing at a metrics data analyzer processer and the session has a confirmed status after the transmission and further processing of the expired session. The session build module may be arranged to remove the expired status session and confirmed status sessions from the session build module and corresponding event data from the event repository after transmission and further processing of the expired session.
An aspect of the invention is a metrics data management apparatus comprising an ingestion module to receive event data of a series of events from a source, and to process the event data into a format identifying the source and a session of each event; an event repository to populate the event data relevant to a series of connected events of a session; and a session build module to determine a complete session from event data relevant to a series of connected events of a session by a predetermined event.
An embodiment further comprises a metrics data analyzer comprising a metrics report generator for generating a report based on the complete session,
An aspect of the invention is a metrics data management method of comprises receiving event data of a series of events from a source; processing the event data into a format identifying the source and a session of each event; populating the event data relevant to a series of connected events of a session into an event repository; and determining a complete session from event data relevant to a series of connected events of a single session by a predetermined event.
An embodiment further comprises generating a report based on the complete session.
For better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying figures, in which:
References will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying figures. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details.
In some examples, the user terminal 14 may be a portable or mobile device with a wired or wireless data connection. In some examples, the user terminal 14 may be a tablet computing device, a netbook, a laptop or a mobile phone capable of running a web browser. In examples where a web browser is used, the web browser may, for example, comprise one of the following web browsers; Google Chrome™, Mozilla Firefox™, Internet Explorer™, Safari™, or the like. This list is not intended to be exhaustive. The user terminal 14 may comprise audio output means, or may be associated with audio output means, or both. In use, the web browser may be operated to access web pages. Some web pages may be designed to enable media to be played. In some examples, the media may be in the form of a video with associated audio or in the form of standalone video or audio content. In some examples the media may in the form of pre-roll video or pre-roll audio that is delivered before further content is delivered, in some examples, the media may take the form of digital audio or rich media. In some examples, the media may be interactive. In some examples media is presented to or played on web pages using one or more media players or netstreams.
In an embodiment the metric data may include an indication of particular events occurring on the user device 14 during the session or time the media is made available to play on the user device. A user device is the source of the metrics data or event data, wherein the source is an implementation of the media or ad tracking measurement. A session is created, for example, whenever the publisher has requested a session request from the metrics media server 20. For example, the moment in time the media is made available on the user device for the user device to play, a metric tracking session has already been created and able to associate tracked metrics event data with the session. A metric tracking session ends after a predetermined time or event. Each session has at least a start event and an end of session event, with additional events tracked between. Signals from the digital player are programmed to return data events in order, but may refer to events out of order, for example a click followed by a pause caused by the click, and the like, For example, the types of metric events that may be useful in tracking may be whether the media that is played is: displayed on the screen; how long the media is displayed on the screen before it is played; clicked on by a user during play of the advertisement; paused or stopped by a user before completion of the advertisement; fully played back by the user device; repeatedly played back by the user; etc. Upon the occurrence of each metric event a “hitline” or event data is generated and delivered to the metrics data manager and analyzer 22 via the metrics media server 20.
The media, for example an advertisement, may be distributed through a number of different servers before it is delivered to the web browser of the user device 14. The distribution of media, and particularly video media such as advertisements, can be considered a marketplace of selling and re-selling of media publications. In some examples of this marketplace, the audibility of media presented to a user can be subject to a number of audio controls, this may include for example, without limitation: creative-embedded audio controls managed by an ad unit/player; player-embedded audio controls provided by a publisher or network; and site-embedded audio controls provided for example by a network. Media players or netstreams may be associated with the different parties within this marketplace.
In an exemplary arrangement, an advertiser will make an agreement with a publisher or network partner to publish media in the form of an advertisement a fixed number of times. To fulfill this agreement the publisher or network partner will arrange for distribution of the media from an advertising server 30. The publisher or network partner will seek to publish the advertisement to a number of user terminals, in order to fulfill the agreement. If the original publisher or network partner is unable to fulfill the agreement themselves, for whatever reason, the publisher or network partner may arrange for the further distribution of the media with a second publisher or network partner in order to fulfill the original agreement,
This may then continue with the second publisher or network partner arranging for further distribution by a third publisher or network partner if the second publisher or network partner is unable to fulfill their arrangement, and so on, In the present application use of the terms “publisher” or “network partner” encompasses any or all of the publishers or network partners in this and similar scenarios.
The advertising server 30 may be a server, such as a web server, that operates to store media such as advertisements, Such media may be delivered to the user terminal 14 when a user visits a particular web page or website, In addition, advertising servers 30 may also act to target particular media to particular users depending upon a set of rules. Therefore, a specific media, such as a particular advertisement, may have been placed on a plurality of different advertising servers. However, each instance of the specific media being published to a particular user terminal 14 will have originated in a single one of the advertising servers, being supplied through one or more servers of one or more publishers or network partners such as network partner server 32 forming a chain between the source advertising server 30 and the user terminal 14, Each advertisement receives media from a publisher when a web page is loaded. In the present application use of the term “advertiser” encompasses any or all of these scenarios.
In an embodiment, to minimise undercounting due to caching, a random number string may be generated through a JavaScript function or server-side processes and incorporated into the delivery and measurement tags. HTTP header controls (expiry, pragma and cache-control headers) may also be used in the server response to the delivery and measurement tags.
In an embodiment, the media or ad start event is media or creative embedded and comes from a media or creative integrated media player or a display format media or ad that is controlled and served by the metrics media server 20. Accordingly, in this embodiment the media or ad start is not subject to delivery chain counting limitations/concerns typically associated with impression counting such as user abandonment, page load failures, page load latency, and the like. At first call, for example the start of the media or ad start for metrics media server 20 and publisher media server 30 originating calls, the following information or identifiers relating to a campaign which may run across multiple publisher's websites may be collected: session data and identifier and/or identification (ID); Internet protocol (IP) addresses, placement/creative/media identifiers; media or ad boot state, item numbers, time stamp; and the like. This is done continuously in real time.
It will be appreciated that the method and apparatus described in the above embodiments are implemented for a media server, recordation and reporting system that functionally translates signals from a media player into some volume of the signal These principles may be implemented and applied for providing metrics on all types of media content such as advertisements, adverts, games, simulation applications, augmented and/or virtual reality applications, tutorials, online tours, educational material, entertainment applications and the like.
The methods and apparatus described may be implemented at least in part in software. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the apparatus described may be implemented using general purpose computers or using bespoke equipment. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing has described what is considered to be the best mode and, where appropriate, other modes of performing the invention, the invention should not be limited to the specific configurations and methods disclosed in this description of an embodiment of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognise that the invention has a broad range of applications, and that the embodiments may take a wide range of modifications without departing from the inventive concept as defined by the appended claims.
The hardware elements, operating systems and programming languages of such computers are conventional in nature, and it is presumed that those skilled in the art. are adequately familiar therewith. Of course, the server functions may be implemented in a distributed fashion on a number of similar platforms, to distribute the processing load. Hence, aspects of the methods and apparatus described herein can be executed on a mobile station and on a computing device such as a server. Program aspects of the technology may be thought of as “products” or “articles of manufacture” typically in the form of executable code and/or associated data that is carried on or embodied in a type of machine readable medium. “Storage” type media include any or all of the memory of the mobile stations, computers, processors or the like, or associated modules hereof, such as various semiconductor memories, tape drives, disk drives and the like, which may provide storage at any time for the software programming. All or potions of the software may at times be communicated through the Internet or various other telecommunication networks. Such communications, for example, may enable loading of the software from one computer or processor into another computer or processor. Thus, another type of media that may bear the software elements includes optical, electrical and electromagnetic waves, such as used across physical interfaces between local devices, through wired and optical landline networks and over various air-links. The physical elements that carry such waves, such as wired or wireless links, optical links or the like, also may be considered as media bearing the software, As used herein, unless restricted to tangible non-transitory “storage” media, terms such as computer or machine “readable medium” refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution.
Hence, a machine readable medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, a tangible storage medium, a carrier wave medium or physical transmission medium. Non-volatile storage media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as any of the storage devices in any computer(s) or the like, such as may be used to implement the data aggregator, the customer communication systems, etc. shown in the drawings, Volatile storage media include dynamic memory, such as main memory of such a computer platform. Tangible transmission media include coaxial cables; copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise a bus within a computer system. Carrier-wave transmission media can take the form of electric or electromagnetic signals, or acoustic or light waves such as those generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications. Common forms of computer-readable media therefore include for example: a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD OR DVD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards paper tape, another physical storage medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave transporting data or instructions, cables or links transporting such a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer can read programming code and/or data. Many of these forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to a processor for execution.
While the foregoing has described what are considered to be the best mode and/or other examples, it is understood that various modifications may be made therein and that the subject matter disclosed herein may be implemented in various forms and examples, and that the teachings may be applied in numerous applications, only some of which have been described herein. It is intended by the following claims to claim any and all applications, modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the present teachings.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13838036 | Mar 2013 | US |
Child | 14038529 | US |