Method And Apparatus For Electronically Providing Advertisements

Abstract

Methods, apparatus and computer-code for electronically providing advertisement are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, advertisements are provided in accordance with at least one feature of electronic media content of a multi-party conversation, for example, by targeting at least one advertisement to at least one individual associated with a party of the multi-party voice conversation. Optionally, the multi-party conversation is a video conversation and at least one feature is a video content feature. Exemplary features include but are not limited to speech delivery features, key word features, topic features, background sound or image features, deviation features and biometric features. Techniques for providing advertisements in accordance with any voice electronic media content, including but not limited to voice mail content, are also disclosed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the invention is described herein by way of example for several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention. As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning “having the potential to’), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e. meaning “must”).

FIGS. 1A-1D describe exemplary use scenarios.

FIG. 2 provides a flow chart of an exemplary technique for facilitating advertising.

FIG. 3 describes an exemplary technique for computing one or more features of electronic media content including voice content.

FIG. 4-5 describes exemplary techniques for targeting advertisement.

FIG. 6 describes an exemplary adaptive technique for targeting advertisement.

FIG. 7 describes an exemplary system for providing a multi-party conversation.

FIGS. 8-14 describes exemplary systems for computing various features.

FIG. 15 describes an exemplary system for targeting advertisement

Claims

1) A method of facilitating advertising, the method comprising: a) providing electronic media content of a multi-party voice conversation including spoken content of said conversation; andb) in accordance with at least one feature of said electronic media content, providing at least one advertisement to at least one individual associated with a party of said multi-party voice conversation.

2) The method of claim 1 further comprising: c) analyzing said electronic media content to compute said at least one feature of said electronic media content.

3) The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one feature includes at least one key words feature indicative of a presence or absence of at least one of: i) a key word; andii) a phrase;

4) The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one feature includes at least one speech delivery feature selected from the group consisting of: i) an accent feature;ii) a speech tempo feature;iii) a voice inflection feature;iv) a voice pitch feature;v) a voice loudness feature;vi) an emotional outburst feature;wherein said targeting is carried out in accordance with at least one said determined voice characteristic.

5) The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one feature includes at least one video content feature.

6) The method of claim 5 wherein said video content feature is selected from the group consisting of: i) a visible physical characteristic of a person in an image;ii) a video background feature; andiii) a detected physical movement feature;

7) The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one feature includes at least one topic category feature.

8) The method of claim 7 wherein at least one said topic category feature is a topic change feature.

9) The method of claim 8 wherein at least one said topic change feature is selected from the group consisting of: i) a topic change frequency,ii) an impending topic change likelihood,iii) an estimated time until a next topic change; andiv) a time since a previous topic change

10) The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one feature includes at least one demographic feature selected from the group consisting of: i) a feature;ii) an educational level feature;iii) a household income feature;iv) a weight feature;v) an age feature; andvi) an ethnicity feature.

11) The method of claim 10 wherein at least one said demographic feature is determined in accordance with at least one: i) an idiom feature;ii) an accent feature;iii) a grammar compliance feature;iv) a voice characteristic feature;v) a sentence length feature; andvi) a vocabulary richness feature.

12) The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one feature includes at least physiological parameter feature.

13) The method of claim 12 wherein said physiological parameter is selected from the group consisting of a breathing parameter, a sweat parameter, a coughing parameter, a voice-hoarseness parameter, and a body-twitching parameter.

14) The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one feature includes at least one background feature selected from the group consisting of: i) a background sound feature; andii) a background image.

15) The method of claim 14 wherein said background item is selected from the group consisting of a furniture item and a wall-mounted item.

16) The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one feature includes at least one localization feature selected from the group consisting of: i) a time localization feature; andii) a space localization feature.

17) The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one feature includes at least one historical content feature.

18) The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one feature includes at least one user deviation feature.

19) The method of claim 18 wherein said at least one user deviation feature includes an inter-subject deviation feature.

20) The method of claim 18 wherein said at least one user deviation feature includes a voice property deviation feature.

21) The method of claim 20 wherein said at least one feature includes at least one speech delivery deviation feature selected from the group consisting of: i) an accent deviation feature;ii) a voice tone deviation feature;iii) a voice loudness deviation feature;iv) a speech rate deviation feature.

22) The method of claim 18 wherein said at least one user deviation feature includes a physiological deviation feature.

23) The method of claim 18 wherein said physiological deviation feature is selected from the group consisting of: i) a breathing rate deviation feature;ii) a weight deviation feature.

24) The method of claim 18 wherein said at least one user deviation feature includes vocabulary deviation feature.

25) The method of claim 18 wherein said deviation feature is a user behavior deviation feature.

26) The method of claim 18 wherein said at least one user deviation feature includes a vocabulary deviation feature.

27) The method of claim 26 wherein said vocabulary deviation feature is a profanity deviation feature.

28) The method of claim 18 wherein said at least one user deviation feature includes a history deviation feature.

29) The method of claim 28 wherein said historical deviation feature is selected from the group consisting of: i) an intra-conversation historical deviation feature; andii) an inter-conversation historical deviation feature.

30) The method of claim 18 wherein said at least one user deviation feature includes a person-versus-physical-location deviation feature.

31) The method of claim 18 wherein said at least one user deviation feature includes a person-group deviation feature.

32) The method of claim 18 wherein said at least one feature includes person-recognition feature indicative of an identity of a specific person.

33) The method of claim 32 wherein said at least one person-recognition feature includes at least one biometric feature.

34) The method of claim 33 wherein at least one said biometric feature is selected from the group consisting of: i) a voice-print feature;ii) a face biometric feature.

35) The method of claim 32 wherein said at least one person-recognition feature includes a clothing-article feature.

36) The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one feature includes a handedness feature.

37) The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one feature includes at least one influence feature.

38) The method of claim 37 wherein said at least one said influence feature includes at least one of: i) a person influence feature; andii) a statement influence feature; and

39) The method of claim 1 wherein said advertisement-providing includes targeting advertisement to a first party of said conversation in accordance with properties of at least one of: i) speech of a second party of said conversation; andii) video of a second party of said conversation,

40) The method of claim 1 wherein said advertisement-providing includes selecting an advertisement from a pre-determined pool of advertisements in accordance with at least one said feature.

41) The method of claim 1 wherein said advertisement-providing includes customizing a pre-determined advertisement in accordance with at least one said feature.

42) The method of claim 1 wherein said advertisement-providing includes modifying an advertisement mailing list in accordance with at least one said feature.

43) The method of claim 1 wherein said advertisement-providing includes configuring a client device to present at least one said advertisement in accordance with at least one said feature.

44) The method of claim 1 wherein said advertisement-providing includes determining an ad residence time in accordance with at least one said feature.

45) The method of claim 1 wherein said advertisement-providing includes determining an ad switching rate in accordance with at least one said feature.

46) The method of claim 1 wherein said advertisement-providing includes determining an ad size parameter rate in accordance with at least one said feature.

47) The method of claim 1 wherein said advertisement-providing includes presenting at least one acquisition condition parameter whose value is determined in accordance with at least one said feature.

48) The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one acquisition condition parameter is selected from the group consisting of: i) a price parameter andii) an offered-item time-interval parameter.

49) The method of claim 1 further comprising: c) providing an additional at least one advertisement in accordance with a feedback feature of detected feedback to said first at least one advertisement.

50) The method of claim 1 wherein said feedback feature is selected from the group consisting of i) an audio feedback feature;ii) a video feedback feature;iii) a feature of user-input client device commands.

51) A method of facilitating advertising, the method comprising: a) receiving electronic media content of a multi-party voice conversation from at least one client device; andb) configuring at least one said client device to present advertisement in accordance with at least one feature of said electronic media content.

52) A method of facilitating advertising comprising: a) effecting at least one voice-content operation selected from the group consisting of: i) recording an audio voice signal to generate digital audio media content;ii) effecting a digital audio media content playback operation;b) computing a feature of said digital audio media content; andc) providing at least one advertisement in accordance with at least one computed said feature.

53) An apparatus useful for facilitating advertising, the apparatus comprising: a) a data storage operative to store electronic media content of a multi-party voice conversation including spoken content of said conversation; andb) a data presentation interface operative to present at least one advertisement in accordance with at least feature of said electronic media content.

54) The apparatus of claim 53 further comprising: c) a media input operative to receive at least one of audio and video input from at least one party of said multi-party voice conversation and to generate at least some said electronic media content.

55) The apparatus of claim 53 further comprising: c) a feature calculation engine operative to calculate said at least one feature of said electronic media content.

56) An apparatus useful for facilitating advertising, the apparatus comprising: a) a data storage operative to store electronic media content of a multi-party voice conversation including spoken content of said conversation; andb) an advertisement serving engine operative to serve at least one advertisement in accordance with at least feature of said electronic media content.

57) The apparatus of claim 56 further comprising: c) a feature calculation engine operative to calculate said at least one feature of said electronic media content.

58) The apparatus of claim 56 wherein said feature calculation engine resides at least in part on at least one client terminal device of said multi-party voice conversation

59) A method of facilitating advertising, the method comprising: a) providing a telecommunications service where a plurality of users send electronic media content via a telecommunications channel; andb) providing an advertisement service where advertisement content is distributed to at least one target associated with at least one said user in accordance with said electronic media content transmitted via said telecommunications service.

60) The method of claim 59 wherein said communications service is a web-based telecommunications service.

61) The method of claim 59 wherein said communications service is provided at least in part over a circuit-switched network.

62) A method of facilitating advertising, the method comprising: a) providing a telecommunications service where a plurality of users send electronic media content via a telecommunications channel;b) receiving advertisement input content for distribution; andc) effecting at least one advertisement handling operation in accordance with at least feature of transmitted electronic media content of said telecommunications service, said at least one advertisement handling operation being selected from the group consisting of: i) distributing advertisement content derived from said received advertisement input content;ii) billing for distribution of said advertisement input content in accordance with said electronic media sent via said telecommunications service.