1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and a system for producing and playing a personalized video, and more particularly, to a method, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and a system capable of generating a personalized video by inserting a personalized content into a video template, and playing the personalized video on a digital out of home (DOOH) or a television (TV) broadcasting medium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the advancement of electronic information transmission and displaying technologies, television (TV) broadcasting media and digital out of homes (DOOHs) have been widely used for distributing information. The TV broadcasting medium transmits video content to a TV in the house via a wired or wireless network, with which the content is broadcasted to a large audience watching the TV at the same time. Digital signages of the DOOHs are usually installed in public areas where crowds of people gather. The digital signages are capable of playing rich video and text contents on big-size screens so that crowds can watch the digital signage simultaneously; in other words, the digital signages “narrowcast” to the crowds. Since the audience watches the content of the DOOH together, they may easily influence each other. For example, when seeing a large number of people standing and staring at something, a pedestrian passing by may also stop and take a look at it (to figure out what happened).
The characteristics of “broadcasting” of the TV medium and “narrowcasting” and “crowd gathering” of the DOOHs make these media superior tools for advertising. Because of certain technical limitations, however, most advertisements on the TV broadcasting medium and DOOHs are confined to predefined videos and images, which can only be played in turn repeatedly. The effectiveness of such one-way dissemination is therefore limited.
Moreover, although the TV broadcasting medium has the characteristic of “broadcasting” and the DOOHs have the characteristics of “narrowcasting” and “crowd gathering”, the advertisements played thereof are often “commercial-oriented” (rather than “content-oriented”). Very soon people are tired of watching them, and ignore them eventually.
In recent years, social networking platforms (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.) have become increasingly popular. The social networking platforms allow personal content to be transmitted selectively to those who may be interested (e.g. relatives, friends, fans, etc.) via apps or browsers in mobile phones or tablets. Since the contents are more closely linked to the audience, related information is more likely to be accepted, and then effectively consumed.
Although social medium is an efficient way of sharing the contents, the commercial-oriented advertisements produced by advertisers cannot always be broadcasted in this way. The reason is that the contents of commercial advertisements are always designed for wide audience to receive information with particular purposes, but the contents which are being put on social network platforms are normally “personalized” to a certain extent. (For example, people may only want to share some specific contents via the social network if these contents are “related to themselves” or they think “their friends are interested in them”.) “Personalization” is therefore inconsistent with the concept of commercial advertising. If personalized elements were to be combined with commercial advertisements, the whole content would need to be properly designed and controlled.
Thus, there is a need for a system which combines “social networking” with “DOOHs” or the conventional “TV broadcasting medium”, in order to compensate for the shortcomings of each other.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a method, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a system for producing and playing a personalized video, which is capable of combining the “social networking” with the “digital out of homes (DOOHs)” or the “television (TV) broadcasting medium”, in order to compensate for the shortcomings of each other. The present invention provides a user interface for performing customization. A user can insert customized content into several specific objects in advertisement videos. Then, the customized videos are played on the DOOHs or the TV broadcasting media, and shared on a social networking platform simultaneously or after a specific period of time. The present invention personalizes the advertisement content on the DOOHs or the TV broadcasting media. The effectiveness of the advertisements are enhanced significantly due to such diversification of the content (e.g. each time an advertisement is played, different content with different original features contributed by different users is broadcast, so that people may want to watch the advertisement again) and resonance of the audience (e.g. people want to watch an advertisement when a face of their friends appears in it). The present invention may also link an individual with a commercial advertisement, so that the individual will be interested in broadcasting the advertisement content through its social networks; that is, the mechanism of the present invention makes the audience more willing to distribute the advertisement because they are involved in this advertisement played on the mass media. Information of the advertisement is therefore transferred more accurately (to right target audience), which further enhances the effectiveness.
The present invention discloses a method of producing and playing a personalized video. The method comprises producing a plurality of video templates according to contents of a plurality of videos; storing information corresponding to a plurality of digital out of homes (DOOHs) or a plurality of television (TV) broadcasting media, and information corresponding to the plurality of video templates in a memory; inserting a personalized content into a video template among the plurality of video templates according to the information corresponding to the plurality of video templates, in order to generate the personalized video; playing the personalized video on a DOOH among the plurality of DOOHs or a TV broadcasting medium among the plurality of TV broadcasting media according to the information corresponding to the plurality of DOOHs or the plurality of TV broadcasting media; announcing time and location of playing the personalized video on at least one social networking website or a channel of the TV broadcasting medium in advance before the DOOH or the TV broadcasting medium plays the personalized video; and delivering the personalized video on the social networking website simultaneously or after a specific period of time when the personalized video is played by the DOOH or the TV broadcasting medium.
The present invention further discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program instructed by a processor to execute a method of producing and playing a personalized video. The method comprises producing a plurality of video templates according to contents of a plurality of videos; storing information corresponding to a plurality of digital out of homes (DOOHs) or a plurality of television (TV) broadcasting media, and information corresponding to the plurality of video templates in a memory; inserting a personalized content into a video template among the plurality of video templates according to the information corresponding to the plurality of video templates, in order to generate the personalized video; playing the personalized video on a DOOH among the plurality of DOOHs or a TV broadcasting medium among the plurality of TV broadcasting media according to the information corresponding to the plurality of DOOHs or the plurality of TV broadcasting media; announcing time and location of playing the personalized video on at least one social networking website or a channel of the TV broadcasting medium in advance before the DOOH or the TV broadcasting medium plays the personalized video; and delivering the personalized video on the social networking website simultaneously or after a specific period of time when the personalized video is played by the DOOH or the TV broadcasting medium.
The present invention further discloses a system for producing and playing a personalized video. The system comprises a template producing tool, for producing a plurality of video templates according to contents of a plurality of videos; a memory, for storing information corresponding to a plurality of digital out of homes (DOOHs) or a plurality of television (TV) broadcasting media, and information corresponding to the plurality of video templates in a memory; a processor; and a storage media, having a program instructed by the processor to execute the following steps: inserting a personalized content into a video template among the plurality of video templates according to the information corresponding to the plurality of video templates in order to generate the personalized video, playing the personalized video on a DOOH among the plurality of DOOHs or a TV broadcasting medium among the plurality of TV broadcasting media according to the information corresponding to the plurality of DOOHs or the plurality of TV broadcasting media, announcing time and location of playing the personalized video on at least one social networking website or a channel of the TV broadcasting medium in advance before the DOOH or the TV broadcasting medium plays the personalized video, and delivering the personalized video on the social networking website simultaneously or after a specific period of time when the personalized video is played by the DOOH or the TV broadcasting medium.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
Please refer to
The template producing tool 102 is utilized for producing a plurality of video templates VT1-VTN according to contents of a plurality of videos. The complete video templates VT1-VTN are transmitted to the server 106 and stored in a memory of the server 106. The memory for storing the video templates VT1-VTN may also be realized in the template producing tool 102 or realized alone in the network environment 10, which is not limited herein. The user 104 may utilize any numbers of different electronic devices such as a mobile phone, smart phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), portable computer (e.g. laptop, netbook and tablet), personal computer (PC) or any other types of communication devices which can be utilized in the network environment 10. The user 104 may communicate with the server 106 via the network environment 10, in order to obtain information related to producing and playing the personalized video, so that the user 104 can produce the personalized video based on his/her personal requirements. The user 104 may also control a processor in the server 106 to select the desired DOOHs or TV broadcasting media DS1-DSX for playing the personalized video and the method of playing the video. The server 106 may be utilized for storing the video templates VT1-VTN and its related information, and also for storing information related to the DOOHs or TV broadcasting media DS1-DSX such as location, playing scheduling, etc. In some embodiments, the server 106 may be utilized for managing the playing scheduling for each of the DOOHs or TV broadcasting media DS1-DSX.
Please refer to
Step 200: Start.
Step 202: The template producing tool 102 produces the video templates VT1-VTN according to contents of a plurality of videos.
Step 204: Store information corresponding to the DOOHs or TV broadcasting media DS1-DSX and information corresponding to the video templates VT1-VTN in a memory of the server 106.
Step 206: The user 104 inserts a personalized content into a video template among the video templates VT1-VTN according to the information corresponding to the video templates VT1-VTN, in order to generate the personalized video.
Step 208: Play the personalized video on a DOOH or TV broadcasting medium among the DOOHs or TV broadcasting media DS1-DSX according to the information corresponding to the DOOHs or TV broadcasting media DS1-DSX.
Step 210: End.
According to the personalized video producing and playing process 20, the template producing tool 102 first produces the video templates VT1-VTN according to the contents of the plurality of videos. These videos may be any kind of video with digital formats such as advertisements, movies, short films, etc. The template producing tool 102 may retrieve raw data of the video, where the raw data may include images, figures, sounds, words, etc. In the raw data, the video information may be interpreted as frames corresponding to different times in a timeline and location and size of each object (e.g. image, figure, sound, word) in each frame. Each frame is played continuously as time goes on. A keyframe, which is a specific frame selected by the template designer, is capable of unfolding customizable objects defined in the template. For an illustration of this, please refer to
After the video template is accomplished, it may be uploaded to the server 106 and stored in the memory. In addition, a description file corresponding to the video template may also be uploaded to the server 106 and stored in the memory. The description file of the video template describes information related to the keyframes and objects capable of inserting the personalized content in the video template. The description file may include location of each keyframe on the timeline, location of each object in each keyframe, size of each object, etc.
In some embodiments, the template producing tool 102 may be Adobe After Effects, and the objects of the video template are considered as footage (images, videos, sounds) and text layer (words) in After Effects. The description file of the video template may describe which footage and text layer are customizable objects allowing the user to insert the personalized content.
The memory in the server 106 stores not only the video templates VT1-VTN and the corresponding description files, but also the DOOHs or TV broadcasting media DS1-DSX and the corresponding information. The information corresponding to the DOOHs or TV broadcasting media DS1-DSX includes names, locations, size and playing schedules of the DOOHs or TV broadcasting media DS1-DSX. In some embodiments, the information corresponding to the DOOHs or TV broadcasting media DS1-DSX may include a frequency of audiences passing through the viewing area of a specific DOOH. The server 106 may be connected to the DOOHs or TV broadcasting media DS1-DSX. When the user 104 needs to play the video, the server 106 may control one or more specific DOOHs or TV broadcasting media among the DOOHs or TV broadcasting media DS1-DSX to play the video.
When the user 104 needs to produce a personalized video, the user 104 may select any one of the video templates VT1-VTN to insert the personalized content. Please refer to
In some embodiments, the video templates VT1-VTN may be classified based on different applications. For example, the video templates VT1-VTN may be divided into a video template for proposing, a video template for birthday celebration, etc. At this point, the user 104 may first select the type of video template, and then select the desired video template from among the selected types to insert the personalized content.
Please refer to
The personalized contents inserted into the customizable objects 506 in the keyframe 502 may be photos, videos, sounds, words, etc. A photo insertion is taken as an example. Please refer to
After the personalized video is accomplished, the user 104 may start to deliver the personalized video. In some embodiments, when the DOOHs are used for playing the video, the user 104 may enter an interface for DOOH overview. After the user 104 selects the desired country/city for playing the video, a map of this country/city may be displayed on the screen. The user 104 designates an area for playing the video from the map of the country/city, and the DOOHs in the designated area will then be displayed on the screen, in order to allow the user 104 to perform the selection. In some embodiments, when the TV broadcasting media are used for playing the video, the user 104 may select a TV broadcasting channel and time for playing the video. In some embodiments, global positioning satellite (GPS) may be utilized for detecting the location of the user 104, and the DOOHs nearby can be displayed directly, in order to allow the user 104 to perform the selection. In some embodiments, the map may not be utilized, and a list of the DOOHs or TV broadcasting media is provided for the user 104 to select the desired DOOH or TV broadcasting medium for playing the personalized video.
Please refer to
In order to spread the personalized video to more people who may be interested in the video, when the user 104 selects the booking playing 702, the user 104 may announce the time and location or channel for playing the personalized video on a social networking website such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. When the personalized video is played, the user 104 may further deliver this personalized video on the social networking website simultaneously or after a specific period of time. Members of the social networking website may grade or post a judgment on the contents of this personalized video. Through the connection of people on the social networking website, the contents of the personalized video will attract more attention.
A computer-readable storage medium refers to any medium participating in providing instructions to a central processing unit (CPU) for execution. The media may take many forms, which include but are not limited to, non-volatile and volatile media such as optical or magnetic disks and dynamic memory, respectively. For example, common forms of the computer-readable storage medium include a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM disk, a digital video disk (DVD), any other optical medium, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASHEPROM, and any other memory chip or cartridge.
The abovementioned DOOH refers to digital medium which are not located in home space. It usually displays the content by utilizing a digital signage. The digital signage is usually a video wall installed on an outside wall of a building, which is not limited herein. The DOOH may also be any media which play video contents in a public area, and may play the video through a TV in a building or a station. Content of the TV broadcasting media can be transmitted to TVs distributed over the world via wireless or wired networks. This video content may also be presented in other manners, which are not limited herein.
The abovementioned social networking website refers to a social networking service (SNS), which may be a service, platform or website capable of building social networks or social relations. The main function of the SNS is to set up an on-line society for a group of people having the same interest or engaging in the same activity. This kind of service is always performed via the Internet, and provides an approach for the user to perform many kinds of communication such as email, messenger, etc. The social networking website usually allows the user to share comments, activities, events, interests, etc. in his/her social network, which is not limited herein.
In the prior art, although the TV broadcasting medium has the characteristic of “broadcasting” and the DOOHs have the characteristics of “narrowcasting” and “crowd gathering”, the advertisements played on the TV broadcasting media and the DOOHs usually are often “commercial-oriented” rather than “content-oriented”. Very soon people are tired of watching them, and ignore them eventually. In comparison, the present invention combines “social networking” with the “DOOHs” or the “TV broadcasting media”, in order to compensate for the shortcomings of each other. Furthermore, the present invention personalizes the advertisement content on the DOOHs or the TV broadcasting media. Effectiveness of the advertisements are enhanced significantly due to diversification of the content (e.g. each time an advertisement is played, different content with different originality contributed by different users are broadcast, so that people may want to watch the advertisement again) and resonance of the audience (e.g. people want to watch an advertisement when a face of their friends appears in it). The present invention may also link an individual with a commercial advertisement, so that the individual will be interested in broadcasting the advertisement content through its social networks; that is, the mechanism of the present invention makes the audience more willing to distribute the advertisement because they are involved in this advertisement played on mass media. Information in the advertisement is thereby transferred more accurately (to right target audience), which further enhances the effectiveness.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.