EP2012447A1 - Apparatus for controlling the insertion of additional contents in a multimedia contents stream - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (D) has a management unit (MG) e.g. electronic circuit, for determining complementary contents e.g. messages, to be inserted at chosen places of multimedia content stream from the complementary contents associated with a predefined profile and partially contained in the stream in the presence of the stream of multimedia contents to be transmitted in real time. The management unit determines the complementary contents as a function of criterion e.g. tariff criterion, pertaining to part of profiles and user information that utilizes the multimedia content stream.

Description

The invention relates to the transmission of multimedia content to communication terminals by multimedia content transmission infrastructures.

Here, "multimedia content" is understood to mean a set of data of the same type, such as, for example, television or radio programs, possibly of an advertising nature, data files (or "data" in English), audio files or videos.

Furthermore, the term "multimedia content transmission infrastructure" is understood to mean both a communication network and a broadcasting network.

Finally, the term "communication terminal" means any fixed or mobile (or portable or cellular) communication equipment capable of receiving at least multimedia content from an infrastructure for transmitting multimedia contents (possibly radio). Therefore, it may for example be a fixed or mobile phone (or cellular), a desktop or portable computer, a digital personal assistant (or PDA), a receiver of multimedia content (for example: example a decoder, a residential gateway (or "residential gateway") or a STB ("Set Top Box")), since it is equipped with communication means, possibly radio or satellite, capable of receiving multimedia content .

The multimedia contents are generally transmitted to the destination communication terminals in an orderly manner (i.e., programmed in time) within streams. Once the programming of a stream has been established, the multimedia contents of this stream are respectively associated with defined time intervals. It is then difficult to modify the programming of the stream, for example to replace (or substitute) multimedia content to be transmitted by other multimedia content, or to insert (multimedia) content between two multimedia contents to be transmitted soon.

However, such a modification could be interesting, especially in the advertising field, for example to be more flexible or more responsive (because of the knowledge of instantaneous audiences).

• ces moyens de gestion peuvent être chargés, en cas de détermination d'un premier contenu de substitution à insérer dans un endroit choisi d'un flux déjà occupé par un second contenu, d'ordonner le remplacement (ou la substitution) du second contenu par le premier contenu de substitution ;
• ces moyens de gestion peuvent être chargés de sélectionner chaque contenu complémentaire à insérer dans un flux donné parmi un sous-ensemble de contenus complémentaires choisi parmi plusieurs sous-ensembles associés respectivement à des files d'attente, en fonction d'au moins un critère choisi correspondant à ce sous-ensemble choisi ;
• les profils peuvent comporter des informations qui sont choisies parmi (au moins) une localisation géographique cible, une offre tarifaire, des horaires de programmation, au moins un identifiant de cible, au moins une partie de profil d'utilisateur, une durée de contenu, et un nombre approximatif d'utilisateurs cibles (audience) ;
• les critères peuvent par exemple être choisis parmi (au moins) un critère de localisation géographique, un critère tarifaire, un critère horaire, un critère d'appartenance à une liste d'identifiants, un critère de correspondance avec au moins une partie de profil d'utilisateur, un critère de durée de contenu, et un critère de nombre d'utilisateurs cibles (audience) ;
• il peut comprendre des moyens de stockage chargés de stocker certains au moins des contenus complémentaires à insérer en correspondance de leurs profils associés ;
• certains au moins des contenus complémentaires peuvent par exemple être des contenus publicitaires ;
• certains au moins des contenus complémentaires peuvent par exemple être des messages.

The invention therefore aims to enable the management of the insertion and replacement of multimedia content within streams.
It proposes for this purpose a device, dedicated to the management of multimedia content to be transmitted to communication terminals, and comprising management means loaded, in the presence of a stream of multimedia content to be transmitted, to determine in real time ( dynamically) complementary contents (additional and / or substitution) to be inserted in selected locations of this stream, from a set of complementary contents which are each associated with a predefined profile and possibly at least partially contained in the stream, and depending at least one criterion relating to at least a part of the profiles, these management means being able to determine the complementary contents to be inserted not only according to at least one criterion relating to at least a part of the profiles, but also based on information representative of the "approximate numbers" of users who momentarily use certain streaming media content (i.e., based on instant audience data).
The multimedia content management device to be transmitted to communication terminals comprises management means arranged, in the presence of a multimedia content stream to be transmitted, for determining in real time complementary contents to be inserted in selected locations of said stream. among a set of complementary contents each associated with a predefined profile and possibly at least partially contained in said stream, and according to at least one criterion relating to at least part of said profiles,
said management means being arranged to determine said complementary contents to be inserted according to at least one criterion relating to at least part of said profiles and information representative of "Approximate numbers" of users who momentarily use certain multimedia contents of said stream.
The device according to the invention may comprise other characteristics that can be taken separately or in combination, in particular:

• these management means can be loaded, in the case of determining a first substitution content to be inserted in a chosen location of a stream already occupied by a second content, to order the replacement (or the substitution) of the second content by the first substitution content;
• these management means may be responsible for selecting each additional content to be inserted in a given stream from a subset of complementary contents chosen from several subsets associated with queues, respectively, according to at least one chosen criterion corresponding to this selected subset;
• the profiles may comprise information that is selected from (at least) a target geographical location, a rate offer, programming schedules, at least one target identifier, at least a user profile portion, a content duration, and an approximate number of target users (audience);
• the criteria can for example be chosen from (at least) a geographical location criterion, a tariff criterion, an hour criterion, a criterion for belonging to a list of identifiers, a criterion for correspondence with at least one part of a profile of user, a criterion of duration of content, and a criterion of number of target users (audience);
• it may include storage means responsible for storing at least some of the complementary contents to be inserted in correspondence with their associated profiles;
• at least some of the complementary contents may for example be advertising contents;
• at least some of the complementary contents may for example be messages.

The invention also proposes a server equipped with a management device of the type of that presented above.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the attached drawing, in which the single figure very schematically illustrates an example of a communication installation comprising a server of content, equipped with an exemplary embodiment of a management device according to the invention and coupled to a multimedia content transmission infrastructure to which are connected communication terminals.

The attached drawing may not only serve to complete the invention, but also contribute to its definition, if any.

The object of the invention is in particular to enable a service provider to manage the insertion and replacement of multimedia content in streams of multimedia content to be transmitted to communication terminals via at least one multimedia content transmission infrastructure.

In what follows, by way of non-limiting example, the communication terminals T are mobile (or cellular) telephones. But, the invention is not limited to this type of communication terminal. It relates in fact to any type of fixed or mobile communication equipment (or portable or cellular) capable of receiving multimedia content from at least one infrastructure for transmitting multimedia content. Therefore, it may also be a landline or mobile (or cellular), a desktop or portable computer, a personal digital assistant (or PDA), a receiver of multimedia content (for example a decoder or a STB (Set Top Box)), or equipment type CPE (for "Customer Premises Equipment"), such as a residential gateway (or "residential gateway"), equipped with communication means, possibly radio or satellite, suitable at least for the reception of broadcast data as well as possibly for the exchange of data in point-to-point mode.

Furthermore, it is considered in the following, by way of non-limiting example, that the multimedia content transmission infrastructure is a mobile (or cellular) communication network, such as for example a UMTS network capable of being broadcast (by example of MBMS type (for "Multimedia Broadcast / Multicast Services") or its evolution called LTE ("Long Term Evolution"). But, the invention is not limited to this type of infrastructure. It concerns both wired or wireless (terrestrial and / or satellite) communication networks and wired or wireless (terrestrial and / or satellite) broadcast networks. Consequently, it may be a fixed network, for example of the xDSL or fiber or cable type, a T-DMB type network, a satellite network (for example an SDMB network (for "Satellite Digital Multimedia Broadcast") or S-UMTS or SDR ("Satellite Digital Radio")), a terrestrial network possibly of radio type, for example a DVB-H network (for "Digital Video Broadcasting - Handhelds"). - mobile television), or a terrestrial network implementing technology derived from satellite technology (eg DVB-S, DVB-S2 or DVB-RCS), or from a hybrid network, ie to both satellite and terrestrial, such as a DVB-SH type network (satellite links with terrestrial relays).

It should be noted that any technique for transmitting multimedia content known to those skilled in the art can be used, and in particular the streaming technique, the technique of public broadcasting by means of downloading. public over the air broadcast - by satellite and / or terrestrial means, the technique of private diffusion by relay by means of waves (or "service provider over the air relay" - by satellite and / or terrestrially), and the video-on-demand type technique in advance mode (or "push-VoD" - transmission of multimedia contents a certain time before their respective programming dates).

Furthermore, it is considered in the following, by way of non-limiting example, that the multimedia content broadcast to the T terminals include television or radio programs and advertisements (or commercials). But, the invention is not limited to these types of multimedia content. It concerns indeed any type of multimedia content, including videos, audio content and applications to download.

As is schematically illustrated in the single figure, the implementation of the invention requires the presence of at least one device D dedicated to managing multimedia content, T communication terminals (possibly of different types), an SC content server and at least one IT multimedia content transmission infrastructure.

The content server SC is responsible for providing the IT infrastructure, in the form of a stream, the multimedia contents that must be transmitted to at least some of the T terminals according to a predefined programming. Each stream is here composed of main multimedia contents (for example television programs) and complementary multimedia contents (for example advertising contents) interspersed in "content breaks" (or "content breaks") located in selected places between two main multimedia contents. It should be noted that the streams are for example of the "linear IPTV" type (linear television over IP) in which the same television programs are broadcast simultaneously to many users and are interrupted by time intervals (or commercial breaks) of predefined durations and which are dedicated to the diffusion of messages or advertising clips.

It should also be noted that certain additional multimedia contents may be messages, possibly personal, that a broadcaster (or advertiser) wishes to transmit to one or more users. For example, a message may be intended to recall a product for verification or replacement, or to send an invitation to a test or a demonstration or a vernissage.

The main multimedia contents that are part of the streams come from at least one source of multimedia content, such as a multimedia content base BC (here internal, but it could be external) or an equipment delivering multimedia contents (by example live).

The complementary multimedia contents that form part of the streams come from storage means MS, which for example form part of the content server SC and / or another source (such as for example the multimedia content base BC or other means local or remote storage).

It should be noted that it is also possible to store in first storage means the multimedia contents (main and / or complementary) that must be transmitted in multicast mode (for example for a national broadcast), and to store in second storage means the multimedia contents (main and / or complementary) that must be transmitted in unicast mode (for example for a broadcast regional or local).

The content server SC comprises an FM multimedia content supply module and a control module MC. The provisioning module MF is responsible for constituting the streams of multimedia contents with main multimedia contents and complementary multimedia contents which are designated by the control module MC. To do this, it can for example access the multimedia content base BC and MS storage means. The multimedia contents of each stream are provided by the provisioning module MF to the IT infrastructure for broadcasting (in point-to-point (or "unicast") or point-to-multipoint (or "multicast") mode. ).

The device D is coupled to the control module MC in order to be informed in real time of the constitution (or programming) of each stream, that is to say of the ordered sequence of main multimedia contents (for example broadcast programs). television) which must be transmitted in each stream during selected time intervals and any additional multimedia contents (for example advertising contents) that have already been planned to be inserted into content holes which are located in places ( temporal) selected from major multimedia contents of said streams.

Device D includes a MG management module loaded, given the knowledge of the constitution (or programming) of a stream, to determine in real time (dynamically) complementary multimedia content (here advertising content) to be inserted in selected (temporal) locations of this stream. This determination is made from a set of complementary multimedia contents which are each associated with a predefined profile (or template) and according to at least one criterion relating to at least a part of the profiles.

Note that this set of multimedia contents complementary may consist of complementary multimedia content from the MS storage means and / or the content base BC (and which for some were possibly programmed in the flow concerned). In other words, the management module MG can either insert advertising content (so-called additional) in holes provided between the television programs of a stream, or replace (or substitute) an advertising content, provided by the initial programming in a hole of the stream, by another advertising content (called substitution).

In the example illustrated, the device D is part of the content server SC. But, this is not mandatory. It could indeed be coupled to this one. Moreover, in the illustrated example, the storage means MS are part of the content server SC while being external to the device D. But this is not mandatory. They could indeed be part of the device D or be external to the content server SC.

Although it is preferable, the profiles are not necessarily stored in correspondence of the advertising contents which are respectively associated with them. What is important is that the MG management module is able to access the profiles of the advertising contents in order to be able to determine in real time the advertising contents that will have to be inserted in selected (temporal) places of a stream.

As indicated above, this determination is made according to at least one criterion relating to at least a part of the profiles. But, in addition, it can also be done based on information that is representative of the approximate numbers of users who are currently using certain television programs (main multimedia content) of the stream. This information, generally referred to as instant audience data, can for example be determined by ED detection equipment that is connected to the IT infrastructure. They allow to know almost in real time the number of users who look at a given moment a given program of a bouquet of programs. This information can for example be transmitted to the device D, as soon as it is obtained, by the detection equipment ED, so that it takes them into account in its advertising content determinations to be inserted. insert or replace.

• la localisation géographique cible. Cette condition définit la zone géographique que l'annonceur d'un contenu publicitaire veut toucher. Cette localisation peut être nationale, régionale, locale ou individuelle,
• l'offre tarifaire. Cette condition définit le prix que l'annonceur d'un contenu publicitaire est prêt à payer pour que ce dernier soit diffusé,
• les horaires de programmation. Cette condition définit les horaires pendant lesquels l'annonceur d'un contenu publicitaire souhaite que ce dernier soit diffusé. Un horaire peut simplement avoir pour objectif de toucher certains types d'utilisateurs. Mais, il peut également correspondre à un horaire pendant lequel un centre d'appels est en mesure de répondre aux appels d'utilisateurs consécutifs au visionnage d'un spot publicitaire,
• au moins un identifiant de cible. Cette condition définit un ensemble d'au moins un identifiant d'utilisateur ou de terminal (adresse IP ou numéro de téléphone, par exemple) auquel l'annonceur d'un contenu publicitaire souhaite transmettre ce dernier. A titre d'exemple illustratif, un annonceur (par exemple une entreprise) peut souhaiter transmettre à des utilisateurs identifiés des publicités relatives à des produits (ou articles) qui correspondent à certains de leurs précédents achats,
• une partie au moins d'un profil d'utilisateur. Cette condition définit une ou plusieurs caractéristiques définissant un utilisateur, comme par exemple son sexe, sa catégorie d'âge, ou une ou plusieurs préférences ou habitudes,
• la durée du contenu. Cette condition définit la durée exacte de visualisation d'un contenu publicitaire. Des impossibilités de transmission peuvent apparaître à certains moments lorsqu'un contenu publicitaire est trop long (ou bien trop court),
• le nombre approximatif (ou l'intervalle de nombres) d'utilisateurs cibles. Cette condition définit l'audience recherchée par l'annonceur d'un contenu publicitaire.

Profiles (or templates) of advertising (or complementary) content may include any type of information defining a condition. Among the information (or conditions) that may be used, mention may notably be made of:

• the target geographical location. This condition defines the geographic area that the advertiser of an advertising content wants to reach. This location can be national, regional, local or individual,
• the tariff offer. This condition defines the price that the advertiser of an advertising content is willing to pay for it to be broadcast,
• programming schedules. This condition defines the times during which the advertiser of an advertising content wants it to be broadcast. A schedule may simply aim to reach certain types of users. But, it can also correspond to a time during which a call center is able to respond to calls from users consecutive to the viewing of a commercial,
• at least one target identifier. This condition defines a set of at least one user or terminal identifier (IP address or phone number, for example) to which the advertiser of an advertising content wishes to transmit the latter. As an illustrative example, an advertiser (for example a company) may wish to convey to identified users advertisements relating to products (or articles) that correspond to some of their previous purchases,
• at least part of a user profile. This condition defines one or more characteristics defining a user, such as, for example, his gender, his age category, or one or more preferences or habits,
• the duration of the content. This condition defines the exact duration of viewing of advertising content. Impossibilities of transmission can appear at times when advertising content is too long (or too short),
• the approximate number (or range of numbers) of target users. This condition defines the audience that the advertiser is seeking for content advertising.

• un critère de localisation géographique. Ce critère définit la zone géographique (nationale, régionale, locale ou individuelle) dans laquelle les contenus multimédia d'un flux doivent être diffusés,
• un critère tarifaire. Ce critère définit le prix de la diffusion d'un contenu publicitaire pendant un trou donné entre deux programmes donnés,
• un critère de disponibilité. Ce critère définit un horaire réservé à la diffusion d'un ou plusieurs contenus publicitaires,
• un critère d'appartenance à une liste d'identifiants. Ce critère définit un ensemble d'au moins un identifiant d'utilisateur ou de terminal destinataire d'un flux,
• un critère de correspondance avec au moins une partie de profil d'utilisateur. Ce critère définit le profil ou la partie de profil auquel (à laquelle) vont devoir correspondre les profils des utilisateurs qui sont les destinataires des contenus complémentaires qui doivent être insérés ou substitués,
• un critère de durée de contenu. Ce critère définit la durée qui est réservée pour un contenu publicitaire pendant un trou donné entre deux programmes donnés,
• un critère de nombre d'utilisateurs cibles. Ce critère définit le nombre approximatif (ou intervalle de nombres) d'utilisateurs qui sont supposés pouvoir visionner un contenu publicitaire pendant un trou donné entre deux programmes donnés. Ce critère peut être défini dynamiquement en fonction des données d'audience reçues de l'équipement de détection ED.

The criteria can be of any type since they relate to the information (or conditions) used to define the profiles (or templates). Among the criteria that may be used, mention may be made in particular of:

• a geographical location criterion. This criterion defines the geographical area (national, regional, local or individual) in which the multimedia contents of a stream must be disseminated,
• a tariff criterion. This criterion defines the price of the diffusion of an advertising content during a given hole between two given programs,
• an availability criterion. This criterion defines a schedule reserved for the distribution of one or more advertising contents,
• a criterion for belonging to a list of identifiers. This criterion defines a set of at least one user or destination identifier of a stream,
• a matching criterion with at least one user profile part. This criterion defines the profile or the part of the profile to which (to) will have to correspond the profiles of the users who are the recipients of the complementary contents which must be inserted or substituted,
• a criterion of duration of content. This criterion defines the duration that is reserved for an advertising content during a given hole between two given programs,
• a criterion of number of target users. This criterion defines the approximate number (or range of numbers) of users who are supposed to be able to view advertising content during a given hole between two given programs. This criterion can be dynamically defined based on the audience data received from the ED detection equipment.

By way of nonlimiting example, the management module MG can be configured at a given moment to make a determination according to a combination of three criteria: the target geographical area, the rate and the number of target users. Of course, the management module MG can be reconfigured at other given times to make determinations in according to any other combination of at least one criterion relating to the profiles associated with the advertising contents.

Note that it is possible to define subsets of complementary multimedia contents each corresponding to at least one particular profile or at least a particular portion of at least one particular profile, and then to select within a particular subset a or a plurality of complementary multimedia contents to be inserted or substituted according to a criterion relating to a profile of the contents of the subset. For example, it is possible to define queues (or lists) associated with the different subsets respectively, and then to select within a queue (or list) one or more complementary multimedia contents to be inserted or substituted in one or more streams based on the rate that their broadcaster (s) has proposed to pay.

When the management module MG has decided to insert an advertising content in a hole (at least partially empty) of a given stream, according to one or more criteria and any audience information, it transmits to the module of MC control the designation of this advertising content and the address where it is stored, and an order of insertion of this advertising content in the hole of the given stream. The control module MC then completes the programming and provides this complete programming to the MF supply module, which then takes care of extracting the advertising content (object of the programming complement) of the storage means concerned (MS or BC) before its instant programming.

As indicated above, the management module MG can estimate at certain times, according to one or more criteria and any audience information, that a first advertising content must replace a second advertising content initially programmed in one place (temporal ) chosen from a stream. In this case, the management module MG transmits to the control module MC the designation of the first advertising content and the address where it is stored, as well as the designation of the second advertising content, and an order of replacement of the second advertising content, in front of to be broadcast at a chosen location of a given stream, by the first advertising content. The MC control module changes the programming and provides this new programming to the MF supply module, which then takes care of extracting the advertising contents of the storage means concerned (MS or BC) before their respective programming times.

It is important to note that streams with different recipients may have exactly the same programming of main multimedia contents (here television programs), but programming of complementary multimedia contents (here advertising contents) different, at the request of the module MG management. In other words, the management module MG may decide to modify or complete all or part of the programming of the complementary contents of certain streams having a given principal multimedia content programming, and to leave the programming of the complementary contents of the other streams have this same programming of main multimedia content given. It is thus possible, particularly in the context of linear television, to broadcast to all users the same set of television programs (main multimedia contents), but to selectively broadcast to selected groups of at least one user of the multimedia contents. complementary ones (commercials) specifically chosen (for example from predefined queues (or lists)) according to their respective user profiles by substituting them for at least some of the complementary multimedia contents initially programmed.

The management device D according to the invention, and in particular its management module MG, can be implemented in the form of electronic circuits, software (or computer) modules, or a combination of circuits and software.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments of management device and multimedia content server described above, only by way of example, but it encompasses all the variants that may be considered by those skilled in the art in the scope of the claims below.

Claims (9)

Device (D) for managing multimedia contents to be transmitted to communication terminals (T), characterized in that it comprises management means (MG) arranged, in the presence of a stream of multimedia contents to be transmitted, for to determine in real time complementary contents to be inserted in selected locations of said stream, from a set of complementary contents each associated with a predefined profile and possibly at least partially contained in said stream, and according to at least one criterion relating to a at least part of said profiles,
said management means (MG) being arranged to determine said complementary contents to be inserted according to at least one criterion relating to at least part of said profiles and information representative of the "approximate numbers" of users who momentarily use certain contents multimedia of said stream. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said management means (MG) are arranged, in the case of determining a first complementary content to be inserted in a chosen location of a stream already occupied by a second complementary content, to order replacing said second complementary content with said first complementary content. Device according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that said management means (MG) are arranged to select each complementary content to be inserted in a given stream from a subset of complementary contents selected from several associated subsets respectively to queues, according to at least one selected criterion corresponding to said selected subset. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said profiles comprise selected information in a group comprising at least one target geographical location, a tariff offer, programming schedules, at least one target identifier, at least a user profile part, a content duration, and a number approximate number of target users. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said criteria are selected from a group comprising at least one geographical location criterion, a tariff criterion, an hour criterion, a membership criteria to a list of identifiers , a matching criterion with at least one user profile part, a content duration criterion, and a target number of target users criterion. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises storage means (MS) arranged to store at least some of said complementary contents to be inserted in correspondence of their associated profiles. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least some of said complementary contents are advertising contents. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least some of said complementary contents are messages. Content server (SC), characterized in that it comprises a management device (D) according to one of the preceding claims.

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