CN101313323A - Using information from user video game interactions to target advertisements - Google Patents

Abstract

Information about a person's interests and gaming behavior may be determined by monitoring their online gaming activities (and perhaps making inferences from such activities). Such information may be used to improve ad targeting. For example, such information may used to target ads to be rendered in a video game being played by the person.

Description

Use comes targeted ads from the information of user video game interactions

§ 1. background of invention

§ 1.1 invention fields

The present invention relates to distributing of advertisement carried out orientation, for example advertisement that presents in the virtual environment such as video-game.Especially, the present invention relates to the user profile that is identified in targeted ads, using, and in such as the virtual environment of video-game, determine and distribute relevant advertisement.

§ 1.2 background informations

It is very popular that game built-in advertisement is just becoming.Whenever with respect to, TV is still less seen and the more time flower is beaten in the video-game playing that to 34 years old male sex crowd therefore, this trend expection can be lasting by the U.S. 18 in the past.Video game business is just becoming the medium strength that is equal to TV and film industry.Thereby advertising agent and Game Developer just cooperation are incorporated into more advertisement in the video-game.At present, game built-in advertisement is used to be similar to the mode of placing product in film and TV programme actual products and service be done advertisement.For example, the decal paper of virtual race car can be done advertisement to product or service.As another example, the banner in the stadium or on the runway can be done advertisement to product or service.

Regrettably, be placed on that advertisement in the various video-games determines typically when game development, thereby be static relatively.Further, advertisement typically is oriented to the crowd on the demography of broad.Thereby, the built-in game advertisement often not as its can reach like that relevant and useful.

Another trend is, the Game Developer was spending than past more more money and developing video-game.In previous generation video game console (Playstation of Sony, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64 or the like), the game developer does not almost reach 1,000,000 dollars boundary to the cost of development of single video-game.At present, often spend millions of dollars and develop the low side recreation, and for the normal cost of the high-end recreation of exploitation even more.The development of games cost increases, and the recreation price has reached maximum.Though game built-in advertisement helps this kind of game publishers offset cost of development, the growth of planting the income of advertisement since then also is not enough to the fast growth that can catch up with cost of development that gets.

Consider aforementioned content, it will be useful improving game built-in advertisement.A kind of possible improvement provides how useful and relevant advertisement.Another kind of possible improvement is to increase advertising income.

§ 2. summary of the invention

Embodiment according to the invention allows determining (and perhaps kind behavior from then on draws an inference) about the information of personal interest and recreation behavior by monitoring its game on line behavior.Can use this kind information to improve the advertisement orientation.For example, this kind information can be used to carry out orientation to playing the advertisement that presents in the video-game of beating the individual.

§ 3. description of drawings

Fig. 1 is the bubble diagram of the exemplary operations that can carry out in mode according to the invention and this kind operation information that can use and/or generate.

Fig. 2 is used for carrying out the process flow diagram that video-game is selected and played the exemplary method of playing (play) (for example, user-video interactive recreation) tracking operation in mode according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is the process flow diagram that is used for carrying out in mode according to the invention the exemplary method of advertisement position padding.

Fig. 4 is the process flow diagram that is used for carrying out in mode according to the invention the exemplary method of ad serve operations.

Fig. 5 is the block diagram that can carry out the example apparatus of multiple operation in mode according to the invention.

Fig. 6 is the message diagram that illustrates the operation of example system according to the invention.

§ 4. embodiments

The present invention can relate to novel method, equipment, message format and/or the data structure that is used for improving the advertisement that advertisement for example distributes in video-game, and the mutual determined information from itself and video-game about video gamer is used in described improvement.Provide following description to implement and use the present invention enabling those skilled in the art to, and be specific application with and the environment of demand in provide described below.Therefore, provide diagram and description, but and be not intended to exhaustive or limit the present invention to disclosed precise forms the following description of embodiment according to the invention.Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be conspicuous to those skilled in the art, and General Principle illustrated below is applicable to other embodiment and application.For example, though but reference flow sheet is described a series of action, and when the execution of an action did not rely on finishing of another action, the order of action may be different in other embodiment.Further, the action of non-subordinate can executed in parallel.It is crucial or necessary for purposes of the invention that any parts that use in the description, action or instruction should not be interpreted as, unless describe for this reason clearly.Equally, as used in this, the item that does not add the quantity qualification is used in reference to one or more.In the place of only wanting to represent an item, term " " or similar language have been used.Hereinafter, " information " can refer to actual information, or points to the pointer of this kind information, the identifier of this kind information, or the position of this kind information.Thereby the present invention does not plan to be limited to shown embodiment, and the inventor regards its invention as and comprises any described patentable subject content.

The definition of the term that can use in the present invention is provided in § 4.1 hereinafter.Then, having described the present invention in § 4.2 can be therein or the environment of operation therewith.Example embodiment of the present invention has been described in § 4.3.The detailed example of the effectiveness of a kind of example embodiment of the present invention of diagram is provided in § 4.4 thereafter.At last, in § 4.5, illustrated about conclusions more of the present invention.

§ 4.1 definition

Online advertisement can have various inherent features.This kind feature can be by using and/or advertiser's appointment.These features are called as " characteristic of advertisement " below.For example, under the situation of text advertisements, characteristic of advertisement can comprise header line, body text and inline linking.Under the situation of image ad, characteristic of advertisement can comprise image, executable code and inline linking.According to the type of online advertisement, characteristic of advertisement can comprise following one or more: text, link, audio file, video file, image file, executable code, embedded information etc.Image ad when needed can be scaled, rotation, crooked etc., to be suitable in the advertisement position.

When distributing online advertisement, can use one or more parameters how, when to describe and/or where to distribute.These parameters are called as " distributing parameter " below.Distributing parameter can comprise for example following one or more: video-game or video game console are (or more generally, " video game device ") feature (comprising the relevant information on it), advertisement is distributed thereon or therewith, perhaps advertisement thereon or the feature of the document of therewith being distributed, the information in the associated advertisement request distributed with advertisement, user characteristics (its geographic position for example, the language that the user uses, the type of the browser that uses, previous access page, previous behavior, user account, webpage cookies, user's set feature or the like), initiate the main website of request or substation (America Online for example, Google, Yahoo), the absolute position of the advertisement of on the screen or the page, distributing, the position of the advertisement of in video-game, distributing, advertisement with respect to other by the position of the advertisement distributed (space or time), the absolute dimension of advertisement, advertisement is with respect to the size of other advertisement, the color of advertisement, the number of other advertisements of being distributed, the type of other advertisement of being distributed, the Time of Day of being distributed, the time-of-week of being distributed, the year of being distributed etc.Naturally, there be distributing parameter and can using in the context of the present invention of other.

Although distribute parameter can be external concerning characteristic of advertisement, and it can be used as distributes conditioned disjunction constraint and be associated with advertisement.When conditioned disjunction constraint use was distributed in conduct, this kind distributed parameter and is called " distributing constraint " (or " directed standard ") simply.For example, in some system, the advertiser can come distributing of directed its advertisement by specifying following content: only non-weekend serve ads, be not less than a certain position serve ads, only at user's serve ads in a certain place or the like.As another example, in some system, the advertiser can specify its advertisement to be dispatched on some video-game or some video game device.As another example, in some system, the advertiser can specify its advertisement only to be distributed to the user of a certain type, or has the user of some attribute.As another example, in some system, the advertiser is distributed in the time of can specifying its advertisement only to comprise some keyword or phrase in the page or search inquiry.As another example again, in some system, the advertiser can specify its advertisement only when thereon or the document of therewith distributing comprise some theme or notion or be included into specific cluster or other certain or just distributed during a plurality of classification (for example perpendicular line).In some system, the advertiser can specify its advertisement only to be distributed to the user's set that (or not being distributed to) has definite feature.At last, in some system, advertisement can be directed, so that relate to the request of ad-hoc location in response to the request that is derived from ad-hoc location or response, distributes this advertisement.

" advertising message " can comprise following any combination: the constraint of characteristic of advertisement, ad serve, the information (being called " advertisement derived information ") that can derive from characteristic of advertisement or ad serve constraint and/or the extension (for example information that derives from ad related information) that relates to information (being called " ad related information ") and this kind information of advertisement.

The ratio of the number of impressions of the selection number of times of advertisement (for example advancing number) and advertisement (that is advertisement be presented number of times) is defined as " selection rate " (or " click-through rate " or " CTR ") of advertisement.

When the user finishes the transaction of the advertisement of distributing before relating to, just be considered to take place " conversion ".The content that constitutes conversion can be according to circumstances and different, and can determine in many ways.For example, can be such situation: when the user finished purchase there before clicking in the advertisement, being directed into advertiser's webpage and leaving this webpage, conversion takes place.Alternatively, conversion can be defined as: the user has been demonstrated advertisement, and (for example seven days) are bought on advertiser's webpage in the given time.In another alternative scheme again, conversion can by the advertiser be defined as be any gageable/observable user behavior, for example download white paper, navigate to the website the given at least degree of depth, browse the webpage of a certain at least number, on website or webpage, spend scheduled volume at least time, on the website, register or the like.Usually, do not finish purchase if user behavior is indicated, then it can indicate sales lead, is not limited thereto though constitute the user behavior of conversion.In fact, it all is possible constituting many other definition of changing.

The ratio of the number of impressions of number of times and the advertisement of conversion (that is advertisement be presented number of times) and the number of times of conversion all are called " conversion ratio " or " CR " with the ratio of the number of times (or some other number of times than incident morning) of selection.The type of conversion ratio will be conspicuous from the context that it is used.If conversion is defined as and can takes place in the preset time of being distributed beginning from advertisement, then conversion ratio a kind of may define and can only consider the advertisement distributed prior to the past of the schedule time.

" belongings " is the things that advertisement can be showed thereon.Belongings can comprise online content (for example website, MP3 audio program, online (for example video) recreation or the like), off-line content (for example video-game that on offline video game equipment, moves, newspaper, magazine, theatrical production, concert, sport event or the like), and/or off-line object (for example billboard, stadium scoring board, baffle plate, truck trailer side plate or the like) outside the venue.Belongings (for example magazine, newspaper, website, Email Information or the like) with content can be called " medium belongings ".Although belongings itself can be an off-line, can onlinely obtain about the relevant information (for example attribute, theme, notion, classification, keyword, relevant information, the type of advertisement or the like of supporting) of belongings.For example, outdoor Montreux Jazz Festival can be imported the type (for example, sound declaration of the position in the programme of printing, the position on the stage, the position on the backrest, sponsor or the like) of theme " music " and " jazz ", the place of concert, the time of concert, the artist who plans to appear on the scene and available ad slots in the Music Day.

" document " is interpreted as comprising any machine-readable and storable achievement of machine widely.Document can be file, file combination, have one or more files, display screen or video sequence (for example about video-game) of the inline linking that points to other file or the like.File can have any kind, such as text, audio frequency, image, video or the like.The part of presenting to final user's document can be considered to " content " of document.Document can comprise " structural data ", certain indication of the meaning of its content (literal, picture or the like) and this content (for example, the territory of Email and associated data, html tag and associated data or the like).Advertisement position in the document can limit by embedded information or instruction.In the environment of internet, common document is a webpage.Webpage generally includes content, and can comprise embedded information (such as metamessage, hyperlink or the like), and/or embedded instruction (such as JavaScript or the like).In many cases, document has addressable memory location, and therefore can be by this unique identification in addressable position.Universal resource locator (url) is to be used for the address of visit information on the internet.

" network documentation " comprises the document of issuing on any network.The example of network documentation comprises for example website or webpage.

" document information " can comprise the information (being called " document derived information ") that any information that comprises in the document, the information that comprises derive from document, and/or relate to the information (being called " document related information ") of document, and the expansion of this kind information (for example information that derives from relevant information).The example of document derived information is based on the classification of the content of text of document.The example of document related information comprises the document information from other document with link of pointing to current document, and from by the document information of other document that current document was linked to.

Content from document can present on " content presents application program or device ".The example that content presents application program comprises Internet-browser (for example Explorer, Netscape, Opera, Firefox or the like), media player (for example MP3 player, Realnetworks streaming audio file player or the like), reader (for example Abobe Acrobat pdf reader), video game device (for example GameCube of the Xbox of the PlayStation2 of video game console such as Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo or the like, personal computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant or the like) or the like.

" content owner " is people or entity, and it has certain entitlement in the content of medium belongings (for example document).The content owner can be the author of content.In addition, or alternatively, the content owner can have reproducting content right, prepare the right of the derivative works of this content, openly show or demonstrate other right that will not protect by law in the right of this content and/or the content.The content owner of the document content that though content server can be it to be distributed, this is dispensable." webpage publisher " is exactly content owner's example.

" user profile " can comprise user behavior information and/or subscriber profile information.

§ 4.2 the present invention therein or therewith manipulable example ad environment

Fig. 1 is the bubble diagram of the exemplary operations that can carry out in mode according to the invention and this kind operation information that can use and/or generate.The relevant advertisements intention that the environment of describing in Fig. 1 100 can be used for determining relevant advertisements and/or be chosen in the video-game or show with video-game.Alternatively, or in addition, the environment of describing in Fig. 1 100 can be used for following the tracks of the interactive information of user-video-game, and this kind user profile can be used to help to select the relevant advertisements showed to the user in this environment, rather than in video-game.Environment 100 can comprise playing to play to beat follows the tracks of operation 114, advertisement position padding 138 and ad serve operations 170.

The recreation object for appreciation is played tracking operation 114 and can be collected user's input information 118 and provide it to advertisement position padding 138.And, also can be provided for advertisement position padding 138 based on the information 130 of game state.In addition, user information inference operations 122 can be used to generate other user profile 126.Use user's input information 118 and/or can carry out this kind deduction based on the information 130 of game state.At last, video game device 110 can be stored other game information 134 such as control desk title or brand, control desk identifier, control desk position, (current loading) game identifier or the like.Use can (i) generates to the request of relevant advertisements, (ii) when will be in recreation during display ads based on information 130, user's input information 118, user profile 126 and/or other game information 134 of game state, advertisement position padding 138, with request be sent to ad serve operations 172 (by one or more networks 140) and (iii) the one or more advertisement positions in video-game present advertisement.

Advertiser 150 can be mutual by advertising message input and bookkeeping 164 and network 140 and Advertisement Server 160, to submit its advertisement and advertising message to.These information be stored as advertising message 168 and can comprise advertising creative, distribute constraint, bid information or the like.The various game attributes that advertising message input and bookkeeping 164 can be directed to advertiser 150 advertisement are notified advertiser 150.

Ad serve operations 172 can be accepted the request to advertisement from advertisement position padding 138.This kind request can comprise information 130, user's input information 118, user profile (this locality) 126 and/or other game information 134 and the suitable advertisement selection based on game state and present (for example demonstration, text conversation, audio program's section or the like) necessary other relevant information (for example advertisement size, adline, when need advertisement or the like).Use is from the solicited message of games system, and ad serve operations 172 can be selected relevant advertisements and/or from the advertising creative of advertising message 168.If having the relevant advertisements that surpasses is given advertisement position competition (perhaps too many relevant advertisements is the advertisement position competition of limited quantity), ad serve operations 172 can be moved ruling to select best advertisement.Subsequently, ad serve operations 172 can offer advertisement position padding 138 with selected advertisement, makes these advertisements to present on the suitable advertisement position in video-game.

Advertisement Server can also comprise that financial management and/or bill are opened to operate 176 except that input of ad serve operations 172 and advertising message and bookkeeping 164.

Can provide subscriber information server 180 to accept, perhaps be to generate and storing subscriber information (long-range) 188.User profile that provide or that provide in recreation or the game console equipment registration can be accepted and be stored in to user's registration operation 192 of playing in the game on line subscription registration.User information inference and storage operation 196 can be inferred user's certain attribute or feature from user's input information 118.User profile serve operations 184 can be used for providing user profile 188 to request entity.For example, Advertisement Server 160 can have user identifier, but does not have the information (or imperfect information) about the user.It can send request to subscriber information server 180, and wherein said request comprises user identifier.Subscriber information server 180 can use user identifier to search relevant user profile (long-range) 188 and it is turned back to Advertisement Server 160.

Recreation is played to beat and is followed the tracks of operation 114 and can follow the tracks of game player's (being also referred to as " user ") input (for example the object for appreciation beats, selection etc.) information 118.For example, in most of simulations, such as in the Formula One cars recreation, the user can select vehicle/fleet's (for example Ferrari, WILLIAMS-DARLING Ton-BMW, Mike's Lao Lun-Mercedes, Reynolds automobile or the like) of real world, specific driver (for example Michael's schumacher, Fernando Allan rope, Lu Bensi Bali are cut promise or the like), and the autodrome of desirable match (for example Monte Carlo/Monaco, the rich Green of knob/Europe, Indianapolis/U.S. or the like), racing car color, tyre type or the like.In other recreation, for example in the shooter of the first person, the user can select role such as medical officer, mercenary, engineer, soldier, thief, wizard, outman of its personage or the like.In the recreation about motion, the user can select troop, stadium or even from the sportsman in sportsman's register of real troop.In addition, in many recreation, the user can select its personage's sex, its personage predetermined individual character, its athletic clothes, its athletic physical characteristics (fat, thin, muscle, height, short, hair color and style, race, eye color or the like), dub and other sound/characteristic of vision, and many other can self-defining feature.This kind selected input to be played beat by recreation and followed the tracks of that operation 114 is followed the tracks of and as user's input information 118 storages, they then can be by advertisement position padding 138 utilizations.

This kind user's input information 118 can be used to help to select relevant advertisements.As an example, if the user selects racing car from the Dodge, system can show the advertisement of Dodge or relevant thing.As another example, if the user selects sports team from Miami, system can show the advertisement that is used at the pass-check of the match of Miami.As another example, if the user selects dubbing of " Beastie Boys " in video-game, system can recommend the to talk and sing advertisement of music/hiphop and other relevant music rather than Britney Spears.As another example again, if the user selects to drive black car in car race game, system can show the advertisement with black car, rather than the automobile of other color.As another example again, if the user selects male character, system can be shown as the advertisement that the male sex makes.Surpassed two hours if the user plays to beat continuously, system can show the advertisement of pizza, cola, coffee and other concerned foodstuff.

Can comprise playing based on the information 130 of game state and play the information of beating about the user.For example it can comprise: the player can be how soon (that is the player plays in the process of beating the acquisition level of skill and becomes at it in many recreation more experience to the familiarity of recreation, player place rank by rank, player; The 99th grade in RPG (Role-playing game) for example), the player time, the user that have played to play games plays frequencies, the suspension of game play of playing different recreation and is accustomed to, is stored in game information in the nonvolatile memory or the like.Information 130 based on game state can comprise session information (duration that start time, object for appreciation are beaten or the like).Should then can be utilized based on the information 130 of game state by advertisement position padding 138.For example, surpassed two hours if the user has played to beat continuously, system can show the advertisement of pizza, cola, coffee and other concerned foodstuff.

User information inference operations (local and/or long-range) 122 and/or 184 can use user's input information 118 to infer the characteristic of user 126 and/or 188.The user profile 126 and/or 188 that this kind quilt is inferred then can be used when selecting qualified advertisement according to the directional properties of advertisement.Feature is beaten in user's object for appreciation, especially (for example, time of spending fighting time that is spent with other virtual players chats in online RPG recreation, carry out the time that time that barter spent is spent stealing, the time that developing is spent is to building the time that is spent, attempt time that new object spends to advancing the time that level is spent, the decision that causes certain situation that the player makes is (good to bad, strategic to short-term), the invasive to tool of (detest and take a risk) avoids conflict, cooperation is also collaborative to independent in mind and action, friendly to hostile or the like) may be particularly useful.User's input information can be to helping deduction useful about user's information.How soon time, the user that some other example, the user profile that can be inferred comprise the familiarity of recreation, play the cost of playing games is promoted and/or level of skill or the like.The deduction that gets of planting thus by user's input information can obtain by using known taxonomic methods such as neural network, Bayesian network, support vector machine device or the like.The user profile that this kind quilt is inferred can be to helping targeted ads useful.For example, the user that barter rather than stealing are carried out in cost for a long time in recreation may hint that it is interested in transaction the most to one's profit rather than ostentatious article, so system can illustrate the advertisement that reflection is worth.As another example, the user of cost plenty of time developing hints that it may be interested in spending a holiday, so system can illustrate the advertisement of spending a holiday.As another example, cost plenty of time chat rather than fight or the user that makes other behavior hints that it likes chat in game on line, so system can illustrate advertisement, chat messages device of mobile phone advertisement, trunk call plan or the like.

Generally speaking, advertisement position padding 138 is responsible for by Advertisement Server request advertisement and is provided advertisement to be presented on the advertisement position subsequently.Particularly no matter when advertisement shows in recreation, and advertisement position padding 138 can be submitted to and ask ad serve operations 172.Request can comprise the feature (for example, type, size or the like) of user profile (recall referring to, for example, 118 and 126), game information (recall referring to, for example, 130 and 134), advertisement to be sent, identifier of game console 110 or the like.Have a large amount of such examples, wherein advertisement can be shown or be presented in the video-game.For example, in first person shooter, advertisement can be presented at above TV screen of placard on vending machine, billboard, the wall, personage's process etc.In car race game, on advertisement can be placed onboard or identify or on the billboard of street or racing track, or even may in the virtual radio of the car that the racer drives, broadcast.In many recreation about motion, advertisement can be displayed on the scoring board and along the border of court/sports ground and be shown.Advertisement can be used as the dialogue of text or talk and inserts, is inserted in the virtual broadcast as audio fragment, or the like.In online actions-risk and RPG (Role-playing game) (RPG), the environment of its common analogy real world, the player can stroll in its vast environment, thereby a large amount of positions that can display ads are provided.For example, the player can stroll in roomy urban market and alternately (for example, stop in McDonald and to eat, go to the barber, to go nightclub to drink, buy automobile, buy real estate, use taxi/motorbus/subway to navigate within the city, buy commodity from different shops, play at amusement hall and play video-game or the like), thus provide many just as the potential site of display ads thereon in the urban market of reality.

Like this, ad serve operations 1 72 can be used for selecting suitable, relevant advertisement and can use from recreation and play the attribute of collection and the relevant information of hitting.When a plurality of qualified advertisements were an advertisement position (or several advertisement positions very little) competition, this kind ad serve operations 172 also can use the bid information of being submitted to together with its advertisement by advertiser 160 (for example bid price) to select the advertisement of winning.In case the advertisement of winning is selected, ad serve operations 172 just can return to advertisement position padding 138 so that it is presented in the video-game with this advertisement.

§ 4.3 example embodiment

§ 4.3.1 exemplary method

Fig. 2 is used for carrying out the process flow diagram of selecting and playing the exemplary method 200 of playing the tracking operation in mode according to the invention.Particularly, method 200 can be used for monitoring and store about the user how to play beat and how with the information (recalling referring to Fig. 1 130) of video game interactions.According to contingent different event, method 200 can be carried out different behavior (frame 210).When games system is opened (for example the PlayStation of Sony, the GameCube of Nintendo, the Xbox of Microsoft, personal computer or the like), method 200 can begin session and follow the tracks of (frame 220).On the contrary, when games system was opened or closed, method 200 can be followed the tracks of (frame 230) and storage and/or transmission session information (frame 240) by end session.During the state of energising, user's input takes place.In response, method 200 can be followed the tracks of this kind user input (frame 250).This method can use the user to import infer user information (frame 260).Subsequently, method 200 can store and/or transmit about the information of user input and/or the user profile inferred with further use (frame 270).

Turn back to frame 220,230 and 250, method 200 can be beaten when each games system moves in the selection and the recreation object for appreciation of monitoring user.Particularly, method 200 can begin session tracking (beginning to monitor and collect user profile) when each games system is opened.When the player closes games system, the session information that the games system run duration is collected be followed the tracks of and be stored/be transmitted in to method 200 can by end session.Session information can comprise, for example, and game identifier, start time, time out or the like.

Turn back to frame 250,260 and 270, method 200 can only be followed the tracks of user's input, but also can use the user to import infer user information/characteristics.User's input can comprise that user's selection, user session, user play and beat or the like.The user selects and can comprise, for example, one or more personages, the vehicles (for example automobile of specific vehicle, vehicle color, engine modification, automobile repacking or the like), racing track, route or place (for example specific racing track, specific sport field or the like), team, sportsman, clothes, physical characteristics or the like.Have multiple customization, the user can therefrom select according to type of play.These selections can reflect user's hobby, preference and/or interest.User session (for example from RPG (Role-playing game), simulation games or the like) can be used to show user's characteristic (for example literate or illiterate, common customs, blunt or genteel, quiet or chatty or the like).The user play beat the characteristic that also can be used to show the user (for example careful, strategy, that be good at taking a risk, bellicose, nonantagonistic, furtive, honest, dishonest, cooperate, ill-matched or the like).

As the more detailed description that will carry out below, user input and/or the user profile of being inferred can be used to select the advertisement with the more correlativitys of user's tool.

Fig. 3 is the process flow diagram that is used for carrying out in mode according to the invention the exemplary method 300 of advertisement position padding.Advertisement position padding is responsible for asking advertisement that built-in advertising and reception ask and the correct position in video-game that it is presented.Different branches (frame 310) in response to different event execution method 300.Particularly, if want to obtain advertisement (to be presented in the recreation), method 300 can obtain ad spot information (320) and following at least one: (A) based on the information of game state, (B) user's input information, (C) user profile and (D) other game information (frame 330).At last, method 300 can generate the request to one or more advertisements.This request can comprise ad spot information and following at least one: (A) based on the information of game state, (B) user's input information, (C) user profile and (D) other game information (frame 340).Turn back to frame 310, method 300 also can receive one or more advertisements of asking (for example from Advertisement Server).If so, method 300 can begin to present in suitable being used to the advertisement position placing advertisement of advertisement.

Get back to the right branch of Fig. 3, can want to obtain advertisement in the different time.For example, can in one or more following situations, want to obtain advertisement: when (a) opening, when (b) recreation is written into, (c) play beat during, (d) when needed, before (e) demand of predicting or the like.

Get back to frame 320, ad spot information can comprise advertising site mark symbol, advertisement size, adline, advertisement duration or the like.Get back to frame 330, can comprise all as described above about 130 the information of Fig. 1 based on the information of game state, user's input information can comprise all as described above about 118 the information of Fig. 1, user profile can comprise all as described above about 126 the information of Fig. 1, and other game informations can comprise all as described above about 134 the information of Fig. 1.

Get back to frame 340, in case method 300 obtains the above-mentioned relevant information of mentioning, it can be then from Advertisement Server request advertisement.Advertisement Server uses the information that is included in the request to determine qualified, relevant advertisement.For given advertisement position, if there is too many qualified relevant advertisement, Advertisement Server can be made arbitration (for example using auction) from the advertisement of vying each other.The advertisement that is determined is returned to method 300, and it is present in the suitable advertisement position subsequently therein.

Fig. 4 is the process flow diagram that is used for carrying out in mode according to the invention the exemplary method 400 of ad serve operations.Method 400 is responsible for providing requested advertisement to games system.Especially, method 400 can be accepted ad-request (frame 420) from games system.When receiving this kind request, method 400 can use following at least one perhaps together with ad serve constraint one or more advertisements of coming together to determine: (A) user profile, (B) are based on the information of game state, (C) user's input information, (D) out of Memory and (E) ad spot information.In case advertisement is determined, method 400 can send back to advertisement games system (frame 460).

Get back to frame 440, user profile can comprise the user profile that is stored in the games system.Alternatively, or extraly, can use user profile from another source (recall referring to, for example 188 of Fig. 1).That is, Advertisement Server may send the request to user profile, and wherein this request comprises user identifier or games system identifier.

Further, because may exist too many advertisement to strive for that very little advertisement position, method 400 can carry out arbitration operations to determine the triumph advertisement in a large amount of competition advertisements.Therefore, the advertiser can submit bid information (for example submitting a tender) to its advertisement.The result is, when selecting advertisement, method 400 can consider that user profile, the information based on game state, user's input information, ad spot information and/or out of Memory determine relevant advertisements, and then perhaps is to use bid information to come relevant advertisements marking or rank outside other factors.

§ 4.3.2 example apparatus

Fig. 5 is the high-level block diagram of the machine of carrying out one or more operations 500 of above-mentioned argumentation.Machine 500 consist essentially of one or more processors 510, one or more input/output interfaces unit 530, one or more memory storage 520 and the element that is used to be convenient to connect between the one or more system buss and/or the network 540 of information communication.One or more input medias 532 and one or more output unit 534 can be connected with one or more input/output interfaces 530.

One or more processors 510 can carry out machine-executable instruction (for example can be from the California Paro on the sun computing machine system house in the many cities difficult to understand solaris operating system that obtain or the (SuSE) Linux OS that can extensively the obtain C or the C++ that move from the some sellers such as the red cap company in North Carolina State De Han city) with realize of the present invention one or more aspect.At least a portion of machine-executable instruction can be stored (temporarily or more for good and all) on one or more memory storages 520 and/or can receive from external source via one or more input interface units 530.

In one embodiment, machine 500 can be one or more traditional personal computers, and/or one or more video game devices (that is, can move any device such as the video game console, personal computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant or the like of video-game thereon).In this case, processing unit 510 can be one or more microprocessors.Bus 540 can comprise system bus.Memory storage 520 can comprise system storage, such as ROM (read-only memory) (ROM) and/or random-access memory (ram).Memory storage 520 can also comprise the hard disk drive that is used for reading writing harddisk, be used for reading and writing the disc driver of (as movably) disk and be used to read and write removable (magnetic) CD such as mini disk or the CD drive of other (magnetic) optical medium.

The user can will order with information by the input media 532 of all like keyboards and indicating device (as mouse) and so on and be input in the personal computer.Other input media such as microphone, operating rod, game mat, satellite disc, scanner or the like also can be comprised (or alternatively).The input media of these and other is connected with processing unit 510 by the suitable interface 530 that is connected to system bus 540 usually.Output unit 534 can comprise the display device of display or other type, and it also can be connected to system bus 540 via suitable interface.Except display (or with its replacement), personal computer can comprise other (periphery) output unit (not shown), all like loudspeakers and printer.

§ 4.3.3 alternative scheme and expansion

The method that is used for directed online game built-in advertisement is not limited to method described above.May there be a large amount of mode that be used for directed online game built-in advertisement and variations different with the above.For example, can only come targeted ads based on type of play and expection crowd.Can use arbitration to handle and select qualified advertisement such as auction.

Although some embodiment in the foregoing description have promoted: (A) follow the tracks of user's input or with mutual (and perhaps from then on plant the user and import infer user information) of video-game and (B) dynamically determine advertisement, (C) use user profile perhaps, embodiment according to the invention does not need to carry out all these functions.In fact, different embodiment according to the invention can only use in these features one or two.For example, at least some embodiment according to the invention can follow the tracks of user video game input (and perhaps from then on plant user import infer use information) and this kind user profile is used for other purpose, the advertisement that does not present in video-game such as orientation.As another example, when determining the advertisement relevant, do not need to be considered from the user profile that video-game is imported or collected alternately or deduction comes with the advertisement position in video-game.That is, some embodiment according to the invention can only dynamically be identified for the advertisement of video-game (or example), and any relationship information that is provided by the particular video frequency control desk is not provided.As another example again, from the user profile in some other source can be used for advertisement be directed to operate in games system that the user is associated on video-game in advertisement position.Other combination of these features is possible.

As previously mentioned, the information of playing the behavior of beating about user's recreation can be collected by system.The example of useful information especially in the large-scale online RPG of many people, can be the certain dialog of being imported with other player/personage's chat or when mutual in recreation as the user.For example, this dialogue can show this player be bellicose, common customs, genteel, literate, illiterate, be subjected to current culture or sub cultural influences or the like.The player make a decision also can provide more information such as whether this player be the adventurer, detest take a risk, bellicose, docile, clever, with follower, leader or the like.This information can be used and analyze with advertisement that help to select and send more heterogeneous pass to the user.

In addition, although advertising creative can be the image of similar banner, system can use the text that the player can be mutual with it and the advertising creative of personage's words.For example, in contemporary games series Simms, the mutual with it personage of user can advise that (as advertisement) listen to the Coldplay collection of records of up-to-date issue.This user can answer in the affirmative (if providing selection) and listen to from new Coldplay collection of records and pluck choosing.As another example, in car race game, smashed his Honda CIVIC automobile as the user after, the announcer can advertise by for example saying " if he has brave horse, his final result originally can be much better " and so on.

User's input can hint the response to the positive or negative of advertisement.For example, in the recreation of Simms type, advertisement can be the personage say " how listening new Coldplay collection of records? " answer such as "Yes", " ", " definitely can ", " certainly " or the like can point out it is to the sure user's response of advertisement (just as select text or banner on webpage), and can point out it is user's response (just as the close box of clicking advertisement on webpage) of negating to advertisement such as the answer of " not being ", " no " or the like.This kind user-advertisement behavior can be tracked and be used to various purposes such as bill is opened, bill is opened condition, advertisement score or the like.For example, the ratio that can follow the tracks of and use specific user's behavior or behavior group to flash with the mode that is similar to advertisement selection rate and/or advertisement conversion ratio about advertisement.

Recreation can have advertisement in position.For example, recreation can be supplied with one-tenth hundred and even thousands of all dissimilar advertisements of having installed or having loaded.This can be used for guaranteeing always to exist available advertisement to be presented at and not hinder the recreation object for appreciation to beat in the recreation, because there is following situation, wherein advertisement may not can be returned at once, games system is off-line, the conceivable degree of association can not be determined or the like.These advertisements just can have directed standard when delivery, and select these advertisements to be used for advertisement by the virtual ads server of " light " that move on user's games system and show how to select advertisement from the true Advertisement Server that connects games system on line with imitation.Like this, as video-game, can on same storage medium (for example CD, ROM, DVD or the like), provide advertisement and perhaps be the advertising message of directed standard and other.

The video control console of the current generation that all are popular (for example Playstation, Xbox, Gamecube or the like) uses the recreation that is loaded on the CD media (for example CD, DVD, BD or the like) that can not write, therefore, be stored on the storage card that control desk uses (perhaps other non-volatile read-write storage arrangement) based on the information of game state and user profile.This allows the player to preserve its recreation and may continue to play later on and beat.Rely on its storage capacity, these storage cards allow the game information of player's storage from many different recreation.Typically, can preserve the dozens of recreation.The information that this kind is saved can be considered to status information, and to the advertiser and the invention provides valuable information source.Especially, detect the storage card of games system during by the each line of user, the present invention (system) can detect player's amusement history and stored status information.This can provide a large amount of information, and it can be used for better with the directed user of giving of advertisement.Can determine the user current be therein enliven and to its interested recreation.For example, if the user has eight recreation among preservation information and ten from ten recreation all be car race game, can infer so this player is a racing man and may may also play advertisement of other car race games of beating or the like to the advertisement relevant with automobile, this player, feels it all is useful.This system even can detect various information and the user profile that are kept on the storage card based on game state.For example, if find that by the car race game of on storage card, preserving the player is mainly with BMW and usually compete with German automobiles, can infer that so this user is a BMW and German automobiles fan, and may feel useful advertisement meeting about this type of automobile.As previously mentioned, be appreciated that, can obtain useful experience about the user by detecting the storage card of games system.

Although a plurality of example embodiment of foregoing description all relate to video-game, embodiment according to the invention can be used in other virtual environment or immerse in the environment.

Operational instances in § 4.4 example embodiment according to the invention

Fig. 6 is the transmission of messages figure that illustrates the operation of example system according to the invention.When generate filling the request of advertisement position, as 620 indicated, advertisement position padding 138 can be accepted game information 610.Game information 610 can comprise following one or more: user's input information 118, the information 130 based on game state, other game information 134 and user profile (this locality) 126.Advertisement position padding 138 can generate the ad-request that comprises at least some advertising messages 610.This request can comprise other relevant informations about the advertisement position that will fill (for example adline, number of ads, when need or the like).As 630 indicated, ad-request is sent to ad serve operations 172.This ad serve operations 172 can only be used the information of the request of being included in 630, and as 670 and 680 indicated, use advertising message 168 generates one or more relevant advertisements.As 690 indicated, described advertisement then is returned to advertisement position padding 138.

Be noted that as 640 indicated, ad serve operations 172 also can searching user's information serve operations 184.As 650 indicated, user profile serve operations 184 can obtain institute's requested user (long-range) 188, and as 660 indicated, institute requested user (long-range) is returned to ad serve operations 172.

To different users, game information can be different.For example, consideration is by the virtual race car video-game of three user A, B and C use.Suppose that user A selects open-air mud ground 4 * 4 routes, select the brave carriage of yellow car H2, select male driver, and between match period, drive very courageously.Suppose that user B selects the city match, selection has the Supra of Toyota Motor of the good state of adjusted of the polychrome bottom the pink colour, select female driver, and its mode with neutrality is driven between match period.At last, suppose that user C selects the world cup racing track of Madrid, ESP, select the R8R of Audi of polychrome, select male driver, and its mode with tactic is driven between match period.

Suppose the supposition that exists in the previous examples, suppose that the Dodge wants placing advertisement.It has various alternative different advertisements of distributing constraint or directed standard that have.Suppose that further it has the variable color that contains default value.Like this, system can be shown to user A with " Dodge RAM-Tough truck " advertising creative and yellow truck, " Dodge Neon motion " advertising creative and pink colour automobile are shown to user B, the Dodge Viper of " Dodge Viper " advertising creative and default color is shown to user C.Suppose that the ticket merchant wants the advertise tickets to variety of event.Be used for three advertisements of three incidents, wherein each advertisement has different constraint or the directed standards distributed, and can be the admission ticket of NFL American football match, the admission ticket of Gwen Steffani concert and the admission ticket of US open golf tournament.Like this, system can be shown to user A with the advertising creative that is used for NFL American football match admission ticket, and the advertising creative that is used for Gwen Steffani concert admission ticket is shown to user B, and the advertising creative that is used for the US open golf tournament admission ticket is shown to user C.As last example, suppose to exist the different advertising creatives that are used for different TV programme.The advertising creative that is used for TV programme " FEAR FACTOR " can be shown to user A, and the advertising creative that is used for TV programme " American idol " can be shown to user B, and is used for the advertising creative of " every night commercial report " and can be shown to user C.As indicated in these examples, embodiment according to the invention can be used for distributing advertisement more heterogeneous pass and more useful and give video gamer.This kind advertisement can be presented on the advertisement position in the video-game, although it can replaced ground or is presented on extraly on the advertisement position of other document.

§ 4.5 conclusions

Can understand from the above, embodiment according to the invention can make and be used for target in-game ads and distribute more heterogeneous pass and useful advertisement.Embodiment according to the invention can monitor user video game input directed and provide more heterogeneous pass and useful advertisement to improve advertisement to the user.

Claims (33)

1. computer implemented method comprises:

A) generate ad-request, wherein said ad-request comprises video game information;

B) transmit described ad-request to Advertisement Server;

C) use the described video game information that is included in the described ad-request at least, determine at least one advertisement in response to described ad-request;

D) transmit described at least one advertisement to video game device; And

E) in video-game, present described at least one advertisement by described video game device operation.

2. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, is included in described video game information in the described ad-request and comprises information based on video game states.

3. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the described video game information that is included in the described ad-request comprises the mutual of user and described video-game.

4. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 3, wherein, described user and described video-game comprise alternately following at least one: (A) the user video game personage selects, (B) user video game character costume is selected and (C) user video game personage physical characteristics select.

5. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 3, wherein, described user and described video-game comprise alternately following at least one: (A) user video game forms a team to select, (B) user video game sportsman selects and (C) the user video game stadium select.

6. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the described video game information that is included in the described ad-request comprises the video game device positional information.

7. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the described video game information that is included in the described ad-request comprises the identifier of being played the video-game of beating.

8. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 1 further comprises:

At least one user of-tracking selects and the user plays, and object for appreciation is beaten; And

-select and user's object for appreciation of playing hits the deduction user characteristics from least one user who is followed the tracks of, wherein, described ad-request comprises the user characteristics that at least some are inferred.

9. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 8, wherein, the behavior of described deduction user characteristics takes place on described video game device.

10. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 8, wherein, the behavior of described deduction user characteristics with described video game system away from system on take place.

11. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described video game information is a session information.

12. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 11, wherein, described session information comprise following at least one: (A) start time, (B) stand-by time and (C) time out.

13. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the behavior of described definite at least one advertisement comprises from the advertisement that comprises directed information in a large number uses described directed information and described video game information to determine at least one relevant advertisements.

14. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, described directed information comprises the video-game identifier.

15. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, described directed information comprises video-game type or style.

16. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, described directed information comprises the video game device positional information.

17. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, described directed information comprises at least one information of time and date.

18. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, described directed information comprises user profile.

19. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 13, the wherein said behavior of determining at least one advertisement comprises that further to described at least one relevant advertisements each chooses score value, and uses described score value to select described at least one advertisement from described at least one relevant advertisements.

20. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 19, wherein, each of described relevant advertisements has bid information, and wherein, and described bid information is used in the behavior that described each to described at least one relevant advertisements is chosen score value.

21. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 20, wherein, described bid information is the bid that each advertisement in video-game is flashed.

22. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the described behavior that transmits described ad-request to described Advertisement Server takes place after opening described video game system, and in response to the described video game system that is unlocked.

23. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the behavior of the described ad-request of described transmission is in response to advertisement position and is about to become available.

24. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the behavior of the described ad-request of described transmission is in response to advertisement position to become available greater than predetermined possibility.

25. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described video game information comprises the information that is used for more than a video-game.

26. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described video game information comprises the information that is used for more than a video-game, and described information stores is in non-volatile read-write storage arrangement, and described storage arrangement is present in the video game device.

27. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described Advertisement Server is present in the described video game device, and wherein, the described described video game information be included in the described ad-request of using is at least determined to be performed on the Advertisement Server that is present on the described video game device in response to the behavior of at least one advertisement of described ad-request.

28. computer implemented method as claimed in claim 27, wherein, in response to determined described at least one advertisement of described ad-request is to select one group of advertisement on leaving computer-readable medium in, and described video-game also is stored on the described computer-readable medium.

29. a computer implemented method comprises:

A) in the environment of video-game, follow the tracks of at least one user's selection and user's object for appreciation and beat;

B) select and user's object for appreciation of playing hits the deduction user characteristics from least one user who is followed the tracks of; And

C) use the user characteristics of being inferred to determine and described user-dependent advertisement.

30. a computer implemented method comprises:

A) generate ad-request, wherein said ad-request comprises video game information;

B) transmit described ad-request to Advertisement Server;

C) receive and to use the described video game information that is included in the described ad-request at least and at least one definite advertisement; And

D) in video-game, present described at least one advertisement by described video game device operation.

31. a computer implemented method comprises:

A) accept ad-request, wherein, described ad-request comprises video game information;

B) use the described video game information that is included in the described ad-request at least, determine at least one advertisement in response to described ad-request; And

C) transmit described at least one advertisement to video game device, in video-game, to present by described video game device operation.

32. equipment comprises:

A) be used to accept the device of ad-request, wherein said ad-request comprises video game information;

B) be used for using at least the described video game information that is included in described ad-request, determine device in response at least one advertisement of described ad-request; And

C) be used for transmitting described at least one advertisement, with the device that in video-game, presents by described video game device operation to video game device.

33. a computer-readable medium stores computer executable instructions on it, when carrying out described computer executable instructions by computing machine, carry out following behavior:

A) accept ad-request, wherein said ad-request comprises video game information;

B) use the described video game information that is included in the described ad-request at least, determine at least one advertisement in response to described ad-request; And

C) transmit described at least one advertisement to video game device, in video-game, to present by described video game device operation.

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