Advertisement targeting scheme in a multicast ABR environment based on ad caching

摘要

A scheme for providing targeted advertisements in a multicast adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming environment. In one implementation, ads specific to a subscriber's demographic profile and relevant to the genre of a tuned MABR media channel may be downloaded in a gateway (GW) or into a network storage system. In another implementation, multicast ABR streams of ads may be triggered at specific points (e.g., insertion markers in a multicast ABR media channel) that can be selectively joined by a GW node based on demographics and channel genre. In yet another implementation, continuously streaming multicast ad channels may be switched at suitable points in a multicast ABR media channel based on targeting parameters.

主权项

1. An advertisement targeting method in a multicast adaptive bitrate (MABR) streaming network, the method comprising:
determining, at a premises gateway operative to stream one or more MABR channels to a premises including a plurality of subscriber devices, that a subscriber device has tuned to a particular MABR channel; downloading advertisements into a local cache associated with the premises gateway, wherein the advertisements are obtained based on a subscriber demographic profile of the premises and genre of the particular MABR channel; monitoring an incoming gapped MABR segment stream of the particular MABR channel for advertisement insertion markers and advertisement endpoint markers; and when an advertisement insertion marker is received in the incoming gapped MABR segment stream of the particular MABR channel, multiplexing an ad media file from the local cache into the particular MABR channel at an appropriate splicing timing point for streaming to the subscriber device, wherein the downloading comprises:
generating a request to an ABR policy management system via a managed ABR multicast back office node, the request configured for obtaining subscriber-based advertisement pull policies; andgenerating a query to an advertisement campaign management system via the managed ABR multicast back office node, the query configured for obtaining locations of advertisements based on the subscriber demographic profile of the premises and genre of the particular MABR channel.