Handle-based demographic analysis of viewers

Abstract

A method, an apparatus and a computer program product for evaluating demographics of viewers of live-streamed videos provided to an audience over the Internet via live-streaming platforms. A viewer in the live-streaming platform is identified using a handle defined by a textual string. The textual string is analyzed to estimate demographic information of the viewer, by extracting a sub-portion of the textual string that excludes at least a second portion of the textual string and estimating demographic information of the viewer based on the sub-portion of textual string using at least one list that includes the sub-portion of the textual string.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method performed with respect to a viewer of a video stream, the video stream is a stream of video provided to an audience over the Internet via a live-streaming platform, wherein the viewer is identified in the live-streaming platform by a handle, the method comprising:
 obtaining the handle of the viewer of the video stream, the handle is defined by a textual string;   analyzing the textual string to estimate demographic information of the viewer, wherein said analyzing comprises:
 extracting a sub-portion of the textual string, the sub-portion excludes at least a second portion of the textual string; and 
 estimating demographic information of the viewer based on the sub-portion of textual string defining the handle, wherein said estimating demographic information is performed using at least one list, the at least one list includes the sub-portion of the textual string; and 
   performing an action based on the estimated demographic information of the viewer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the list includes declensions of a name, wherein the sub-portion of the textual string is a declension of the name. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the textual string includes a concatenation of the sub-portion and the at least second portion, the sub-portion includes only alphabetical elements, the at least second portion does not include alphabetical elements. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the sub-portion is ordered after the at least second portion in the concatenation. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the textual string includes a concatenation of the sub-portion and the at least second portion, the sub-portion includes only nonalphabetical elements, the at least second portion does not include nonalphabetical elements. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said analyzing the textual string defining the handle comprises:
 utilizing a conceptual similarity measurement between the sub-portion of the textual string and a group of items in the at least one list, the conceptual similarity measurement is not associated with textual similarity, wherein said estimating the demographic information of the viewer is performed based on demographic information of handles that include the group of items.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the sub-portion of the textual string and an item of the group of items are conceptually similar according to the conceptual similarity measurement and are textually different in a measurement above a spelling mistake threshold. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one list is a list of items of a specific type, wherein said estimating the demographic information is based on the specific type. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the specific type is indicative of an interest of the viewer, wherein said estimating the demographic information is based on the interest of the viewer. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said estimating the demographic information comprises:
 obtaining demographic information of viewers having handles that include items from the at least one list; and   estimating the demographic information based on an average demographic profile the viewers having handles that include items from the at least one list.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said analyzing the textual string further comprises extracting a second sub-portion of the textual string, wherein said estimating the demographic information of the viewer is further performed based on data associated with the second sub-portion of textual string. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the data is obtained based on a second list that is external to the live-streaming platform. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second sub-portion of textual string comprises non-alphabetical elements and excludes alphabetical elements, wherein the sub-portion of the textual string comprises alphabetical elements and excludes non-alphabetical elements. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , the demographic information of the viewer is estimated based on a weighted average of a first demographic information determined based on the sub-portion of the textual string and a second demographic information determined based on the second sub-portion of the textual string. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said performing the action comprises modifying resources allocated for streaming the video stream to the viewer, whereby affecting a service level of provisioning of the video stream. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said performing the action comprises at least one of:
 providing an added content in the video stream based on the estimated demographic information of the viewer;   providing a content externally to the video stream based on the estimated demographic information of the viewer;   providing a content to another viewer based on the estimated demographic information of the viewer; and   performing a promotion action based on the estimated demographic information of the viewer to promote the video stream to at least one potential viewer.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said estimating the demographic information of the viewer is performed automatically by a computerized device external to the live-streaming platform, whereby estimating demographic information without being privy to the other information regarding the viewer that is available to the live-streaming platform 
     
     
         18 . A computerized apparatus having a processor, the processor being adapted to perform the steps of:
 obtaining a handle of a viewer of a video stream, the video stream is a stream of video provided to an audience over the Internet via a live-streaming platform, wherein the viewer is identified in the live-streaming platform by a handle, wherein the handle is defined by a textual string;   analyzing the textual string to estimate demographic information of the viewer, wherein said analyzing comprises:
 extracting a sub-portion of the textual string, the sub-portion excludes at least a second portion of the textual string; and 
 estimating demographic information of the viewer based on the sub-portion of textual string defining the handle, wherein said estimating demographic information is performed using at least one list, the at least one list includes the sub-portion of the textual string; and 
   performing an action based on the estimated demographic information of the viewer.   
     
     
         19 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium retaining program instructions, which program instructions when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
 obtaining a handle of a viewer of a video stream, the video stream is a stream of video provided to an audience over the Internet via a live-streaming platform, wherein the viewer is identified in the live-streaming platform by a handle, wherein the handle is defined by a textual string;   analyzing the textual string to estimate demographic information of the viewer, wherein said analyzing comprises:
 extracting a sub-portion of the textual string, the sub-portion excludes at least a second portion of the textual string; and 
 estimating demographic information of the viewer based on the sub-portion of textual string defining the handle, wherein said estimating demographic information is performed using at least one list, the at least one list includes the sub-portion of the textual string; and 
 performing an action based on the estimated demographic information of the viewer.