Systems and methods for using video metadata to associate advertisements therewith

Abstract

A system for using metadata from a video signal to associate advertisements therewith, comprising (i) a segmentation system to divide the video signal into video clips, (ii) a digitizing system for digitizing the video clips, (iii) a feature extraction system for extracting audio and video features from each video clip, associating each audio feature with respective video clips, associating each video feature with respective video clips, and saving the audio and video features into an associated metadata file, (iv) a web interface to the feature extraction system for receiving the video clips, and (v) a database, wherein video signals and associated metadata files are stored and indexed, wherein the associated metadata file is provided when a video player requests the corresponding video signal, enabling selection of a relevant advertisement for presentment in conjunction with respective video clips based on the associated audio and video features of the respective video clip.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method comprising:
 extracting, by a server, audio and visual features from each segment of a plurality of segments of a content item;   cross-referencing, by the server, a database with an identifier for the content item;   updating, at the server, time-based metadata associated with the content item in the database with the audio and visual features of each segment of the plurality of segments of the content item;   transmitting, by the server, the content item to a display device;   transmitting, by the server, a portion of time-based metadata corresponding to a first segment of the plurality of segments to an advertising distributor that selects a relevant advertisement based at least in part on the portion of time-based metadata corresponding to the first segment;   receiving, by the server, the relevant advertisement from the advertising distributor; and   transmitting, by the server, the relevant advertisement to the display device and the time-based metadata.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein transmitting, by the server, the portion of time-based metadata corresponding to the first segment of the plurality of segments to an advertising distributor comprises:
 determining an object in the first segment; 
 transmitting, by the server, metadata associated with the object. 
 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising determining, by the server, a location in the content item to insert an advertisement. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising:
 determining the portion of the time-based metadata to transmit to an advertising distributor based on the determined location in the content item to insert the advertisement. 
 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25  wherein extracting, by a server, audio and visual features from each segment of the plurality of the segments of the content item comprises:
 identifying, by the server, extracted audio features from the content item using audio processing, wherein the extracted audio features comprise time-code locations of each segment of the plurality of segments within the content item. 
 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the extracted audio features include one or more of discrete sounds and background noise. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25  wherein extracting, by a server, audio and visual features from each segment of the plurality of the segments of the content item comprises:
 identifying, by the server, extracted video features from the content item using video processing, wherein the extracted video features comprise time-code locations of each segment of the plurality of segments within the content item. 
 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the extracted video features include one or more of actors, characters, animals, objects, geographic locations, background, setting, theme, events, and scenes. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein cross-referencing the database with an identifier for the content item comprises:
 determining that the content item has been processed previously;   in response to determining that the content item has been processed previously, cross-referencing the identifier for the content item and an existing video signature.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the relevant advertisement is selected, by the advertising distributor, at least in part based on audio and visual features of a segment of the plurality of the segments. 
     
     
         35 . A system comprising:
 a video provider configured to:   extract audio and visual features from each segment of a plurality of segments of a content item;   cross-reference a database with an identifier for the content item;   update time-based metadata associated with the content item in the database with the audio and visual features of each segment of the plurality of segments;   input/output circuitry configured to:   transmit the content item to a display device;   transmit a portion of the time-based metadata corresponding to a first segment of the plurality of segments to an advertising distributor that selects a relevant advertisement based at least in part on the portion of time-based metadata corresponding to the first segment;   receive the relevant advertisement from the advertising distributor; and   transmit the relevant advertisement to the display device and the time-based metadata.   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35  wherein the input/output circuitry, when transmitting a portion of the time-based metadata corresponding to the first segment of the plurality of segments to an advertising distributor, is further configured to:
 determine an object in the first segment; 
 transmit, by the server, metadata associated with the object. 
 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the video provider is further configured to determine a location in the content item to insert an advertisement. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the video provider is further configured to determine the portion of the time-based metadata to transmit to an advertising distributor based on the determined location in the content item to insert the advertisement. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the video provider is further configured to, when extracting audio and visual features from each segment of the plurality of the segments of the content item:
 identify extracted audio features from the content item using audio processing, wherein the extracted audio features comprise time-code locations of each segment of the plurality of segments within the content item.   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the video provider, when identifying extracted audio features from the content item using audio processing, is further configured to identify one or more of discrete sounds and background noise. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the video provider is further configured to, when extracting audio and visual features from each segment of the plurality of segments of the content item:
 identify extracted video features from the content item using video processing, wherein the extracted video features comprise time-code locations of each segment of the plurality of segments within the content item.   
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein the video provider, when identifying extracted visual features from the content item using video processing, is further configured to identify one or more of actors, characters, animals, objects, geographic locations, background, setting, theme, events, and scenes. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 35  wherein the video provider, when cross-referencing the database with an identifier for the content item, is further configured to:
 determine that the content item has been processed previously; 
 in response to determining that the content item has been processed previously, cross-reference the identifier for the content item and an existing video signature. 
 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 35  wherein the advertising distributor is further configured to select the relevant advertisement based at least in part based on audio and visual features of a segment of the plurality of the segments.