In a method for delivering targeted television advertisements based on online behavior, IP addresses indicating online access devices and IP addresses indicating television set-top boxes are electronically associated for a multitude of users. Using user profile information derived from online activity from one of the online access IP addresses, a television advertisement is selected, such as by using behavioral targeting or demographic information, and automatically directed to the set-top box indicated by the set-top IP address associated with that online access IP address. Preferably neither the user profile information nor the electronic association of online access and set-top box IP addresses includes personally identifiable information.

A system for intelligent multi-device content distribution based on associated internet protocol (IP) addressing, including: identifying, by a computer processor, first advertising content served to a first client device; identifying a first client device IP address associated with the first client device, where the first client device is linked to a household profile; submitting, to a content exchange service, a request for content placement opportunities; receiving content placement opportunities from the content exchange service, where one or more content placement opportunities identify at least a portion of a second client device IP address of a second client device; linking the second client device to the household profile; selecting second advertising content based on the first advertising content; and providing the second advertising content for the content placement opportunity to be displayed on the second client device.

This patent disclosure provides various embodiments of a client-server based digital video playback system and technique. In one aspect, a process for playing internet/online videos on a user device is disclosed. This process can begin by sending a video playback request for playing an online video to the server, wherein the video playback request includes a device type and a browser type of the user device. Next, the process receives a set of video playback addresses and a set of video playback configuration files from the server, wherein the set of video playback addresses and the set of video playback configuration files are generated based on the device type and the browser type. The process subsequently selects a video playback address from the set of video playback addresses corresponding to a transcoded version of the online video that matches a device version and a browser version of the user device. The process next obtains the transcoded version of the online video from the selected video playback address, and plays the obtained video on the user device.

In overview, the disclosed methods, devices, and systems enable the location of the first device to be verified. In particular, second location verification data is generated using a current location of the second device is provided to a first device by a second device which can be matched with first location verification data received by the first device from a server, the first location verification data is generated using a stored location of the first device. If the first and second location verification data match, the location of the first device is considered to have been verified.

The present invention relates to a method and device for transmitting/receiving information efficiently between devices in a multimedia system. A method of communicating between devices in a multimedia system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: searching a second device for a first device to use a broadcast service or content; acquiring second information on at least one service terminal point for the first device to receive first information related to the broadcast service or the content from the second device; requesting, by means of the first device, the transmission of the first information related to the broadcast service or the content by using the second information; and receiving, by means of the first device from the second device, the first information as a response to the request.

Systems, devices, and methods are described herein for distributing syndicated content or content with one or more distribution restrictions. In one aspect, a method may include assigning a unique ID to a plurality of content items, where the unique ID of at least one of the content items is associated with one or more property distribution restrictions. The method may further include streaming in a video stream the content items to at least two properties and monitoring the unique IDs of the plurality of content items streamed in the video stream to detect least one content item associated with the one or more property distribution restrictions. The distribution of the least one content item associated with the one or more property distribution restrictions may be blocked from the one or more properties concurrently with streaming the video stream, based on the one or more property distribution restrictions.

A system and method implements communications between a TV operator's infrastructure and set-top boxes (STBs) through a TV operator's infrastructure, wherein the infrastructure includes at least one Conditional Access System (CAS), a messaging engine and a Set Top Box (STB), the STB including a unique identification value. The method comprises receiving a structured message in the messaging engine; computing a stream out of multiple received structured messages by the messaging engine and sending to the multiplexor; including the stream of structured messages in a broadcasted signal transmitted through the TV operator's infrastructure; receiving the broadcasted signal by the STB and extracting a structured message; and comparing addressing information in the extracted structured message with a unique identification of the STB. Messages directed to the STB can be displayed.

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to identify candidates for media asset qualification. Example apparatus disclosed herein include a media creditor to determine whether to credit a first media asset to linear media or non-linear media, the non-linear media including subscription video on demand (SVOD). Disclosed example apparatus also include a media asset candidate controller to: classify the first media asset as a non-candidate for media asset qualification in response to the first media asset being credited to the linear media or the non-linear media. In some examples, the media asset candidate controller is to determine whether to classify the first media asset as a candidate for media asset qualification based on whether the first media asset remains uncredited by the media creditor and the first media asset overlaps a streaming period.

A server operated by a service provider may enable a user to upgrade and/or purchase one or more service plans associated with a user account and provided by the service provider. The service plan may include access to one or more third-party services that provide content accessible via applications. The service provider may inform a notification service that operates a device management platform that the user account is permitted access to the content provider. The notification service may send a message to the user device including an indication that the user device now has access to the content provider and/or a selectable option to install an application associated with the content provider.

Techniques are described herein for optimizing the presentation of content through obtaining viewership metrics, generating multiple renditions of presentations of content, and selecting optimized renditions of content. One aspect includes associating a request for viewership metrics with a presentation of content, publishing the presentation of content, and receiving information of the viewership metrics associated with the presentation. Another aspect includes copying a presentation of a content item, creating a second presentation of the content item for publishing over one or more channels, and linking the presentation of the content item to the second presentation of the content item, such that a change to one propagates to the other of the presentation of the content item or the second presentation of the content item. In yet another aspect, a content rendition may be selected for presentation based on performance of the rendition out of multiple renditions in an auction.