Customized television advertising

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing customized television advertisements. In one aspect, television advertising templates are used for generating customized television advertisements. The television advertisement templates include targeting criteria specifying targeting conditions for the television advertising template, which are conditions for selecting the television advertisement template for an advertisement availability, and content selection criteria specifying availability content associated with an advertisement availability for use in selecting variable advertisement content elements for inclusion in a customized television advertisement generated from the television advertising template. The variable advertisement content elements can include video elements, audio elements, and text elements.

1 . A computer-implemented method performed by a data processing apparatus, comprising:
 accessing, by a data processing apparatus, television advertising templates, each of the television advertising templates for use in generating customized television advertisements and including:
 variable advertisement content elements, each variable advertisement content element being selectable for inclusion in a customized television advertisement generated from the television advertising template; 
 targeting criteria specifying targeting conditions for the television advertising template, the targeting conditions being conditions for selecting the television advertisement template for an advertisement availability; and 
 content selection criteria specifying availability content associated with an advertisement availability for use in selecting variable advertisement content elements for inclusion in a customized television advertisement generated from the television advertising template; 
   identifying, by the data processing apparatus, an advertising availability that satisfies the targeting conditions for one or more of the television advertising templates;   selecting, by the data processing apparatus, one of the television advertising templates having targeting conditions satisfied by the advertising availability;   identifying, by the data processing apparatus, availability content based on the content selection criteria of the selected television advertising template;   selecting, by the data processing apparatus, one or more of the variable advertisement content elements of the selected television advertising template;   generating, by the data processing apparatus, a customized television advertisement from the selected television advertising template and the selected variable advertisement content elements; and   providing, by the data processing apparatus, the customized television advertisement for airing during the advertisement availability that satisfies the targeting conditions of the selected television advertising template.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein, for each television advertising template, the variable advertisement elements include one or more of:
 video elements, each video element being data that generates television video that can be used in a customized television advertisement;   audio elements, each audio element being audio data that generate television audio that can be used in a customized television advertisement; and   text elements, each text element being data that generates television text that can be used in a customized television advertisement.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 for each television advertising template, the targeting criteria specifying targeting conditions for the television advertising template include targeting criteria specifying television programs during which a customized advertisement generated from the television advertising template may air; and   content selection criteria specifying availability content associated with an advertisement availability for use in selecting variable advertisement content elements includes:
 keyword selection criteria specifying keyword types for extracting keywords from electronic program guide descriptions of the television programs; and 
 keyword matching criteria specifying, for each variable advertisement content element, one or more matching keywords. 
   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein identifying an advertising availability that satisfies the targeting conditions for one or more of the television advertising templates comprises an advertisement availability for a television program specified by the targeting criteria. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 identifying availability content based on the content selection criteria of the selected television advertising template comprises extracting from the electronic program guide information keywords of the keyword types; and   selecting one or more of the variable advertisement content elements of the selected television advertising template comprises selecting variable advertisement content elements for which the specified matching keywords match the keywords extracted from the program guide information.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein each television advertising template further includes static advertisement content elements, each static advertisement content element being included in each customized television advertisement generated from the television advertising template. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein, for each television advertising template, the variable advertisement elements include one or more of:
 video elements, each video element being data that generates television video that can be used in a customized television advertisement;   audio elements, each audio element being audio data that generate television audio that can be used in a customized television advertisement; and   text elements, each text element being data that generates television text that can be used in a customized television advertisement.   
     
     
         8 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 accessing, by a first data processing apparatus, television advertising templates, each of the television advertising templates for use in generating customized television advertisements and including:
 targeting criteria specifying targeting conditions for the television advertising template, the targeting conditions being conditions for selecting the television advertisement template for an advertisement availability; and 
 content selection criteria specifying availability content associated with an advertisement availability for use in selecting variable advertisement content elements for inclusion in a customized television advertisement generated from the television advertising template; 
   identifying, by the first data processing apparatus, an advertising availability that satisfies the targeting conditions for one or more of the television advertising templates;   selecting, by the first data processing apparatus, one of the television advertising templates having targeting conditions satisfied by the advertising availability;   identifying, by the first data processing apparatus, availability content based on the content selection criteria of the selected television advertising template;   providing, by the first data processing apparatus to a second data processing apparatus, the identified availability content;   receiving, by the data first data processing apparatus from the second data processing apparatus, variable advertisement content elements for the selected television advertising template, each variable advertisement content element being selected for inclusion in a customized television advertisement generated from the television advertising template;   generating, by the first data processing apparatus, from the selected television advertising template and the received variable advertisement content elements, a customized television advertisement; and   providing, by the data processing apparatus, the customized television advertisement for airing during the advertisement availability that satisfies the targeting conditions of the selected television advertising template.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein, for each television advertising template, the variable advertisement elements include one or more of:
 video elements, each video element being data that generates television video that can be used in a customized television advertisement;   audio elements, each audio element being audio data that generate television audio that can be used in a customized television advertisement; and   text elements, each text element being data that generates television text that can be used in a customized television advertisement.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 for each television advertising template, the targeting criteria specifying targeting conditions for the television advertising template include targeting criteria specifying television programs during which a customized advertisement generated from the television advertising template may air; and   content selection criteria specifying availability content associated with an advertisement availability for use in selecting variable advertisement content elements includes keyword selection criteria specifying keyword types for extracting keywords from electronic program guide descriptions of the television programs.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein:
 identifying an advertising availability that satisfies the targeting conditions for one or more of the television advertising templates comprises an advertisement availability for a television program specified by the targeting criteria; and   identifying availability content based on the content selection criteria of the selected television advertising template comprises extracting from the electronic program guide information keywords of the keyword types.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein each television advertising template further includes static advertisement content elements, each static advertisement content element being included in each customized television advertisement generated from the television advertising template. 
     
     
         13 . A system, comprising:
 one or more computers;   a memory in data communication with the one or more computers and storing instructions executable by the one or more computers that upon such execution cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:   accessing television advertising templates, each of the television advertising templates for use in generating customized television advertisements and including:
 targeting criteria specifying targeting conditions for the television advertising template, the targeting conditions being conditions for selecting the television advertisement template for an advertisement availability; and 
 content selection criteria specifying availability content associated with an advertisement availability for use in selecting variable advertisement content elements for inclusion in a customized television advertisement generated from the television advertising template; 
   identifying an advertising availability that satisfies the targeting conditions for one or more of the television advertising templates;   selecting one of the television advertising templates having targeting conditions satisfied by the advertising availability;   identifying availability content based on the content selection criteria of the selected television advertising template;   providing to a variable advertisement content provider the identified availability content;   receiving from the variable advertisement content provider variable advertisement content elements for the selected television advertising template, each variable advertisement content element being selected for inclusion in a customized television advertisement generated from the television advertising template;   generating from the selected television advertising template and the received variable advertisement content elements, a customized television advertisement; and   providing the customized television advertisement for airing during the advertisement availability that satisfies the targeting conditions of the selected television advertising template.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein, for each television advertising template, the variable advertisement elements include one or more of:
 video elements, each video element being data that generates television video that can be used in a customized television advertisement;   audio elements, each audio element being audio data that generate television audio that can be used in a customized television advertisement; and   text elements, each text element being data that generates television text that can be used in a customized television advertisement.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein:
 for each television advertising template, the targeting criteria specifying targeting conditions for the television advertising template include targeting criteria specifying television programs during which a customized advertisement generated from the television advertising template may air; and   content selection criteria specifying availability content associated with an advertisement availability for use in selecting variable advertisement content elements includes keyword selection criteria specifying keyword types for extracting keywords from electronic program guide descriptions of the television programs.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein:
 identifying an advertising availability that satisfies the targeting conditions for one or more of the television advertising templates comprises an advertisement availability for a television program specified by the targeting criteria; and   identifying availability content based on the content selection criteria of the selected television advertising template comprises extracting from the electronic program guide information keywords of the keyword types.   
     
     
         17 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 identifying, by a data processing apparatus, a television advertisement availability for a television program;   selecting, by the data processing apparatus, a television advertisement template, the television adverting template including:
 targeting criteria specifying targeting conditions for the television advertising template, the targeting conditions specifying television programs for which the television adverting template may be used to generate a customized television advertisement; and 
 content selection criteria specifying keyword types for extracting keywords from electronic program guide descriptions of the television programs during which the identified television availability occurs; 
   wherein the selection of the television advertising template is based on the television program being one of the television programs specified by the targeting criteria;   extracting from the electronic program guide information keywords of the keyword types;   requesting variable advertisement content elements for the selected television advertising template, the request including the extracted keywords, the variable advertisement content element for inclusion in a customized television advertisement generated from the television advertising template;   receiving variable advertisement content elements in response to the request, the variable advertisement content elements having been selected based on the extracted keywords;   generating a customized television advertisement from the selected television advertising template and the received variable advertisement content elements; and   providing the customized television advertisement for airing during the advertisement availability.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17 , wherein the variable advertisement elements include one or more of:
 video elements, each video element being data that generates television video that can be used in a customized television advertisement;   audio elements, each audio element being audio data that generate television audio that can be used in a customized television advertisement; and   text elements, each text element being data that generates television text that can be used in a customized television advertisement.   
     
     
         19 . A system, comprising:
 one or more computers;   a data storage device storing a plurality of television advertising templates, each of the television advertising templates for use in generating customized television advertisements and including:
 variable advertisement content elements, each variable advertisement content element being selectable for inclusion in a customized television advertisement generated from the television advertising template; 
 targeting criteria specifying targeting conditions for the television advertising template, the targeting conditions being conditions for selecting the television advertisement template for an advertisement availability; and 
 content selection criteria specifying availability content associated with an advertisement availability for use in selecting variable advertisement content elements for inclusion in a customized television advertisement generated from the television advertising template; 
   a memory in data communication with the one or more computers and storing instructions executable by the one or more computers that upon such execution cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:   accessing the television advertising templates;   identifying an advertising availability that satisfies the targeting conditions for one or more of the television advertising templates;   selecting one of the television advertising templates having targeting conditions satisfied by the advertising availability;   identifying availability content based on the content selection criteria of the selected television advertising template;   selecting one or more of the variable advertisement content elements of the selected television advertising template;   generating from the selected television advertising template and the selected variable advertisement content elements, a customized television advertisement; and   providing the customized television advertisement for airing during the advertisement availability that satisfies the targeting conditions of the selected television advertising template.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein, for each television advertising template, the variable advertisement elements include one or more of:
 video elements, each video element being data that generates television video that can be used in a customized television advertisement;   audio elements, each audio element being audio data that generate television audio that can be used in a customized television advertisement; and   text elements, each text element being data that generates television text that can be used in a customized television advertisement.   
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method performed by a data processing apparatus, comprising:
 accessing, by a data processing apparatus, television advertising templates, each of the television advertising templates for use in generating customized television advertisements and associated targeting criteria specifying targeting conditions for the television advertising template, the targeting conditions being conditions for selecting the television advertisement template for an advertisement availability;   identifying, by the data processing apparatus, an advertising availability that satisfies targeting conditions for one or more of the television advertising templates;   selecting, by the data processing apparatus, one of the television advertising templates having targeting conditions satisfied by the advertising availability;   selecting, by the data processing apparatus, one or more variable advertisement content elements for the selected television advertising template, each variable advertisement content element being selected for inclusion in a customized television advertisement generated from the television advertising template;   generating, by the data processing apparatus, a customized television advertisement from the selected television advertising template and the selected variable advertisement content elements; and   providing, by the data processing apparatus, the customized television advertisement for airing during the advertisement availability that satisfies the targeting conditions of the selected television advertising template.