Animated Video Overlays

Abstract

A video server provides video content to a client via a network. At the instruction of the video server, a player at the client contacts an ad server and downloads one or more creatives and a controller file to the client. The controller file indicates how the creative manifests itself in play. The player displays the video content in a display area at the client. The controller file causes the creative to appear as an animated overlay over the video content. User interface elements indicate the point in the video when the creative appears, and allow the user to minimize and replay the creative. The player can also display other creatives, such as a static creative that is associated with the animated creative. A user can select the creative to view additional information about a product advertised by the creative.

1 . A method for displaying a creative in association with a video, comprising:
 playing a video in a video area of a user interface on a client;   receiving a creative at the client;   receiving, by the client, controller information controlling how the creative manifests itself during display of the video, the controller information comprising one or more rules indicating display characteristics of the creative and an action to be performed in response to the user selecting the creative;   displaying, by the client, the creative in a portion of the video area in accordance with the display characteristics in the received controller information, the creative overlaid on the playing video;   receiving, by the client, a user selection of the creative during display of the creative; and   performing, by the client, the specified action in response to the user selecting the creative.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controller information includes information specifying an offset time from a beginning of the video at which to display the creative. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controller information includes information specifying where in the video area to display the creative. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the creative comprises:
 displaying the creative along a bottom portion of the video area or at a predetermined point in time after the video has started playing and while the video continues to play or in a partially-transparent manner so that the playing video remains visible beneath the displayed creative.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controller information includes information specifying whether the creative is to be displayed on a mobile client and whether the creative is to be displayed on at least one other type of client. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controller information includes information specifying a level of transparency for displaying the creative. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the action to be performed in response to the user selecting the creative comprises:
 recording a click event when the user selects the creative.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the action to be performed in response to the user selecting the creative comprises:
 displaying an interactive advertisement appearing in the video area and including functionality allowing the user to purchase an item advertised by the interactive advertisement.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the action to be performed in response to the user selecting the creative comprises:
 pausing and fading the video; and   displaying a companion video associated with the video, the companion video appearing in the video area superimposed over a partial portion of the video when the video is paused and faded.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prior to playing the video, transmitting a video request to a video server for the video;   prior to receiving the creative, transmitting a creative request to an ad server for the creative, the request including parameters that describe aspects of the requested video.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein dimensions of the creative varies as it plays. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controller information comprises information describing how an ad reporting event associated with the creative is measured, and wherein the action comprises sending the ad reporting event based on the controller information and a length of time that the creative is displayed. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying a progress bar illustrating a length of the video and a current playback position of the video; and   displaying an indicator in association with the progress bar indicating a playback position of the video at which the creative is displayed; and   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying a transparent screen over the creative in the video area; and   displaying user interface (UI) elements associated with the creative on the transparent screen, wherein the UI elements comprise one or more elements from the set consisting of: text indicating that the creative is an advertisement and a control enabling a user to minimize display of the creative.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for displaying a creative in association with a video, the computer-executable instructions when executed by one or more processors causing the one or more processors to perform steps including:
 playing a video in a video area of a user interface on a client;   receiving a creative at the client;   receiving, by the client, controller information controlling how the creative manifests itself during display of the video, the controller information comprising one or more rules indicating display characteristics of the creative and an action to be performed in response to the user selecting the creative;   displaying, by the client, the creative in a portion of the video area in accordance with the display characteristics in the received controller information, the creative overlaid on the playing video;   receiving, by the client, a user selection of the creative during display of the creative; and   performing, by the client, the specified action in response to the user selecting the creative.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the controller information includes information specifying an offset time from a beginning of the video at which to display the creative. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the controller information includes information specifying where in the video area to display the creative. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein displaying the creative comprises:
 displaying the creative along a bottom portion of the video area or at a predetermined point in time after the video has started playing and while the video continues to play or in a partially-transparent manner so that the playing video remains visible beneath the displayed creative.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the controller information includes information specifying whether the creative is to be displayed on a mobile client and whether the creative is to be displayed on at least one other type of client. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the controller information comprises information describing how an ad reporting event associated with the creative is measured, and wherein the action comprises sending the ad reporting event based on the controller information and a length of time that the creative is displayed.