Data Collection Agent for Online Video Viewership Analytics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring video clip viewership on online video sharing websites are inaccurate and lack detailed information on viewer characteristics, duration, and repetition, as they rely on page hits and can be manipulated through fraudulent means, failing to provide refined traffic analysis by topic.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a data collection agent (DCA) loaded on video players to collect and send detailed viewing information to a viewership analytics server (VAS), which processes data to generate reports on attention span, demographics, and geography, using HTTP requests and a database to store and analyze metadata and viewer interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If page hit counting is used to measure viewership, then implementation is simple, but measurement precision is poor and data is inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a data collection agent as an intermediary component that sits between the video player and the viewership analytics server. This agent collects detailed viewing information including attention span, demographics, and geographic data, then transmits it to the server. This intermediary approach resolves the contradiction by providing accurate measurement without requiring complete redesign of the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the simple mechanical counting of page hits with a more sophisticated system that collects and analyzes multiple parameters (attention span, demographics, geography). This substitution transforms the measurement mechanism from a crude counter to a comprehensive analytics system that provides precise viewership data.
2Measurement precision
If detailed viewing information is collected, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the viewership measurement system into distinct functional components: a data collection agent embedded in the video player, a transmission mechanism using HTTP requests, and a viewership analytics server for processing. This segmentation allows detailed information collection while managing system complexity through modular architecture, where each component has a specific responsibility.
3Device complexity
If traditional page hit methods are used, then system complexity remains low, but reliability of viewership data deteriorates due to fraud
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the data collection agent continuously monitors viewing behavior and sends updates to the analytics server. This ongoing feedback loop allows the system to detect patterns indicative of fraudulent activity and adjust measurements accordingly, thereby maintaining data reliability without requiring overly complex verification systems.
Data Source
AI summary
The method and/or apparatus monitors and records the times when a user interacts with a network video player, e.g. a web video player, while watching an online video clip. Specifically, a data collection agent (DCA) is loaded to the player or to a web page that displays the video clip. The DCA collects detailed viewing information and periodically sends this information to a central server. The viewing information is processed by the central server to generate at least one of: a viewership attention span report, a viewership demographics report, and a viewership geographic report.