Run-time SDK Integration for Video Players
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of advertiser SDKs with video players is time-consuming and requires frequent updates, leading publishers to limit the number of SDKs they support, often using older versions due to the complexity and burden of maintaining multiple SDKs across different platforms.
Innovation Solution
A video player device with run-time SDK integration that obtains and automatically updates the latest SDK from a Content Delivery Network (CDN) server, allowing for seamless integration and elimination of the need for manual SDK updates, using a digital processor, screen, network interface, and non-transitory digital memory with code segments for obtaining and displaying video advertisements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If publishers integrate multiple advertiser SDKs into video players, then ad display capability is improved, but integration complexity and maintenance burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a CDN server as an intermediary component that hosts SDK versions and delivers them to video players. This mediator simplifies the publisher's task by centralizing SDK management, allowing publishers to offer multiple ad formats without manually integrating each SDK into their video player infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the SDK delivery process into separate components: the CDN server handles SDK versioning and distribution, while the video player only needs to download and execute the appropriate SDK. This segmentation reduces the complexity at the publisher/video player interface while maintaining the ability to support multiple advertisers.
2Reliability
If publishers manually update SDK versions, then ad display performance is improved, but time consumption and operational burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service through automatic SDK version detection and downloading. The video player automatically queries the CDN server for the latest SDK version, downloads it, and executes it without requiring publisher intervention. This eliminates manual update processes while ensuring ad display performance remains current.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the video player continuously monitors SDK versions available on the CDN server and automatically updates when newer versions are detected. This closed-loop feedback system ensures optimal ad display performance is maintained automatically without time-consuming manual updates.
3Device complexity
If publishers limit the number of supported SDKs, then maintenance burden is reduced, but ad serving versatility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal SDK delivery mechanism where a single CDN server infrastructure can serve multiple advertisers and video players. The system maintains a registry of available SDK versions and automatically delivers the appropriate one, allowing the publisher to support numerous advertisers without increasing maintenance burden at the video player level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves SDK management from the horizontal dimension (multiple integrated SDKs in the video player) to a vertical dimension (versioned SDKs delivered on-demand from the CDN). This dimensional shift allows unlimited SDK support while maintaining simple video player architecture, as each SDK version is delivered as a separate executable unit rather than being integrated into the player itself.
Data Source
AI summary
A video player device obtains a run-time SDK from a CDN server when it is time to display a video Ad and makes an Ad request to an Ad server via the network interface using the run-time SDK. A video player displays an Ad on the screen that is received as an Ad response. In a first example embodiment, the device includes an SDK Native Library which, when initialized, downloads an HTML SDK from the CDN server. In a second example embodiment, the device makes a VAST request to the CDN server, where a VAST response includes a VPAID wrapper containing a run-time SDK as a VPAID creative. The VAST response is parsed and the VPAID creative is then loaded and invoked by VPAID APIs of the run-time SDK.