Dynamic content analysis and engagement system for shared displays

• US 10,223,998 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Painted City Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Painted City Incorporated
• Inventors: Forbes, John Bruce, Misch, Felix, Jenks, Timothy S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ma, Calvin C
• Application Number:
  US15/075,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20160275833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 345 1, 705 1442, 705 1453, 725 12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies

Abstract

Methods, systems, and techniques for analyzing the level of engagement of viewers of shared digital displays and enhancing that engagement by dynamically modifying the content of the display and incorporating personalized content created by viewers are provided. One example embodiment is the Dynamic Content Analysis and Engagement System (DCAES), which enables the operator of the system to analyze engagement, generate metrics, manage owner and viewer generated content, and dynamically modify the content on the shared display to increase the engagement of the viewer. In one example embodiment, the DCAES comprises an attention sensor module, an analysis module, a content management module, and a display control module.

Claims

1. A system for sensing and analyzing a level of engagement of viewers with content outputted to a shared digital display comprising:

an attention sensor comprising one or more sensors proximately located to the shared digital display and configured to detect presence of one or more viewers within a determined range of the shared digital display and configured to detect image and/or audio data associated with each viewer; and

a computing system configured to;

analyze the presence and image and/or audio data associated with each viewer detected by the attention sensor to generate engagement metrics regarding each viewer, the generated engagement metrics comprising individual viewer metrics and crowd metrics, the individual viewer metrics including at least arrival time, departure time, viewing time, and viewer dwell time, and the crowd metrics including at least one of crowd size, crowd turnover, crowd engaged, crowd disengaged, or a crowd engagement rating; and

in near real time, dynamically reconfigure content presented on the shared digital display based upon the generated engagement metrics.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the attention sensor comprises a time of flight sensor that is configured to detect presence of each viewer with the determined range of the shared digital display.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the attention sensor comprises a camera configured to sense image data associated with each viewer.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more sensors comprise wireless access points, beacon technology, electromagnetic radiation, infrared, microphones, and/or sound wave sensors.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the computing system solicits and receives personalized content from the one or more viewers transforming them from passive viewers into active contributors thereby increasing their level of engagement.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the computing system comprises:

an analysis module configured to generate and store the engagement metrics including determining a model of the one or more viewers within the determined range of the shared digital display;

a content management module configured to store, retrieve, and queue content; and

a display control module configured to receive content from the content management module and dynamically reconfigure and output the received content in near real time based upon the stored engagement metrics, wherein at least one of the metrics is based upon the model of the one or more viewers, and wherein the reconfigured content incorporates content from a template.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the analysis module is further configured to determine gestures associated with some of the one or more viewers and wherein a level of engagement with the presented content is calculated taking into account the one or more of the determined gestures.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the content management module is further configured to queue content from and moderate between a plurality of viewers desirous of posting content to the shared digital display.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the display control module combines system generated content with viewer specified content when dynamically reconfiguring the content to present on the shared digital display.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the computing system comprises an analysis module that receives the detection and image and/or audio data associated with each viewer, analyzes the detection and image and/or audio data to generate and store the engagement metrics regarding each viewer.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the engagement metrics further comprises content metrics relating to engagement.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the engagement metrics further comprises viewer demographic metrics.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the individual viewer metrics further comprises at least one of engaged, disengaged, engagement rating, or focus point.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the crowd metrics comprise a crowd engagement rating.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the content metrics further comprises at least one of content observed, content dwell time, or a content engagement rating.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the engagement metrics comprises demographic data of a plurality of viewers including at least one of age, height, weight, ethnicity, gender, or language.

17. A method for sensing and analyzing a level of engagement of a plurality of viewers with content outputted to a shared digital display comprising:

receiving data from an attention sensor detecting presences of one or more viewers within a determined range of the shared digital display and detecting image and/or audio data associated with each viewer;

combining the detected presence data and the image and/or audio data for each viewer to generate a multidimensional model to determine posture and/or physical state of each viewer;

analyzing the multidimensional model to determine focal point for each viewer;

calculating engagement metrics based upon the determined focal point, the engagement metrics comprising individual viewer metrics and crowd metrics, the individual viewer metrics including at least arrival time, departure time, viewing time, and viewer dwell time, and the crowd metrics including at least one of crowd size, crowd turnover, crowd engaged, crowd disengaged, or a crowd engagement rating; and

generating and reconfiguring content in near real time to present modified content on the shared digital display based upon the calculated engagement metrics.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

analyzing the multidimensional model to determine a gesture associated with one or more viewers proximate to the shared digital display;

determine a vote or score for the content outputted to the shared digital display; and

generate and/or reconfigure content in near real time to present changed content on the shared digital display based upon the determined vote or score.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing instructions for controlling a computer processor to determine a level of engagement with content presented on a shared digital display by performing a method comprising:

receiving data from an attention sensor detecting presences of one or more viewers within a determined range of the shared digital display and detecting image and/or audio data associated with each viewer;

combining the detected presence data and the image and/or audio data for each viewer to generate a multidimensional model associated with each viewer;

analyzing the multidimensional model to determine focal point for each viewer and an individual engagement metric including at least one of dwell time, viewing time, arrival time, or departure time;

calculate engagement metrics based upon the determined focal point and the individual engagement metric, the engagement metrics comprising individual viewer metrics and crowd metrics, the individual viewer metrics including at least arrival time, departure time, viewing time, and viewer dwell time, and the crowd metrics including at least one of crowd size, crowd turnover, crowd engaged, crowd disengaged, or a crowd engagement rating; and

generating and reconfiguring content in near real time for the shared digital display based upon the calculated engagement metrics.