Method and system for delivery of content over an electronic book channel

• US 10,334,329 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ipar LLC
• Original Assignee: Ipar LLC
• Inventors: Spears, Joseph L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hance, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US15/814,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20180077470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0291 for reading, e.g. e-books constructional details of portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/237 Communication with additional data server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6106 specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8541 involving branching, e.g. to different story endings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

Computer-implemented systems and methods of providing content to a user via communications between a content provider and a user over a plurality of disparate communication channels are provided. Content is provided to a user via a first transmission channel for presentation. Metadata associated with the content identifies a content event trigger at a point in the content. The content is displayed using a first presentation system. When the content event trigger is reached, supplemental content is provided to the user via a second transmission channel. The supplemental content is provided to the user during continued presentation of the content, and the supplemental content is provided to the user using a content providing system that is wholly separate from the first presentation system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing content to a user via communications over an e-book transmission channel, comprising:

providing content to the user via an e-book transmission channel of a device via a network, wherein pre-defined metadata associated with the content identifies a content event trigger at a point in the content, wherein the content event trigger is associated with a user accessing a pre-specified point of the e-book;

when the content event trigger is reached, receiving a trigger signal from the device via the network and transmitting supplemental video content over the network from a server to the user for playback on a second mobile display device that is different from the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the e-book transmission channel is part of an e-book app of the device, wherein the supplemental video content is transmitted to a different app for playback.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the e-book transmission channel is part of an e-book app of the device, wherein the supplemental video content is transmitted to a different device of the user for playback.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the video content is streaming video content, wherein a streaming video content player is embedded in the e-book.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental video content is provided as a reward for reaching the trigger point in the e-book.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental video content is automatically played when the content event trigger is reached.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental video content is not automatically played when the content event trigger is reached.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a smart phone device, a tablet device, a laptop computer, or a desktop computer.

9. A computer-implemented system for providing content to a user via communications over an e-book transmission channel, comprising:

one or more data processors;

one or more computer-readable mediums encoded with instructions to command the one or more data processors to execute steps of a method including;

providing content to the user via an e-book transmission channel of a device via a network, wherein pre-defined metadata associated with the content identifies a content event trigger at a point in the content, wherein the content event trigger is associated with a user accessing a pre-specified point of the e-book;

when the content event trigger is reached, receiving a trigger signal from the device via the network and transmitting supplemental video content over the network from a server to the user for playback on a second mobile display device that is different from the device.

10. A computer-implemented method of providing content to a user via communications over a plurality of transmission channels including an e-book transmission channel, comprising:

providing content to the user via an e-book app of a device via a network, wherein pre-defined metadata associated with the content identifies a content event trigger at a point in the content, wherein the content event trigger is associated with a user accessing a pre-specified point of the e-book;

when the content event trigger is reached, receiving a trigger signal from the device via the network and transmitting supplemental data over the network from a server to a second app that is different from the e-book app, wherein the different app is on a second device that is different from the device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the supplemental data unlocks supplemental content is provided as a reward for reaching the trigger point in the e-book.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein reaching the trigger point enables access to the supplemental content for a particular period of time.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the content is developed by a first party, and wherein the trigger point in the content is set by a second party.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the content includes multiple trigger points.

15. A computer-implemented system for providing content to a user via communications over a plurality of transmission channels including an e-book transmission channel, comprising:

one or more data processors;

one or more computer-readable mediums encoded with instructions to command the one or more data processors to execute steps of a method including;

providing content to the user via an e-book app of a device via a network, wherein pre-defined metadata associated with the content identifies a content event trigger at a point in the content, wherein the content event trigger is associated with a user accessing a pre-specified point of the e-book;

when the content event trigger is reached, receiving a trigger signal from the device via the network and transmitting supplemental data from a server to a second app that is different from the e-book app on a second mobile display device that is different from the device.

16. A computer-implemented method of providing content to a user via communications between a content provider and the user over a plurality of disparate transmission channels, comprising:

providing content to the user via a first transmission channel in the plurality of disparate transmission channels via a network for presentation, wherein the first transmission channel is an e-book transmission channel to a device, wherein pre-defined metadata associated with the content identifies a content event trigger at a point in the content, wherein the content is displayed using a first presentation system;

when the content event trigger is reached, receiving a trigger signal from the device via the network and providing supplemental content to the user via a second transmission channel in the plurality of disparate transmission channels from a server to a second mobile display device that is different from the device, wherein the supplemental content is provided to the user using a content providing system that is wholly separate from the first presentation system, wherein the event trigger is a user accessing a page associated with the event trigger.