SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROMOTING VIEWER INTERACTION IN A TELEVISION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A method for displaying an interactive, animated cartoon figure on a television comprising the steps of:
- executing an interactive application in a set-top box coupled to said television;
setting up a plurality of user-defined attributes of said animated cartoon figure;
generating said animated cartoon figure on said television, said animated cartoon figure being representative of a living entity, said animated cartoon figure having an appearance indicative of a state of said figure;
prompting a viewer for a response;
updating said state, said state being a more preferred state if said viewer provides said response, said state being a less preferred state if said viewer fails to provide said response; and
regenerating said animated cartoon figure on said television, said animated cartoon figure having said appearance indicative of said state of said animated cartoon figure.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive television system configured to display an animated character which has an appearance indicative of a viewer'"'"'s interaction and time spent watching a particular television program. In one embodiment, the character is a genie which appears more healthy when the viewer'"'"'s watching/interaction increases and less healthy when it decreases. Various features of the genie, such as hair color, clothing and name, are viewer-selectable. The genie may prompt the viewer for responses, which responses result in the awarding of points to the genie, which in turn make it appear more healthy or give it certain powers or characteristics. The genie is implemented in an interactive application which is transmitted to a set-top box coupled to the viewer'"'"'s television. Transmission of related data through a return path to the broadcast station which originated the application enables the viewer to participate in lotteries and other special promotions.
59 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for displaying an interactive, animated cartoon figure on a television comprising the steps of:
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executing an interactive application in a set-top box coupled to said television;
setting up a plurality of user-defined attributes of said animated cartoon figure;
generating said animated cartoon figure on said television, said animated cartoon figure being representative of a living entity, said animated cartoon figure having an appearance indicative of a state of said figure;
prompting a viewer for a response;
updating said state, said state being a more preferred state if said viewer provides said response, said state being a less preferred state if said viewer fails to provide said response; and
regenerating said animated cartoon figure on said television, said animated cartoon figure having said appearance indicative of said state of said animated cartoon figure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An apparatus for use in an interactive television system having a broadcast station, a transmission medium and a television, the apparatus being designed to promote viewer interaction with a television program, the apparatus comprising:
a set-top box coupled to said broadcast station via said transmission medium and coupled to said television, said set-top box having a signal processing unit configured to receive a program signal from said broadcast station, said program signal including an application and said television program, said signal processing unit further being configured to separate said application from said television program, a memory unit configured to store data used by said application, said data being indicative of a level of said viewer interaction, a microprocessor configured to execute said application, said application being configured to generate an icon, said icon being indicative of said level of said viewer interaction, said microprocessor further being configured to update said data in response to said viewer interaction, a display unit configured to combine said television program and said icon into a display signal and to transmit said display signal to said television. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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17. A method for encouraging a plurality of viewers'"'"' participation in an interactive television system having a broadcast station and one or more receiving stations, each receiving station having a monitor, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) transmitting a television program from said broadcast station to said one or more receiving stations;
(b) performing steps (i)-(iii) one or more times for each receiving station;
(i) detecting a level of participation of one of said viewers associated with said receiving station;
(ii) generating an adaptable depiction of a living entity, said depiction having an appearance of a level of healthfulness corresponding to said level of said associated viewer'"'"'s participation;
(iii) displaying said television program and said depiction on said monitor; and
(c) storing viewer data for each of said receiving stations, said viewer data being indicative of said level of each of said viewer'"'"'s participation.
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Specification