User interaction feedback system

• US 20040049786A1
• Filed: 08/08/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsuria, Yossef, Bauminger, Ilan
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0248 Avoiding fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A viewer response method for use with an interactive telecommunications system. The viewer response method includes accumulating a user interaction history of a user of the system, the user interaction history including user interaction information associated with a plurality of user interaction events and providing user-sensible feedback, based at least in part on the user interaction history.

Claims

1. A viewer response method for use with an interactive telecommunications system, the method comprising:

accumulating a user interaction history of a user of the system, the user interaction history comprising user interaction information associated with a plurality of user interaction events; and

providing user-sensible feedback, based at least in part on the user interaction history.

2. A method according to claim 1 and wherein the step of providing user-sensible feedback comprises providing user-sensible feedback via the telecommunications system.

3. A method according to claim 1 and wherein the plurality of user interaction events comprises a customized plurality of user interaction events customized to the user.

4. A method according to claim 1 and wherein the interactive telecommunications system comprises a television system, and the user interaction history comprises a viewing history comprising viewing information associated with a plurality of viewing events.

5. A method according to claim 4 and wherein at least one of the plurality of viewing events comprises the user viewing a commercial.

6. A method according to claim 5 and wherein the commercial comprises a selected commercial selected from a plurality of commercials broadcast via the telecommunications system.

7. A method according to claim 5 and wherein said plurality of viewing events comprises the viewer viewing at least two commercials, and

said at least two commercials comprise at least two commercials selected, according to at least one predetermined criterion, from a plurality of commercials broadcast via the interactive telecommunications system.

8. A method according to claim 1 and wherein the interactive telecommunications system comprises a computer network based communications system.

9. A method according to claim 8 and wherein the computer network based communications system comprises a World Wide Web (WWW) based system.

10. A method according to claim 1 and wherein the user interaction information comprises information supplied by the user while participating in at least one of the plurality of user interaction events.

11. A method according to claim 1 and wherein the step of accumulating a user interaction history of a user comprises performing the following steps at least twice:

prompting the user to enter a response during a user interaction event;

receiving the response entered by the user; and

storing the response.

12. A method according to claim 1 and wherein the step of providing user-sensible feedback comprises providing an indication that the user is entitled to receive a prize.

13. A method according to claim 1 and wherein the step of providing user-sensible feedback comprises providing an indication that the user is entitled to participate in a game.

14. A method according to claim 13 and wherein the indication that the user is entitled to participate in the game comprises an indication that a winner of the game is entitled to receive a prize.

15. A method for playing a game using an interactive television system, the method comprising:

accumulating a viewing history of a viewer, the viewing history comprising viewing information associated with a plurality of viewing events; and

authorizing the viewer to participate in a game based, at least in part, on the viewing history.

16. A method according to claim 15 and also comprising the step of:

providing the game to the user via the interactive television system.

17. A method according to claim 15 and wherein at least one of the plurality of viewing events comprises the viewer viewing a commercial.

18. A method according to claim 17 and wherein the commercial comprises a selected commercial selected from a plurality of commercials broadcast via the interactive television system.

19. A method according to claim 17 and wherein said plurality of view events comprises the viewer viewing at least two commercials, and

said at least two commercials comprise at least two commercials selected, according to a predetermined criterion, from a plurality of commercials broadcast via the interactive television system.

20. A method according to claim 15 and wherein the interactive television system comprises a headend located at a site remote from the viewer, and

the method also comprises:

transmitting a message comprising at least a portion of the viewing history to the headend.

21. A method according to claim 20 and also comprising:

analyzing the portion of the viewing history at the headend; and

modifying the behavior of the interactive television system based, at least in part, on a result of the analyzing step.

22. An interactive viewer-response telecommunications system comprising:

user interaction history apparatus for accumulating a user interaction history of a user of the system, the user interaction history comprising user interaction information associated with a plurality of user interaction events; and

user-sensible feedback apparatus for providing user-sensible feedback, based at least in part on the user interaction history.

23. An interactive television system comprising:

viewing history apparatus for accumulating a viewing history of a viewer, the viewing history comprising viewing information associated with a plurality of viewing events; and

gaming authorization apparatus for authorizing the viewer to participate in a game based, at least in part, on the viewing history.