System and method for managing in-theater display advertisements

• US 20040158865A1
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Don Merritt, Jeff Johnson, John C. Poortinga, Joseph J. Hasson, Kenneth M. Kubler, Tom Hintz
• Original Assignee: Don Merritt, Jeff Johnson, John C. Poortinga, Joseph J. Hasson, Kenneth M. Kubler, Tom Hintz
• Inventors: Johnson, Jeff, Kubler, Kenneth M., Hasson, Joseph J., Merritt, Don, Poortinga, John C., Hintz, Tom
• Application Number:
  US10/719,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20040158865A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/82
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/10 Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• 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 7/002 Special television systems not provided for by H04N7/007 - H04N7/18 still pictures via a television channel H04N1/00098
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A library of video advertisements are stored at a clearing house for distribution to a plurality of geographically separated theaters along with display schedules of the transmitted video advertisements. A network such as the Internet connects the clearing house to the theaters. At the theaters, the transmitted video advertisements are displayed according to the schedules. A log of the displayed advertisements is compiled at each theater and transmitted by the network to the clearing house. In addition, one or more parameters representative of attendance and/or demographics at the theater are also transmitted by the network to the clearing house.

Claims

1. A method for displaying video advertisements at a plurality of geographically separated theaters, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a library of video advertisements at a clearing house remote from the theaters;

connecting the clearing house to the theaters through a network;

transmitting video advertisements to the theaters over the network;

transmitting display schedules of the transmitted video advertisements to the theaters over the network;

projecting a feature film onto a screen at one of the theaters; and

substituting the transmitted video advertisements for the feature film being projected at said theater so the transmitted video advertisements are displayed on the screen according to the schedules.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the connecting step connects the clearing house to the theaters through the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the step of transmitting display schedules transmits a different display schedule to each theater.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the step of transmitting video advertisements transmits a different set of video advertisements to each theater.

5. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the step of compiling a log of the video advertisements actually displayed at each theater.

6. The method of claim 5, in which the log preparing step includes the time of display in the log.

7. The method of claim 5, additionally comprising the step of transmitting the logs to the clearing house.

8. The method of claim 7, additionally comprising the step of comparing the logs with display schedules to detect discrepancies.

9. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the step of measuring one or more parameters representative of attendance at the theaters.

10. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the step of measuring one or more parameters representative of audience demographics at the theaters.

11. The method of claim 9, additionally comprising the step of transmitting the one or more parameters representative of attendance to the clearing house over the network.

12. The method of claim 10, additionally comprising the step of transmitting the one or more parameters representative of audience demographics to the clearing house over the network.

13. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the step of changing the display schedule at said theater in the course of the projection of the film.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising projecting feature films onto the screen at a number of other theaters and substituting the transmitted video advertisements for the feature films being projected at the other theaters so the transmitted video advertisements are displayed on the screens according to the schedules.

15. The method of claim 1, in which the substituted video advertisements are generated electronically.

16. A method for displaying video advertisements at a plurality of geographically separated theaters that are playing motion pictures, the method comprising:

storing a library of video advertisements at a clearing house remote from the theaters;

connecting the clearing house to the theaters through a network;

transmitting video advertisements to one of the theaters over the network;

transmitting over the network a display schedule for the video advertisements transmitted to the one theater;

playing a motion picture at the one theater; and

substituting for the motion picture being played the transmitted video advertisements according to the transmitted display schedule.