Systems and methods for awarding affinity points based upon remote control usage

• US 20050097594A1
• Filed: 11/08/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brandt Thompson, Frank O'Donnell, Paul V. Darbee
• Original Assignee: Brandt Thompson, Frank O'Donnell, Paul V. Darbee
• Inventors: Darbee, Paul V., O'Donnell, Frank, Thompson, Brandt
• Application Number:
  US10/984,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097594A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0235 specially adapted for remote control, e.g. of audio or video apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/39 for identifying broadcast space-time use of Electronic Programme Guides H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing and promoting television programming, advertisements, and other content to selected viewers. A display is provided on a remote control device, prompts are provided on the display, and viewer responses to those prompts are monitored, stored in memory, and thereafter processed to reward viewers for responding properly to the prompts. Various methods for promoting such programs are also described.

Claims

1. A method for selecting advertising content associated with television programming, said method comprising the steps of:

using a remote control unit and a direct tuning method to select a channel for viewing on an associated television set;

storing an indication of said channel selection within said remote control unit; and

using said stored channel indication to select an advertisement for depiction on a display provided on said remote control unit.

2. A method for promoting television content, said method comprising the steps of:

depicting on a display provided on a remote control unit advertising content including an offer for an award of affinity points based upon a predetermined user input sequence to said remote control unit;

monitoring user inputs to said remote control unit; and

in response to detecting said predetermined user input sequence, awarding said affinity points to an account of said user.

3. A method for promoting television content, said method comprising the steps of:

prompting a user of a remote control device to make a television channel selection by displaying predetermined content on a display of said remote control device; and

monitoring channel selections of said user to determine whether said user selects a particular channel in response to said prompting.

4. A method for promoting television content, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting for viewing on a television set predetermined content;

displaying on a viewing screen of a remote control device a question relating to said predetermined content;

allowing a user to respond to said question using said remote control device; and

recording a response of said user to said question.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said predetermined content comprises television programming content.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said predetermined content comprises advertising content.

7. A method for promoting television content, said method comprising the steps of:

providing on a display of a remote control device promotional content designed to encourage a television viewer to view selected media content on an associated television set;

providing on said display of said remote control device one or more questions relating to said selected media content;

allowing a user of said remote control device to respond to said one or more questions using said remote control device; and

storing in a memory data indicative of a response of said user to said one or more questions.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said selected media content comprises television programming content.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said selected media content comprises advertising content.

10. A method for promoting television content, said method comprising the steps of:

depicting at a preselected time on a display of a remote control device content designed to encourage a user of said remote control device to select a particular channel on an associated television set a later time;

monitoring said channel selections of said user using said remote control device; and

awarding affinity points to an account of said user if said user selects said particular channel at said later time.

11. A method for promoting television content, said method comprising the steps of:

using a display provided on a remote control unit, prompting a user of the remote control unit to take a predetermined action;

monitoring inputs to said remote control device over a predetermined time to verify whether or not said user has taken said predetermined action; and

upon verifying that said user has taken said action, providing said user with an award.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said predetermined action is selected from the group of initiating a channel change or not initiating a channel change using said remote control device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of monitoring further comprises the step of recording in a memory of said remote control device a record of user input actions and times associated with said user input actions.

14. A method for providing advertising or other content to a television viewer, said method comprising the steps of:

providing on a display of a remote control device an advertisement and instructions for receiving additional information based upon a predetermined user input to the remote control device;

monitoring over a selected period of time user inputs to said remote control device to determine whether said user has entered into said remote control device said predetermined user input; and

upon detecting said predetermined user input, providing on said display said additional information.

15. A method for providing advertising or other content to a television viewer, said method comprising the steps of:

providing on a display of a remote control device an advertisement and instructions for receiving a plurality of sets of additional information based upon predetermined sets of user inputs to the remote control device;

monitoring over a selected period of time user inputs to said remote control device to determine whether said user has entered into said remote control device any one of said predetermined user inputs; and

upon detecting one of said predetermined user inputs, providing on said display additional information corresponding to said detected one of said predetermined user inputs.

16. A method for promoting a television viewership affinity awards program, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a program guide on a display device; and

providing one or more visual indicators within said program guide, said visual indicators identifying one or more television programs that are affiliated with an affinity points award program.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said display device comprises a television monitor.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said display device comprises a display screen provided on a remote control device.

19. A method for promoting a television viewership affinity awards program, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a program guide on a display device, said program guide including a program listing and an affinity points award listing; and

allowing a user of said display device to select for depiction on said display device either said program listing or said affinity points award listing.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said display device comprises a television monitor.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said display device comprises a display screen provided on a remote control device.

22. A method for promoting a television viewership affinity awards program, said method comprising the steps of:

providing on a viewing screen a pop-up marquee associated with a television program, and

including within said marquee an indication that said television program is associated with an affinity awards program.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said indication that said television program is associated within an affinity awards program is provided within a banner comprising a portion of said marquee, and content within said banner is variable based upon stored data identifying a current channel selected by said viewer.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said indication that said television program is associated with an affinity awards program comprises a mark associated with said program.

25. A method for promoting a television viewership affinity awards program, said method comprising the steps of:

providing on a viewing screen a pop-up marquee associated with a television program,

including within said marquee an indication that said television program is associated with an affinity awards program, and

associating with said marquee a tone to be provided by a tone generator of one of a remote control device or a television set associated with said remote control device, upon a depiction of said marquee on said viewing screen.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said viewing screen comprises a screen provided on said remote control device.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said screen comprises a viewing screen of said television set.

28. A method for enabling a television user to obtain additional information related to selected content provided on a television set, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining within a memory of a remote control device a channel selection log, said channel selection log comprising a listing of channels selected by a user, times upon which said channels were selected, and one or more bookmark indicators;

allowing a user of said remote control device to select one or more channels for viewing on an associated television set using said remote control device and a direct tuning methodology;

allowing said user of said remote control device to enter into said channel selection log one or more of said bookmark indicators, said bookmark indicators denoting that said user of said remote control device would like to receive additional information with respect to selected content provided on said television set at a predetermined time; and

downloading said channel selection log to a database and thereafter identifying any stored bookmark indicators present within said database, such that said additional information may be provided to said user.

29. A method for enabling a television user to obtain additional information related to selected content provided on a television set, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining within a memory a channel selection log, said channel selection log comprising a listing of channels selected by a user of a remote control device, times upon which said channels were selected, and one or more bookmark indicators;

allowing a user of said remote control device to select one or more channels for viewing on said television set using said remote control device and a direct tuning methodology;

allowing said user of said remote control device to enter into said channel selection log one or more of said bookmark indicators, said bookmark indicators denoting that said user of said remote control device would like to receive additional information with respect to selected content provided on said television set at a predetermined time; and

downloading said channel selection log to a database and thereafter identifying any stored bookmark indicators present within said database, such that said additional information may be provided to said user.

30. An apparatus comprising:

a remote control unit comprising a display, transmitter and receiver circuitry for transmitting signals to an associated television monitor and receiving signals from a program guide data transmission source, a microprocessor, and memory,

said microprocessor controlling said display and said transmitter and receiver circuitry, and

said memory having stored therein a program that, when executed by said microprocessor, allows for advertising and promotional content to be selected for depiction on said display based upon a predetermined relationship between said advertising and promotional content and a channel indicator stored within said memory.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said advertising and promotional content comprises an advertisement promoting television content on a channel other than a channel corresponding to said channel indicator.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said advertising and promotional content comprises one or more questions corresponding to television content on a channel corresponding to said channel indicator.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said advertising and promotional content comprises an offer of an award for selecting at a predetermined time a channel other than a channel corresponding to said channel indicator.

34. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said advertising and promotional content comprises an offer of an award for selecting at a predetermined time a channel corresponding to said channel indicator.

35. A method for promoting television programming, said method comprising the steps of:

using a remote control device tracking channel selections made by a television viewer;

storing within a memory provided in said remote control device a channel selection log comprising a listing of channels selected by said user and times upon which said channels were selected;

allowing a user of said remote control device to enter into said remote control device one of a plurality of indicators corresponding to a degree of satisfaction with programming content depicted on an associated television set; and

storing said one of said plurality of indicators within a predetermined area of said channel selection log.

36. A method for promoting television programming, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining within a memory of a remote control device a channel selection log, said channel selection log comprising a listing of channel selections, times upon which said channel selections were made, and selected indicators representative of viewer satisfaction with selected programming content provided on an associated television set;

allowing a person to enter into said remote control device one or more of said selected indicators while said selected programming content is provided on said associated television set; and

downloading said channel selection log from said remote control device to a remote database in a predetermined manner.