Loyalty program for television viewers and method and system for rewarding a television viewer

• US 20060156329A1
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 21ST Century Entertainment Group AG
• Original Assignee: 21ST Century Entertainment Group AG
• Inventors: Treese, Norbert
• Application Number:
  US11/032,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20060156329A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed is a loyalty program for television viewers and a method and system for rewarding a television viewer. The method includes the steps of: assigning a value to a specified program or a time slot of a specified channel; receiving, at a central data system, data reflective of the specified program or specified time slot that the viewer watched or intends to watch; storing the assigned value in a viewer account; and interacting with the viewer. The interaction is based upon the stored assigned values, the data, viewing time and/or sums, averages or specified portions of this data.

Claims

1. A method for rewarding a television viewer who views at least one program over a channel of a television, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning a value to a specified program of a plurality of programs or a time slot of a specified channel of a plurality of channels;

receiving, at a central data system, data reflective of the specified program or the specified time slot that the viewer watched or intends to watch;

storing the assigned value of the specified program or the specified time slot, the data reflective of the specified program or the data reflective of the specified time slot in a viewer account; and

interacting with the viewer based upon at least one of;

(i) the stored assigned value of the specified program or specified time slot in the viewer account;

(ii) the data reflective of the specified program;

(iii) the data reflective of the specified time slot;

(iv) the sum of all viewing time;

(v) the average viewing time of a viewer over a specified period;

(vi) the sum of all stored assigned values in the viewer account; and

(vii) a specified portion of the stored assigned value, the sum of all viewing time or the sum of all assigned values in the viewer account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises a communication between the viewer and at least one of a representative and an automated system of a central data system manager that tracks the provision of the at least one program over a channel of a television to the viewer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of offering, to the viewer by a central data system manager, at least one of a service, an item, a discount, a redemption, a coupon, a voucher, a non-cash benefit, an incentive, a ticket, an invitation and an event, based upon at least one of (i) the stored assigned value of the specified program or specified time slot in the viewer account;

(ii) the data reflective of the specified program;

(iii) the data reflective of the specified time slot;

(iv) the sum of all viewing time;

(v) the average viewing time of a viewer over a specified period;

(vi) the sum of all stored assigned values in the viewer account;

(vii) a stored viewer status value;

(viii) a viewer viewing rating;

(ix) a viewer status rating; and

(x) the specified portion of the stored assigned value, the sum of all viewing time or the sum of all assigned values in the viewer account.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of creating a viewer account in the central data system for at least one viewer.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of assigning at least one of a viewer viewing rating and a viewer status rating to the viewer account based upon at least one of (i) the stored assigned value of the specified program or specified time slot in the viewer account;

(ii) the data reflective of the specified program;

(iii) the data reflective of the specified time slot;

(iv) the sum of all viewing time;

(v) the average viewing time of a viewer over a specified period;

(vi) the sum of all stored assigned values in the viewer account;

(vii) a stored viewer status value; and

(viii) a specified portion of the stored assigned value, the stored viewer status value, the sum of all viewing time or the sum of all assigned values in the viewer account.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

collecting data regarding the viewer in central data system;

establishing a viewer profile in the central data system based upon the collected data; and

associating the viewer profile with the viewer account.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the collected data is at least one of last name, first name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, gender, age, occupation, television program preference, hobby, interest, salary, available income, household data, credit card data, purchase data, purchase location, purchased item data, purchased service data, sales volume, transaction data and personal data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

assigning at least one of a viewer identification and a viewer password to a specified viewer;

providing the specified viewer with at least one of the viewer identification and the viewer password; and

communicating, by the viewer to a central data system manager, at least one of the viewer identification and the viewer password.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

assigning a specified program or specified time slot identification; and

providing the specified program or specified time slot identification to the viewer via the television.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigned value is at least one of a time value, a point value, a numeric value and an alphanumeric value.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of assigning a viewer viewing rating based upon at least one of (i) the stored assigned value of the specified program or specified time slot in the viewer account;

(ii) the data reflective of the specified program;

(iii) the data reflective of the specified time slot;

(iv) the sum of all viewing time;

(v) the average viewing time of a viewer over a specified period;

(vi) the sum of all stored assigned values in the viewer account; and

(vii) the specified portion of the stored assigned value, the sum of all viewing time or the sum of all assigned values in the viewer account.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

accruing the stored assigned value of the specified program or the specified time slot in the viewer account; and

limiting the accruable value based upon the viewer rating.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

assigning a viewer status rating based upon a viewer status value; and

interacting with the viewer based upon the viewer status rating.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the viewer status value is at least one of a point value, a numeric value and an alphanumeric value.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of assigning a membership level based upon at least one of (i) the stored assigned value of the specified program or specified time slot in the viewer account;

(ii) the data reflective of the specified program;

(iii) the data reflective of the specified time slot;

(iv) the sum of all viewing time;

(v) the average viewing time of a viewer over a specified period;

(vi) the sum of all stored assigned values in the viewer account;

(vii) a stored viewer status value;

(viii) the viewer viewing rating;

(ix) a viewer status rating;

(x) the specified portion of the stored assigned value, the sum of all viewing time or the sum of all assigned values in the viewer account; and

(xi) a portion of viewer data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the membership level is associated with at least one of a number, a color, a symbol, an alphanumeric symbol, a label, a word and a term.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing at least one of an assigned value and a viewer status value in the viewer account based upon the viewer'"'"'s interaction in other non-television media;

accruing the assigned value or viewer status value in the viewer account; and

interacting with the viewer based upon the accrued value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the non-television media is at least one of a video, a box office movie, a newspaper, a magazine, a book, a document and a web site.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of offering, to the viewer by an affiliated trade partner, at least one of a service, an item, a discount, a redemption, a coupon, a voucher, a non-cash benefit, an incentive, a ticket, an invitation and an event, based upon at least one of (i) the stored assigned value of the specified program or specified time slot in the viewer account;

(ii) the data reflective of the specified program;

(iii) the data reflective of the specified time slot;

(iv) the sum of all viewing time;

(v) the average viewing time of a viewer over a specified period;

(vi) the sum of all stored assigned values in the viewer account;

(vii) a stored viewer status value;

(viii) a viewer viewing rating;

(ix) a viewer status rating; and

(x) the specified portion of the stored assigned value, the sum of all viewing time or the sum of all assigned values in the viewer account.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the affiliated trade partner is at least one of a merchant, a company, a web site, a seller, a reseller and an entity affiliated with the central data system manager.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a viewer account card to the viewer, wherein the card is associated with the viewer account of the viewer.

22. A system for rewarding a television viewer who views at least one program over a channel of a television, the system comprising:

means for assigning a value to a specified program of a plurality of programs or a time slot of a specified channel of a plurality of channels;

means for receiving, at a central data system, data reflective of the specified program or the specified time slot that the viewer watched or intends to watch;

means for storing the assigned value of the specified program or the specified time slot, the data reflective of the specified program or the data reflective of the specified time slot in a viewer account; and

means for interacting with the viewer based upon at least one of;

(i) the stored assigned value of the specified program or specified time slot in the viewer account;

(ii) the data reflective of the specified program;

(iii) the data reflective of the specified time slot;

(iv) the sum of all viewing time;

(v) the average viewing time of a viewer over a specified period;

(vi) the sum of all stored assigned values in the viewer account; and

(vii) a specified portion of the stored assigned value, the sum of all viewing time or the sum of all assigned values in the viewer account.