Method and Apparatus for Alternate Content Recording and Reporting for Mobile Devices

• US 20080051070A1
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GoldSpot Media, Inc. (Japan) (Dentsu Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GoldSpot Media, Inc. (Japan) (Dentsu Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dharmaji, Srinivasa
• Application Number:
  US11/842,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20080051070A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/02 manually operated with input through keyboard and computation using a built-in program, e.g. pocket calculators
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• 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: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• 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 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• 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 21/4532 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• 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 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Use of alternate digital content in connection with mobile devices is recorded and reported. An exemplary embodiment comprises an alternate content reporter module on the mobile device that works alongside an alternate content scheduler and a micro-splicer. The alternate content reporter also comprises a mobile network interface for interaction with a mobile data and broadcast network, an alternate content scheduler interface for enabling the recording of consumption and interruptions in consumption, a rulebook that provides rules for alternate content reporting, and a preference provisioning module comprising an alternate content reporter library for storing network preferences for reporting to access networks.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reporting consumption of alternate digital content on a mobile device having a mobile network interface for interfacing with a mobile network, comprising:

an alternate content scheduler having an associated scheduler interface;

a micro-splicer having an associated micro-splicer interface;

a preference provisioning module comprising a library;

a reporter, working in tandem with said micro-splicer and said scheduler, for accurately recording and reporting the consumption of said alternate digital content by said mobile device; and

said micro-splicer and said scheduler comprising means for rendering a tightly synchronized display of multimedia content on said mobile device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said mobile network comprises any of:

a mobile data network; and

a broadcast network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a rulebook comprising rules for alternate digital content scheduling.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said rules for alternate content comprise any of:

local rules; and

global rules.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said library comprises any of:

user preferences; and

network preferences.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said network preferences comprise any of:

local network preferences; and

global network preferences.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, said recorder comprising:

means for recording metrics regarding said alternate digital content.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, said means for rendering a tightly synchronized display comprising:

means for precise insertion of the alternate digital content at a desired spot break during display of original program content.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, said means for rendering a tightly synchronized display comprising:

means for precise return to said original program content from the alternate digital content.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said alternate digital content comprises any of:

local alternate content; and

global alternate content.

11. A method for recording and reporting use of alternate digital content by a mobile device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a trigger initiating the use of the alternate digital content;

causing a micro-splicer to switch the mobile device to display the alternate digital content;

notifying a start of the display of the alternate digital content by the mobile device; and

logging the start of the display of the alternate digital content into a log memory in response to the notifying of the start of the display of the alternate digital content.

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

notifying an end of the display of the alternate digital content; and

logging the end of the display of the alternate digital content into said log memory in response to the notifying of the end of the display of the alternate digital content.

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

receiving an application termination notification during the display of the alternate digital content; and

logging an application termination into said log memory in response to said receiving said application termination notification.

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

activating a timer;

receiving an end of timer notification from said timer during the display of the alternate digital content; and

logging the end of timer notification into said log memory in response to said receiving an end of timer notification from said timer.

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

receiving a beginning of interrupt notification;

logging the interrupt notification into said log memory in response to said receiving a beginning of interrupt notification; and

causing said micro-splicer to switch to a next alternate digital content in response to said interrupt notification.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an end of interrupt notification; and

logging the end of interrupt notification into said log memory in response to said receiving said end of interrupt notification.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

checking a predefined number of units prior to expiry; and

re-buffering a program the was originally displayed for the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

reporting information logged into said log memory in response to a network initiated reporting request.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising any of the steps of:

sending said information over an access network; and

sending said information over a mobile data network if said access network in unavailable.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said information is transferred using a secured hypertext protocol (HTTPS).

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said reporting request is sent using any of:

SMS;

cell broadcast;

HTTP;

Mobile TV metadata; and

WAP.