SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GATHERING INFORMATION FROM USERS OF MOBILE AUDIOVISUAL BROADCAST CONTENT

• US 20090019502A1
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Liu, Charles, Agardh, Kare A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/30 characterised by the use of a return channel, e.g. for collecting users' opinions, for returning broadcast space/time information or for requesting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/90 Wireless transmission systems

Abstract

A method of interactive broadcasting may include broadcasting audiovisual content for receipt by mobile electronic devices that are present within a communication range of a wireless access point. An information submission mechanism may be made available to the mobile electronic devices over the wireless access point. Users of the mobile electronic devices may submit information using the information submission mechanism to a server. The submitted information may be responsive to a request for user input related to the audiovisual content.

Claims

1. A method of interactive broadcasting, comprising:

broadcasting audiovisual content for receipt by mobile electronic devices that are present within a communication range of a wireless access point;

providing an information submission mechanism that is available to the mobile electronic devices over the wireless access point; and

receiving information for the mobile electronic devices via the information submission mechanism.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast of audiovisual content is a mobile broadcast.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast of audiovisual content is carried out using one of a multicast content delivery technique, a point-to-point content delivery technique or a streaming content delivery technique.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information submission mechanism is a webpage or a user interface hosted by a server that is in operable communication with the wireless access point.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a link to the webpage is transferred to the mobile electronic device over a broadcast channel used to broadcast the audiovisual content.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the webpage is a temporary homepage posted to the mobile electronic device when the mobile electronic device establishes communication with the wireless access point.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information submission mechanism is a message receiver function for receiving a message transmitted by the mobile electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information is a response of a user of the mobile electronic device to a question used to solicit an opinion of the user regarding the audiovisual content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information is a user participation in an activity arranged in coordination with the broadcast of the audiovisual content.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a prize to the user of a selected one of the mobile electronic devices from which information was received.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the prize is transferred electronically to the selected mobile electronic device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising identifying an identity of the selected one of the mobile electronic devices.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic devices that are present within the communication range of the wireless access point form a group of mobile electronic devices.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising combining the information collected from the group of mobile electronic devices to assess consensus reaction to the audiovisual content.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the consensus reaction to the audiovisual content is compared to a consensus reaction to the audiovisual content that is derived from at least one other group of mobile electronic devices that are serviced by one or more remotely located wireless access points.

16. A method of interactive broadcasting, comprising:

receiving a broadcast of audiovisual content with a mobile electronic device and playing back the audiovisual content to a user of the mobile electronic device;

establishing a data communication link with a wireless access point that services other mobile electronic devices that receive the broadcast; and

submitting information from the mobile electronic device to a server via the wireless access point, the information responsive to a request for user input related to the audiovisual content.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the broadcast of audiovisual content is a mobile broadcast.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the information is submitted using a webpage or a user interface hosted by the server.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the submitted information is one of a response to a question used to solicit an opinion of the user regarding the audiovisual content or a user participation in an activity arranged in coordination with the broadcast of the audiovisual content.

20. A system for interactive broadcasting, comprising:

a broadcaster used to broadcast audiovisual content to plural mobile electronic devices;

a wireless access point to provide network connectivity to the mobile electronic devices; and

a server that hosts an information submission mechanism that is available to the mobile electronic devices over the wireless access point and through which information that is responsive to a request for user input related to the audiovisual content is received.