USING PARTICIPATION TELEVISION TO FACILITATE ADVERTISING

• US 20090037252A1
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ms Joyce, Christina Marie
• Original Assignee: 2waytraffic USA
• Inventors: Joyce, James Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives

Abstract

In some implementations, techniques are described for customer lead generation and fulfillment through viewer participation in television, cellular or mobile telephone, and Internet-enabled computer or computing device platforms. Participation television may be leveraged to identify potential consumers and advertising leads may be selected for the potential consumers. An exchange of information related to an advertisement, offer, or gift may be facilitated between an advertiser and a participant in a participation television segment.

Claims

1. A computer system configured to leverage participation television to facilitate advertising, the computer system comprising:

a communication device configured to exchange communications during a communication session with a participant electronic device in response to a participant using the participant electronic device to participate in a participation television segment, the communication session relating to a participation television segment broadcast during television programming;

a participant identification device configured to automatically, without human intervention, identify the participant based on information received from the participant electronic device with which the participant used to establish the communication session; and

a processing device configured to;

use the communication device to enable the participant to participate in the participation television segment broadcast during television programming based on the communication session;

select an incentive for the participant based on the participation television segment broadcast during television programming, the incentive being associated with an advertiser;

present, using the communication session with the participant electronic device, one or more communication methods with which the participant may communicate with the advertiser to redeem the incentive;

receive, using the communication session with the participant electronic device, a selection of at least one of the one or more communication methods with which the participant may communicate with the advertiser to redeem the incentive; and

facilitate an exchange of information, using the selected at least one of the one or more communication methods, between the advertiser and the participant, the exchange of information being related to the incentive.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the processing device is configured to:

select the incentive by selecting at least one of an offer, a gift, and an advertisement;

present, using the communication session with the participant electronic device, a direct mail communication method with which the participant receives, from the advertiser, information related to the incentive using direct mail, a scheduled return call communication method with which the participant receives information related to the incentive in a return call from the advertiser at a selected time, a credit card capture communication method with which the participant provides credit card information to enable the advertiser to process the offer using the credit card information, and a direct connect communication method with which the participant is directly connected with the advertiser to receive information related to the incentive using the communication session; and

receive, using the communication session with the participant electronic device, a selection of at least one of the direct mail communication method, the scheduled return call communication method, the credit card capture communication method, and the direct connect communication method.

3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the processing device is configured to:

present, using the established communication session with the participant electronic device, a direct mail communication method with which the participant receives, from the advertiser, information related to the incentive using direct mail;

receive, using the communication session with the participant electronic device, a selection of the direct mail communication method; and

facilitate the exchange of information, using the selected at least one of the one or more communication methods, between the advertiser and the participant by;

identifying direct mail contact information for the participant; and

providing the identified direct mail contact information to the advertiser to enable the advertiser to exchange information related to the incentive with the participant by direct mail.

4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the processing device is configured to:

present, using the communication session with the participant electronic device, a scheduled return call communication method with which the participant receives information related to the incentive in a return call from the advertiser at a selected time;

receive, using the communication session with the participant electronic device, a selection of the scheduled return call communication method and a selection of a time with which the participant wishes to receive the return call; and

facilitate the exchange of information, using the selected at least one of the one or more communication methods, between the advertiser and the participant by;

identifying a telephone number for the participant; and

providing, to the advertiser, the identified telephone number for the participant and the time with which the participant wishes to receive the return call to enable the advertiser to exchange information related to the incentive in a return call placed to the identified telephone number for the participant at the time with which the participant wishes to receive the return call.

5. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the processing device is configured to:

select an offer for the participant;

present, using the communication session with the participant electronic device, a credit card capture communication method with which the participant provides credit card information to enable the advertiser to process the offer using the credit card information;

receive, using the communication session with the participant electronic device, a selection of the credit card capture communication method and credit card information; and

facilitate the exchange of information, using the selected at least one of the one or more communication methods, between the advertiser and the participant by;

identifying contact information for the participant; and

providing the credit card information and the identified contact information to the advertiser to enable the advertiser to process the offer using the credit card information and provide information related to the processed offer to the participant using the identified contact information.

6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the processing device is configured to:

determine whether the communication session with the participant electronic device is a telephone call; and

conditioned on determining that the communication session with the participant electronic device is a telephone call;

present, using the communication session with the participant electronic device, a direct connect communication method with which the participant is directly connected with the advertiser to receive information related to the incentive using the established telephone call;

receive, using the communication session with the participant electronic device, a selection of the direct connect communication method; and

facilitate the exchange of information, using the selected at least one of the one or more communication methods, between the advertiser and the participant by transferring the established telephone call with the participant to a call center operated by the advertiser to enable the advertiser to exchange information related to the incentive using the transferred telephone call.

7. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the processing device is configured to enable the participant to participate in the participation television segment broadcast during television programming based on the communication session initiated by the participant by:

enabling the participant to participant in an interactive participation television segment that is broadcast during television programming and in which the participant may receive, from the advertiser, a prize, that is different than the incentive.

8. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the processing device is configured to enable the participant to participate in the participation television segment subsequent to receiving, using the communication session with the participant electronic device, the selection of at least one of the one or more communication methods with which the participant may communicate with the advertiser to redeem the incentive.

9. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the processing device is configured to enable the participant to participate in the participation television segment conditioned on the participant agreeing to receive information, from the advertiser, related to the incentive.

10. The computer system of claim 1 further comprising:

a demographic information data store configured to store demographic information associated with potential participants of the participation television segment, wherein;

the processing device is configured to;

access, from the demographic information data store, demographic information associated with the participant based on the identification performed by the participant identification device;

analyze the demographic information associated with the participant; and

select the incentive for the participant based on the analysis of the demographic information associated with the participant.

11. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the processing device is configured to:

enable the participant to participate in the participation television segment by receiving an answer, provided by the participant over the communication session with the participant electronic device, to a question presented during the participation television segment broadcast during television programming; and

select the incentive for the participant based on the analysis of the demographic information associated with the participant and the participant'"'"'s answer to the question presented during the participation television segment broadcast during television programming.

12. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the processing device is configured to:

store, in the demographic information data store, the participant'"'"'s answer to the question presented during the participation television segment broadcast during television programming; and

in response to the participant initiating, using the participant electronic device, a subsequent communication session based on a subsequent participation television segment broadcast during television programming subsequent to the participation television segment;

access, from the demographic information data store, the participant'"'"'s answer to the question presented during the participation television segment broadcast during television programming; and

select a subsequent incentive for the participant for the subsequent participation television segment based on the participant'"'"'s answer to the question presented during the participation television segment.

13. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the advertiser is an entity other than an entity operating the processing device and the advertiser compensates the entity operating the processing device for facilitating the exchange of information between the advertiser and the participant.

14. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the communication device is configured to establish the communication session with the participant electronic device in response to the participant initiating, using the participant electronic device, the communication session, the communication session occurring while the participation television segment is broadcast during television programming.

15. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the communication device is configured to establish the communication session with at least one of a landline telephone, a cellular telephone, a personal computer, and a personal digital assistant and the communication session includes at least one of a short message service (SMS) communication session, a telephone call, a network communication session, and an instant messaging communication session.

16. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the participation television segment broadcast during television programming is associated with main television programming being broadcast and includes an actor from the main television programming.

17. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the participation television segment broadcast during television programming is commercial television programming other than main television programming being broadcast.

18. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the participant identification device is configured to automatically identify the participant based on at least one of automatic number identification (ANI) data, dialed number identification service (DNIS) data, a telephone number, and an Internet protocol (IP) address.

19. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the participant identification device is configured to access data from a third party information source and automatically identify a name and address of the participant based on the accessed third party information.

20. A computer-implemented method for leveraging participation television to facilitate advertising, the method comprising:

exchanging communications during a communication session with a participant electronic device in response to a participant using the participant electronic device to participate in entertainment programming, the communication session relating to the entertainment programming;

automatically identifying, without human intervention, the participant based on information received from the participant electronic device with which the participant used to establish the communication session;

enabling the participant to participate in the entertainment programming based on the communication session initiated by the participant;

selecting a sponsor for the participant based on the participant'"'"'s participation in the entertainment programming;

presenting, using the communication session with the participant electronic device, one or more communication methods with which the participant may communicate with the sponsor;

receiving, using the communication session with the participant electronic device, a selection of at least one of the one or more communication methods with which the participant may communicate with the sponsor; and

facilitating an exchange of information, using the selected at least one of the one or more communication methods, between the sponsor and the participant.

21. A computer-implemented method for leveraging participation television to provide a participant with an interactive television experience in which the participant may receive a prize from an advertiser, the method comprising:

receiving, from multiple participants, communications associated with a participation television segment broadcast during television programming;

enabling the multiple participants to participate in the participation television segment broadcast during television programming based on the communications associated with the participation television segment received from the multiple participants;

providing the multiple participants with information related to an incentive associated with an advertiser based on the communications associated with the participation television segment received from the multiple participants;

selecting, from among the multiple participants, a participant to participate in an interactive television experience in which the participant may receive, from the advertiser, a prize that is different than the incentive;

establishing an interactive communication session with a participant electronic device associated with the selected participant, the interactive communication session being configured to enable the selected participant to send and receive communications with at least one actor associated with the participation television segment;

enabling, using the interactive communication session, the selected participant to participate in an interactive television segment between the selected participant and the at least one actor associated with the participation television segment;

determining whether the selected participant receives the prize from the advertiser based on participation in the interactive television segment;

handling award of the prize from the advertiser based on determination results; and

facilitating broadcast of the interactive television segment during television programming.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein:

enabling, using the interactive communication session, the selected participant to participate in an interactive television segment between the selected participant and the at least one actor associated with the participation television segment includes enabling the selected participant to participate in a live interactive television segment between the selected participant and the at least one actor associated with the participation television segment, the live interactive television segment occurring during a time period associated with main television programming in which the participation television segment was broadcast; and

facilitating broadcast of the interactive television segment during television programming includes facilitating broadcast of the live interactive television segment during the time period associated with main television programming in which the participation television segment was broadcast.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the interactive television segment is associated with the main television programming being broadcast and includes an actor from the main television programming.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein:

enabling, using the interactive communication session, the selected participant to participate in an interactive television segment between the selected participant and the at least one actor associated with the participation television segment includes enabling the selected participant to participate in a game associated with the participation television segment;

determining whether the selected participant receives the prize from the advertiser based on participation in the interactive television segment includes determining whether the selected participant receives the prize from the advertiser based on participation in the game associated with the participation television segment; and

handling award of the prize from the advertiser based on determination results includes;

awarding the prize to the participant conditioned on determining that the participant met one or more criteria defined by the game associated with the participation television segment; and

determining not to award the prize to the participant conditioned on determining that the participant did not meet one or more criteria defined by the game associated with the participation television segment.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein:

enabling the selected participant to participate in a game associated with the participation television segment includes enabling the selected participant to answer one or more questions corresponding to main television programming in which the participation television segment was broadcast; and

determining whether the selected participant receives the prize from the advertiser based on participation in the game associated with the participation television segment includes determining whether the selected participant correctly answered the one or more questions corresponding to the main television programming in which the participation television segment was broadcast.