DIGITAL SIGNAGE PROOF OF PLAY

• US 20100223114A1
• Filed: 03/02/2009
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sudduth, Lee, Yao, Lei
• Application Number:
  US12/396,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20100223114A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.120
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention include a method and apparatus comprising obtaining first information indicative of content for rendering on a display as digital signage; obtaining second information indicative of the content as played by a player for rendering on the display; and ascertaining a proof-of-play of the content when the first and second information are in correspondence.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining first information indicative of content for rendering on a display as digital signage;

obtaining second information indicative of the content as played by a player for rendering on the display; and

ascertaining a proof-of-play of the content when the first and second information are in correspondence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises at least one of a snapshot, checksum or bit-mapped image of the content, and wherein the second information comprises at least one of a snapshot, checksum or bit-mapped image of the content as played.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the content from a source;

playing the content;

forming, at the player, the second information as played; and

transmitting the second information from the player to a proof-of-play reporting engine.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

obtaining the content from the source;

forming the first information from the content; and

transmitting the first information from the source to the proof-of-play reporting engine.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

playing the content from a source, wherein the source forms the player;

forming, at the source, the second information as played; and

transmitting the second information from the source to the proof-of-play reporting engine.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining third information indicative of a status of the display;

ascertaining a proof-of-play of the content when (i) the first and second information are in correspondence, and (ii) the status reflects that the display is operational.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the second information upon the occurrence of an event.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the event is a transition from the content to a second content.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the second information by capturing data from the display.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a proof-of-play reporting engine for;

obtaining first information indicative of content for rendering on a display as digital signage;

obtaining second information indicative of the content as played by a player for rendering on the display; and

ascertaining a proof-of-play of the content when the first and second information are in correspondence.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the player forms the second information as the player plays the content and transmits the second information to the proof-of-play reporting engine.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a player agent for forming the first information from the content and transmitting the first information to the proof-of-play reporting engine.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the proof-of-play reporting engine obtains third information indicative of a status of the display and ascertains a proof-of-play of the content when (i) the first and second information are in correspondence, and (ii) the status reflects that the display is operational.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first information comprises any of a snapshot, checksum and bit-mapped image of the content, and wherein the second information comprises any of a snapshot, checksum and bit-mapped image of the content as played.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the player forms the second information upon the occurrence of an event.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the event is a change from the first content to a second content.

17. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating a first information indicative of content for rendering on a display as digital signage;

means for generating second information indicative of the content as played by a player for rendering on the display; and

means for ascertaining a proof-of-play of the content when the first and second information are in correspondence.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first information comprises at least one of a snapshot, checksum or bit-mapped image of the content, and wherein the second information comprises at least one of a snapshot, checksum or bit-mapped image of the content as played.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:

means for generating third information indicative of a status of the display; and

means for ascertaining a proof-of-play of the content when (i) the first and second information are in correspondence, and (ii) the status reflects that the display is operational.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising means for forming the second information upon the occurrence of an event.