SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DELIVERING AND OPTIMIZING MEDIA PROGRAMMING IN PUBLIC SPACES WITH PEER-TO-PEER DIGITAL SIGNAGE NETWORKS

• US 20110010732A1
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DS-IQ Incorporated
• Original Assignee: DS-IQ Incorporated
• Inventors: Opdycke, Thomas C.
• Application Number:
  US12/888,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010732A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system and corresponding methods for automating the execution, measurement, and optimization of in-store promotional digital media campaigns are provided. In one embodiment, a method in a computing system for deploying content to digital signage networks includes receiving from a user a marketing campaign goal and at least one optimization constraint suitable for generating a playlist. The method also includes generating a playlist designed to maximize a learning opportunity to achieve the marketing campaign goal. The method further includes provisioning the playlist to a point of presence on the digital signage network.

Claims

1. A digital signage network for displaying programming contents to consumers, the network comprising:

a plurality of computing devices connected together, each computing device having storage memory storing programming content for the digital signage network;

a plurality of displays, each display connected to one of the plurality of computing devices and displaying programming content from the connected one computing device;

wherein each computing device checks its storage memory for programming content to be presented on its connected display and upon the local unavailability of programming content to be presented queries at least one other computing device for the programming content to be presented;

whereupon the digital signage network operates as a peer-to-peer network.

2. The digital signage network of claim 1 wherein upon a query to the at least one other computing device for the programming content to be presented, each computing device retrieves the programming content to be presented from the at least one other computing device.

3. The digital signage network of claim 2 wherein upon the local unavailability of the programming content to be presented on its display, each computing device queries a plurality of other computing devices for the programming content to be presented and retrieves the programming content to be presented from the first responding one of the plurality of other computing devices.

4. The digital signage network of claim 2 wherein upon the local unavailability of the programming content to be presented on its display, each computing device queries a plurality of other computing devices for the programming content to be presented and retrieves the programming content to be presented from one of the plurality of other computing devices according to a least-cost algorithm.

5. The digital signage network of claim 1 further comprising a content program server connected to each of the plurality of computing devices.

6. The digital signage network of claim 1 wherein the plurality of computing devices are controlled by a single entity.

7. The digital signage network of claim 6 wherein each computing device is connected to each other by a network controlled by a single entity.

8. The digital signage network of claim 7 wherein the network controlled by a single entity comprises a local area network.

9. The digital signage network of claim 1 wherein each computing device is connected to each other by the Internet.

10. The digital signage network of claim 1 wherein at least one computing device comprises a smart media box.

11. For a digital signage network having a plurality of computing devices each having a storage memory, a method of operating each computing device comprising:

storing programming contents in the storage memory connected to the computing device, the programming contents for presentation on a display connected to the computing device;

determining the availability of programming content to be presented on the connected display in the storage memory; and

querying at least one other computing device of the digital signage network for the required programming content to be presented upon determining that the programming content to be presented is not available in the storage memory;

whereby the computing device operates as a peer in a peer-to-peer network.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

retrieving the programming content to be presented from the at least one other computing device of the digital signage network.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein in the querying step the computing device queries a plurality of other computing devices for the programming content to be presented and in the retrieving step retrieves the programming content to be presented from the first responding one of the plurality of other computing devices.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein in the querying step the computing device queries a plurality of other computing devices for the programming content to be presented and in the retrieving step retrieves the programming content to be presented from one of the plurality of other computing devices according to a least-cost algorithm.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of computing devices are controlled by a single entity.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein each computing device is connected to each other by a network controlled by a single entity.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the network controlled by a single entity comprises a local area network.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein each computing device is connected to each other by the Internet.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one computing device comprises a smart media box.

20. A computer program product for a computing device, the computing device one of a plurality of computing devices forming a digital signage network, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium containing computer executable code that performs the steps of:

storing programming contents on a storage memory of the computing device, the programming contents for presentation on a display connected to the computing device;

determining the availability of programming content to be presented on the connected display in the storage memory; and

querying at least one other computing device of the digital signage network for the programming content to be presented upon determining that the programming content to be presented is not available in the storage memory;

whereby the computing device operates as a peer in a peer-to-peer network.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein the computer executable code further performs the steps of:

retrieving the required programming content from the at least one other computing device of the digital signage network.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein in the querying step the computing device queries a plurality of other computing devices for the programming content to be presented and in the retrieving step retrieves the programming content to be presented from the first responding one of the plurality of other computing devices.

23. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein in the querying step the computing device queries a plurality of other computing devices for the programming content to be presented and in the retrieving step retrieves the programming content to be presented from one of the plurality of other computing devices according to a least-cost algorithm.