UNIVERSAL METHODS AND DEVICE FOR HAND-HELD PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

• US 20110197242A1
• Filed: 12/28/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advocado, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Koplar Interactive Systems International, LLC
• Inventors: Koplar, Edward J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,453,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/418 External card to be used in combination with the client device, e.g. for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17345 Control of the passage of the selected programme

Abstract

A method and system for auxiliary data detection. Data is received on a hand-held device from a display of a signal on a monitor. The signal is visually displayed on the monitor at a frequency. A modulated video signal is received on the hand-held device from a display device. The modulated video signal contains auxiliary data modulated within a video signal in a substantially invisible way. The modulated video signal is demodulated to obtain the auxiliary data. At least one of the data or the auxiliary data is processed to identify a promotional opportunity available through the hand-held device. The user of the hand-held device is notified of availability of the promotional opportunity through the hand-held device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at least a portion of an encoded signal from a display device on a mobile electronic device, the encoded signal including auxiliary data encoded within audio of the encoded signal;

demodulating the encoded signal on the mobile electronic device to obtain the auxiliary data;

visually displaying a user input screen on a display of the mobile electronic device, the user input screen generated based on at least a portion of the auxiliary data;

receiving user input from a user of the mobile electronic device in response to the visual display of the user input screen; and

processing the user input on the mobile electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

visually displaying a user screen on the display of the mobile electronic device, the user screen generated based on processing of the user input.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a user input notification over a network to a server, the user input notification based on processing of the user input;

receiving a server response from the server in response to transmission of the user input notification; and

visually displaying a user screen on the display of the mobile electronic device based on receipt of the server response.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user screen is generated based on at least a portion of the server response.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the user input screen based on at least a portion of the auxiliary data,

wherein the visual display of the user input screen is based generation of the user input screen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device includes visual indicia on a monitor of the display device to indicate availability of the auxiliary data, further comprising:

receiving a user request on the mobile electronic device to receive the encoded signal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

downloading and installing an application on the mobile electronic device;

wherein demodulation of the encoded signal and processing of the user input is performed by the application.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a plurality of data input receivers of the mobile electronic device to determine whether the auxiliary data is encoded within the audio or video of the encoded signal; and

selecting an particular data input receiver to receive the encoded signal based on a determination that the data is encoded within the audio,

wherein the portion of the encoded signal is received by the particular data input receiver of the mobile electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary data is encoded on a subcarrier of the audio of the encoded signal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded signal is an encoded audio signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded signal is an encoded video signal and the auxiliary data is encoded on an audio portion of the encoded video signal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary data is at least substantially imperceptible within the encoded signal.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic device is a mobile telephone and the display device is a television.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device includes indicia to alert a user of the mobile electronic device of the auxiliary data.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input screen includes a trivia question and the user input includes a trivia answer to the trivia question.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

visually display a user screen on the display of the mobile electronic device, the user screen generated based on processing of the user input.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

transmit a user input notification over a network to a server, the user input notification based on processing of the user input;

receive a server response from the server in response to transmission of the user input notification; and

visually display a user screen on the display of the mobile electronic device based on receipt of the server response.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

download and install an application on the mobile electronic device;

wherein demodulation of the encoded signal and processing of the user input is performed by the application.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive at least a portion of an encoded signal from a display device on a mobile electronic device, the encoded signal including auxiliary data encoded within audio of the encoded signal;

demodulate the encoded signal on the mobile electronic device to obtain the auxiliary data;

visually display a user input screen on a display of the mobile electronic device, the user input screen generated based on at least a portion of the auxiliary data;

receive user input from a user of the mobile electronic device in response to the visual display of the user input screen; and

process the user input on the mobile electronic device.