METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRESENTING CONTENT

• US 20110231767A1
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cypress Lake Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Indaran Proprietary Limited
• Inventors: Jureta, Vlado, Russell, Anthony George
• Granted Patent: US 9,195,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for providing content to a user. The method includes using sensor data from multiple sensors associated with the user to determine a trigger event, determining content associated with the trigger event, and causing the content to be presented to the user. A trigger rule is created which defines the trigger event, representing when content is to be presented. A number of different types of event criteria may be defined, such as position event criteria, movement event criteria, timing or duration criteria, time and/or date criteria, heart rate criteria, or the like, allowing each of the event criteria to be associated with a respective type of sensor. Also disclosed is a method and apparatus for charging for providing content to a user.

Claims

1. A method of providing content to a user, the method including, in a processing system:

a) using sensor data from multiple sensors associated with the user to determine a trigger event;

b) determining content associated with the trigger event; and

,

c) causing the content to be presented to the user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes, in the processing system:

a) comparing the sensor data to at least one trigger rule; and

,

b) selectively determining a trigger event based on the result of the comparison.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein each trigger rule is associated with a respective content instance and wherein the method includes, in the processing system, presenting the content instance if the respective trigger rule is satisfied.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein each trigger rule is defined by metadata associated with the content instance, and wherein the method includes, in the processing system, comparing the sensor data to the metadata to determine if the trigger rule is satisfied.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein each trigger rule includes event criteria defining conditions representing the trigger event.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the event criteria define a sequence of events, and wherein the method includes, in the processing system:

a) comparing sensor data from each sensor to event criteria representing a respective condition; and

,

b) determining a trigger event if each event is satisfied.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein each type of sensor is associated with a respective type of event criteria and wherein the method includes, in the processing system, comparing sensor data from a sensor to a respective one of the event criteria based on the event criteria type.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes, in the processing system, monitoring at least one of:

a) a position sensor to determine position information indicative of a position of the user;

b) a temperature sensor to determine temperature information indicative of an environment temperature;

c) a timer to provide timing information indicative of a time;

d) a clock to provide at least one of time and date information indicative of a time;

e) a heart rate sensor to determine heart rate information indicative of a heart rate of the user; and

,

f) a movement sensor to determine movement information indicative of movement of the user.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes, in the processing system:

a) determining a content thread including at least one trigger rule and at least one content instance;

b) storing the content thread in a store;

c) comparing sensor data to the trigger rule to determine a trigger event; and

,

d) selectively causing the at least one content instance to be retrieved from the store for presentation to the user in response to determination of a trigger event.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the method includes, in the processing system:

a) determining a selected content package, the content package including a plurality of content threads;

b) storing the content package in a store;

c) comparing sensor data to each trigger rule to determine a trigger event; and

,

d) causing a respective content instance to be retrieved from the store for presentation to the user if a respective trigger event is satisfied.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes, in the processing system:

a) determining at least one trigger rule associated with a content thread, the content thread including at least one trigger rule and at least one content instance;

b) storing the at least one trigger rule in a store;

c) comparing sensor data to the at least one trigger rule to determine a trigger event; and

,

d) selectively causing the at least one content instance to be retrieved from a computer system via a communications network for presentation to the user, in response to determination of a trigger event.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the method includes, in the processing system:

a) determining a selected content package, the content package including a plurality of content threads;

b) storing the trigger rules in a store;

c) comparing sensor data to each trigger rule to determine a trigger event; and

,

d) causing a respective content instance to be retrieved from the complete system via a communications network for presentation to the user if a respective trigger event is satisfied.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes, in the processing system:

a) transferring sensor data to a computer system via a communications network, the computer system operating to determine if at least one trigger rule is satisfied;

b) if the at least one trigger rule is satisfied, receiving content from the computer system; and

,

c) causing the content to be presented to the user.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content is at least part of a story and the trigger event relates to the story.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes, in the processing system, communicating with a computer system to at least one of:

a) select content for presentation;

b) downloaded trigger rules associated with content for presentation;

c) downloaded content for presentation; and

,

d) receive a content stream for presentation.

19. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the multiple sensors are selected from the group of:

a) a position sensor for determining position information indicative of a position of the user;

b) a temperature sensor for determining temperature information indicative of an environment temperature;

c) a timer to provide timing information indicative of a time;

d) a clock to provide at least one of time and date information indicative of a time;

e) a heart rate sensor for determining heart rate information indicative of a heart rate of the user; and

,

f) a movement sensor for determining movement information indicative of movement of the user.

20. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the processing system forms part of at least one of:

a) a presentation device for presenting content; and

,

b) an end station for at least one of;

i) providing content to a presentation device for presentation; and

,

ii) communicating with a computer system to obtain content for presentation.

21. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the processing system includes:

a) a store for storing at least one of;

i) content to be presented; and

,

ii) at least one trigger rule indicative of a trigger event; and

,

b) a processor for;

i) comparing sensor data received from sensors to the at least one trigger rule to determine a trigger event; and

,

ii) selectively causing content to be presented to the user in response to a trigger event.

22. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the processing system forms part of a presentation device, and wherein the presentation device further includes a presentation means including at least one of:

a) a display for displaying content; and

,

b) an audio system for presenting audio content.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein the method includes, in the computer system:

a) providing at least one trigger rule associated with a content thread to the processing system, the content thread including at least one trigger rule and at least one content instance, the processing system being for;

i) storing the at least one trigger rule in a store;

ii) comparing sensor data to the at least one trigger rule to determine a trigger event; and

,

iii) selectively requesting at least one content instance from the computer system in response to determination of a trigger event; and

,

b) providing the requested content instance to the processing system to allowing the content instance to be presented to the user.

8. (canceled)

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18. Apparatus for providing content to a user, the apparatus including a processing system for:

a) using sensor data from multiple sensors associated with the user to determine a trigger event;

b) determining content associated with the trigger event; and

,

c) causing the content to be presented to the user.

23. (canceled)

32. The method according to claim 23, wherein the method includes, in the system:

a) defining metadata representing the trigger rule; and

,

b) associating the metadata with respective content to form a content thread.

33. The method according to claim 23, wherein the method includes, in the system creating event criteria for each trigger rule, the event criteria defining conditions representing the trigger event.

34. The method according to claim 23, wherein the event criteria define a sequence of events.

35. The method according to claim 23, wherein each type of sensor is associated with a respective type of event criteria.

36. The method according to claim 23, wherein the method includes, in the system, defining at least one of:

a) position event criteria defining conditions associated with a position of the user;

b) temperature event criteria defining conditions associated with an environment temperature;

c) time event criteria defining conditions associated with a time;

d) date event criteria defining conditions associated with a date;

e) duration event criteria defining conditions associated with a duration;

f) heart rate event criteria defining conditions associated with a heart rate of the user; and

,

g) movement event criteria defining conditions associated with movement of the user.

37. The method according to claim 23, wherein the method includes, in the system:

a) determining a gross value associated with the content; and

,

b) causing the content and the associated trigger rule to be provided in response to payment, at least partially in accordance with the gross value.

38. The method according to claim 23, wherein the method includes, in the system:

a) determining at least one of a visibility setting and a publish date associated with the content; and

,

b) causing the content to be made available in accordance with at least one of the visibility setting and the publish date.

40. The method according to claim 23, wherein the system includes a computer system and a processing system that communicate to allow at least one of:

a) trigger rules to be defined;

b) content threads to be created;

c) packages of content threads to be created; and

,

d) content to be obtained for presentation.

24. A method of providing content to a user, the method including, in a computer system:

a) receiving, from a processing system, a request for content; and

,

b) providing content to the processing system in response to the request to thereby allow the processing system to;

i) use sensor data from multiple sensors associated with the user to determine a trigger event;

ii) determine content associated with the trigger event; and

,

iii) cause the content to be presented to the user.

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31. A method of providing content to a user, the method including, in a system:

a) causing a trigger rule to be defined representing a trigger event, the trigger rule representing conditions that must be met by data from each of multiple sensors for a trigger event to occur; and

,

b) causing an association between content and the trigger rule to be created, such that the content can be presented when a trigger event occurs.

41. The method according to claim 31, wherein the method includes, in a processing system:

a) determining an indication of a trigger rule and associated content at least partially in accordance with user input commands; and

,

b) transferring the indication to the computer system.

42. The method according to claim 31, wherein the method includes, in the computer system:

a) receiving an indication of at least one trigger rule and at least one associated content instance from the processing system; and

,

b) creating a thread representing an association between the at least one content instance and the at least one trigger rule.

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