PLATFORM-INDEPENDENT INTERACTIVITY WITH MEDIA BROADCASTS

• US 20130042262A1
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sven Riethmueller
• Original Assignee: Sven Riethmueller
• Inventors: Riethmueller, Sven
• Application Number:
  US13/650,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20130042262A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/74 Browsing; Visualisation therefor end-user interfaces for requesting or interacting with video content, e.g. video on demand interfaces or electronic program guides, H04N21/472
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/18 Arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/90 characterised by the use of signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/29 Arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/59 of video recognising characters or patterns in general G06F18/00, G06V20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/631 Multimode Transmission, e.g. transmitting basic layers and enhancement layers of the content over different transmission paths or transmitting with different error corrections, different keys or with different transmission protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 : involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method is disclosed including: receiving a broadcast media sequence; comparing broadcast media sequence and a reference media sequence; generating broadcast information related to the broadcast media sequence based on the comparison of the broadcast media sequence and the reference media sequence; and providing interactivity related to the broadcast media sequence to at least one viewer based on the broadcast information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first descriptor corresponding to a broadcast media sequence;

comparing the first descriptor and a second descriptor corresponding to a reference media sequence;

generating broadcast information related to the broadcast media sequence based on the comparison of the first descriptor and the second descriptor; and

providing interactivity related to the broadcast media sequence to at least one viewer based on the broadcast information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing interactivity related to the broadcast media sequence to at least one viewer comprises:

receiving viewer information from the at least one viewer; and

determining a relationship between the viewer information and the broadcast information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising selectively providing content to at least one device associated with the at least one viewer based on the relationship between the viewer information and the broadcast information.

4. The method of claim 2 or claim 3, further comprising selectively storing information associated with the viewer based on the relationship between the viewer information and the broadcast information.

5. The method of any one of claims 2-4, wherein the viewer information comprises information related to the time of an action of the at least one viewer, and wherein determining the relationship between the viewer information and the broadcast information comprises:

determining, based on the broadcast information, action time information indicative of whether the time of the action corresponds to an event in the broadcast media sequence.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising determining, based on the action time information, whether the time of the action was within a defined time period of the event.

7. The method any one of claims 2-6, wherein the viewer information comprises information related to the location of the at least one viewer at the time of the action, and wherein determining the relationship between the viewer information and the broadcast information comprises:

determining, based on the broadcast information, action location information indicative of whether the location of the at least one viewer at the time of the action corresponds to a location where the broadcast media sequence is available.

8. The method of any one of claims 5-7, further comprising providing content to at least one device associated with the at least one viewer based on the action time information or the action location information.

9. The method of any one of claims 3-8, wherein the content comprises at least one selected from the list consisting of:

a text based message;

audio content;

video content;

an image;

an advertisement;

a response solicitation;

an access right, a question, a menu option, and an internet link.

10. The method of any one of claims 5-9, further comprising, based on the action time information or the action location information, storing information associated with the viewer.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the information associated with the viewer comprises at least one selected from the list consisting of:

a response to response solicitation;

a response to a question;

a vote;

a loyalty program reward;

a lottery entry;

location information;

demographic information;

an email address;

a postal mail address, an IP address;

a telephone number.

12. The method of any one of claims 2-11, further comprising, based at least in part on the viewer information, influencing the content of the broadcast media sequence.

13. The method of any one of claims 1-12, wherein generating broadcast information related to the broadcast media sequence based on the comparison of the first descriptor and the second descriptor comprises:

determining a similarity of the first and second descriptors; and

comparing the similarity to a threshold level.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the broadcast information comprises threshold information indicative of whether the similarity exceeds the threshold level.

15. The method of any one of claims 1-14, wherein providing interactivity related to the broadcast to at least one viewer comprises:

based on the broadcast information, providing substantially real time content to at least one device associated with the viewer related to an event in the broadcast media sequence.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein providing substantially real time content to the at least one viewer comprises delivering event content associated with a respective event in the broadcast media sequence substantially simultaneously with the event.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the event content is delivered within 60 seconds of the event.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the event content is delivered within 180 seconds of the event.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the event content is delivered within 240 seconds of the event.

20. The method of any one of claims 15-19, wherein content comprises at least one selected from the list consisting of:

text content;

audio content;

video content;

an image.

21. The method of any one of claims 16-19, wherein the event content comprises an advertisement or response solicitation related to the respective event.

22. The method of any one of claims 14-20, wherein providing substantially real time content comprises:

generating a first list of descriptors, each descriptor corresponding to respective event in the broadcast media sequence;

comparing at least a first one from the first list of descriptors to a second list of descriptors to identify a first identified event in the broadcast media sequence; and

synchronizing a delivery of the real time content to the at least one viewer based on the first identified event.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising, prior to the comparing step, receiving information from the at least one viewer indicating viewer interest in the broadcast.

24. The method of any one of claims 22-23, wherein the descriptors in the first list of descriptors are generated at distinct time intervals during the broadcast media sequence.

25. The method of any one of claims 22-23, wherein the descriptors in the first list of descriptors are generated substantially continuously during the broadcast media sequence.

26. The method of any one of claims 22-25, further comprising:

after the synchronizing step, comparing a second one from first list of descriptors to the second list of descriptors to identify a second event in the broadcast; and

re-synchronizing the delivery of the real time content to the at least one viewer based on the identified first event.

27. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the broadcast information comprises:

broadcast identity information indicative of an identity of the media content of the broadcast media sequence; and

broadcast time information indicative of a time during which the broadcast media sequence was broadcast.

28. The method of claim 2, wherein the broadcast information comprises:

broadcast match information indicative of a similarity between the first descriptor and the second descriptor.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the broadcast information comprises:

at least one from the list consisting of;

broadcast location information indicative of a location in which the broadcast media sequence was broadcast;

broadcast platform information indicative of a platform over which the broadcast media sequence was broadcast; and

broadcast channel information indicative of a channel over which broadcast media sequence was broadcast.

30. The method of any one of claims 3-29, wherein the device is selected from the list consisting of:

a mobile phone, a computer, a television, a set top box, a tablet device, a personal digital assistant, and a pager.

31. The method of any one of claims 3-29, wherein providing content comprises transmitting an instruction to a content provider to deliver content to a device associated with the at least one viewer.

32. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the broadcast media sequence comprises at least one selected from the list consisting of:

an audio sequence, a video sequence, a multimedia sequence, a data sequence, and a metadata sequence related another media.

33. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the broadcast media sequence comprises a live generated content.

34. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the broadcast media sequence comprises a prerecorded content.

35. The method of any preceding claim wherein the broadcast media sequence is transmitted via at least one selected from the list consisting of:

a radio signal, an over air television signal, a satellite signal, a cable signal, a computer network, a local area network, a wide area network, a cellular network, a wireless network;

a public switched telephone network, and the internet.

36. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by a data processing apparatus to implement the steps of the method of any one of claims 1-35.

61. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the broadcast information comprises:

broadcast identity information indicative of an identity of the media content of the broadcast media sequence; and

broadcast time information indicative of a time during which the broadcast media sequence was broadcast.

62. The system of claim 61, wherein the broadcast information comprises:

broadcast match information indicative of a similarity between the first descriptor and the second descriptor.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein the broadcast information comprises:

at least one from the list consisting of;

broadcast location information indicative of a location in which the broadcast media sequence was broadcast;

broadcast platform information indicative of a platform over which the broadcast media sequence was broadcast; and

broadcast channel information indicative of a channel over which broadcast media sequence was broadcast.

65. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the broadcast media sequence comprises an audio sequence or a video sequence.

66. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the broadcast media sequence comprises at least one selected from the list consisting of:

an audio sequence, a video sequence, a multimedia sequence, a data sequence, and a metadata sequence related another media.

67. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the broadcast media sequence comprises a prerecorded media sequence.

68. The system of any preceding claim comprising a communication module communicatively couple to the monitoring module and configured to receive the broadcast media sequence.

69. The system of claim 68, comprising a descriptor generation module communicatively couple to the communication module and configured to:

receive the broadcast media sequence; and

process the broadcast media sequence generate the first descriptor.

70. The system of claim 69, wherein the descriptor generation module is configured to:

process the broadcast media sequence generate a list of descriptors each descriptor corresponding to respective event in the broadcast media sequence.

71. The system of claim 70, wherein the descriptors in the list of descriptors are generated at distinct time intervals during the broadcast media sequence.

72. The system of claim 70, wherein the descriptors in the list of descriptors are generated substantially continuously during the broadcast media sequence.

37. A system comprising:

a broadcast monitoring module configured to;

receive a first descriptor corresponding to a broadcast media sequence;

compare the first descriptor and a second descriptor corresponding to a reference media sequence; and

generate broadcast information related to the broadcast media sequence based on the comparison of the first descriptor and the second descriptor;

wherein the broadcast information is configured to facilitate providing interactivity related to the broadcast media sequence to at least one viewer.

38. The system of claim 37, further comprising a storage module in communicatively couple to the broadcasting module and configured to store a plurality of reference descriptors each corresponding to a respective reference media sequence.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the plurality of reference descriptors comprises the second descriptor.

40. The system of any one of claims 37-39, further comprising an interactivity module communicatively couple to the broadcast monitoring module and configured to:

receive viewer information from the at least one viewer; and

determine a relationship between the viewer information and the broadcast information.

43. The system of any one of claims 40-42 wherein the interactivity module is configured to selectively store information associated with the viewer based on the relationship between the viewer information and the broadcast information.

46. The system of any one of claims 40-45, wherein the interactivity module is configured to:

based at least in part on the viewer information, influencing the content of the broadcast media sequence.

47. The system of any one of claims 37-46, wherein the monitoring module comprises a comparison module configured to:

generate the broadcast information related to the broadcast media sequence based on the comparison of the first descriptor and the second descriptor by;

determining a similarity of the first and second descriptors; and

comparing the similarity to a threshold level.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the broadcast information comprises threshold information indicative of whether the similarity exceeds the threshold level.

49. The system of any one of claims 40-47, wherein the interactivity module is configured to:

based on the broadcast information, provide substantially real time content to at least one device associated with the viewer related to an event in the broadcast media sequence.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the interactivity module is configure to:

provide substantially real time content to the at least one viewer comprises delivering event content associated with a respective event in the broadcast media sequence substantially simultaneously with the event.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the event content is delivered within 30 seconds of the event.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein the event content is delivered within 180 seconds of the event.

53. The system of claim 48, wherein the event content is delivered within 240 seconds of the event.

54. The system of any one of claims 49-53, wherein the content comprises at least one selected from the list consisting of:

text content, audio content;

video content, and an image.

55. The system of any one of claims 50-54, wherein the event content comprises an advertisement or response solicitation related to the respective event.

56. The system of any one of claims 49-55 wherein the monitoring module and interactivity module are configured to:

generate a first list of descriptors, each descriptor corresponding to respective event in the broadcast media sequence;

compare at least a first one from the first list of descriptors to a second list of descriptors to identify a first event in the broadcast media sequence; and

synchronize a delivery of the real time content to the at least one viewer based on the identified first event.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the interactivity module is configured to receive information from the at least one viewer indicating viewer interest in the broadcast.

58. The system any one of claims 56-57, wherein the descriptors in the first list of descriptors are generated at distinct time intervals during the broadcast media sequence.

59. The system any one of claims 56-57, wherein the descriptors in the first list of descriptors are generated substantially continuously during the broadcast media sequence.

60. The system of any one of claims 56-59, wherein the monitoring module and interactivity module are configured to:

comparing a second one from first list of descriptors to the second list of descriptors to identify a second event in the broadcast; and

re-synchronizing the delivery of the real time content to the at least one viewer based on the identified first event.

64. The method of any one of claims 40-63, the interactivity module is configure to provide content by transmitting an instruction to a content provider to deliver content to a device associated with the at least one viewer.

41. The system of claim 41, wherein the interactivity module is configured to selectively provide content to at least one device associated with the at least one viewer based on the relationship between the viewer information and the broadcast information.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the interactivity module is configured to determine if an action of the viewer occurred within a defined time period from an even in the broadcast media sequence.

44. The system of any one of claims 41-43, wherein the content comprises at least one selected from the list consisting of:

a text based message;

audio content;

video content;

an image;

an advertisement;

a response solicitation;

access rights, a question, a menu option, and an internet link.

45. The system of an one of claims 41-44, wherein the information associated with the viewer comprises at least one selected from the list consisting of:

a response to response solicitation;

a response to a survey question;

a vote;

a loyalty program reward;

a lottery entry;

location information;

demographic information;

an email address;

an IP address;

a telephone number.

73. A method comprising:

receiving a broadcast media sequence;

comparing broadcast media sequence and a reference media sequence;

generating broadcast information related to the broadcast media sequence based on the comparison of the broadcast media sequence and the reference media sequence; and

providing interactivity related to the broadcast media sequence to at least one viewer based on the broadcast information.

74. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by a data processing apparatus to implement the steps of the method of claim 73.

75. A system comprising:

a broadcast monitoring module configured to;

receive a broadcast media sequence;

compare the broadcast media sequence and a reference media sequence; and

generate broadcast information related to the broadcast media sequence based on the comparison of the first descriptor and the second descriptor;

wherein the broadcast information is configured to facilitate providing interactivity related to the broadcast media sequence to at least one viewer.