INTERACTIVE BROADCAST SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140282650A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Viles, Aimee Beth Gariepy, Jackson, Keith Andrew, McSweeney, Kelly, Duemo, Michael George, Mercurio, Kevin, Wang, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,291,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics

Abstract

An interactive system and method allow for broadcast of basic content data along with data that define graphical inserts that can be played with or super-imposed on screens of the decoded broadcast. Coordinated pages or screens may be transmitted to audience secondary devices, such as smart phones, tablet computers, and so forth. Audience members may participate in an interactive experience by selecting options provided on the secondary devices. Audience responses are received, aggregated, and rules applied in accordance with the desired experience. The graphical indicia are altered during the broadcast, and optionally during or just following a period for audience feedback.

Claims

1. A method for exchanging digital content with an audience, comprising:

preparing a broadcast stream comprising basic content data and graphical insert data, the basic content data being configured to allow audience playback systems to generate viewable screens, and the graphical insert data being configured to allow the audience playback systems to generate graphical indicia displayed over a portion of the viewable screens;

transmitting the broadcast stream to the audience playback systems via a broadcast protocol;

transmitting user interface data to secondary audience devices in coordination with the broadcast stream;

receiving reply data from the secondary audience devices;

aggregating the reply data for a plurality of audience members;

applying rules to the aggregated reply data; and

altering the graphical insert data and/or the basic content data based upon the applied rules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the basic content data and the graphical insert data are transmitted together in the same broadcast stream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the basic content data and the graphical insert data are transmitted separately in the broadcast stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical insert data is altered and transmitted during a time period that is displayed in the graphical insert data.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising including in the graphical insert or transmitting a signal to produce an audio indication of time remaining for replies from the audience members.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical insert data is altered based upon a number of replies of a given type received from the audience members.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the rules comprise determining a most popular audience member selection as prompted by the graphical insert data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the rules comprise determining an advertising promotion status based upon an audience member selection as prompted by the graphical insert data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the basic content data comprises a broadcast television program transmitted based upon a preset schedule.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the basic content data comprises a broadcast commercial.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical insert data comprises a flash stream.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical insert data prompts the audience members to vote via the secondary audience devices, and wherein the altered graphical insert data provides indicia of aggregated votes.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the altered graphical data is transmitted to the audience playback systems while voting replies are being accepted during a voting period.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising including in the graphical insert or transmitting a signal to produce an audio indication of time remaining during the voting period.

15. A method for exchanging digital content with an audience, comprising:

broadcasting at least one broadcast stream comprising basic content data and graphical insert data, the basic content data being configured to allow audience playback systems to generate viewable screens, and the graphical insert data being configured to allow the audience playback systems to generate graphical indicia displayed over a portion of the viewable screens;

transmitting user interface data to secondary audience devices in coordination with the broadcast stream;

receiving reply data from the secondary audience devices in coordination with the broadcast of the graphical insert data;

aggregating the reply data for a plurality of audience members;

applying rules to the aggregated reply data;

altering the graphical insert data based upon the applied rules to generate altered graphical insert data; and

broadcasting the altered graphical insert data to the audience playback systems during a time allowed for receiving the reply data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the basic content data comprises a broadcast television program transmitted based upon a preset schedule.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the basic content data comprises a broadcast commercial.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the graphical insert data comprises a flash stream.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the graphical insert data prompts the audience members to vote via the secondary audience devices, and therein the altered graphical insert data provides indicia of aggregated votes.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the altered graphical data is transmitted to the audience playback systems while voting replies are being accepted during a voting period.

21. A system for exchanging digital content with an audience, comprising:

a broadcaster that broadcasts at least one broadcast stream comprising basic content data and graphical insert data, the basic content data being configured to allow audience playback systems to generate viewable screens, and the graphical insert data being configured to allow the audience playback systems to generate graphical indicia displayed over a portion of the viewable screens;

a web host that transmits user interface data to secondary audience devices in coordination with the broadcast stream and that receives reply data from the secondary audience devices in coordination with the broadcast of the graphical insert data;

a processor that aggregates the reply data for a plurality of audience members and applies rules to the aggregated reply data; and

an altering component that alters the graphical insert data based upon the applied rules to generate altered graphical insert data;

wherein the broadcaster broadcasts the altered graphical insert data to the audience playback systems during a time allowed for receiving the reply data.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the broadcaster and the web host are the same entity.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the web host and the processor are the same entity.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor and the altering component are the same entity.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the altering component and the broadcaster are the same entity.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the basic content data comprises a broadcast commercial.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the graphical insert data comprises a flash stream.