SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING INAUDIBLE CODES AND CORRESPONDING INFORMATION TO USERS VIA THEIR COMPUTING DEVICES
First Claim
1. A system for providing information to a user via a user computing device, comprising:
- a processing device; and
a database to store codes and corresponding items of information to be provided to user computing devices;
wherein the processing device is configured to;
provide the codes and corresponding items of information to respective user computing devices via a network, to be stored in the respective user devices and to be selectively retrieved by a user in response to inaudible codes corresponding to respective items received by the respective computing device in an audio stream.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, systems and methods are provided to facilitate the processing of inaudible codes in audio and audio/visual streams broadcast over television, radio, computer, or in piped music/muzak, for example, by computing devices, such as mobile devices and computers. The inaudible codes are associated with items of information provided by third parties, such as coupons, offers, advertising, explanatory information, etc. The mobile devices may be a smart phone, tablet, laptop computer, digital reader, etc. Codes and corresponding items may be provided to a computing device by a code/offer management system via a network, and stored by the computing device, upon the request of the respective device. When an inaudible code is received and identified by a respective device, it is compared to the stored codes and if there is a match, the corresponding offer may be identified and displayed or offered for display.
32 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A system for providing information to a user via a user computing device, comprising:
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a processing device; and a database to store codes and corresponding items of information to be provided to user computing devices; wherein the processing device is configured to; provide the codes and corresponding items of information to respective user computing devices via a network, to be stored in the respective user devices and to be selectively retrieved by a user in response to inaudible codes corresponding to respective items received by the respective computing device in an audio stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14)
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3. The system of claim 3 further comprising:
an encoder configured to; receive an audio stream from a third party; receive at least one inaudible code from the processing device; and encode the audio stream with at least one inaudible code.
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11. A method of providing information to users via a user device, comprising:
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providing codes and corresponding items of information to respective user computing devices via a network, to be stored in the respective user devices and to be selectively retrieved by a user in response to inaudible codes corresponding to respective items received by a respective computing device in an audio stream; receiving a code from a respective user computing device, when the code is not found by the computing device; searching the database for the received code; identifying an item of information corresponding to the received code, if the received code is found; and providing an indication to the user'"'"'s computing device that an item of information corresponding to the received code is available to the user'"'"'s computing device, and/or providing the item to the user'"'"'s computing device, via the network. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 15)
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16. A computing device to receive items of information from a third party, comprising:
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a processing device; a display; a microphone; and memory to store codes and corresponding items of information; wherein the processing device is configured to; analyze audio streams received by the microphone to identify inaudible codes encoded in the audio stream; search the memory for a code corresponding to the identified inaudible code; identify an item of information corresponding to the code, if a code corresponding to the inaudible code is found; and display the item of information on the display, and/or provide an indication of the presence of the item of information on the display. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of receiving and displaying items of information by a computing device, comprising:
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receiving an audio stream by a computing device, the computing device comprising a processing device; analyzing the audio stream to identify inaudible codes encoded in the audio stream, by the processing device; comparing the identified inaudible code to codes stored in memory in association with respective items of information, by the processing device; searching the memory for a code corresponding to the identified inaudible code; and identifying an item of information corresponding to the code, if a code corresponding to the identified inaudible code is found; and displaying the retrieved item of information on a display, or displaying an indication of the presence of the item of information on the display. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of providing offers to users in public places via mobile user computing devices, comprising:
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encoding an audio stream with at least one code corresponding to at least one offer to be provided to a user'"'"'s mobile computing device; broadcasting the encoded audio stream comprising the at least one inaudible code in a public place, by at least one speaker; and redeeming the offer from the user, in or near the public space. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of receiving and displaying items of information by a computing device, comprising:
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receiving an audio stream by a computing device, the computing device comprising a processing device; analyzing the audio stream to identify inaudible codes encoded in the audio stream, by the processing device; obtaining a filtered item of information corresponding to the identified inaudible code, wherein the filtering is based, at least in part, on information provided by the user and/or algorithmic filtering based on past activities of the user of the computing device; and displaying the filtered item of information on a display, and/or displaying an indication of the presence of the filtered item of information on the display.
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Specification