Method and apparatus for correlating real-time audience feedback with segments of broadcast programs

• US 6,134,531 A
• Filed: 09/24/1997
• Issued: 10/17/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digital Equipment Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Jefferson, David R., Stata, Raymond Paul, Gould, Edward M., Trewitt, Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): Stamber, Eric W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Caudle, Penny
• Application Number:
  US08/937,333
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10, 705/1, 705/27, 345/327, 370/252, 370/312
• US Class Current: 705/7.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/18 Arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet

Abstract

A computerized method enables an audience to synchronously interact with a broadcast program in realtime. A broadcast clock of a broadcast system is synchronized to a standard time. A server clock of a server computer is synchronized to the standard time using a network timing protocol. A client computer clock of a client computer is synchronized to the server clock. The program is broadcast synchronously to the broadcast clock. Web pages are provided by the server computer to the client computer. Responses generated by the client computer are time-stamped according to the synchronized time of the client computer so that the responses can be time-correlated to segments of the program.

Claims

1. A computerized method for collecting audience feed-back in response to a broadcast program in real-time, wherein the broadcast program is broadcast synchronized with a broadcast clock that is synchronized to a standard time, the method comprising:

at a server computer, while the broadcast program is being broadcast, transmitting a Web page to client computers of persons receiving the broadcast program;

the transmitted Web page soliciting user feedback concerning the broadcast program;

the server computer also maintaining a current server time value;

at the client computers, continuously maintaining a current client time value, receiving the transmitted Web page with a browser application, automatically downloading and executing an applet associated with the Web page so as to exchange messages with the server computer and generate a time differential between the client time value and the server time value;

receiving via the browser application user input that includes the solicited user feedback concerning the broadcast program, generating user response messages based on the received user input, time-stamping the user response messages, and transmitting the time-stamped user response messages to the server computer;

wherein each user response message includes a time stamp that indicates a server time value generated by a respective one of the client computers as function of the client time maintained by the respective client computer and the time differential generated by execution of the applet; and

receiving from the client computers the time-stamped user response messages and analyzing the time-stamps of the received user response messages to associate such user response messages with specific segments of the broadcast program.

2. Apparatus for collecting audience feed-back in response to a broadcast program in real-time, wherein the broadcast program is broadcast synchronized with a broadcast clock that is synchronized to a standard time, the apparatus comprising:

a server computer, the server computer including;

means for maintaining a current server time value;

means for transmitting a Web page, while the broadcast program is being broadcast, the Web page being transmitted to client computers of persons receiving the broadcast program;

the transmitted Web page soliciting user feedback concerning the broadcast program;

the Web page having associated therewith an applet that when executed by any of the client computers sends messages to the server computer and generates a time differential between a client time value maintained by the client computer and the server time value;

means for receiving from the client computers time-stamped user response messages, the user response messages including the solicited user feedback concerning the broadcast program, each user response message including a time-stamp;

wherein the time stamp in a received user response message indicates a server time value generated by the client computer as function of the client time maintained by the client computer which sent the user response message and the time differential generated by execution of the applet; and

means for analyzing the time-stamps of the received user response messages to associate such user responses with specific segments of the broadcast program.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the server computer includes a server clock that is synchronized with the standard time;

and

means for responding to client computer messages requesting a server clock time value by returning a current server clock time value.

4. A computerized method for collecting audience feed-back in response to a broadcast program in real-time, wherein the broadcast program is broadcast synchronized with a broadcast clock that is synchronized to a standard time, the method comprising:

at a server computer, maintaining a current server time value;

at the server computer, while the broadcast program is being broadcast, transmitting a Web page to client computers of persons receiving the broadcast program;

the transmitted Web page soliciting user feedback concerning the broadcast program;

the Web page having associated therewith an applet that when executed by any of the client computers sends messages to the server computer and generates a time differential between a client time value maintained by the client computer and the server time value;

at the server computer, receiving from the client computers time-stamped user response messages, the user response messages including the solicited user feedback concerning the broadcast program, each user response message including a time-stamp;

wherein the time stamp in a received user response message indicates a server time value generated by the client computer as function of the client time maintained by the client computer which sent the user response message and the time differential generated by execution of the applet; and

at the server computer, analyzing the time-stamps of the received user response messages to associate such user responses with specific segments of the broadcast program.

5. The method of claim 4, further including synchronizing a server clock in the server computer with the standard time;

and

means for responding to client computer messages requesting a server clock time value by returning a current server clock time value.