System and method for promoting viewer interaction in a television system
First Claim
1. A method for displaying an interactive, animated cartoon figure on a television comprising the steps of:
- executing an interactive application in a set-top box coupled to said television;
setting up a plurality of user-defined attributes of said animated cartoon figure;
generating said animated cartoon figure on said television, said animated cartoon figure being representative of a living entity, said animated cartoon figure having an appearance indicative of a state of said figure;
prompting a viewer for a response;
updating said state, said state being a more preferred state if said viewer provides said response, said state being a less preferred state if said viewer fails to provide said response; and
regenerating said animated cartoon figure on said television, said animated cartoon figure having said appearance indicative of said state of said animated cartoon figure.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive television system configured to display an animated character which has an appearance indicative of a viewer'"'"'s interaction and time spent watching a particular television program. In one embodiment, the character is a genie which appears more healthy when the viewer'"'"'s watching/interaction increases and less healthy when it decreases. Various features of the genie, such as hair color, clothing and name, are viewer-selectable. The genie may prompt the viewer for responses, which responses result in the awarding of points to the genie, which in turn make it appear more healthy or give it certain powers or characteristics. The genie is implemented in an interactive application which is transmitted to a set-top box coupled to the viewer'"'"'s television. Transmission of related data through a return path to the broadcast station which originated the application enables the viewer to participate in lotteries and other special promotions.
234 Citations
67 Claims
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1. A method for displaying an interactive, animated cartoon figure on a television comprising the steps of:
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executing an interactive application in a set-top box coupled to said television;
setting up a plurality of user-defined attributes of said animated cartoon figure;
generating said animated cartoon figure on said television, said animated cartoon figure being representative of a living entity, said animated cartoon figure having an appearance indicative of a state of said figure;
prompting a viewer for a response;
updating said state, said state being a more preferred state if said viewer provides said response, said state being a less preferred state if said viewer fails to provide said response; and
regenerating said animated cartoon figure on said television, said animated cartoon figure having said appearance indicative of said state of said animated cartoon figure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
storing said state of said animated cartoon figure in said set-top box; and
terminating said interactive application.
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3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of executing a second interactive application, said second interactive application being configured to load said state of said animated cartoon figure, generate said animated cartoon figure on said television, update said state, and regenerate said animated cartoon figure on said television.
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4. An apparatus for use in an interactive television system having a broadcast station, a transmission medium and a display device, the apparatus being designed to promote viewer interaction with a television program, the apparatus comprising:
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a signal processing unit configured to receive a program signal from said broadcast station, said program signal including said television program, a memory unit configured to store data used by an application, said data being indicative of a level of said viewer interaction, a microprocessor configured to execute said application, said application being configured to generate an icon, said icon being indicative of said level of said viewer interaction, said microprocessor further being configured to update said data in response to said viewer interaction, a display unit configured to combine said television program and said icon into a display signal and to transmit said display signal to said display device;
said icon being displayed in a preferred manner when said level of viewer interaction is high, and said icon being displayed in a non-preferred manner when said level of viewer interaction is low. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for encouraging a plurality of viewers'"'"' participation in an interactive television system having a broadcast station and one or more receiving stations, each receiving station having a monitor, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) transmitting a television program from said broadcast station to said one or more receiving stations;
(b) performing steps (i)-(iii) one or more times for each receiving station;
(i) detecting a level of participation of one of said viewers associated with said receiving station;
(ii) generating an adaptable depiction of a living entity, said depiction having an appearance of a level of healthfulness corresponding to said level of said associated viewer'"'"'s participation;
(iii) displaying said television program and said depiction on said monitor; and
(c) storing viewer data for each of said receiving stations, said viewer data being indicative of said level of each of said viewer'"'"'s participation. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
transmitting a portion of said viewer data from each of said receiving stations to said broadcast station;
selecting said viewer data from one of said receiving stations;
transmitting to each of said receiving stations a selected depiction of said living entity corresponding to said selected viewer data from said one of said receiving stations; and
awarding a prize to a selected viewer corresponding to said one of said receiving stations if said selected viewer contacts said broadcast station in response to said transmitting of said selected depiction.
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24. The method of claim 23 wherein said step of transmitting said portion of said viewer data is performed in response to a prompt which is sent from said broadcast station only to said one of said receiving stations.
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25. The method of claim 23
wherein said step of transmitting said portion of said viewer data is performed in response to a prompt which comprises an identification code and which is sent from said broadcast station to each of said receiving stations and wherein said one of said receiving stations has a corresponding identification number which matches said identification code. -
26. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:
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transmitting an interactive application from said broadcast station to said plurality of receiving stations, said application being configured to perform steps (b)-(c), said interactive application having an authorization code associated therewith; and
verifying said authentication code associated with said interactive application prior to said interactive application performing steps (b)-(c).
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27. A method for encouraging viewer participation in a television system, said method comprising:
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generating an icon on a television, wherein said icon is indicative of a state corresponding to a first level of viewer participation;
detecting a second level of participation of said viewer;
updating said state of said icon to correspond to said second level of participation, in response to detecting said second level of participation; and
regenerating said icon on said television, wherein said regenerated icon is indicative of said updated states;
said icon being displayed in a preferred manner when said level of viewer interaction is high, and said icon being displayed in a non-preferred manner when said level of viewer interaction is low. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
load said state of said icon;
generate said icon on said television;
update said state; and
regenerate said icon on said television.
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30. An apparatus for promoting viewer participation in a television system, said apparatus comprising:
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a signal processing unit configured to receive a television programming signal; and
a control unit configured to generate an icon for display, wherein said icon is indicative of a level of viewer participation;
said icon being generated for display in a preferred manner when said level of viewer participation is high, and said icon being generated for display in a non-preferred manner when said level of viewer participation is low. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A television system for increasing viewership comprising:
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a broadcast station configured to broadcast a programming signal including a first program and an executable application, said application comprising program instructions executable to;
detect a level of viewer participation in a first program; and
generate an icon indicative of said level of participations;
said icon being displayed in a preferred manner when said level of viewer interaction is high, and said icon being displayed in a non-preferred manner when said level of viewer interaction is low. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method for encouraging viewer participation in an interactive television system having a broadcast station and one or more receiving stations, each receiving station having a monitor, the method comprising:
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transmitting a television program from said broadcast station to said one or more receiving stations;
detecting a level of participation of one of said viewers associated with said receiving station;
generating an icon having an attribute indicative of a level of said associated viewer'"'"'s participation; and
displaying said television program and said icon on said monitor;
wherein detecting said level of said viewer'"'"'s participation further comprises comparing one or more actions of said viewer to one or more corresponding standards and modifying said viewer data according to whether said one or more actions meet said one or more corresponding standards. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 56)
transmitting an interactive application from said broadcast station to said plurality of receiving stations, said application being configured to perform said transmitting, detecting, generating and displaying, said interactive application having an authorization code associated therewith; and
verifying said authorization code associated with said interactive application prior to said interactive application performing said transmitting, detecting, generating and displaying.
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51. A method for encouraging viewer participation in an interactive television system having a broadcast station and one or more receiving stations, each receiving station having a monitor, the method comprising:
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transmitting a television program from said broadcast station to said one or more receiving stations;
detecting a level of participation of one of said viewers associated with said receiving station;
generating an icon having an attribute indicative of a level of said associated viewer'"'"'s participation; and
displaying said television program and said icon on said monitor;
wherein said viewer data comprises an index value and wherein detecting said level of said viewer'"'"'s participation further comprises incrementing said index value when said viewer watches one or more predetermined portions of said television program and decrementing said index value when said viewer fails to watch said one or more predetermined portions of said television program. - View Dependent Claims (52)
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53. A method for encouraging viewer participation in an interactive television system having a broadcast station and one or more receiving stations, each receiving station having a monitor, the method comprising:
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transmitting a television program from said broadcast station to said one or more receiving stations;
detecting a level of participation of one of said viewers associated with said receiving station;
generating an icon having an attribute indicative of a level of said associated viewer'"'"'s participation;
displaying said television program and said icon on said monitor;
storing viewer data for each of said receiving stations, said viewer data being indicative of said level of each of said viewer'"'"'s participation;
transmitting a portion of said viewer data from each of said receiving stations to said broadcast station;
selecting said viewer data from one of said receiving stations;
transmitting to each of said receiving stations a selected depiction of said icon corresponding to said selected viewer data from said one of said receiving stations; and
awarding a prize to a selected viewer corresponding to said one of said receiving stations if said selected viewer contacts said broadcast station in response to said transmitting of said selected depiction. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55)
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57. A method for maintaining a viewer state in a television system comprising:
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receiving a programming signal including a first program at a receiver;
executing a first application in said receiver, in response to detecting said first program;
generating a first data, wherein said first data indicates a viewer state corresponding to said first program;
storing said first data;
receiving a programming signal including a second program at said receiver;
executing a second application in said receiver, in response to detecting said second program;
retrieving said stored first data;
detecting said viewer state in said retrieved first data. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
updating said viewer state to include a second attribute; and
displaying a second icon on said display, wherein said second icon is indicative of said updated viewer state and said second attribute.
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62. The method of claim 61, wherein said first icon and said second icon represent a living entity, and wherein said first attribute is a visual representation of a first level of health of said entity, and wherein said second attribute is a visual representation of a second level of health of said entity.
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63. The method of claim 57, further comprising conveying said stored first data to a broadcast station via a return path.
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64. An apparatus for maintaining a viewer state in a television system, said apparatus comprising:
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a signal processing unit configured to receive a television programming signal; and
a storage device; and
a control unit, wherein said control unit is configured to;
execute a first application, in response to detecting a first program in a first programming signal received by said signal processing unit;
generate a first data, wherein said first data indicates a viewer state corresponding to said first program;
store said first data on said storage device;
execute a second application in said receiver, in response to detecting a second program in a second programming signal received by said signal processing unit;
retrieve said stored first data from said storage device; and
detect said viewer state in said retrieved first data. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67)
update said viewer state to include a second attribute; and
display a second icon on said display, wherein said second icon is indicative of said updated viewer state and said second attribute.
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67. The apparatus of claim 64, wherein said apparatus is coupled to a broadcast station via a return path, and wherein said control unit is configured to convey said stored first data to said broadcast station.
Specification