Method and apparatus for distributing audiovisual content

• US 6,591,247 B2
• Filed: 08/07/1998
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: PRN Corp. (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Stern, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US09/130,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20020069113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/1, 709/203, 707/10
• US Class Current: 705/14.52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0249 based upon budgets or funds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

An advertising method and system to disseminate information concerning multiple products includes a database containing the information and provides a perceivable stimulus to a consumer positioned proximate to site, with the site being remotely disposed with respect to the database. To disseminate the information, a set of software modules are employed which implement a set of functionalities intended to provide centralized management, remote distribution, and the stimulus. The stimulus is provided by playback of digitally encoded information which may include a stimulus that is either auditory, visual, olfactory, tactile or any combination thereof. The stimulus may be provided by a dedicated multimedia kiosk which includes a monitor, digital processor having a sound card and an input device, such as a keyboard or a mouse. In addition, the stimulus may be provided using products advertised for sell in the retail store where the consumer is located or in conjunction with a kiosk. The stimulus may be either interactive or non-interactive. For example, an interactive consumer stimulus may be initiated by a consumer scanning a UPC code on a product of interest.

Claims

1. A method of disseminating information over a private network concerning a product, both of which are to be perceived by a consumer, said method comprising:

providing one or more databases that receive content providers'"'"' files, said databases including digitized and cataloged product information and at least one of sponsor information and attract videos;

creating designated files for distribution to one or more end clients by combining into a single file said content providers'"'"' files, including said digitized and cataloged product information and said at least one of sponsor information and attract videos, and at least one attribute assigned for each content provider file;

transmitting said designated files to said end clients remotely disposed with respect to said one or more databases, wherein each end client receives only its designated files;

providing a perceivable stimulus, from said designated files to said consumer, said perceivable stimulus being associated with said product; and

wherein an interactive consumer stimulus initiated by the consumer includes said perceivable stimulus.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the perceivable stimulus is repeated multiple times and create statistical data.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further including conveying said statistical data to said database.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein transmitting includes forming, from a subportion of said designated files, a distribution database having content data, with said content data being defined by said perceivable stimulus.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein said distribution database includes a distribution file and further including compressing and distributing said distribution file to at least one of said end clients via satellite.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said perceivable stimulus is dependent upon criteria of an ambient proximate to said product.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said perceivable stimulus is selected from the set consisting of auditory, visual, olfactory and tactile.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said interactive consumer stimulus is initiated by a consumer scanning a UPC code on said product.

9. A method of disseminating information over a private network concerning multiple products, said method comprising:

receiving content providers'"'"' files, the content providers'"'"' files including digitized and cataloged product information and at least one of sponsor information and attract videos;

assigning at least one attribute for each content provider file and creating designated files for distribution to end clients by combining into a single file the content providers'"'"' files, including said digitized and cataloged product information and said at least one of sponsor information and attract videos, and said at least one attribute for each content provider file;

creating a database containing said designated files;

selecting a plurality of end clients;

transmitting said designated files to said selected end clients with each of said selected end clients receiving only its designated files, wherein said selected end clients are remotely disposed with respect to said database, with subsets of said selected end clients corresponding to differing products, including transmitting information corresponding to a first of said multiple products to a first subset of said end clients;

providing a perceivable stimulus, from said information corresponding to said first of said products, to a consumer positioned proximate to said one of said end clients, with said perceivable stimulus being associated with said first of said multiple products; and

wherein an interactive consumer stimulus initiated by said consumer includes said perceivable stimulus.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said providing step is repeated multiple times and statistical data are defined based at least partly on providing the perceivable stimulus.

11. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein creating further includes accumulating content associated with a subgroup of said multiple products and associating said content with parameters, said parameters including group definitions and date ranges.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein transmitting includes forming a distribution database having a plurality of records, said plurality of records including a subportion of said content and corresponding to a server address, with a subpart of said plurality of end clients being associated with said server address.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein transmitting further includes creating from a subset of said plurality of records a distribution file, wherein the distribution file is compressed and distributed via satellite.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said interactive consumer stimulus is initiated by a consumer scanning a UPC code on said product.

15. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said perceivable stimulus is dependent upon criteria of an ambient proximate to said product.