System and method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of audio, video, and text programming via a polling system

• US 6,947,966 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2000
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Internet LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Road Runner Holdco, LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Oko, Frederick J. Jr., Sun, Qiyue
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/688,281
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/207, 705/12
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3678 e-cash details, e.g. blinded, divisible or detecting double spending
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1041 Televoting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A system and method for interactively affecting the course of a program or programming content. Viewer purchase electronic tokens which can be used to vote on the sequence of content in a broadcast whether it be audio, video or a combination thereof. Users are periodically polled by a server to vote on the direction that a broadcast is taking. The broadcast is then modified with real-time or stored content based upon the polling results from the viewers. Thus communities of voters have a chance to vote on the direction of content. The invention also allows sub-communities to be formed to pre-vote on a broadcast so that the sub-community can possible vote as a bloc on the direction and content of programming that is presented.

Claims

1. A method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content comprising:

a plurality of participants obtaining electronic votes that they may later cast, wherein the electronic votes are obtained independent of a poll;

a polling server periodically polling the plurality of participants over a network for their opinion concerning the broadcast content;

the plurality of participants casting their respective electronic votes concerning the broadcast content via the network;

the polling server receiving the electronic votes of the participants, tallying the electronic votes and reporting those results to a content server;

content server receiving the votes and retrieving content based upon the opinion expressed by a majority of electronic votes; and

delivering the retrieved content to the participants.

2. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1 wherein the content is selected from the group consisting of audio, video, on-line games and text.

3. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1 wherein the content is created in real time.

4. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1 wherein the content is stored content.

5. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1 wherein obtaining electronic votes comprises the participants purchasing the electronic votes over the network.

6. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1 wherein the obtaining electronic votes comprises the participants being given the electronic votes.

7. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1 wherein the obtaining electronic votes comprises the participants purchasing electronic votes of differing values per vote over the network.

8. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1 further comprising the polling server providing the results of the electronic votes cast by the participants over the network.

9. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1 further comprising the plurality of participants forming sub-communities of participants for voting purposes.

10. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 9 further comprising the sub communities pre-voting over the network to determine the direction of the sub-communities voting.

11. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1 further comprising the polling server reporting to the sub-community the results of the sub-community'"'"'s voting over the network.

12. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1 wherein the network is the Internet.

13. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1 wherein the network is a cable TV network.

14. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1 wherein the network is an RF network.

15. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1 wherein the network comprises a wired network and a wireless network, and wherein the participant vote via the wireless network.

28. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 7, wherein the plurality of participants casting their respective electronic votes comprises the plurality of participants casting their respective electronic votes of differing values per vote.

29. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1, wherein the plurality of participants obtaining electronic votes comprises the plurality of participants obtaining electronic votes before receipt of the poll from the polling server.

30. The method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 1, wherein the plurality of participants obtaining, electronic votes comprises the plurality of participants obtaining electronic votes after receipt of the poll from the polling server.

16. A system for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content comprising:

a plurality of participant devices each associated with a participant connected to a network, the participant devices further comprising instructions for obtaining and casting electronic votes;

a transaction server connected to the network further comprising instructions for receiving requests from the participant devices to obtain electronic votes, and instructions for delivering electronic votes to the participant devices over the network independent of a poll sent by a polling server;

the polling server connected to the network for receiving the electronic votes from the participant devices in response to polls sent by the polling server;

the polling server further comprising instructions for receiving and tallying the electronic votes received from the participant devices, and reporting the tally; and

a content server connected to the polling server for receiving the tally of the electronic votes, the content server further comprising instructions for modifying content served to the participant devices in response to the tally of electronic votes.

17. The system for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 16 wherein the content is selected from the group consisting of audio, video, online games and text.

18. The system for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 16 wherein the content is created in real time.

19. The system for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 16 wherein the content is stored content.

20. The system for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 16 wherein the electronic votes are purchased by the participant via the participant device by the transaction server over the network.

21. The system for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 16 wherein the electronic votes are given to the participant devices by the transaction server over the network.

22. The system for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 16 wherein the electronic votes comprise votes of different values.

23. The system for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 16 wherein participant devices further comprise instructions for casting the electronic votes in response to a poll served by the polling server.

24. The system for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 16 wherein the polling server further comprises instructions for reporting the results of the voting to the participant devices over the network.

25. The system for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 16 wherein the polling server further comprises instructions for receiving requests from participant devices to form a sub-community of participant devices.

26. The system for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 25 wherein the polling server further comprises instructions for permitting a pre-vote of the sub-community on a given poll.

27. The system for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content of claim 26 wherein the polling server further comprises instructions for reporting the sub-community vote to the participant devices of the sub-community.

31. A method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content comprising:

obtaining via a network an electronic vote for a participant account, wherein the vote may be cast at a later time and wherein the electronic vote is independent of a poll;

issuing the poll from a polling server to a participant device via the network for an opinion concerning the content of a program;

casting the electronic vote obtained for the participant account from the participant device to express the opinion concerning the content of the program via the network;

receiving at the polling server the electronic vote from the participant device, tallying the electronic vote, and reporting a result to a content server, and

receiving at the content server the result and retrieving content based upon the result.

32. A method for making choices by a group of participants comprising:

obtaining via a network an electronic vote for a participant account at a participant device, wherein the vote may later be cast and wherein the electronic vote is independent of an opportunity to select a choice;

presenting the participant device the opportunity to select a choice from a group of choices;

casting the electronic vote obtained for the participant account from the participant device to express the choice made;

receiving the electronic vote from the participant device, tallying the electronic vote, and reporting a result to a content server; and

retrieving a selected choice from the group of choices based upon the result.

33. A system for making choices by a group of participants comprising;

a participant device connected to a network, wherein the participant device is adapted to;

receive a poll from a polling server presenting the participant an opportunity to select a choice from a group of choices;

obtain an electronic vote for a participant account associated with a participant, wherein the vote may cast at a later time, and wherein the electronic vote is independent of the opportunity to select the choice;

cast the electronic vote to express the selection made; and

the polling server adapted to;

periodically poll the participant device over the network to provide the opportunity to select the choice;

receive the electronic vote from the participant device;

tally the electronic vote from other participant devices; and

report a result to a selection server; and

the selection server adapted to;

receive the result from the polling server,

retrieve a selected choice from the group of choices based upon the result; and

deliver the selected choice to the participant device.