System and method for broadcasting advertisements

• US 6,961,953 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Nieminen, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Application Number:
  US09/752,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N00.7/16, H04/N00.7/025, 725/22, 725/23, 725/14, 725/32, 725 34- 36, 725/24, 705/14, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 725/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/30 by a single channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/33 by plural channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/002 Special television systems not provided for by H04N7/007 - H04N7/18 still pictures via a television channel H04N1/00098
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A broadcast system provides consumers with inducement to consume portions in which they may not have an active interest, such as commercials. To dissuade consumers from leaving the vicinity of the broadcast receiver or from switching to other broadcasts while a first broadcast airs such a portion, the first broadcast is augmented by a second content entity calculated to be of interest to the consumer. Interaction is required of the consumer in order for him to receive the second content entity, which necessitates his presence and attention.

Claims

1. A propagated signal comprising:

a first information stream for consumption by a user, wherein said first information stream comprises;

content desired by the user; and

commercial content; and

a second information stream comprising a first portion for interaction with a user and a second portion comprising reward content for consumption by the user conditionally according to the user'"'"'s response to the first portion;

wherein the user must substantially consume the commercial content in the first information stream in order to receive the reward content in the second information stream;

wherein the reward content is a portion of a reward entity, and a plurality of reward content collectively form a complete reward entity, so that to receive the complete reward entity a user must consume a plurality of associated commercial content.

2. The signal according to claim 1, wherein the first information stream is a discrete portion of a broadcast, and the second information stream is arranged so that interaction with the first portion takes a period of time at least substantially equal to the duration of the first information stream, whereby the user is induced to consume substantially the entire first information stream.

3. The signal according to claim 1, wherein the commercial content includes an advertisement, and the user is induced to continue consumption of the first information stream, thereby consuming the advertisement, in order to receive the reward content in the second information stream.

4. The signal according to claim 3, wherein the second information stream is arranged so that interaction with the first portion takes a period of time at least substantially equal to the duration of the advertisement.

5. The signal according to claim 1, wherein the reward entity is an audio entity.

6. The signal according to claim 1, wherein the reward entity is a video entity.

7. The propagated signal of claim 1, wherein the first information stream is transmitted via a first medium, and the second information stream is transmitted via a second medium.

33. The signal according to claim 1, wherein the user is prompted for a response according to the first portion of the second information stream while being presented with the commercial content of the first information stream.

8. A method of broadcasting to consumer equipment, comprising the steps of:

transmitting to consumer equipment a first information stream for consumption by a user, wherein said first information stream comprises;

content desired by the user; and

commercial content; and

transmitting to consumer equipment a second information stream comprising a first portion for interaction with a user and a second portion comprising reward content for consumption by the user conditionally according to the user'"'"'s response to the first portion;

wherein the user must substantially consume the commercial content in the first information stream in order to receive the reward content in the second information stream;

wherein the reward content is a portion of a reward entity, and a plurality of reward content collectively form a complete reward entity, so that to receive the complete reward entity a user must consume a plurality of associated commercial content.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first information stream is a discrete portion of a broadcast, and the second information stream is arranged so that interaction with the first portion takes a period of time at least substantially equal to the duration of the first information stream, whereby the user is induced to consume substantially the entire first information stream.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the commercial content includes an advertisement, and the user is induced to continue consumption of the first information stream, thereby consuming the advertisement, in order to receive the reward content in the second information stream.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second information stream is arranged so that interaction with the first portion takes a period of time at least substantially equal to the duration of the advertisement.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the reward entity is an audio recording.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the reward entity is a video entity.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

storing each of said plurality of reward content; and

combining all of said plurality of reward content to form the complete reward entity.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the first information stream is transmitted via a first medium, and the second information stream is transmitted via a second medium.

34. The method according to claim 8, wherein the user is prompted for a response according to the first portion of the second information stream while being presented with the commercial content of the first information stream.

16. A broadcasting system comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting;

a first information stream for consumption by a user, wherein said first information stream comprises;

content desired by the user; and

commercial content; and

a second information stream comprising a first portion for interaction with a user and a second portion comprising reward content for consumption by the user; and

a consumer equipment for;

receiving and presenting the first information stream to a user;

receiving and presenting the first portion of the second information stream to the user; and

receiving and presenting the reward content to the user conditionally according to the user'"'"'s response to the first portion;

wherein the user must substantially consume the commercial content in the first information stream in order to receive the reward content in the second information stream;

wherein the reward content is a portion of a reward entity, and a plurality of reward content collectively form a complete reward entity, so that to receive the complete reward entity a user must consume a plurality of associated commercial content.

17. The broadcasting system according to claim 16, wherein the first information stream is a discrete portion of a broadcast, and the second information stream is arranged so that interaction with the first portion takes a period of time at least substantially equal to the duration of the first information stream, whereby the user is induced to consume substantially the entire first information stream.

18. The broadcasting system according to claim 16, wherein the commercial content includes an advertisement, and the user is induced to continue consumption of the first information stream, thereby consuming the advertisement, in order to receive the reward content in the second information stream.

19. The broadcasting system according to claim 18, wherein the second information stream is arranged so that interaction with the first portion takes a period of time at least substantially equal to the duration of the advertisement.

20. The broadcasting system according to claim 16, wherein the reward entity is an audio entity.

21. The broadcasting system according to claim 16, wherein the reward entity is a video entity.

22. The broadcasting system according to claim 16, wherein the consumer equipment further comprises:

recording means for recording each of said plurality of reward content; and

combining means for combining all said reward content into a complete reward entity.

23. The broadcasting system according to claim 16, wherein the transmitter transmits the first information stream via a first medium, and the transmitter transmits the second information stream via a second medium.

35. The broadcasting system according to claim 16, wherein the user is prompted for a response according to the first portion of the second information stream while being presented with the commercial content of the first information stream.

24. A set-top box for:

receiving a first information stream containing content desired by a user and commercial content and presenting the first information stream on a receiving monitor;

receiving a second information stream containing a first portion specifying interaction with a user and a second portion containing reward content;

prompting the user to perform the specified interaction;

capturing the reward content conditionally according to the user'"'"'s response to said prompting;

storing the captured reward content, and

combining a plurality of stored reward content to form a complete reward entity;

wherein the user must substantially consume the commercial content in the first information stream in order to receive the reward content in the second information stream.

36. The set-top box according to claim 24, wherein the user is prompted for a response according to the first portion of the second information stream while being presented with the commercial content of the first information stream.

25. A handset for:

receiving a first information stream containing content desired by a user and commercial content and presenting the first information stream to a user;

receiving a second information stream containing a first portion specifying interaction with the user and a second portion containing reward content;

prompting the user to perform the specified interaction; and

capturing the reward content conditionally according to the user'"'"'s response to said prompting;

wherein the user must substantially consume the commercial content in the first information stream in order to receive the reward content in the second information stream; and

wherein the reward content is a portion of a reward entity, and a plurality of reward content collectively form a complete reward entity, so that to receive the complete reward entity a user must consume a plurality of associated commercial content.

26. The handset according to claim 25, adapted to receive information streams from at least one of general packet radio service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), and Internet transmission media.

37. The handset according to claim 25, wherein the user is prompted for a response according to the first portion of the second information stream while being presented with the commercial content of the first information stream.

27. Broadcast reception apparatus comprising:

a set-top box for receiving a first information stream containing content desired by a user and commercial content and presenting the first information stream on a receiving monitor;

second receiving means for receiving a second information stream containing a first portion specifying interaction with a user and a second portion containing reward content;

prompting means for prompting the user to perform the specified interaction; and

a handset for capturing the reward content conditionally according to the user'"'"'s response to said prompting;

wherein the user must substantially consume the commercial content in the first information stream in order to receive the reward content in the second information stream; and

wherein the reward content is a portion of a reward entity, and a plurality of reward content collectively form a complete reward entity, so that to receive the complete reward entity a user must consume a plurality of associated commercial content.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the second receiving means is incorporated in the set-top box.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the second receiving means is incorporated in the handset.

30. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the prompting means is incorporated in the set-top box.

31. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the prompting means is incorporated in the handset.

32. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the handset is adapted to receive information streams from at least one of general packet radio service (GPRS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), and internet transmission media.

38. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the user is prompted for a response according to the first portion of the second information stream while being presented with the commercial content of the first information stream.