Universal methods and device for hand-held promotional opportunities

• US 7,590,992 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advocado, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Koplar Interactive Systems International, LLC
• Inventors: Chupp, Christopher E., Ciardullo, Daniel A., Koplar, Edward J., Withers, James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US11/686,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20070157259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 725/23, 725/6, 725/19
• US Class Current: 725/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• 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 21/418 External card to be used in combination with the client device, e.g. for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17345 Control of the passage of the selected programme

Abstract

A method and system for auxiliary data detection. Data is received on a hand-held device from a display of a signal on a monitor. The signal is visually displayed on the monitor at a frequency. A modulated video signal is received on the hand-held device from a display device. The modulated video signal contains auxiliary data modulated within a video signal in a substantially invisible way. The modulated video signal is demodulated to obtain the auxiliary data. At least one of the data or the auxiliary data is processed to identify a promotional opportunity available through the hand-held device. The user of the hand-held device is notified of availability of the promotional opportunity through the hand-held device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of images emanating from a monitor on a hand-held device, wherein a first image of the plurality of images includes a visible frequency image having data and a second image of the plurality of images does not include the visible frequency image and contains no data, the plurality of images being visually displayed on the monitor;

receiving a modulated video signal on the hand-held device from a display device, the modulated video signal containing auxiliary data modulated within a video signal in a substantially invisible way;

demodulating the modulated video signal to obtain the auxiliary data;

processing at least one of the data in the plurality of images or the auxiliary data in the modulated video signal to identify a promotional opportunity available through the hand-held device; and

notifying the user of the hand-held device of availability of the promotional opportunity through the hand-held device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the promotional opportunity is selected from a group of promotional opportunities consisting of a promotion, a transfer of information, a collection of data from the hand-held device, commercial verification, and educational information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitor emanates a particular image of the plurality of images during a refresh of the monitor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first image including the visible frequency image having data represents a data bit of one and the second image represents a data bit of zero.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the visible frequency image is an 18 kHz image.

6. A method comprising:

receiving a modulated video signal on a hand-held device from a display device, the modulated video signal containing auxiliary data modulated within a video signal in a substantially invisible way;

demodulating the modulated video signal to obtain the auxiliary data;

processing the auxiliary data to identify a promotional opportunity available on the hand-held device, the promotional opportunity to enable a user of the hand-held device to purchase a song related to the modulated video signal;

notifying the user of the hand-held device of availability to purchase the song related to the modulated video signal;

receiving a request to purchase the song;

processing the request through use of the hand-held device to facilitate purchase of the song; and

providing the song to the user through a computerized network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the song to the user through a computerized network further comprises:

providing a reward to the user for purchase of the song.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the reward is selected from a group of rewards consisting of an unreleased song, a live song, and a future discount.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the song is a digital audio music track.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein notifying the user of the hand-held device of availability to purchase the song related to the modulated video signal comprises:

notifying the user of the hand-held device on the hand-held device of availability to purchase the song related to the modulated video signal.

11. A method comprising:

accessing a horizontal frequency of a monitor;

adjusting a frequency of a signal to be visually displayed within a visual image based on the horizontal frequency of the monitor; and

selectively displaying the signal in the visual image on the monitor to transmit data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein accessing a horizontal frequency of a monitor comprises:

determining a horizontal frequency by performing a calculation using a number of pixels on a line, a number of lines in a screen, and a vertical refresh rate of a monitor.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein selectively displaying the frequency in the visual image on the monitor to transmit data comprises:

displaying the signal in the visual image to transmit a one data bit; and

displaying the visual image without the signal to transmit a zero data bit.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting a frequency of a signal to be visually displayed within a visual image based on the horizontal frequency of the monitor comprises:

adjusting a frequency of a signal to display a solid white color within a visual image, the white color to indicate to a detector a first type of data bit; and

adjusting the frequency of the signal to display alternating white and black lines within the visual image, the alternating white and black lines to indicate to a detector a second type of data bit.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the visual image is located in a title bar of a web browser.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the visual image includes a box shape.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the monitor includes a computer monitor.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the frequency includes an 18 kHz frequency.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising wherein the data includes a binary data stream.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising capturing data received from the signal on a hand-held device.

21. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

access a horizontal frequency of a monitor;

adjust a frequency of a signal to be visually displayed within a visual image based on the horizontal frequency of the monitor; and

selectively display the signal in the visual image on the monitor to transmit data.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein instructions causing the machine to adjust a frequency of a signal to be visually displayed within a visual image based on the horizontal frequency of the monitor further causes the machine to:

adjust a frequency of a signal to display a solid white color within a visual image, the white color to indicate to a detector a first type of data bit; and

adjust the frequency of the signal to display alternating white and black lines within the visual image, the alternating white and black lines to indicate to a detector a second type of data bit.

23. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of images emanating from a monitor on a hand-held device, wherein a first image of the plurality of images includes a visible frequency image having data and a second image of the plurality of images does not include the visible frequency image and contains no data, the plurality of images being visually displayed on the monitor;

means for receiving a modulated video signal on the hand-held device from a display device, the modulated video signal containing auxiliary data modulated within a video signal in a substantially invisible way;

means for demodulating the modulated video signal to obtain the auxiliary data;

means for processing at least one of the data in the plurality of images or the auxiliary data in the modulated video signal to identify a promotional opportunity available through the hand-held device; and

means for notifying the user of the hand-held device of availability of the promotional opportunity through the hand-held device.

24. A method comprising:

receiving a modulated video signal on a hand-held device from a display device, the modulated video signal containing auxiliary data modulated within a video signal in a substantially invisible way;

demodulating the modulated video signal to obtain the auxiliary data;

processing the auxiliary data to identify a promotional opportunity available on the hand-held device, the promotional opportunity to enable a user of the hand-held device to purchase a song related to the modulated video signal;

notifying the user of the hand-held device of availability to purchase the song related to the modulated video signal;

receiving a request to purchase the song;

processing the request through use of the hand-held device to facilitate purchase of the song; and

reproducing the song available on the hand-held device.