System and method for collecting opinion data

• US 8,793,718 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Schnurr, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huerta, Alexander Q
• Application Number:
  US11/972,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20090183204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,392 Days
• Field of Search: 725/24, 725/44, 725 32- 36, 725/9, 725/16
• US Class Current: 725/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• 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 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor having a controller to present a user of the media processor a solicitation initiated by a media content supplier requesting an opinion survey of unpublished media content, receive the unpublished media content responsive to submitting an acceptance of the solicitation, and submit the opinion survey to the media content supplier responsive to receiving a response from the user. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving unpublished media content;

identifying characteristics of the unpublished media content from metadata supplied with the unpublished media content;

comparing the characteristics of the unpublished media content to demographic and psychographic information of a population of subscribers who consume media content by way of set top boxes, wherein the demographic and psychographic information of each subscriber is determined from information retrieved from a subscriber account of each subscriber, information retrieved from a third party database, and consumption data collected from a set top box of each subscriber, wherein the demographic information comprises factual aspects of the population of subscribers and the psychographic information comprises psychological traits of the population of subscribers;

selecting, according to the comparing, a plurality of subscribers of the population of subscribers having a likelihood of consuming the unpublished media content;

subsequently soliciting the plurality of subscribers, by way of the set top box of each subscriber of the plurality of subscribers, to participate in an opinion survey regarding the unpublished media content;

receiving acceptances in response to the solicitation from a portion of the plurality of subscribers comprising participating subscribers;

applying a security procedure to the unpublished media content to prevent copying of the unpublished media content;

subsequently transmitting the unpublished media content to the set top boxes of the participating subscribers, wherein the security procedure corresponds to degrading a presentation of the unpublished media content by the set top boxes;

subsequently, after conclusion of transmission of the unpublished media content, transmitting the opinion survey to the set top boxes of the participating subscribers, wherein the unpublished media content and the opinion survey comprise separate transmissions to the set top boxes;

preventing subsequent media consumption via the set-top box of a participating subscriber until the opinion survey is completed by that participating subscriber, thereby conditioning consumption of media content other than the unpublished media content on completion of the opinion survey;

receiving the opinion survey from each set-top box of the participating subscribers;

producing a desirability rating for the unpublished media content from an aggregate of the opinion survey received from each set-top box of the participating subscribers; and

synthesizing a commercialization plan based on the desirability rating for the unpublished media content.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein applying the security procedure comprises applying a digital rights management policy to the unpublished media content that instructs a recipient set top box to perform the degrading of the presentation of the unpublished media content.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the unpublished media content comprises audio content, video content, or still image content, and wherein the unpublished media content comprises copyrighted media content not yet commercially distributed.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the psychographic information comprises psychological traits of the plurality of subscribers including personality traits, values, attitudes, or lifestyles.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise offering the plurality of subscribers a reward for reviewing the unpublished media content.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the reward comprises a first discount applied to fees associated with media services supplied to the subscribers, or a second discount applied to fees associated with other media consumable by the subscribers.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium operates as a survey system in a broadcast television communication system, a cable television communication system, a satellite television communication system, a public switched telephone network, a voice over internet protocol communication system, or an internet protocol multimedia subsystem combining the public switched telephone network and voice over internet protocol communication systems.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the opinion survey from a communication device of a participating subscriber.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the opinion survey comprises text, image or audio feedback supplied by the participating subscriber.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise combining the opinion surveys received from the participating subscribers.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

selecting users from a population of users of set-top boxes to survey unpublished media content according to a comparison of characteristics of the users and characteristics of the unpublished media content, where the characteristics of the selected users are determined from demographic and psychographic information of the selected users, wherein the demographic and psychographic information of the selected users is determined from information retrieved from a subscriber account of each of the selected users, information retrieved from a third party database, and consumption data collected from a set top box of each of the selected users, wherein the demographic information comprises factual aspects of the selected users and the psychographic information comprises psychological traits of the selected users;

subsequently transmitting to the set top boxes of the selected users a solicitation to provide a response to a survey regarding a presentation of the unpublished media content over the set top boxes of the selected users;

applying a security procedure to the unpublished media content, wherein the security procedure corresponds to degrading the presentation of the unpublished media content by the set top boxes;

subsequently, after conclusion of the presentation of the unpublished media content, transmitting the survey to the set top boxes of users accepting the solicitation comprising participating users, wherein the unpublished media content and the survey comprise separate transmissions to the set top boxes;

preventing subsequent media consumption via the set-top box of a participating user until the survey is completed by that participating user, thereby conditioning consumption of media content other than the unpublished media content on completion of the survey;

producing a desirability rating for the unpublished media content from an aggregate of survey results received from the set top boxes of the participating users;

synthesizing a commercialization plan based on the desirability rating for the unpublished media content.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the unpublished media content comprises audio content, video content or still image content, and wherein the unpublished media content comprises copyrighted media content not yet commercially distributed.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein applying the security procedure comprises applying a digital rights management policy to the unpublished media content, and wherein the operations further comprise offering the selected users of set top boxes a reward for reviewing the unpublished media content.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operation of producing the desirability further comprises:

receiving responses from a portion of the selected users from the set top box or a communication device of each of the selected users;

combining the responses; and

producing the desirability rating of the unpublished media content according to the combined responses, wherein the responses comprise text, image or audio feedback supplied by a participating user.

15. A media processor, comprising a memory storing executable instructions and a controller coupled to the memory, wherein the controller when executing the instructions performs operations comprising:

presenting at a media processor of a user a solicitation initiated by a media content supplier requesting an opinion survey of unpublished media content, wherein the user is selected from a population of users of media processors according to a similarity between characteristics of the user and characteristics of the unpublished media content, wherein the characteristics of the user is determined from demographic and psychographic information of the user, wherein the demographic and psychographic information of the user is determined from information retrieved from a subscriber account of the user, information retrieved from a third party database, and consumption data collected from the media processor of the user, wherein the demographic information comprises factual aspects of the user and the psychographic information comprises psychological traits of the user;

applying a security procedure to the unpublished media content, wherein the security procedure corresponds to degrading a presentation of the unpublished media content by the media processor;

subsequently, after conclusion of the presentation of the unpublished media content, presenting the opinion survey at the media processor of the user, wherein the presentation of the unpublished media content and presentation of the opinion survey comprise separate presentations at the media processor;

preventing subsequent media consumption via the media processor of the user until the opinion survey is completed by the user, thereby conditioning consumption of media content other than the unpublished media content on completion of the opinion survey; and

submitting the opinion survey to the media content supplier responsive to receiving a survey response from the media processor of the user;

wherein the opinion survey comprises a desirability rating for the unpublished media content.

16. The media processor of claim 15, wherein the media processor further comprises a set-top box, a digital video recorder, a computer, a media player, a portable wireless phone or a fixed line phone, wherein the unpublished media content comprises audio content, video content or still image content, and wherein the unpublished media content comprises copyrighted media content not yet commercially distributed.

17. The media processor of claim 15, wherein the media processor operates in a broadcast television communication system, a cable television communication system, a satellite television communication system, a public switched telephone network, a voice over internet protocol communication system or an internet protocol multimedia subsystem combining the public switched telephone network and voice over internet protocol communication systems.

18. A method, comprising:

selecting, by a system including a processor, a subscriber to survey unpublished media content according to similarities in biases of the subscriber to characteristics of the unpublished media content, wherein biases of the subscriber are determined from information retrieved from a subscriber account of the subscriber, from consumption data collected from a media processor of the subscriber, and from demographic and psychographic information of the subscriber, wherein the demographic information comprises factual aspects of the subscriber and the psychographic information comprises psychological traits of the subscriber;

subsequently presenting, by the system, a solicitation by way of the media processor of the subscriber for a response from the subscriber to a presentation of the unpublished media content on the media processor;

applying a security procedure to the unpublished media content, wherein the security procedure corresponds to degrading the presentation of the unpublished media content by the media processor;

subsequently transmitting, by the system, after conclusion of the presentation of the unpublished media content, an opinion survey to the media processor of the subscriber in accordance with the subscriber accepting the solicitation, wherein the presentation of the unpublished media content and the opinion survey comprise separate transmissions to the media processor;

preventing, by the system, subsequent media consumption via the media processor of the subscriber until the survey is completed by the subscriber, thereby conditioning consumption of media content other than the unpublished media content on completion of the opinion survey;

producing, by the system, a desirability rating for the unpublished media content from an aggregate of survey results received from a device of the subscriber and from devices of other subscribers;

synthesizing, by the system, a commercialization plan according to the desirability rating for the unpublished media content; and

publishing, by the system, the unpublished media content according to the commercialization plan.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the media processor corresponds to a set-top box, a digital video recorder, a computer, a media player, a wireless communication device or a fixed line communication device, wherein the unpublished media content comprises audio content, video content or still image content, and wherein the unpublished media content comprises copyrighted media content not yet commercially distributed, and wherein the method further comprises:

updating, by the system, the unpublished media content before publishing according to the response from the subscriber to the presentation of the unpublished media content; and

publishing, by the system, the updated unpublished media content according to the commercialization plan.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein applying the security procedure comprises applying a digital rights management policy to the unpublished media content.