Systems and methods for real-time interactive television polling

• US 8,850,464 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2006
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Aldrey, Raul, Elberg, Edwin, Crespo, Diego, Guntupalli, Anil, Ruiz-Velasco, Enrique, Kassam, Shafiq, Krishnaswamy, Maitreyi, Blando, Luis
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMAS, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US11/539,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20080086742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,913 Days
• Field of Search: 725/9, 725/13, 725/14, 725/16, 725/24, 725/1, 725/2, 725/4, 725/20, 725/34, 725/35, 725/105, 725/109, 725/112, 725/114
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/30 characterised by the use of a return channel, e.g. for collecting users' opinions, for returning broadcast space/time information or for requesting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/93 Wired transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing polling related data to viewers in an interactive cable televisions system. Users viewing a program can initiate a request for participating in a polling activity. The request and other program-related information are sent to the cable television system provider. Appropriate polling window data is returned to the set top box allowing a polling window to be displayed to the viewer. The viewer may choose one or several selections, and transmit the response to the cable television system provider. User responses can be tallied and presented in real time to the viewer audience. Program producers can incorporate the results of viewer feedback in real-time allowing the outcome of the program to be based on the collective viewer feedback.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a set top box and from a remote controller operable viewer, a first indication of a polling request to provide viewer feedback associated with a video program currently being presented for viewing on a display device connected to the set top box;

determining, by the set top box, a channel identifier associated with the video program currently being presented for viewing on the display device;

determining, by the set top box, a packet switched network address associated with the request for providing viewer feedback;

transmitting, by the set top box, the channel identifier, a subscriber identifier and a second indication of the polling request, where the second indication of the polling request is different than the first indication of the polling request, over a packet switched network connected to the set top box using the packet switched network address;

receiving, at a polling computer connected to the packet switched network, the second indication of the polling request and the channel identifier where the polling computer determines a set of polling window data associated with a program identifier associated with the channel identifier, wherein the polling computer accesses a second computer system to identify the video program associated with the program identifier in order to select the set of polling window data from a plurality of polling window data;

transmitting, by the polling computer, the set of polling window data to the set top box;

displaying, for viewing on the display device, a polling window based on the set of polling window data;

receiving viewer feedback data at the set top box, the viewer feedback data including selection of one of the set of polling window data associated with the polling window;

transmitting, by the set top box, the viewer feedback data to the polling computer over the packet switched network; and

providing, by a computer, a bill to the viewer based on the program identifier and the second indication of the polling request.

2. The method of claim 1, where the polling computer hosts a web site and the set of polling window data comprises HTML messages.

3. The method of claim 2, where the polling window is displayed on the display device as a static web page overlaid on a video program image.

4. The method of claim 1, where displaying a polling window includes:

providing a plurality of selections, related to the polling request, independently selectable by the viewer.

5. The method of claim 1, where the set of polling window data is associated with the subscriber identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, where the polling computer transmits the viewer feedback data to an analysis computer, where the analysis computer processes the viewer feedback data with feedback data from other viewers of the video program.

7. The method of claim 6, where the analysis computer provides a cumulative total of feedback data from the viewer and the other viewers.

8. The method of claim 7, where the cumulative total of feedback data is incorporated into a video program signal that is sent to the viewer and the other viewers.

9. The method of claim 1, where the polling computer accesses programming schedule data to ascertain a channel identifier associated with the program identifier.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording the polling request using the set top box.

11. The method of claim 1, where receiving, at a polling computer connected to the packet switched network, the second indication of the polling request and the channel identifier further comprises:

identifying a specific polling request based on the packet switched network address used by the set top box.

12. A system comprising:

a set top box operatively connected to a video distribution network and a display device, where the set top box is to;

provide a video program, via a video signal, to the display device, receive, from a viewer, a first indication of a polling request for subsequently providing viewer input pertaining to the video program, and generate a request for polling window data in response to the polling request, where the request for polling window data is transmitted using a packet-switched data communication channel provided by the video distribution network, the request includes a channel identifier associated with the video program, a subscriber identifier and a second indication of the polling request, and the second indication of the polling request is different than the first indication of the polling request; and

a polling computer system connected to the packet-switched data communication channel;

receive, from the set top box, the request for polling window data and the second indication of the polling request and the subscriber identifier,

use the channel identifier to identify a program identifier associated with the video program,

use the program identifier to select polling window data associated with the video program,

transmit the selected polling window data to the set top box,

receive viewer input pertaining to the video program transmitted from the set top box, and

generate billing data based on the program identifier and the second indication of the polling request, and

wherein the polling computer system accesses a second computer system to identify the video program associated with the program identifier in order to select the polling window data from a plurality of polling window data.

13. The system of claim 12 where the polling computer transmits the viewer input to a second computer, the second computer processing a plurality of inputs from other viewers, to generate a cumulative polling result associated with the video program.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising;

a video source providing a plurality of video channels distributed on the video distribution network, where one of the plurality of video channels conveys the video program.

15. The system of claim 12 where the polling computer transmits the polling window data to the set top box using HTML messages.

16. The system of claim 15 where the set top box displays the polling window data as a static window overlaid on a video image of the video program.

17. The system of claim 12, where the set top box records the polling request.

18. The system of claim 12, where the polling system computer is further to:

identify a specific polling request based on the packet switched network address used by the set top box.

19. A method comprising:

identifying, based on a plurality of set top box identifiers associated with a plurality of set top boxes, a list of viewers associated with a common interest group previously created by one of the viewers;

receiving, at a polling computer, a polling request sent from one of the plurality of set top boxes over a video enabled network, the polling request being sent using an Internet Protocol channel;

identifying a video channel identifier in the polling request;

accessing a programming schedule to determine a program identifier presently associated with the channel identifier and a video program transmitted on the video channel, wherein accessing the programming schedule further comprises accessing, by the polling computer, a second computer that stores the programming schedule to determine the program identifier presently associated with the channel identifier;

selecting a web page, associated with the program identifier, based on the common interest group;

transmitting the web page, over the Internet Protocol channel, to the plurality of set top boxes for display on display devices connected to the plurality of set top boxes, where the web page pertains to the video program associated with the program identifier and provides a plurality of available selections for a viewer;

receiving, on the Internet Protocol channel, a response from each of the plurality of set top boxes, the response including response data corresponding to at least one of the plurality of available selections provided by the web page;

storing, at the polling computer, the response data from each of the plurality of set top boxes; and

generate billing data based on the program identifier and the second indication of the polling request.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting the response data to a third computer for storage.