Method and system for viewing movies

• US 8,893,163 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: XCINEX Corporation
• Original Assignee: XCINEX Corporation
• Inventors: Atkin, Cihan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US13/893,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20140165083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 725/1, 725/8, 725/9, 725/10, 725/12, 725/5
• US Class Current: 725/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45

Abstract

Techniques are presented herein for delivering multimedia content to members of an audience. At a content delivery device, an activation event is detected that causes the content delivery device to operate in a first mode to detect a presence of one or more of members of an audience in a viewing area. A number of members of the audience in the viewing area is determined. The content delivery device switches to a second mode to initiate a payment request event. The payment request event requests payment for the multimedia content based on the number of members of the audience. A determination is made as to whether an appropriate payment has been received based on the number of members of the audience. When the appropriate payment has been received, the content delivery device switches to a third mode to deliver the multimedia content to the members of the audience in the viewing area.

Claims

1. A method for delivering multimedia content to members of an audience, the method comprising:

at a content delivery device, detecting an activation event that causes the content delivery device to operate in a first mode to detect a presence of one or more of the members of the audience in a viewing area;

determining, by the content delivery device, a number of members of the audience in the viewing area;

switching, by the content delivery device, to a second mode to initiate a payment request event, wherein the payment request event requests payment for the multimedia content based on the number of members of the audience;

determining, by the content delivery device, whether an appropriate payment has been received based on the number of members of the audience;

when the appropriate payment has been received, switching, by the content delivery device, to a third mode to deliver the multimedia content to the members of the audience in the viewing area;

periodically operating the content delivery device in the first mode concurrently with the third mode while the content is being delivered to the members of the audience;

determining, by the content delivery device, whether a change in the number of members of the audience in the viewing area has occurred;

when the change in the number of members of the audience in the viewing area has occurred, determining, by the content delivery device, whether additional payment is required based a new number of members of the audience in the viewing area; and

when additional payment is required, switching, by the content delivery device, the content delivery device to the second mode and pausing delivery of the multimedia content to the members of the audience until the additional payment is received.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising resuming delivery of the multimedia content to the members of the audience upon confirmation that the additional payment has been received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein periodically operating the content delivery device in the first mode concurrently with the third mode comprises operating the content delivery device in the first mode concurrently with the third mode at time intervals throughout delivery of the multimedia content to ensure that appropriate payment for the number of members of the audience at the time intervals has been received.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by the content delivery device, a predetermined time window after switching to the third mode to deliver the multimedia content;

wherein determining whether a change in the number of members of the audience in the viewing area has occurred includes detecting whether one or more members has withdrawn from the audience in the viewing area during the predetermined time window; and

providing, by the content delivery device, a refund for payment for the one or more members that has withdrawn from the audience in the viewing area.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting a predetermined time window comprises selecting the predetermined time window such that one or more members of the audience can, during the predetermined time window, change a selection of the multimedia content to be delivered without initiating another payment request event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment request event occurs before determining the number of members of the audience.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the number of members of the audience comprises determining the number of members of the audience in the viewing area by performing a 360 degree scan of the viewing area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the number of members of the audience comprises determining the number of members of the audience by differentiating the members of the audience from other objects in the viewing area.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein differentiating the members of the audience from the other objects comprises differentiating the members of the audience from the other objects by using pattern recognition techniques to recognize audience members.

10. An apparatus for delivering multimedia content comprising:

a plurality of ports;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the ports and the memory and further operable to;

detect an activation event that causes the content delivery device to operate in a first mode to detect a presence of one or more of the members of the audience in a viewing area;

determine a number of members of the audience in the viewing area;

switch to a second mode to initiate a payment request event, wherein the payment request event requests payment for the multimedia content based on the number of members of the audience;

determine whether an appropriate payment has been received based on the number of members of the audience;

switch to a third mode to deliver the multimedia content to the members of the audience in the viewing area when the appropriate payment has been received;

periodically operate the content delivery device in the first mode concurrently with the third mode while the content is being delivered to the members of the audience;

determine whether a change in the number of members of the audience in the viewing area has occurred;

determine whether additional payment is required based a new number of members of the audience in the viewing area when the change in the number of members of the audience in the viewing area has occurred; and

switch the content delivery device to the second mode and pausing delivery of the multimedia content to the members of the audience until the additional payment is received when additional payment is required.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operable to resume delivery of the multimedia content to the members of the audience upon confirmation that the additional payment has been received.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operable to periodically the content delivery device in the first mode concurrently with the third mode at time intervals throughout delivery of the multimedia content to ensure that appropriate payment for the number of members of the audience at the time intervals has been received.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processor is operable to determine a number of members of the audience by performing a 360 degree scan of the viewing area.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processor is operable to determine a number of members of the audience by differentiating the members of the audience from other objects in the viewing area.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the processor is operable to differentiate the members of the audience from other objects in the viewing area by using pattern recognition techniques to recognize audience members.