Method and system for synchronization of dial testing and audience response utilizing automatic content recognition

• US 8,893,168 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Turner Broadcasting System Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Turner Broadcasting System Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sinha, Nishith Kumar, Loheide, Donald Jude, Giles, Matthew Paul, Wolff-Ingham, Karl-Christian Sebastian
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saint Cyr, Jean D
• Application Number:
  US13/730,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20130205322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24558 Binary matching operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• 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 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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

Abstract

Systems, methods and/or techniques for synchronization of dial testing and audience response utilizing automatic content recognition (ACR) are described. Synchronized dial testing and audience response techniques may utilize a system that is operable to perform ACR and that may implement an abstraction layer. An ACR system may be operable to detect a desired portion (e.g., a frame or scene) of a program that is streaming or communicated over a live network or broadcast feed, to a smart TV for example. Synchronized dial testing and audience response techniques may be employed to initiate an interactive event or application that appears on a smart TV in response to a detected point or portion of a program, such that the content presented by the application is synchronized to the content of the live network or broadcast feed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

in a content recognition system comprising an abstraction layer and one or more servers, the abstraction layer enabling;

assigning, by a real-time event manager based on a common network reference clock utilized by the content recognition system, same interactive event identifiers to different sets of fingerprints generated by different video fingerprint technologies;

the content recognition system enabling;

detecting a match between one or more video fingerprints corresponding to a first network television feed and one or more video fingerprints corresponding to a second network television feed;

communicating, by the one or more servers, one or more interactive events to a media device that is reading the second network television feed, wherein the one or more interactive events are operable to execute on the media device and are operable to display at a time that is synchronized, based on the common network reference clock, to the second network television feed; and

receiving and handling, by the one or more servers, user response data communicated from the media device, wherein the user response data corresponds to one or more of the interactive events and is synchronized, based on the common network reference clock, to the second network television feed.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising preparing interactive event results based on the user response data communicated from the media device and user response data communicated from one or more other media devices.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising communicating the interactive event results to the media device, wherein the interactive event results are displayed on the media device and are displayed at time that is synchronized, based on the common network reference clock, to the second network television feed.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising accepting and handling, by the one or more servers, analytics data communicated from one or more media devices or one or more fingerprint matching systems, wherein at least part of the analytics data indicates types of media devices that are interacting with the one or more interactive events.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more interactive events and the user response data are synchronized, based on the common network reference clock, to the second network television feed based on network time reference information.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising indicating to the one or more servers, via an interactive director within the content recognition system, the one or more interactive events that should be communicated to the media device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user response data is associated with a user account on a system that supports a plurality of user accounts.

8. A system, comprising:

a content recognition system comprising an abstraction layer and one or more servers;

the abstraction layer being operable to assign, by a real-time event manager based on a common network reference clock utilized by the content recognition system, same interactive event identifiers to different sets of fingerprints generated by different video fingerprint technologies;

the content recognition system being operable to detect a match between one or more video fingerprints corresponding to a first network television feed and one or more video fingerprints corresponding to a second network television feed; and

the one or more servers being operable to;

communicate one or more interactive events to a media device that is reading the second network television feed, wherein the one or more interactive events are operable to execute on the media device and are operable to display at a time that is synchronized, based on the common network reference clock, to the second network television feed; and

receive and handle user response data communicated from the media device, wherein the user response data corresponds to one or more of the interactive events and is synchronized, based on the common network reference clock, to the second network television feed.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the content recognition system is operable to prepare interactive event results based on the user response data communicated from the media device and user response data communicated from one or more other media devices.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the content recognition system is operable to communicate to the media device the interactive event results, wherein the interactive event results are displayed on the media device and are displayed at time that is synchronized, based on the common network reference clock, to the second network television feed.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the content recognition system is operable to accept and handle, via a server, analytics data communicated from one or more media devices or one or more fingerprint matching systems, wherein at least part of the analytics data indicates types of media devices that are interacting with the one or more interactive events.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the one or more interactive events and the user response data are synchronized, based on the common network reference clock, to the second network television feed based on network time reference information.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the content recognition system is operable to indicate to the one or more servers, via an interactive director within the content recognition system, the one or more interactive events that are to be communicated to the media device.

14. The system according to claim 8, wherein the user response data is associated with a user account on a system that supports a plurality of user accounts.

15. A method, comprising:

in a media device that is operable to read a network television feed;

receiving one or more interactive events from a content recognition system comprising an abstraction layer that is operable to assign, by a real-time event manager based on a common network reference clock utilized by the content recognition system, same interactive event identifiers to different sets of fingerprints generated by different video fingerprint technologies;

executing the one or more interactive events to perform;

displaying one or more overlay windows, wherein the displaying occurs at time that is synchronized, based on the common network reference clock, to the network television feed;

accepting user response data from a user, wherein the user response data is accepted during a time period that is synchronized, based on the common network reference clock, to the network television feed; and

communicating the user response data to a data server, wherein the communication occurs at a time that is synchronized, based on the common network reference clock, to the second network television feed.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more interactive events are operable to accept input from a user communicated via the media device or via a second-screen device that is in communication with the media device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the executing of the one or more interactive events comprises:

displaying an opt-in window that provides a user with a choice regarding whether to interact with the interactive event; and

accepting input from the user regarding whether to interact with the interactive event.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the executing of the one or more interactive events comprises accepting interactive event results communicated from the data server, wherein the interactive event results are based on the user response data communicated to the system and user response data communicated from one or more other media devices to the data server.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the executing the one or more interactive events comprises displaying the interactive event results, wherein the displaying occurs at time that is synchronized, based on the common network reference clock, to the network television feed.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more interactive events utilize an application programming interface associated with an application developer.