Method and system for a reward program based on automatic content recognition

• US 8,918,804 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): FLYNN, RANDY A
• Application Number:
  US13/730,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20130205316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 725 9- 21, 725/23
• US Class Current: 725/23
• 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

An automatic content recognition (ACR)-enabled connected TV device coupled to an ACR system may be operable to detect, utilizing the ACR system, interaction with and/or watching of certain content by a viewer. A reward may be presented by the ACR-enabled connected TV device, utilizing the ACR system, based on the detected interaction and/or watching. The certain content may comprise a program, a commercial, a movie or a game associated with a network that is being presented. The reward may be redeemed to unlock additional features and/or content. The interaction may comprise sharing by the viewer, information on the certain content with one or more other viewers. The ACR-enabled connected TV device may then present the reward based on the sharing. The ACR-enabled connected TV device may be operable to present, utilizing the ACR system, information on alternative content with a higher reward value for the viewer to interact and/or watch.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

in an automatic content recognition (ACR)-enabled connected TV device, wherein;

said ACR-enabled connected TV device comprises an ACR module that communicates with an ACR system that is external to said ACR-enabled connected TV device, and said ACR system comprises an abstraction layer that supports different video fingerprint technologies from multiple vendors;

said ACR module providing fingerprints to said ACR system for matching;

said ACR module receiving information and/or content from said ACR system based on said matching;

said abstraction layer enables said ACR system to assign same interactive event identifiers to different sets of video and audio fingerprints that are generated by said different video and audio fingerprint technologies from said multiple vendors based on timing of said assignment of said interactive event identifiers; and

said interactive event identifiers are utilized in said ACR-enabled connected TV device to trigger events;

detecting, by said ACR module, interaction with and/or watching of certain content by a viewer on said ACR-enabled connected TV device and/or on a paired device, wherein said ACR-enabled connected TV device is paired with said paired device utilizing a companion application running on said paired device; and

presenting, by said ACR module, a reward received from a network provider associated with said certain content based on said detected interaction and/or watching, and when said ACR-enabled connected TV device is associated with said paired device, said reward is also presented on said paired device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said certain content comprises a program, a commercial, a movie or a game associated with a network that is being presented to said viewer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reward is redeemed by said viewer to unlock additional features and/or additional content for interacting and/or watching.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said interaction comprises sharing, by said viewer, information on said certain content with one or more other viewers.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising presenting said reward based on said sharing.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising presenting, by said ACR module, information on alternative content with a higher reward value for said viewer to interact and/or watch, and when said ACR-enabled connected TV device is associated with said paired device, said information on said alternative content is also presented on said paired device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reward comprises points earned by said viewer based on said detected interaction and/or watching.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said certain content comprises a game, and said viewer earns said points based on said detected interaction with said game.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising presenting, by said ACR module, information on minimum points needed to unlock one or more other games for allowing said viewer to interact, and when said ACR-enabled connected TV device is associated with said paired device, said information on said minimum points is also presented on said paired device.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said minimum points are redeemed by said viewer for interacting with said one or more other games.

11. A system, comprising:

an automatic content recognition (ACR)-enabled connected TV device coupled to an ACR system, wherein;

said ACR-enabled connected TV device comprises an ACR module that communicates with an ACR system that is external to said ACR-enabled connected TV device, and said ACR system comprises an abstraction layer that supports different video fingerprint technologies from multiple vendors;

said ACR module providing fingerprints to said ACR system for matching;

said ACR module receiving information and/or content from said ACR system based on said matching;

said abstraction layer enables said ACR system to assign same interactive event identifiers to different sets of video and audio fingerprints that are generated by said different video and audio fingerprint technologies from said multiple vendors based on timing of said assignment of said interactive event identifiers; and

said interactive event identifiers are utilized in said ACR-enabled connected TV device to trigger events;

said ACR-enabled connected TV device being operable to;

detect, by said ACR module, interaction with and/or watching of certain content by a viewer on said ACR-enabled connected TV device and/or on a paired device, wherein said ACR-enabled connected TV device is paired with said paired device utilizing a companion application running on said paired device; and

present, by said ACR module, a reward received from a network provider associated with said certain content based on said detected interaction and/or watching, and when said ACR-enabled connected TV device is associated with said paired device, said reward is also presented on said paired device.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said certain content comprises a program, a commercial, a movie or a game associated with a network that is being presented to said viewer.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said reward is redeemed by said viewer to unlock additional features and/or additional content for interacting and/or watching.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said interaction comprises sharing, by said viewer, information on said certain content with one or more other viewers.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said ACR-enabled connected TV device is operable to present said reward based on said sharing.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein said ACR-enabled connected TV device is operable to present, by said ACR module, information on alternative content with a higher reward value for said viewer to interact and/or watch, and when said ACR-enabled connected TV device is associated with said paired device, said information on said alternative content is also presented on said paired device.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said reward comprises points earned by said viewer based on said detected interaction and/or watching.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said certain content comprises a game, and said viewer earns said points based on said detected interaction with said game.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said ACR-enabled connected TV device is operable to present, by said ACR module, information on minimum points needed to unlock one or more other games for allowing said viewer to interact, and, when said ACR-enabled connected TV device is associated with said paired device, said information on said minimum points is also presented on said paired device.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said minimum points are redeemed by said viewer for interacting with said one or more other games.