System and method for monitoring audience in response to signage

• US 9,047,256 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clear Channel IP, LLC
• Original Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Alan, Wooden, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NETZLOFF, ERIC R
• Application Number:
  US12/649,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.41, 705/14.45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/22 Advertising or display means on roads, walls or similar surfaces, e.g. illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 30/00 ICT specially adapted for sequence analysis involving nucleotides or amino acids

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring media viewing activity by one or more individuals is disclosed. In general, the location of a sign can be identified, a human eye can be located and tracked and vectoring module and a projection module can determine if the individual'"'"'s eyes are directed towards the sign. The content of the signage can be coordinated with the direction of the eye in real time to determine what content the individual viewed. An audience reaction module can acquire audience reaction data such as how long eyes are engaged on the sign and can determine other reactions such as a smile a frown or a gesture of interest or disinterest based on the change of content on the signage. The system allows for an advertiser to acquire and evaluate audience feedback related to presentation and content displayed on media (e.g., billboards, digital signage, window displays, etc.).

Claims

1. An audience reaction system comprising:

an eye vector module, the eye vector module attached at one or more of;

a location within a vehicle or a location external to the vehicle, and facing at least one individual travelling in the vehicle, the eye vector module measuring an eye of the at least one individual relative to an axis of a roadway;

a surveillance device attached to the vehicle at a first location and facing externally to the vehicle, the surveillance device monitoring a sign located external to the vehicle and off the axis of the roadway;

a processor enabled to perform the following steps;

determine a second location representing a location of the sign and generate a view of the sign, at least one advertisement displayed on the sign;

receive a signal in response to the eye vector module determining a third location, velocity, and orientation of the eye of the at least one individual travelling in the vehicle on the roadway;

calculate a projection in a first relative direction, based on the first, second and third locations, and velocity and orientation of the eye, wherein calculating the projection includes;

determining a surveillance device-to-sign angle measured from the axis of the roadway at the first location to the second location;

determining an eye-to-sign angle measured from the axis of the roadway at the third location to the second location;

determine whether the projection intersects the second location of the sign, utilizing a projection calculation module, wherein the determination is made at least in part based on a correlation of the surveillance device-to-sign angle and the eye-to-sign angle; and

in response to determining that the projection intersects the second location of the sign;

identify an advertisement displayed on the sign, based on the view of the sign,

correlate the view of the sign with the particular advertisement displayed on the sign to determine an advertising metric for the particular advertisement, utilizing an audience reaction module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the eye vector module determines a relative direction in one dimension.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the processor is further configured to correlate what is displayed on the sign with the advertising metric utilizing a correlation module, and

the advertising metric identifies a type of vehicle being driven by the at least one individual.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a clock coupled to the audience reaction module capable of time stamping the advertising metric.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the audience reaction module is capable of using the clock to determine a minimum time period that the eye is directed in a particular direction.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second location and the third location are defined in latitude longitude coordinates.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the audience reaction module is capable of logging in real time a number of different eyes that are directed towards the sign.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the audience reaction module is capable of logging changes in facial features.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the location within a vehicle includes a rear-view mirror of the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the location external to the vehicle includes a fixed location relative to the sign.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein eye vector module is capable of calculating a field of view range based on the second location, the third location, and a dimension of a face of the sign.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the projection calculation module is capable of detecting a velocity associated with the eye and is capable of utilizing the velocity to determine if the projection intersects the second location.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the sign has a dynamic digital display.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine one of the second location or the third location utilizing a signage location module and a global positioning receiver.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the signage location module is capable of accepting three dimensional sign location data from the global positioning system and is capable of storing the three dimensional sign location data in a database.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the eye location module is capable of using a global positioning receiver to determine the third location.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to acquire the second location using satellite transmissions and a satellite communications receiver.

18. A system for monitoring media viewing activity, said system comprising:

an eye tracking device attached to a vehicle, the eye tracking device configured to generate eye tracking data including a location, velocity, and orientation associated with at least one eye of at least one individual riding in a vehicle travelling on a roadway, the at least one eye moving with respect to information displayed on media external to said vehicle, the media in view of said at least one individual;

a surveillance device attached to said vehicle, the surveillance device configured to generate an external view of said information displayed on media external to said vehicle;

a processor configured to process and correlate said eye tracking data and said external view to;

identify said information displayed on media external to said vehicle as a particular advertisement, and

create an advertising metric by determining that the at least one individual is viewing said particular advertisement;

wherein correlating the eye tracking data and the external view includes;

determining a surveillance device-to-media angle measured from a location of the surveillance device within an axis of the roadway relative to a location of the media;

determining an eye-to-media angle measured from the location of the eye within an axis of the roadway and an orientation relative to the media; and

correlating the surveillance device-to-media angle and the eye-to-media angle to determine an intersection.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said media comprises at least one static billboard.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said media comprises at least one digital sign.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein said media comprises at least one window display.

22. The system of claim 18 further comprising a solar powered device for providing electrical energy to said eye tracking device and said surveillance device.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the eye vector device is coupled to a mirror of the vehicle.

24. A method for monitoring media viewing activity, said method comprising:

monitoring, by utilizing an eye tracking device attached to a mirror of a vehicle and configured to generate eye tracking data including a location, velocity, and orientation of at least one eye of at least one individual in the vehicle with respect to information displayed on media external to said vehicle and in view of said at least one individual, by executing a program instruction in a data-processing apparatus; and

generating a view of said information displayed on media external to said vehicle by utilizing a surveillance device attached to the vehicle, wherein the surveillance device communicates with said eye tracking device;

correlating, utilizing a processor, data collected from said surveillance device and said eye tracking device, said data indicative of;

identification of said information as a particular advertisement, based on the view of said information generated by said surveillance device,

a positive posting of said particular advertisement to thereby enable a valuation of said particular advertisement displayed on said media;

wherein correlating data collected from the surveillance device and the eye tracking device includes;

determining a surveillance device-to-media angle measured from a location of the surveillance device within an axis of a roadway to a location of the billboard;

determining an eye-to-media angle measured from the location of the eye within an axis of the roadway to the location of the media; and

correlating the device-to-media angle and the eye-to-media angle to determine an intersection.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein correlating said data collected from said surveillance device and said eye tracking device is performed by executing a program instruction in a data-processing apparatus.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said first vehicle surface is an interior vehicle surface and said second vehicle surface is an exterior vehicle surface.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said media comprises at least one of the following:

a static billboard;

a digital sign; and

a window display.

28. The method of claim 24 further comprising providing electrical energy to said eye tracking device and said surveillance device via a solar powered device.

29. The method of claim 24 further comprising storing in a memory information output by said eye tracking device and said surveillance device by executing a program instruction in a data-processing apparatus.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the eye tracking device includes one or more infrared light emitting diodes.

31. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions that are executable by at least one processor of a computer system to carry out a method comprising:

receiving eye tracking data from an eye tracking system facing an occupant of a vehicle, the eye tracking system including an eye tracking device attached to a mirror of the vehicle;

receiving external video data from a surveillance system facing information displayed on media external to the vehicle, the surveillance system including a surveillance device attached to the vehicle;

processing the eye tracking data and the external video data to;

identify the information displayed on the media as a particular advertisement, based on the external video data, and

determine that the at least one eye of the occupant has viewed the particular advertisement, based on a projected intersection of the occupant'"'"'s line of sight and the particular advertisement, wherein the determination includes;

determining a surveillance device-to-media angle measured from a location of the surveillance device within an axis of the roadway to a location of the billboard;

determining an eye-to-media angle measured from a location of the eye within an axis of the roadway to a location of the media;

correlating the surveillance device-to-media angle and the eye-to-media angle to determine if the projected intersection occurred; and

transmitting the processed eye tracking data and processed external video data via a network.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the eye tracking system further includes a plurality of eye tracking devices.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the processed eye tracking data and processed external video data is transmitted to one or more servers.

34. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the processed eye tracking data and processed external video data is stored on at least one server.

35. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the network includes a cellular network.

36. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the network includes the Internet.

37. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein processing the eye tracking data and the external video data includes correlating the eye tracking data to the external video data.