Systems and methods for measuring interest levels of audience in broadcast program and providing information based on the interest levels

• US 9,077,460 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramanathan, Krishnan, Ranganathan, Gokul
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US11/918,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20090293080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,536 Days
• Field of Search: 725/9, 725/12, 725/20, 725/40, 725/46, 725/62, 348/563
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29374 in an optical light guide G02B6/02214 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/30 by a single channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/91 broadcasting computer programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/20 digital audio broadcasting [DAB]
• 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 60/61 Arrangements for services using the result of monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups H04H60/29-H04H60/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 : for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306

Abstract

A system measures interest levels of audience in a broadcast program and provides extra information based on the interest level. The system receives an AV signal of a broadcast program and supplementary content which contains broadcast program related information and a tag identifying the broadcast program. The supplementary content is combined with the AV signal to form a data-augmented signal which is subsequently modulated with a carrier signal to form a transmit signal for broadcasting to receivers. Each receiver extracts the supplementary content, computes interest levels and provides extra information based on the interest levels.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a transmit signal at a receiver, the transmit signal including a program and a supplementary content associating therewith;

demodulating the transmit signal to provide a data-augmented signal;

recovering the supplementary content from the data-augmented signal at substantially the same time the program is rendered at the receiver;

determining an interest level of audience in the program; and

providing information relating to the program to an audience upon finding the interest level reaches a pre-determined level.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending the interest level to a data collection entity.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining a group interest level from the interest level received and providing the group interest level as a feedback to the audience.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein recovering the supplementary content comprises outputting the data-augmented signal to a decoder for extracting the supplementary content therefrom, the supplementary content is for containing information relating to the program and includes a tag for identifying the program.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising retrieving a program sequence number from the supplementary content and storing the same in a viewing record of the program as identified by the tag, the program sequence number corresponds to a program segment.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising providing information to an audience, the information being extra information relating to the program segment associating with the program sequence number in the viewing record.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the interest level comprises checking the viewing record for the number of program sequence numbers received and computing a percentage for the received program sequence numbers out of a total number of program sequence numbers receivable for the program to provide the interest level.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein computing the percentage further comprising including a weighted factor to the computed percentage for an interactive activity performed by an audience at the receiver, the interactive activity includes obtaining information relating to the program during the rendering of the program.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein obtaining the information includes obtaining at least one of a ring-tone, picture, video clip, text, and a summary on a program segment.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the information is extra information in connection with the program.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the extra information comprises at least one of information on locations, persons, animals, or items shown in the program, discount vouchers, sequels to the program, programs in the same genre as the program, and information deemed desirable to the audience.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

combining the supplementary content with an AV signal of the program to provide the data-augmented signal, wherein the supplementary content is inserted into a non-program portion of the AV signal; and

modulating the data-augmented signal with a carrier signal to provide the transmit signal for broadcasting.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein combining the supplementary content comprises inserting the supplementary content into the non-program portion of the AV signal at a regular interval, the non-program portion being a vertical or horizontal blanking interval of a television AV signal or a program associated data channel of a digital audio broadcast AV signal.

14. A system comprising:

a receiver for receiving a transmit signal and demodulating the same to provide a data-augmented signal, the transmit signal containing a program and a supplementary content relating thereto, the supplementary content includes a data portion for containing information and a meta-data portion having at least a tag for identifying the program; and

a decoder coupled to the receiver for receiving the data-augmented signal and recovering the supplementary content therefrom at substantially the same time the program is rendered at the receiver, the decoder includes a program monitoring application for determining an interest level of audience in the program and providing information relating to the program upon finding the interest level reaches a pre-determined level.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the receiver comprises one of an analog television, a digital television, and a digital radio.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising an electronic device coupled to the decoder for receiving the interest level and information therefrom.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a printer, mobile phone, PC, and a PDA.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the electronic device includes a communication infrastructure for conveying the interest level to a data collection entity.

19. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

an inserter for combining the supplementary content with an AV signal of the program to provide the data-augmented signal; and

a modulator for modulating the data-augmented signal with a carrier signal to provide the transmit signal for broadcasting.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising a content server for storing and providing the supplementary content to the inserter.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising a synchronizing signal between the content sever and the inserter for coordinating the combining process.