Media content synchronized advertising platform apparatuses and systems

• US 9,432,713 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2015
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symphony Advanced Media, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symphony Advanced Media, Inc.
• Inventors: Bhatia, Manish, Saxon, Michael Scott, Pratt, Nigel Stephen, Gurha, Pyeush
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sumaiya A
• Application Number:
  US14/621,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20150334469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 725/22, 725/24, 725/54, 725/60, 725 45- 46, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0245 Surveys
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• 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 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 : Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 : Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 : on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 : for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 : Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 : using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 : for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 : for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

The MEDIA CONTENT SYNCHRONIZED ADVERTISING PLATFORM APPARATUSES AND SYSTEMS (“AD-SURVEY”) transforms user advertisement exposure data via AD-SURVEY components, into ad effects data including user responses to survey questions. A system is disclosed, comprising: a memory; a processor disposed in communication with said memory, and configured to issue a plurality of processing instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor issues instructions for obtaining TV program schedule listing data including a plurality of ad tags at a server: providing the obtained TV program schedule listing data to a user mobile device, receiving a user media program selection message from the user mobile device; retrieving an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data; extracting key terms from the ad tags based by parsing ad contents; querying a survey question list based on the extracted key terms; generating and sending a survey question from the query to the user mobile device; and obtaining a user reaction to the survey question.

Claims

1. A media content based advertising apparatus, comprising:

a memory;

a processor disposed in communication with said memory, and configured to issue a plurality of processing instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor issues instructions to;

obtain TV program schedule listing data including a plurality of ad tags representing a plurality of placed ad segments;

provide the obtained TV program schedule listing data including the plurality of ad tags representing the plurality of placed ad segments to a user mobile device communicatively coupled to a wireless communication component;

receive a user media program selection message from the user mobile device,

wherein the user mobile device transmits a TV remote channel selection indication to a TV set via the wireless communication component,

wherein the user media program selection message and the TV remote channel selection indication comprise the same user selected channel;

receive an atmospherics data package from the user mobile device;

obtain an atmospherics data artifact from the atmospherics data package;

extract user instant activities information based on analysis of the atmospherics data artifact;

determine whether the received user media program selection message indicates a user watching event;

retrieve an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data, the ad tag indicating a timestamp when an ad segment embedded in the user selected media program is to be displayed on the TV set and an advertised item featured in the ad segment;

determine the timestamp of the ad tag with the user selected channel when the received user media program selection message is determined to indicate the user watching event;

generate a user viewing status indication based on the user instant activities information; and

incorporate the user viewing status indication into viewer measurement data of the user selected channel;

generate a deliverable mobile ad featuring the advertised item featured in the ad segment; and

provide the generated deliverable mobile ad to the user mobile device in synchronization with the timestamp when the ad segment featuring the advertised item is displayed on the TV set.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further issues instructions to filter the received user media program selection message when the received user media program selection message is determined not to indicate a user watching event.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user mobile device comprises any of a smartphone, a personal data assistant, a cellular phone, a laptop, a tablet computer, and a standalone table unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further issues instructions to provide TV program schedule listing data to the user mobile device via wireless network.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user mobile device transmits a TV remote channel selection indication to a TV set-top box via the wireless communication component, wherein the wireless communication component comprises a plug-in component.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the TV remote channel selection message comprises a non-live media program selection message.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-live media program selection message comprises any of a DVD control message, a DVR control message and an on-demand media control message.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the received user media program selection message indicates a user watching even comprises:

calculating a time lapse between two consecutively received program selection messages; and

determining whether the time lapse is sufficiently long to indicate a user watching event.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

determine a user watching time length; and

determine whether a time lapse between two consecutively received program selection message exceeds a capping threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the determining a user watching time length comprises applying watching time caps based on any of TV on/off events, set-top box on/off events and heuristics.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further issues instructions to feed the user watching event log file for user viewing data record associated with the selected media program.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user mobile device is configured to operate any of the following:

automatically scan on a communication stack for a physical address of a TV set; and

connecting to a TV set based on user configured physical address.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user mobile device receives user submitted TV parameters to scan for a TV set.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the received TV program schedule listing data is received at a server and comprises a plurality of ad tags.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

retrieve an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

retrieve an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data; and

generate a product survey question based on the ad tag.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

receive audience monitoring atmospherics data from the user mobile device; and

determine audience watching status indicia from the received audience monitoring atmospherics data.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication component is one of:

an infrared communication component, a wifi communication component, an RF communication component and a Bluetooth communication component.

19. A media content based advertising apparatus, comprising:

a memory;

a processor disposed in communication with said memory, and configured to issue a plurality of processing instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor issues instructions to;

obtain TV program schedule listing data including a plurality of ad tags representing a plurality of placed ad segments;

provide TV program schedule listing data including the plurality of ad tags representing a plurality of placed ad segments to a user mobile device;

receive a user media program selection message from the user mobile device, the user media selection message indicating a user has selected a media program to watch on a first screen device;

receive an atmospherics data package from the user mobile device;

obtain an atmospherics data artifact from the atmospherics data package;

extract user instant activities information based on analysis of the atmospherics data artifact;

retrieve an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data, the ad tag indicating a timestamp when an ad segment embedded in the user selected media program is to be displayed on the first screen device and an advertised item featured in the ad segment;

identify the advertised item featured in the ad segment embedded in the media program and the timestamp when the ad segment featuring the advertised item is displayed on the first screen device during the media program based on the retrieved ad tag;

capture a visual image showing the identified advertised item within a contextual scene from the media program;

determine an available ad template associated with the retrieved ad tag, the available ad template having a user interactive element;

generate a user viewing status indication based on the user instant activities information; and

incorporate the user viewing status indication into viewer measurement data of the user selected channel;

generate a deliverable mobile ad having the captured visual image showing the identified advertised item based on the available ad template, the deliverable mobile ad being configured to facilitate a purchase transaction of the advertised item upon a purchase request submitted via the user interactive elements; and

provide the generated deliverable mobile ad to be displayed at the user mobile device in synchronization with the timestamp when the ad segment featuring the advertised item is displayed on the first screen device during the media program.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor further issues instructions to filter the received user media program selection message when the received user media program selection message is determined not to indicate a user watching event.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the user mobile device comprises any of a smartphone, a personal data assistant, a cellular phone, a laptop, a tablet computer, and a standalone table unit.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor further issues instructions to provide TV program schedule listing data to the user mobile device via wireless network.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the non-live media program selection message comprises any of a DVD control message, a DVR control message and an on-demand media control message.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the user mobile device transmits a TV remote channel selection indication to a TV set-top box via the wireless communication component, wherein the wireless communication component comprises a plug-in component.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the TV remote channel selection message comprises a non-live media program selection message.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the determining whether the received user media program selection message indicates a user watching even comprises:

calculating a time lapse between two consecutively received program selection messages; and

determining whether the time lapse is sufficiently long to indicate a user watching event.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

determine a user watching time length; and

determine whether a time lapse between two consecutively received program selection message exceeds a capping threshold.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the determining a user watching time length comprises applying watching time caps based on any of TV on/off events, set-top box on/off events and heuristics.

29. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor further issues instructions to feed the user watching event log file for user viewing data record associated with the selected media program.

30. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the user mobile device is configured to operate any of the following:

automatically scan on a communication stack for a physical address of a TV set; and

connecting to a TV set based on user configured physical address.

31. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the user mobile device receives user submitted TV parameters to scan for a TV set.

32. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the received TV program schedule listing data is received at a server and comprises a plurality of ad tags.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

retrieve an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data.

34. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

retrieve an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data; and

generate a product survey question based on the ad tag.

35. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

receive audience monitoring atmospherics data from the user mobile device; and

determine audience watching status indicia from the received audience monitoring atmospherics data.

36. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the wireless communication component is one of:

an infrared communication component, a wifi communication component, an RF communication component and a Bluetooth communication component.

37. A media content based advertising processor-readable non-transitory medium storing processor-executable instructions to:

obtain TV program schedule listing data including a plurality of ad tags representing a plurality of placed ad segments;

provide the obtained TV program schedule listing data including the plurality of ad tags representing the plurality of placed ad segments to a user mobile device communicatively coupled to a wireless communication component;

receive a user media program selection message from the user mobile device,

wherein the user mobile device transmits a TV remote channel selection indication to a TV set via the wireless communication component,

wherein the user media program selection message and the TV remote channel selection indication comprise the same user selected channel;

receive an atmospherics data package from the user mobile device;

obtain an atmospherics data artifact from the atmospherics data package;

extract user instant activities information based on analysis of the atmospherics data artifact;

determine whether the received user media program selection message indicates a user watching event;

retrieve an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data, the ad tag indicating a timestamp when an ad segment embedded in the user selected media program is to be displayed on the TV set and an advertised item featured in the ad segment;

determine the timestamp of the ad tag with the user selected channel when the received user media program selection message is determined to indicate the user watching event;

generate a user viewing status indication based on the user instant activities information; and

incorporate the user viewing status indication into viewer measurement data of the user selected channel;

generate a deliverable mobile ad featuring the advertised item featured in the ad segment; and

provide the generated deliverable mobile ad to the user mobile device in synchronization with the timestamp when the ad segment featuring the advertised item is displayed on the TV set.

38. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 37, wherein the processor further issues instructions to filter the received user media program selection message when the received user media program selection message is determined not to indicate a user watching event.

39. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 37, wherein the user mobile device comprises any of a smartphone, a personal data assistant, a cellular phone, a laptop, a tablet computer, and a standalone table unit.

40. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 37, wherein the processor further issues instructions to provide TV program schedule listing data to the user mobile device via wireless network.

41. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 37, wherein the user mobile device transmits a TV remote channel selection indication to a TV set-top box via the wireless communication component, wherein the wireless communication component comprises a plug-in component.

42. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 37, wherein the TV remote channel selection message comprises a non-live media program selection message.

43. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 42, wherein the non-live media program selection message comprises any of a DVD control message, a DVR control message and an on-demand media control message.

44. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 43, wherein the determining whether the received user media program selection message indicates a user watching even comprises:

calculating a time lapse between two consecutively received program selection messages; and

determining whether the time lapse is sufficiently long to indicate a user watching event.

45. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 37, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

determine a user watching time length; and

determine whether a time lapse between two consecutively received program selection message exceeds a capping threshold.

46. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 45, wherein the determining a user watching time length comprises applying watching time caps based on any of TV on/off events, set-top box on/off events and heuristics.

47. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 37, wherein the processor further issues instructions to feed the user watching event log file for user viewing data record associated with the selected media program.

48. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 37, wherein the user mobile device is configured to operate any of the following:

automatically scan on a communication stack for a physical address of a TV set; and

connecting to a TV set based on user configured physical address.

49. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 37, wherein the user mobile device receives user submitted TV parameters to scan for a TV set.

50. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 37, wherein the received TV program schedule listing data is received at a server and comprises a plurality of ad tags.

51. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 37, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

retrieve an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data.

52. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 37, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

retrieve an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data; and

generate a product survey question based on the ad tag.

53. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 37, wherein the processor further issues instructions to:

receive audience monitoring atmospherics data from the user mobile device; and

determine audience watching status indicia from the received audience monitoring atmospherics data.

54. The processor-readable non-transitory medium of claim 37 wherein the wireless communication component is one of:

an infrared communication component, a wifi communication component, an RF communication component and a Bluetooth communication component.

55. A media content based advertising system, comprising:

means to obtain, via an ad-survey controller, TV program schedule listing data including a plurality of ad tags representing a plurality of placed ad segments;

means to provide, via said ad-survey controller, the obtained TV program schedule listing data, including the plurality of ad tags representing the plurality of placed ad segments to a user mobile device communicatively coupled to a wireless communication component;

means to receive, via said ad-survey controller, a user media program selection message from the user mobile device,

wherein the user mobile device transmits a TV remote channel selection indication to a TV set via the wireless communication component,

wherein the user media program selection message and the TV remote channel selection indication comprise the same user selected channel;

means to receive, via said ad-survey controller, an atmospherics data package from the user mobile device;

means to obtain, via said ad-survey controller, an atmospherics data artifact from the atmospherics data package;

means to extract, via said ad-survey controller, user instant activities information based on analysis of the atmospherics data artifact;

means to determine, via said ad-survey controller, whether the received user media program selection message indicates a user watching event;

means to retrieve, via said ad-survey controller, an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data, the ad tag indicating a timestamp when an ad segment embedded in the user selected media program is to be displayed on the TV set and an advertised item featured in the ad segment;

means to determine, via said ad-survey controller, the timestamp of the ad tag with the user selected channel when the received user media program selection message is determined to indicated the user watching event;

means to generate, via said ad-survey controller, a user viewing status indication based on the user instant activities information; and

means to incorporate, via said ad-survey controller, the user viewing status indication into viewer measurement data of the user selected channel;

means to generate, via said ad-survey controller, a deliverable mobile ad featuring the advertised item featured in the ad segment; and

means to provide, via said ad-survey controller, the generated deliverable mobile ad to the user mobile device in synchronization with the timestamp when the ad segment featuring the advertised item is displayed on the TV set.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the ad-survey controller further issues instructions to filter the received user media program selection message when the received user media program selection message is determined not to indicate a user watching event.

57. The system of claim 55, wherein the user mobile device comprises any of a smartphone, a personal data assistant, a cellular phone, a laptop, a tablet computer, and a standalone table unit.

58. The system of claim 55, wherein the ad-survey controller further issues instructions to provide TV program schedule listing data to the user mobile device via wireless network.

59. The system of claim 55, wherein the user mobile device transmits a TV remote channel selection indication to a TV set-top box via the wireless communication component, wherein the wireless communication component comprises a plug-in component.

60. The system of claim 55, wherein the TV remote channel selection message comprises a non-live media program selection message.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the non-live media program selection message comprises any of a DVD control message, a DVR control message and an on-demand media control message.

62. The system of claim 55, wherein the determining whether the received user media program selection message indicates a user watching even comprises:

calculating a time lapse between two consecutively received program selection messages; and

determining whether the time lapse is sufficiently long to indicate a user watching event.

63. The system of claim 55, wherein the ad-survey controller further issues instructions to:

determine a user watching time length; and

determine whether a time lapse between two consecutively received program selection message exceeds a capping threshold.

64. The system of claim 55, wherein the determining a user watching time length comprises applying watching time caps based on any of TV on/off events, set-top box on/off events and heuristics.

65. The system of claim 55, wherein the ad-survey controller further issues instructions to feed the user watching event log file for user viewing data record associated with the selected media program.

66. The system of claim 55, wherein the user mobile device is configured to operate any of the following:

automatically scan on a communication stack for a physical address of a TV set; and

connecting to a TV set based on user configured physical address.

67. The system of claim 55, wherein the user mobile device receives user submitted TV parameters to scan for a TV set.

68. The system of claim 55, wherein the received TV program schedule listing data is received at a server and comprises a plurality of ad tags.

69. The system of claim 68, wherein the ad-survey controller further issues instructions to:

retrieve an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data.

70. The system of claim 55, wherein the ad-survey controller further issues instructions to:

retrieve an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data; and

generate a product survey question based on the ad tag.

71. The system of claim 55, wherein the ad-survey controller further issues instructions to:

receive audience monitoring atmospherics data from the user mobile device; and

determine audience watching status indicia from the received audience monitoring atmospherics data.

72. The system of claim 55 wherein the wireless communication component is one of:

an infrared communication component, a wifi communication component, an RF communication component and a Bluetooth communication component.