Methods and apparatus for presenting a digital video work customized to viewer preferences

• US 20020053083A1
• Filed: 10/29/2001
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kent Massey
• Original Assignee: Kent Massey
• Inventors: Massey, Kent
• Granted Patent: US 8,091,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/47 involving branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible scenarios at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/632 by branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible story developments at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8541 involving branching, e.g. to different story endings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

Methods for producing a digital video work to be presented in potentially viewable scenes with the ability to customize the scene sequences presented to individual viewers based upon expressed or imputed viewer preferences, and to the articles on which such work is stored and played. The content of the scene sequences may vary to match viewer preferences while maintaining the overall message of the digital video work.

Claims

1. A method of presenting a digital video work that can customize the content presented to a particular viewer based upon the viewer'"'"'s preferences , the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of potentially viewable digital video scenes to deliver to a viewer in modules containing one or more sequences of such scenes;

(b) determining probable personal preferences of categories of viewers;

(c) producing some of such scenes as alternative scenes having content that is associated to such personal preferences;

(d) providing a means for learning information about a particular viewer in order to characterize the viewer as having a personal preference;

(e) structuring the work such that at least one module contains a scene sequence in which an alternative scene can be interspersed with other scenes in response to information learned or inferred about a particular viewer; and

(f) in response to information learned about a particular viewer, delivering to the viewer a scene sequence containing an alternative scene that is associated to the personal preference the viewer is characterized to have.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the work is used for marketing goods or services to potential purchasers, the plurality of potentially viewable digital scenes conveying information about a include containing potentially viewable scenes about such goods or services;

and the personal preferences are preferences for the use of such goods or services.

3. A method for structuring scene sequences for an interactive digital video work, the method comprising the steps of

(a) providing a plurality of potentially viewable scenes to deliver to a viewer in a plurality of modules, each module containing potentially viewable scenes;

(b) in at least one of the modules, presenting to the viewer alternative decisions that will determine an order in which at a subsequent module will be presented;

(c) enabling the viewer to make one of the alternative decisions;

(d) in each module that can be presented in a different order, providing neutral scenes in which the content is not dependant upon the order in which the module is viewed, and providing sets of alternative scenes in which the content is dependant upon the order in which the module is viewed;

(e) prompting the viewer to make one of the alternative decisions that will determine the order of a subsequent module;

(f) presenting to the viewer neutral scenes interspersed with alternative scenes that are appropriate to the relative order in which the subsequent module is presented.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein the work is used for marketing goods or services to potential purchasers, the plurality of potentially viewable digital scenes conveying information about a include containing potentially viewable scenes about such goods or services;

and the step of presenting to the viewer neutral scenes interspersed with alternative scenes that are appropriate to the relative order in which the module is presented includes presenting alternate scenes to avoid repeating information already conveyed to the viewer in previous scenes.