Systems And Methods For Real-Time Interactive Television Polling

• US 20080086742A1
• Filed: 10/09/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Krishnaswamy, Maitreyi, Ruiz-Velasco, Enrique, Kassam, Shafiq, Aldrey, Raul, Guntupalli, Anil, Elberg, Edwin, Blando, Luis, Crespo, Diego
• Granted Patent: US 8,850,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/24
• 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 60/93 Wired transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing polling related data to viewers in an interactive cable televisions system. Users viewing a program can initiate a request for participating in a polling activity. The request and other program-related information are sent to the cable television system provider. Appropriate polling window data is returned to the set top box allowing a polling window to be displayed to the viewer. The viewer may choose one or several selections, and transmit the response to the cable television system provider. User responses can be tallied and presented in real time to the viewer audience. Program producers can incorporate the results of viewer feedback in real-time allowing the outcome of the program to be based on the collective viewer feedback.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first indication of a polling request at a set top box from a remote controller operable by a viewer to provide user feedback associated with a video program currently being presented for viewing on a display device connected to the set top box;

determining a channel identifier in the set top box associated with the video program currently being presented for viewing on the display device;

determining a packet switched network address associated with the request for providing user feedback;

transmitting the channel identifier and a second indication of the polling request over a packet switched network connected to the set top box using the packet switched network address;

receiving the second indication of the polling request at a polling computer connected to the packet switched network, wherein the polling computer determines a set of polling window data associated with a program identifier associated with the channel identifier;

transmitting the set of polling window data to the set top box;

displaying a polling window based on the set of polling window data for viewing on the display device;

receiving user feedback data at the set top box, the user feedback data selecting one of the set of polling data associated with the polling window; and

transmitting the user feedback data to the polling computer over the packet switched network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the polling computer hosts a web site and the set of polling window data comprises HTML messages.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of displaying a polling window incorporating the set of polling window data for viewing on the display device comprises a plurality of selections which are independently selectable by the viewer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting the channel identifier and the second indication of the polling request over the packet switched network using the packet switched network address further comprises transmitting a subscriber identifier.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the set of polling window data is further associated with the subscriber identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the polling computer stores the program identifier and the second indication of the polling request for purposes of rendering a bill to the user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the polling computer transmits the user feedback data to an analysis computer, wherein the analysis computer processes the user feedback data with other viewers'"'"' feedback data.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the polling window is displayed on the display device as a static web page overlayed on a video program image.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the analysis computer provides a cumulative total of feedback data from a plurality of users.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the cumulative total of feedback data are incorporated into a video program signal.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the polling computer accesses programming schedule data to ascertain a program identifier associated with the channel identifier.

12. A system comprising:

a set top box operatively connected to a video distribution network and a display device, the set top box configured to receive a polling request from a viewer for subsequently providing viewer input pertaining to a video program for which the set top box is currently providing a video signal to the display device, the set top box further configured to generate a request for polling window data in response to the polling request, the request for polling window data transmitted using a packet-switched data communication channel provided by the video distribution network, the request including a channel identifier associated with the video program; and

a polling computer system connected to the packet-switched data communication channel and configured to receive the request for polling window data from the set top box, use the channel identifier to identify a program identifier associated with the video program, use the program identifier to select polling window data associated with the video program, transmit the polling window data to the set top box, and receive the viewer input pertaining to the video program transmitted from the set top box.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the polling computer transmits the viewer input to a second computer, the second computer processing a plurality of other viewers'"'"' input so as to generate a cumulative polling result associated with the video program.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising a video source providing a plurality of video channels distributed on the video distribution network, where one of the video channels conveys the video program.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the polling computer system accesses a second computer system to identify the television program associated with the program identifier in order to select the polling window data associated from a plurality of polling window data.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the polling computer transmits the polling window data to the set top box using HTML messages.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the set top box displays the polling window data as a static window overlayed on a video image of the video program.

18. A method comprising:

receiving at a polling computer a polling request sent from a set top box over a video enabled network, the polling request sent using an Internet Protocol channel;

identifying a video channel identifier in the polling request;

accessing a programming schedule to determine a program identifier presently associated with the channel identifier and a video program transmitted on the video channel;

selecting a web page associated with the program identifier stored in the memory of the polling computer;

transmitting over the Internet Protocol channel the web page to the set top box for display on a display device connected to the set top box;

wherein the web page pertains to the video program associated with the program identifier and provides a plurality of available selections;

receiving on the Internet Protocol channel a response from the set top box, the response including response data corresponding to at least one of the plurality of available selections provided by the web page; and

storing the response data with a plurality of other viewers'"'"' response data, wherein the other viewers'"'"' response data is associated with the video program.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

transmitting the response data to a second computer wherein the second computer stores the response data with the plurality of other viewers'"'"' response data.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein accessing the programming schedule to determine the program identifier presently associated with the channel identifier further comprises the polling computer accessing a third computer storing the programming schedule to determine the program identifier presently associated with the channel identifier.