System and method for verifying content displayed on an electronic visual display

• US 7,614,065 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2002
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NExT-e Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Automated Media Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Weissmueller, William Robert Jr., Tell, Ernest Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US10/265,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20030115591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,588 Days
• Field of Search: 725/22, 725/14, 725/9, 345/204, 348/61, 382/325
• US Class Current: 725/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/48 for recognising items expressed in broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/59 of video recognising characters or patterns in general G06F18/00, G06V20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/962 Operator interface for marketing or sales

Abstract

A system and method for providing multiple levels of verification of content displayed on an electronic display. A verification code signal representative of a verification code may be displayed with the visual content. The verification code may be sensed and determined to verify that the visual content was displayed. A timestamp may be generated to indicate time of day that the visual content is displayed. In one embodiment, the verification code signal may be displayed in one or more colors and sensed. Verification that the visual content was displayed with correct colors may be made based on the sensed visual verification code signal. Verification that the visual content was displayed at a certain time and with the correct colors may be provided to an owner of the visual content, such as an advertiser.

Claims

1. A method for verifying display of visual content displayed on an electronic visual display, said method comprising:

converting a digital verification code signal to a visual verification code signal, the digital verification code signal being representative of a verification code associated with the visual content;

displaying the visual verification code signal in relation to a visual content signal representative of the visual content on the electronic visual display;

sensing the visual verification code signal as displayed by the electronic visual display;

based on the sensed visual verification code signal, determining the verification code as displayed in the visual verification code signal;

generating a timestamp that indicates time of day that the visual content is displayed; and

verifying that the visual content was timely displayed based on the determination of the displayed verification code and generated timestamp.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating the digital verification code signal representative of the verification code.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forming the verification code based on alphanumeric information that identifies the visual content.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forming the visual verification code signal automatically, the visual verification code signal including a timestamp associated with time of communication or display of the visual content signal.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating the sensed visual verification code signal across a network.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the network is at least one of the Internet and a wireless communication network.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating data associated with said determining of the verification code across a network.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the network is at least one of the Internet, local area network, and a wireless network.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said converting includes:

receiving the digital verification code signal; and

modulating a video signal to form the visual verification code signal.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said modulating includes modulating multiple portions of the video signal to form the visual verification code signal with multiple regions for simultaneous display.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the multiple regions of the visual verification code signal are simultaneously displayed in different colors.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the digital verification code signal prior to said converting.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said displaying includes displaying the visual verification code in a plurality of colors.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said displaying includes displaying the visual verification code signal in a visual spectrum over distinct time durations extending over multiple, continuous video frames.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising verifying color of the display of the visual content based on the sensed visual verification code signal.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising verifying intensity of the display of the visual content based on the sensed visual verification code signal.

17. A system for verifying display of visual content on an electronic visual display, said system comprising:

means for converting a digital verification code signal to a visual verification code signal, the digital verification code signal being representative of a verification code associated with the visual content;

means for displaying the visual verification code signal in relation to the visual content signal on the electronic visual display;

means for sensing the visual verification code signal as displayed by the electronic visual display;

means for determining, based on the sensed visual verification code signal, the verification code as displayed in the visual verification code signal;

means for generating a timestamp that indicates time of day that the visual content signal is displayed; and

means for verifying that the visual content was timely displayed based on the determination of the verification code and generated timestamp.

18. The system according to claim 17, further comprising means for generating the digital verification code signal representative of the verification code.

19. The system according to claim 17, further comprising means for forming the verification code based on alphanumeric information that identifies the visual content.

20. The system according to claim 17, further comprising means for generating alphanumeric information to relate to the visual content.

21. The system according to claim 17, further comprising means for communicating the sensed visual verification code signal across a network.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the network is at least one of the Internet and a wireless communication network.

23. The system according to claim 17, further comprising means for receiving the digital verification code signal prior to said means for converting.

24. The system according to claim 17, further comprising means for forming the verification code.

25. The system according to claim 17, further comprising means for verifying color of the display of the visual content based on the sensed visual verification code signal.

26. The system according to claim 17, further comprising means for verifying intensity of the display of the visual content based on the sensed visual verification code signal.

27. The system according to claim 17, further comprising means for modulating a video signal to form the visual verification code signal, wherein said means for modulating is further configured to modulate multiple portions of the video signal to form the visual verification code signal with multiple regions for simultaneous display.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the multiple regions of the visual verification code signal are displayed in different composite colors simultaneously.

29. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions, the sequences of instructions including instructions, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

convert a digital verification code signal to a visual verification code signal, the digital verification code signal being representative of a verification code associated with a visual content signal;

display the visual verification code signal in relation to the visual content signal on the electronic visual display;

measure the visual verification code signal as displayed by the electronic visual display and sensed by an optical sensor;

determine the verification code as displayed in the visual verification code signal based on the measured visual verification code signal;

generate a timestamp that indicates time of day that the visual content signal is displayed; and

verify that the visual content was timely displayed based on the determination of the verification code and generated timestamp.

30. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 29, further including instructions, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to generate alphanumeric information that identifies the visual content signal.

31. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 29, further including instructions, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to communicate the measured visual verification code signal across a network.

32. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 29, further including instructions, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive the digital verification code signal prior to the conversion thereof.

33. A method for verifying output of sensory content by an electronic device, said method comprising:

converting a digital verification code signal to a sensory verification code signal, the digital verification code signal being representative of a verification code associated with a sensory content;

outputting the sensory verification code signal in relation to a sensory content signal representative of the sensory content on the electronic device;

sensing the sensory verification code signal as output by the electronic device;

based on the sensed sensory verification code signal, determining the verification code as output in the sensory verification code signal;

generating a timestamp that indicates time of day that the sensory content signal is output; and

verifying that the sensory content signal was timely output based on the determination of the verification code and generated timestamp.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the outputting of the sensory content signal is in the form of an audio signal.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein the outputting of the sensory content signal is in the form of a visual image.

36. The method according to claim 33, further comprising forming the verification code based on alphanumeric information that identifies the sensory content.

37. The method according to claim 33, further comprising forming the sensory verification code signal automatically, the sensory verification code signal including a timestamp associated with time of communication or outputting of the sensory content signal.

38. The method according to claim 33, further comprising communicating the sensed sensory verification code signal across a network.

39. The method according to claim 33, wherein said converting includes:

receiving the digital verification code signal; and

modulating a sensory signal to form the sensory verification code signal.

40. A method for verifying display of visual content displayed on an electronic visual display, said method comprising:

forming a verification code including alphanumeric information that identifies the visual content;

converting a digital verification code signal to a visual verification code signal, the digital verification code signal being representative of the verification code associated with the visual content;

displaying the visual verification code signal with a visual content signal representative of the visual content on the electronic visual display;

sensing the visual verification code signal as displayed by the electronic visual display; and

verifying that the visual content was displayed based on the sensed visual verification code signal.

41. The method according to claim 40, further comprising generating the digital verification code signal representative of the verification code.

42. The method according to claim 40, wherein generating the verification code further includes including a time of day that the visual content is scheduled to be displayed.

43. The method according to claim 40, further comprising forming the visual verification code signal automatically, the visual verification code signal including a timestamp associated with time of day that the visual content signal is scheduled to be displayed.

44. The method according to claim 40, further comprising communicating the sensed visual verification code signal across a network.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein the network is at least one of the Internet and a wireless communications network.

46. The method according to claim 40, further comprising communicating data associated with said sensing of the visual verification code signal across a network.

47. The method according to claim 40, wherein said converting includes:

receiving the digital verification code signal; and

modulating a video signal to form the visual verification code signal.

48. The method according to claim 40, wherein displaying the visual verification code signal includes displaying the visual verification code signal with multiple regions simultaneously.

49. The method according to claim 48, wherein the multiple regions of the displayed visual verification code signal are simultaneously displayed in different composite colors.

50. The method according to claim 40, wherein said displaying includes displaying the visual verification code signal in a plurality of colors in a visual spectrum over distinct time durations extending over multiple, continuous video frames.

51. The method according to claim 40, wherein sensing the visual verification code signal includes sensing the colors of the visual verification code signal, and further comprising determining whether the colors of the visual content are correct based on the sensed colors of the visual verification code signal.

52. The method according to claim 40, further comprising verifying correctness of color of the display of the visual content based on the sensed visual verification code signal.

53. The method according to claim 40, further comprising verifying correctness of intensity of the display of the visual content based on the sensed visual verification code signal.

54. A method for verifying display of visual content displayed on an electronic visual display, said method comprising:

converting a digital verification code signal to a visual verification code signal, the digital verification code signal being representative of a verification code that identifies the visual content and including data to cause the visual verification code signal to be displayed in at least one predetermined color;

displaying the visual verification code signal with a visual content signal representative of the visual content on the electronic visual display in the at least one predetermined color;

sensing the visual verification code signal as displayed by the electronic visual display; and

verifying that the visual content was displayed and displayed with correct colors based on the sensed visual verification code signal.

55. The method according to claim 54, further comprising generating the digital verification code signal representative of the verification code.

56. The method according to claim 54, further comprising forming the visual verification code signal automatically, the visual verification code signal including a timestamp associated with time of day that the visual content signal is scheduled to be displayed.

57. The method according to claim 56, further comprising determining that the visual content was displayed at the correct time of day based on the sensed visual verification code.

58. The method according to claim 54, further comprising generating a timestamp representing the time of day that the visual content is displayed based on the sensed visual verification code signal.

59. The method according to claim 54, further comprising communicating data associated with determining the verification code across a network.

60. The method according to claim 54, wherein said converting includes:

receiving the digital verification code signal; and

generating a video signal to form the visual verification code signal.

61. The method according to claim 54, wherein displaying the visual verification code signal includes displaying the visual verification code signal with multiple regions simultaneously.

62. The method according to claim 61, wherein at least two of the regions of the displayed visual verification code signal are different composite colors displayed simultaneously.

63. The method according to claim 54, further comprising verifying correctness of intensity of the display of the visual content based on the sensed visual verification code signal.