System and method of voting via an interactive television system

• US 8,376,229 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howcroft, Jerald Robert, Piatt, Kathy Goode
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US13/609,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 161 Days
• Field of Search: 235/386, 463/1, 700/91
• US Class Current: 235/386
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A computer implemented method includes determining, at a first computing device associated with a network, a voting status associated with a second computing device that is coupled to the network to receive video content. The voting status is based on whether voting for the video content via the second computing device is prohibited. The method includes, in response to determining that the voting status indicates that voting is not prohibited, sending data related to a voting interface to the second computing device. The method includes receiving voting input (associated with the video content) from the second computing device via the voting interface and updating a voting record of the second computing device based on the voting input to indicate that the voting input has been received. The method includes sending a message to the second computing device indicating that the voting input was received from the second computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, at a first computing device associated with a network, a voting status associated with a second computing device that is coupled to the network to receive video content, the voting status based on whether voting for the video content via the second computing device is prohibited;

in response to determining that the voting status indicates that voting for the video content via the second computing device is not prohibited, sending data related to a voting interface to the second computing device;

receiving, at the first computing device, voting input from the second computing device via the voting interface, the voting input associated with the video content;

updating a voting record of the second computing device based on the voting input to indicate that the voting input associated with the video content has been received from the second computing device; and

sending a message to the second computing device indicating that the voting input associated with the video content was received from the second computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is an internet protocol television network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second computing device is a set-top box device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining that the voting status indicates that voting for the video content via the second computing device is prohibited, not sending the data related to the voting interface to the second computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein voting for the video content via the second computing device is prohibited when the first computing device has received previous voting input associated with the video content from the second computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising sending a second message to the second computing device indicating that the previous voting input associated with the video content was received from the second computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein voting for the video content via the second computing device is prohibited when voting is prohibited for a particular type of video content that includes the video content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein voting for the video content via the second computing device is prohibited when a user associated with the second computing device is prohibited from voting for the video content.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying payment information received from the second computing device, wherein voting for the video content via the second computing device is prohibited when the payment information does not match stored payment information associated with the second computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending a payment interface to the second computing device to receive the payment information.

11. A computing system comprising:

a processor; and

memory accessible to the processor, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform a method comprising;

determining a voting status associated with a computing device that is coupled to a network to receive video content, the voting status based on whether voting for the video content via the computing device is prohibited;

in response to determining that the voting status indicates that voting for the video content via the computing device is not prohibited, sending data related to a voting interface to the computing device;

receiving a voting input from the computing device via the voting interface, the voting input associated with the video content;

updating a voting record of the computing device based on the voting input to indicate that the voting input associated with the video content has been received from the computing device; and

sending a message to one or more devices associated with the computing device indicating that the voting input associated with the video content was received from the computing device.

12. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises identifying particular data within the video content that is sent to the computing device, wherein the particular data indicates a voting event related to the video content.

13. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the one or more devices include a second computing device, a voice-over internet protocol phone, or any combination thereof.

14. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises updating voting information related to the video content based on the voting input, wherein the voting input includes at least one voting selection associated with the video content.

15. The computing system of claim 14, wherein the voting information includes a tally of votes.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the tally of votes includes at least one of a highest vote recipient and a range of votes associated with voting recipients.

17. The computing system of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises sending the voting information related to the video content to at least one device that is not associated with the network.

18. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

memory accessible to the processor, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving data related to a voting interface from a computing system associated with a network, wherein the voting interface is sent in response to determining that the computing device is not prohibited from voting for video content that is received via the network;

receiving voting input via the voting interface from a remote control device, the voting input associated with the video content; and

send the voting input to the computing system, wherein the computing system sends a confirmation to one or more devices associated with the computing device, the confirmation indicating that the voting input was received by the computing system.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the computing device is a set-top box device and the computing system is a server.

20. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the voting interface includes a ballot interface and the voting input corresponds to at least one selection from the ballot interface.