Methods, systems, and products for evaluating performance of viewers

• US 8,468,556 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alphonso, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Matz, William R., Swix, Scott R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parry, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): MONTOYA, OSCHTA I
• Application Number:
  US11/820,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,190 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• 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 21/42213 for facilitating data entry
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• 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 21/44222 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 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for evaluating the performance of a viewer watching media programming. The media programming is received and includes at least one of a live media program and a recorded media program. Display is caused of the media programming and a cue. The cue prompts the viewer during presentation of the media programming to provide a response to the cue within a time period. Upon receiving the response to the cue within the time period, then the response is detected and a response time of the response is measured. The response time is a time between occurrence of the cue and receipt of the response. The viewer'"'"'s performance is evaluated by comparing the response time to a reference response time.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving media programming at a media delivery device;

generating prompts by a processor in the media delivery device;

simultaneously displaying multiple ones of the prompts during the media programming to prompt a viewer to provide responses;

simultaneously receiving multiple responses as sequences of actions in response to the multiple ones of the prompts;

determining a time when each action occurs in the sequences of actions;

comparing the sequences of actions to events;

determining an action in the sequences of actions matches one of the events;

determining a latency between the time of the one of the events and the time of the action; and

evaluating a performance of the viewer by comparing the latency to a reference response time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an incentive to the viewer based on evaluation of the performance of the viewer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the sequences of actions to a server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising disregarding the action when the latency exceeds the reference response time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting the prompts into the media programming.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising awarding an award based on the latency.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a personal identification number associated with the viewer that distinguishes the viewer from another viewer.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory for storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving media programming;

generating prompts;

simultaneously displaying multiple ones of the prompts during the media programming to prompt a viewer to provide responses;

simultaneously receiving multiple responses as sequences of actions in response to the multiple ones of the prompts;

determining a time when each action occurs in the sequences of actions;

comparing the sequences of actions to events;

determining an action in the sequences of actions matches one of the events;

determining a latency between the time of the one of the events and the time of the action; and

evaluating a performance of the viewer by comparing the latency to a reference response time.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise providing an incentive to the viewer based on the performance of the viewer.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending the latency to a server.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending the action to a destination.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise prompting the viewer to push a button.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise awarding an award based on the latency.

14. A computer readable memory storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving media programming;

generating prompts;

simultaneously displaying multiple ones of the prompts during the media programming to prompt a viewer to provide responses;

simultaneously receiving multiple responses as sequences of actions in response to the multiple ones of the prompts;

determining a time when each action occurs in the sequences of actions;

comparing the sequences of actions to events;

determining an action in the sequences of actions matches one of the events;

determining a latency between the time of the one of the events and the time of the action; and

evaluating a performance of the viewer by comparing the latency to a reference response time.

15. The computer readable memory of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise providing an incentive to the viewer based on the performance of the viewer.

16. The computer readable memory of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise sending the latency to a server.

17. The computer readable memory of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise sending the action to a destination.

18. The computer readable memory of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise prompting the viewer to push a button.