Dual channel presence detection and content delivery system and method

• US 8,806,530 B1
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Izdepski, Erich, Stone, M. Jeffrey, Ng, Sei Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Featherstone, Mark D
• Application Number:
  US12/107,762
• Time in Patent Office: 2,303 Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006

Abstract

A dual channel communication system for detecting customer presence is provided. The system comprises a fixed component configured to receive a media content over a first channel, at least one mobile component configured to receive a targeted content based on a media related to the media content over a second channel, and a service provider that sends the media content and the targeted content. The fixed component detects the mobile component presence within proximity range using a short range wireless connection.

Claims

1. A dual channel communication system for detecting customer presence comprising:

a fixed component configured to receive a media content over a primary channel, the fixed component further configured to detect a first mobile component presence within a proximity range of itself using a short range wireless connection and to detect a second mobile component presence within the proximity range using a short range wireless connection; and

a service provider configured to provide the media content to the fixed component over the primary channel, the service provider further configured to promote providing a first targeted content related to the media content to the first mobile component over a first secondary channel while the first mobile component is within the proximity range of the fixed component and to promote providing a second targeted content related to the media content and different from the first targeted content to the second mobile component over a second secondary channel while the second mobile component is within the proximity range of the fixed component, wherein at least one of the first targeted content and the second targeted content is a message comprising advertisements targeting a customer'"'"'s interest that is transmitted by the fixed component to at least one of the first mobile component and the second mobile component.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein detecting one of the first and second the mobile components presence within proximity range of the fixed component indicates the customer interest in the received media content over the first channel.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first targeted content and the second targeted content is a hyperlink to information about a commercial product related to the media content received by the fixed component over the first channel, and is transmitted by the fixed component to at least one of the first mobile component and the second mobile component.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first targeted content and the second targeted content is associated with a metatag embedded in the media content received by the fixed component over the first channel.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the fixed component receives the media content from the service provider over the first channel using a long range fixed connection.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the service provider transmits at least one of the first targeted content and the second targeted content to the fixed component and the fixed component transmits the at least one of the first targeted content and the second targeted content to one of the first mobile component and the second mobile component over one of the first secondary channel and the second secondary channel using a short range wireless connection.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the service provider transmits at least one of the first targeted content and the second targeted content to at least one of the first mobile component and the second mobile component using a long range wireless connection.

8. A method for detecting a customer device presence and dual channel content delivery, comprising:

delivering a program content over a first channel to a primary device;

playing the program content using the primary device;

detecting a first customer mobile device presence within proximity of the primary device;

detecting a second customer device presence within the proximity of the primary device

delivering a first targeted ad related to the program content over a first secondary channel to the first customer mobile device while the first customer mobile device is within the proximity of the primary device; and

delivering a second targeted ad related to the program content and different from the first targeted ad over a second secondary channel to the second customer mobile device while the second customer mobile device is within the proximity of the primary device, wherein at least one of the first targeted ad and the second targeted ad comprises a notification that is delivered to at least one of the first customer mobile device and the second customer mobile device by sending a message over at least one of the first secondary channel and the second secondary channel from the primary device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting the first and second customer mobile devices within proximity of the primary device is used to infer a first customer presence and second customer presence within proximity of the primary device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first targeted ad and the second targeted ad is delivered to at least one of the first customer mobile device and the second customer mobile device using a long range wireless connection when the at least one of the first customer mobile device and the second customer device is not detected within proximity of the primary device.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising detecting a customer action related to some program content, wherein the customer action is any action taken using the primary device controls while the program content is delivered to the primary device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first targeted ad and the second targeted ad is delivered to at least one of the first customer mobile device and the second customer mobile device when detecting the customer action related to some program content.