Method and system for coupons based on automatic content recognition

• US 9,027,049 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Turner Broadcasting System Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Turner Broadcasting System Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sinha, Nishith Kumar, Loheide, Donald Jude, Giles, Matthew Paul, Wolff-Ingham, Karl-Christian Sebastian, Amsbary, Paul Spencer
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US13/730,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20130205324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 725/19, 725/20, 725/42, 725/43, 725/23
• US Class Current: 725/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24558 Binary matching operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

An automatic content recognition (ACR)-enabled connected TV device may be operable to present an overlay offering a coupon utilizing an ACR system, where the overlay may also be presented on a paired device. The ACR-enabled connected TV device may present information associated with a value of the coupon based on interaction with the presented overlay by the viewer. The value of the coupon may be determined based on a profile associated with the ACR-enabled connected TV device. The profile may be determined and maintained utilizing the ACR system. The viewer may obtain the coupon associated with the value information from a microsite assigned to the viewer. The viewer may share information on a link of the microsite with one or more other viewers. The value of the coupon may change when one or more of the other viewers click on the link of the microsite to obtain the coupon.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

in an automatic content recognition (ACR)-enabled connected TV device which pairs with a paired device utilizing a companion application running on said paired device, wherein;

said ACR-enabled connected TV device comprises an ACR module that communicates with an ACR system that is external to said ACR-enabled connected TV device, and said ACR system comprises an abstraction layer that supports different video fingerprint technologies from multiple vendors;

said ACR module providing fingerprints to said ACR system for matching; and

said ACR module receiving information and/or content from the ACR system based on said matching;

presenting by said ACR module, to a viewer, an overlay offering a coupon utilizing an ACR system, wherein said overlay is also presented on said paired device;

presenting by said ACR module information associated with a value of said coupon based on interaction with said presented overlay by said viewer, wherein;

said value is determined based on a profile associated with said ACR-enabled connected TV device; and

said information associated with said value of said coupon is also presented on said paired device for said viewer to interact.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said profile is determined and maintained utilizing said ACR system; and

said profile comprises shopping habit and/or location associated with said ACR-enabled connected TV device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said viewer obtains said coupon associated with said value information from a microsite assigned to said viewer.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said viewer shares information on a link of said microsite with one or more other viewers utilizing social websites and/or emails.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said value of said coupon changes, up to a certain value, when one or more of said other viewers click on said link of said microsite to obtain said coupon.

6. The method according to claim 3, comprising:

associating a loyalty card and/or a first mobile communication device being used as a loyalty card with said ACR-enabled connected TV device utilizing a camera in or associated with said ACR-enabled connected TV device and/or a camera in or associated with said paired device; and

assigning said coupon to said loyalty card and/or said first mobile communication device.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein when said coupon has been stored in a second mobile communication device, said second mobile communication device provides a route or map for obtaining a product associated with said coupon in a store.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

a virtual map of a location of said product in said store is generated by scanning a bar code for said product during stocking; and

said second mobile communication device interacts with a wireless network in said store to identify said location of said product associated with said coupon.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said overlay comprises a scavenger hunt, and said viewer is presented with said information associated with said value of said coupon when one or more items have been identified in said scavenger hunt.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said one or more items comprise product placements in programs, movies and/or commercials.

11. A system, comprising:

an automatic content recognition (ACR)-enabled connected TV device which pairs with a paired device utilizing a companion application running on said paired device, wherein;

said ACR-enabled connected TV device comprises an ACR module that communicates with an ACR system that is external to said ACR-enabled connected TV device, and said ACR system comprises an abstraction layer that supports different video fingerprint technologies from multiple vendors;

said ACR module providing fingerprints to said ACR system for matching; and

said ACR module receiving information and/or content from the ACR system based on said matching;

said ACR-enabled connected TV device being operable to;

present by said ACR module, to a viewer, an overlay offering a coupon utilizing an ACR system, wherein said overlay is also presented on said paired device;

present by said ACR module information associated with a value of said coupon based on interaction with said presented overlay by said viewer, wherein;

said value is determined based on a profile associated with said ACR-enabled connected TV device; and

said information associated with said value of said coupon is also presented on said paired device for said viewer to interact.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein:

said profile is determined and maintained utilizing said ACR system; and

said profile comprises shopping habit and/or location associated with said ACR-enabled connected TV device.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said viewer obtains said coupon associated with said value information from a microsite assigned to said viewer.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said viewer shares information on a link of said microsite with one or more other viewers utilizing social websites and/or emails.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said value of said coupon changes, up to a certain value, when one or more of said other viewers click on said link of said microsite to obtain said coupon.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein said ACR-enabled connected TV device is operable to:

associate a loyalty card and/or a first mobile communication device being used as a loyalty card with said ACR-enabled connected TV device utilizing a camera in or associated with said ACR-enabled connected TV device and/or a camera in or associated with said paired device; and

assign said coupon to said loyalty card and/or said first mobile communication device.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein when said coupon has been stored in a second mobile communication device, said second mobile communication device provides a route or map for obtaining a product associated with said coupon in a store.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein:

a virtual map of a location of said product in said store is generated by scanning a bar code for said product during stocking; and

said second mobile communication device interacts with a wireless network in said store to identify said location of said product associated with said coupon.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said overlay comprises a scavenger hunt, and said viewer is presented with said information associated with said value of said coupon when one or more items have been identified in said scavenger hunt.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said one or more items comprise product placements in programs, movies and/or commercials.

21. A system, comprising:

an automatic content recognition (ACR) system comprising;

a fingerprint matching system;

a plurality real-time fingerprint servers;

wherein;

the finger print matching system is communicatively coupled to the plurality of real-time fingerprint servers; and

said ACR system comprises an abstraction layer that interfaces with the plurality real-time fingerprint servers to support different video fingerprint technologies from multiple vendors; and

an ACR-enabled connected TV device comprising an ACR module, wherein said ACR-enabled connected TV device;

is communicatively coupled to said ACR system;

pairs with a paired device utilizing a companion application running on said paired device;

presents, by said ACR module, to a viewer, an overlay offering a coupon utilizing an ACR system, wherein said overlay is also presented on said paired device; and

presents, by said ACR module, information associated with a value of said coupon based on interaction with said presented overlay by said viewer, wherein;

said value is determined based on a profile associated with said ACR-enabled connected TV device; and

said information associated with said value of said coupon is also presented on said paired device for said viewer to interact.