The present invention generally relates to communication methods within content distribution environments and systems and, more particularly, to a method, apparatus and system for using mobile device identifiers, such as Electronic Serial Numbers (ESN) and Mobile Equipment Identifiers (MEID), for control and interaction within a content distribution playback environment.
Information and content distribution systems are used to provide information and content to a plurality of end systems. For example, in the advertising realm, providing in-store retail media content is becoming the most popular advertising medium in use today, with broadcast distribution being its primary means of content presentation. That is, in recent years retailers and the managers of public spaces have brought in video display systems for advertising use. In such systems, content is distributed by a server and received at receivers such as a respective set-top-box for each display or group of displays and associated speakers. Retailers use the displays and speakers to present their current offerings or sale information, while the public spaces sell time on the video displays and speakers to advertisers either national or local, knowing that large numbers of consumers will see the presentation.
However, as will be appreciated by those providing the advertising (i.e., either the content distribution environment or the product/service provider), the most effective advertising is preferably targeted to the particular viewer, for example, such that a presentation for a specific viewer is selected in such a way that the information about the offered product is a good match for the viewer(s) near the screen.
In order to implement this type of targeted deployment of advertising media, it is critical to uniquely identify the people near the screen or display device in the content distribution environment. One such unique means to specifically identify a potential or existing customer is to detect a mobile device identifier, such as the ESN or MEID, of their phone or mobile device and use that as a unique index or key to look up demographic or identity information about the person who owns the phone. Once this information is known, the advertising media can be selected and displayed accordingly.
Embodiments of the present invention address the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a method, apparatus and system for using a mobile device identifier, such as the ESN or MEID, of a mobile electronic device for control and interaction within a content distribution playback environment.
According to an embodiment, the method for communication in a content distribution environment includes detecting a mobile device identifier, such as the ESN or MEID, of a mobile device present within the content distribution environment, identifying demographic information related to a registered owner of the mobile device using the detected mobile device identifier information, and displaying media at display devices within the content distribution environment using the identified demographic information.
In another embodiment, the system for communication in a content distribution environment, includes at least one mobile device identifier detector configured to passively listen to broadcast signals from mobile devices within the content distribution environment and detect the mobile device identifier corresponding to each mobile device, and a server in signal communication with the at least one mobile device identifier detector. The server being configured to identify demographic information related to a registered owner of the mobile device using the detected mobile device identifier, and display media at a display device located within the content distribution environment using the identified demographic information.
The teachings of the present invention can be readily understood by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
It should be understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustrating the concepts of the invention and are not necessarily the only possible configuration for illustrating the invention. To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures.
The present invention advantageously provides a method, apparatus and system for using the mobile device identifier of a cell phone or other mobile device, for control and interaction within a content distribution (playback) environment. Although the present invention will be described primarily within the context of a retail advertising network environment using a detected Electronic Serial Number (ESN) for a mobile device, the specific embodiments of the present invention should not be treated as limiting the scope of the invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art and informed by the teachings of the present invention that the concepts of the present invention can be advantageously applied in substantially any content distribution environment using other communications means such as Bluetooth and using other mobile device identifiers such as a Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID).
The functions of the various elements shown in the figures can be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions can be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of which can be shared. Moreover, explicit use of the term “processor” or “controller” should not be construed to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software, and can implicitly include, without limitation, digital signal processor (“DSP”) hardware, read-only memory (“ROM”) for storing software, random access memory (“RAM”), and non-volatile storage. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future (i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure).
Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the block diagrams presented herein represent conceptual views of illustrative system components and/or circuitry embodying the principles of the invention. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable media and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.
The various embodiments of the present invention include using ESN information. For example, shoppers often have a cell phone or other mobile device having a unique ESN. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, an advantageous way to interact with the shopper is provided by detecting their presence in a media distribution environment (e.g., a retail location) using their mobile device ESN and coupling (i.e., linking) that user identification with other demographic information about the mobile device owner. A playback system (e.g., system 100) can then play an ad based on that information and the user's detected location within the retail location and/or on their uniquely identified mobile device.
Although in the system 100 of
In one embodiment of the present invention, the content distribution system 100 of
In one embodiment of the present invention, software for controlling the various elements of the in-store advertising network 200 and the content distribution system 100 can include a 32-bit operating system using a windowing environment (e.g., MS-Windows™ or X-Windows operating system) and high-performance computing hardware. The advertising network 200 can utilize a distributed architecture and provides centralized content management and distribution control via, in one embodiment, satellite (or other method, e.g., a wide-area network (WAN), the Internet, a series of microwave links, or a similar mechanism) and in-store modules.
As depicted in
A recording company 204 can be a record label, music publisher, licensing/publishing entity (e.g., BMI or ASCAP), individual artist, or other such source of music-related content. The recording company 204 provides audiovisual content such as music clips (short segments of recorded music), music video clips, and the like. The movie studio 206 can be a movie studio, a film production company, a publicist, or other source related to the film industry. The movie studio 106 can provide movie clips, pre-recorded interviews with actors and actresses, movie reviews, “behind-the-scenes” presentations, and similar content.
The other content provider 208 can be any other provider of video, audio or audiovisual content that can be distributed and displayed via, for example, the content distribution system 100 of
In one embodiment of the present invention, content is procured via the network management center 210 (NMC) using, for example, traditional recorded media (tapes, CD's, videos, and the like). Content provided to the NMC 210 is compiled into a form suitable for distribution to, for example, the local distribution system 100, which distributes and displays the content at a local site.
The NMC 210 can digitize the received content and provide it to a Network Operations Center (NOC) 220 in the form of digitized data files 222. It will be noted that data files 222, although referred to in terms of digitized content, can also be streaming audio, streaming video, or other such information. The content compiled and received by the NMC 210 can include commercials, bumpers, graphics, audio and the like. All files are preferably named so that they are uniquely identifiable. More specifically, the NMC 210 creates distribution packs that are targeted to specific sites, such as store locations, and delivered to one or more stores on a scheduled or on-demand basis. The distribution packs, if used, contain content that is intended to either replace or enhance existing content already present on-site (unless the site's system is being initialized for the first time, in which case the packages delivered will form the basis of the site's initial content). Alternatively, the files may be compressed and transferred separately, or a streaming compression program of some type employed.
The NOC 220 communicates digitized data files 222 to, in this example, the content distribution system 100 at a commercial sales outlet 230 via a communications network 225. The communications network 225 can be implemented in any one of several technologies. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, a satellite link can be used to distribute digitized data files 222 to the content distribution system 100 of the commercial sales outlet 230. This enables content to easily be distributed by broadcasting (or multicasting) the content to various locations. Alternatively, the Internet can be used to both distribute audiovisual content to and allow feedback from commercial sales outlet 230. Other ways of implementing communications network 225, such as using leased lines, a microwave network, or other such mechanisms can also be used in accordance with alternate embodiments of the present invention.
Referring back to
The server 110 of the content distribution system 100 receives content and creates various different streams (e.g., content channels) of text, audio, video and/or audio/video to be communicated to the various receivers throughout the store. The streams can be individual channels of text, modulated audio, video and/or audio/video onto a radio frequency distribution or transmitted as data flows within a unicast or multicast internet protocol (IP) network. These streams can originate from one or more servers under the same logical set of control software.
Referring back to
In one embodiment of the content distribution system 100 of
For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, a display 130 in proximity of a user whose mobile device identifier has been passively detected by the detector 135 can be identified. That is, in one embodiment of the present invention, each display or group of displays can be assigned a unique number to display to a user for use by the user whose presence has been detected through their mobile device identifier, such as an ESN or MEID.
In an alternate embodiment of the content distribution system 100 of
Referring to
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the ESN detector 135 of
In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, several detectors 135 can have predetermined ranges and can be distributed throughout a content distribution environment 100 such that the detector providing mobile device identifier information, such as ESN information, to the server 110 can be used to locate the mobile device user within the content distribution environment, and thereby identify the appropriate display device or devices 130 to send the appropriate advertising information.
For example,
Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the demographic information lookup based on the identified ESN can come from various sources. For example, the ESN/demographic information lookup could be obtained: 1) from business partnerships; 2) by purchase from outside providers; and/or 3) by internal databases storing previously obtained demographic information from a user's prior ESN identification within the particular content distribution environment.
Having described various embodiments for a method and system for using mobile device identifiers, such as Electronic Serial Numbers (ESN) and Mobile Equipment Identifiers (MEID), for control and interaction within a content distribution environment (which are intended to be illustrative and not limiting), it is noted that modifications and variations can be made by persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiments of the invention disclosed which are within the scope and spirit of the invention. While the forgoing is directed to various embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US10/02529 | 9/17/2010 | WO | 00 | 3/15/2013 |