Patent Application
20130139195
The invention relates to situations where groups of people have similar or common interests but limited time and limited facilities for finding and capturing information of common interest and need a method of assisting one another for the common good. One specific example involves the finding and decoding of QR codes, bar codes, Scanable Icons (“SI”), or other graphical codes in video images which in many cases results in storing and/or cataloging coupons or information about products or other information. In this document, the term “SI” shall mean any or all of QR codes, bar codes or other graphical codes in video images. That certain pending utility patent application titled “System for Scannable Icon Detection and Management” filed Jul. 23, 2012, U.S. Ser. No. 13/555,757, which is incorporated herein by this reference, discloses certain systems and methods for capturing, processing and using such codes and, among other things, describes Scanable Icons.
Receivers of video and other information tune to or accept one signal at a time. In some cases, a receiver, usually with recording capability, might have several tuners or the ability to receive and decode several signals at the same time, one signal optionally for viewing, another signal possibly for a “Picture-In-Picture”, PIP, feature, with some or all of such signals for optionally recording. But even in these cases the number of simultaneous programs and the number of signals simultaneously available on cable, satellite, broadcast, and other media is huge in comparison. Conventionally, users do not attempt to acquire QR code information using a conventional optical path such as a smartphone camera when such programming is presented to them such as on a monitor. Among other factors making such optical path QR code acquisition impracticable, by the time the user is aware of the QR code and is able to actuate her smartphone for acquisition, the QR code is gone from the screen. Additionally, even if it were practicable for a user to do such conventional optical path QR acquisition, the user is typically supplied with only one or at most several screen presentations for only one channel or a handful of programming channels at a time, thus making it likely that the user may miss some relevant QR codes in other programming channels. This is a major deficiency in the prior art. Not until there is a more organized and comprehensive way to acquire, store and process information from QR codes that are contained in programming channels does it become possible realistically to address how such information may be captured, processed and shared among various users according to, for example, their interests.
A further problem with the prior art is that Multi Channel Video Providers, MCVPs, are limited in their ability to attract significant numbers of viewers to advertisements because there are so many programs being offered at the same time and because there is so much competition for viewers. This limits the revenue they can generate from their advertisements. The term MCVP is intended to include any service or method that provides multiple programs by any technology.
A goal of certain embodiments of the invention is to overcome the deficiency in the prior art that limits SI access to those in just one or in some cases, two video streams at a time. Certain embodiments of the invention create networks of elements, called client elements, which are coordinated by another element, called a control Element to overcome this deficiency. These elements can be embodied in set top boxes, adapters, television receivers, computers, laptops, iPads, iPods, video games, and other such devices. This network of client elements and a control element is organized to search out and capture and share SIs suitable to the area of interest of the members of the network. The term network can be defined as simply an interconnection of elements in a manner that enables the elements to communicate with each other, either directly element to element or indirectly through relaying communications thru paths that include other elements. Certain networks according to the invention consist of elements which share a common area of interest. A client element can participate in more than one network.
Devices of certain embodiments of the invention provide SI capture and processing in accordance with, for example, that certain pending utility patent application titled “System for Scannable Icon Detection and Management” filed Jul. 23, 2012, U.S. Ser. No. 13/555,757, which is incorporated herein by this reference. That document discloses certain systems and methods for capturing, processing and using such codes and, among other things, describes Scanable Icons. According to embodiments of the invention disclosed in this document, users can share information obtained from such systems and processes according to their various areas of interest, in order, for example, to ensure that SI information is obtained from more programming channels or otherwise to leverage the processing power of multiple such systems.
According to some embodiments of the invention, devices for capturing, processing and using SI include devices which can include at least one signal receiver, which can be, for example, a set top box (STB) or a digital video recorder (DVR). Such STB's and/or DVR's (or other receiving equipment) may include conventional STB, DVR or other receiving/video processing and storage functionality. Additionally, each such receiver can include functionality according to pending utility patent application titled “System for Scannable Icon Detection and Management” filed Jul. 23, 2012, U.S. Ser. No. 13/555,757. Each such equipment can constantly search for barcodes, graphical codes or other information in the signal it is tuned to and, if it has multiple tuners, the search proceeds in the other signals as well. When the device is in an “off state,” it merely appears to be “off” to the user. Some appropriate portion of the electronics can be powered and the search can continue. This is done in normal practice so that the device can continue to receive control signals from the operator and can be polled to determine whether purchases have been made. Clearly, if power is removed and the circuits are without energy, this cannot proceed. This mode of operation can be considered a process of “going hunting” or “going fishing”. As the receiver detects graphical codes or other information, it can catalog the time, channel (or other signal identification) and the size and location in the screen of any graphical codes. This allows the receiver to learn where best to look. This search can be managed with persistence similar to the viewing habits of the user. This may be considered analogous to identifying “favorite fishing holes”. In this way, the receiver becomes more efficient at finding graphical codes or other information.
Some embodiments of the invention can implement expiration dates to flush information out of memory that becomes stale. This is especially important in cases where memory is more limited, such as in STBs that don't have hard drives.
According to some embodiments of the invention, such devices for capturing, processing and using SI can include functionality (“client element”) for sharing such information with other users. Such client elements, which can correspond to users, may be connected to each other and/or otherwise connected via a cable network, the Internet, or otherwise. Their operation may be coordinated using functionality (“control element”) that communicates with and helps manage each client element. control elements may be located in a user's equipment, at a central facility or as otherwise desired. Both client elements and control elements may be implemented wholly or partially in software in already-existing equipment of users or others.
In some embodiments, the memory in client elements can be implemented with a tagging system to indicate which items have been reviewed and considered of interest to the viewer. This can be either a binary indication of interest or a multi-level indication of priority of interest. Either method will help focus future searches. Even information that is considered to be of little or no interest is important because that also can help focus future searches away from such information.
According to some embodiments, groups of users with common interest can share information captured by their client elements, according to the area or areas of their common interest (“Areas of Interest” or “AOIs”). The Areas of Interest could be based on topic, geographic areas (by ZIP code, telephone area code, location on a cable television node), members of organizations (churches, lodges, clubs, etc.), amateur radio clubs, graduates from the same college department (even the same year), or other subjects of common interest. Members of these groups can belong to multiple groups. The client elements of such members can share information with one another, preferably as managed by the control element. This arrangement, among other things, ameliorates or even solves the “one tuner at a time” problem. Statistically, the equipment and client elements of group members cover the program streams or channels that would be of common interest. As time proceeds, the collection of users can “learn” where to look and where to find items of common interest.
According to some embodiments, third parties such as advertisers may take advantage of these groups and feed into them information that matches the AOI of the group. Advertisers may be invited into a group if the advertisement matches the AOI or may be invited out of the group if the advertisements clash with the AOI.
In some embodiments, third party organizations having common interests or AOI's that correspond to a group's AOI can feed information into these groups, again being either invited in or invited out. These third party organizations can directly provide information to the groups of receiving devices or alert the devices of an advertisement beginning on a particular channel or other signal stream sufficiently early so that the graphical code or other information can be captured. For example, a parent's organization (perhaps organized by a church or similar organization) may suggest products and programs suitable (whitelisted) or unsuitable (blacklisted) for children, perhaps by age group. Similarly, automobile clubs may direct and seed receivers of members to advantageously find information of interest. A wide variety of interest groups can, in some embodiments, form organizations that assist those of common interest in finding and capturing information of interest.
Conventional technology includes systems that can conduct certain types of pattern recognition of commercials for the purpose of ensuring they “played,” and for making reports to the advertisers that such airing actually occurred. In such systems, large banks of tuners and processors monitor all channels and catalog the playing of the commercials. This pattern recognition focuses on patterns of light in prescribed areas on the screen. Such systems can be utilized in certain embodiments of the invention to generate alerts to receivers that an advertisement with a graphical code has begun on a particular channel. That alert can be in sufficient time to ensure detection of the graphical code which plays a bit later in the commercial. Such systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,518 issued Jan. 16, 1996 to Hunter et al. titled “Electronic Media Program and Choice,” which patent is incorporated by this reference, at column 2, beginning at line 5.
Other organizations can gather and provide feedback to advertisers, either for a fee or because they have been supported by an organization of advertisers. This feedback would encourage practices that are effective and discourage those which are not. One example of the benefit of such activity is that the size and location of graphical codes would tend to become standardized since those would be more likely to be captured. Such feedback can be generated in client elements and/or control elements according to certain embodiments of the invention.
MCVP operators are plagued by massive dilution of advertisement utilization because of the huge number of programs offered and by the competition between providers. SI codes involve Internet access of additional information which can be tracked to demonstrate efficacy and/or efficiency of advertising. Certain embodiments of the invention increase the number of viewings of SIs. More SIs are found by monitoring multiple video streams and more SIs are viewed by distributing the results of the searches to the members of the area of interest. This will be of significant value to MCVP operators who use SIs in a manner consistent with the present invention.
Some embodiments of the invention can take the form of an “application,” or to use current terminology, an “app”. This software can be made available for user downloading into receivers. The receivers can have hard drives of significant size or solid state versions with no moving parts. This facilitates relatively large collections of information and the ability to share that information with others as well as to share in the information gathered by others.
A “video signal” is an analog or digital signal which contains information that is intended to ultimately result in a visual image, either stationary or moving. It may also include information which ultimately results in sound and other functions, but the ultimate visual image is the primary purpose. The signal may have any of a variety of forms which include but are not limited to electrical, radio frequency, optical, and mechanical vibrations. The signal may be stored in magnetic form, as electrical charges, or in any other form of storage. “Television” means vision at a distance. This is similar to “telephone” which means sound at a distance. As such, a “television signal” (which can also be analog or digital) and a “video signal” can in many circumstances be considered as essentially the same. “Programming” and “programs” are a sequence or stream of video signals or television signals intended to be of interest to viewers. This is not to be confused with computer programming and programs. The context makes the difference clear.
An optional Internet connection feature has become common in STBs and television receivers for the reception of programming conveyed over the Internet. This programming has been called “over the top” and includes Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, YouTube, and other providers of programming. Some of that programming is advertiser supported and others are offered by subscription. The TiVo Premiere (http://www.tivo.com/products/tivo-premiere/index.html) is such a STB. It uses the Ethernet to connect to a subscriber's cable modem or other Internet connection. An optional Wi-Fi dongle is available and even an external telephone modem can be purchased.
Of course, the TiVo Premiere STB does not have elements 305, 307, and 309 for detecting, decoding, and processing SIs. Those elements instead are part of this embodiment of the invention. However, the TiVo Premiere does support downloading of software and could have elements 305, 307, and 309 installed by software download, as could other functionality according to certain embodiments of the invention as desired.
The SI Processor 309 can store SIs in a Library, can drop and add more appropriate SIs, or simply delete expired or inappropriate SIs. According to certain embodiments of the invention, an internet connection can be included for the purpose of acting upon the information in the SI.
Present day MCVPs provide hundreds of simultaneous programs. Additionally most viewers have choices between multiple competing MCVPs. Over a period of time, the number of programs and the potential for SIs seems countless. However, by connecting receivers into networks, a meaningful harvesting of SIs can be accomplished, far beyond what would be individually possible. As the number of networked receivers increases, the coverage of the available SIs increases dramatically. Other embodiments of the invention leverage such connections by connecting multiple users for cooperation for their common benefit.
The control element is preferably embodied in software;
The control element is a software application which can run in the SI Processor, 309; it can also run on similar SI Processors in other embodiments, or on a separate Internet-connected computer or server. Referring to
a and 5b are flow diagrams for an embodiment of the control element operating on the server or any of the apparatus of
The client element is a software application which can run in the receiver processor 835 (shown in
c is the flow chart for processes carried out according to some embodiments of a client element that may be found, for example, in any apparatus of
The client element selects the SIs pertaining to the area of interest. This can be accomplished in several ways. The crudest way is by a self-selecting process. Those invited to join the area of interest group will have similar interests and watch more programming pertaining to that area of interest than the average viewer. Thus more of the SIs captured by the client will pertain to the area of interest. However, this will result in a significant portion of SIs that are not in the area of interest. This process can be improved by noting which SIs are acted upon by the member of the group, i.e. which ones the viewer uses to access more information. Still further improvement can be implemented by a “thumbs up/thumbs down” or similar voting scheme acted upon by the viewer. An additional method is to have a few key words pertaining to the area of interest. Those key words are communicated from the controller to the client. The client element can use key word search techniques on the information in the SI or in the information retrieved by using the SI. These techniques can be used to select SIs for adding to the library of SIs. As these techniques gain greater usage, creators of SIs will actively include appropriate key words to increase the rate of capture.
Because each client element and each control element are connected to the Internet, they each have an Internet address. A wide variety of Internet communication protocols are known in the art and can be implemented for communication. These Internet messages may be sent individually in either direction between client and controller or some messages may be sent in a one-to-many form; i.e. broadcast.
Signals are provided by a MCVP 000, and are introduced to a combiner, 617, which enables upstream communication from the processor 627 of the DVR. Splitter 619 divides the MCVP signal and delivers the signal to each of multiple tuners, 521{a . . . n} and also to processor 627. The tuners select one channel's portion of the frequency spectrum and presents it to the detector/demultiplexer/encoder 623{1 . . . n}. The signal is then demodulated and thereby converted to baseband frequencies; i.e. from zero frequency to the upper limit of the signal's frequencies. The signal provided by the MCVP may be analog or digital or a mixture of some of each. Digital signal streams are demultiplexed in element 623 to select only one program for delivery to the recorder, 625. Analog signals must be converted to digital with the encoder function of 623 before they can be recorded by recorder 625. Recorder 625 is typically a very large capacity hard drive. However, as semiconductor memory continues to decline in price, the day may come when the mechanical hard drive is replaced with circuits having no moving parts. Most of the elements of
When the viewer wishes to watch a program, the signal is read from the recorder 625 and converted by decoder 629 {a, b} to a form suitable for display on a monitor 601. Alternatively, the signal may go thru a modulator, 631, to a television receiver 633. Many television receivers also have monitor-like signal input ports. The DVR usually has at least two tuners and associated circuitry to allow the user to watch one program while recording another program. Usually, the watched program is also simultaneously recorded so that the viewer can “rewind” back to earlier parts of the program or pause it to attend to some distraction. Some monitors 601 and TV receivers 633 may optionally have a picture-in-picture feature which would best be used with a separate signal source. As integrated circuit tuners have become available, multiple tuner DVRs have become common. This is particularly cost effective if the MCVP signal is digital. In that case, it is suitable for digital recording without the need to convert from analog signals to digital.
The Internet connection 611 to the Internet 613 is commonly used to provide video signals via Internet Protocol as previously discussed with reference to
The details of operation of the device of
One of ordinary skill will appreciate that processor #1827, processor #2835, and the SI Processors 809{a . . . n} could be combined into one or more processors and do not have to remain separate. They are depicted here as separate for convenience of evolving the configuration in a more easily understood manner.
It is noted that all of these processors can have access to the recorder, 825. This is a huge memory which enables many alternative ways of signal processing. In particular, the SI Library can be stored on the recorder 825 by using a small proportion of its capacity. Additionally, as SIs are located or even as SIs are suspected, they can be temporarily stored on recorder 825 and then processed more carefully in non-real time.
One of ordinary skill will understand that the term STB can equally apply to hardware and/or software built into television receivers, DVRs, computers, iPads, games and other such devices. The control element will know which STBs are in use and which are in an “off” state through messages from the respective client elements. STBs in an “off” state can still be internally active and searching for information. But now the control element can issue instructions to the STBs as to which channels to monitor for information to collect. This minimizes STB duplication and ensures that the maximum number of channels is monitored. In the case of multiple tuner STBs, the tuners that are not used for other purposes, such as recording one signal while watching another, can also be under the control of the controlling element. In the case where more than one area of interest is in operation simultaneously, a given receiver will be controlled on a first-come-first-served basis. Alternatively, a priority can be implemented.
An illustrative example of a priority method is for the client elements to report to the control element which programs and/or channels are watched and how often by the members of the area of interest. This information can be sent anonymously, protecting the privacy of individual members of the area of interest group. This information can be complied and used to create a priority list of programs and/or channels to monitor for SIs.
The control element 1275 can fundamentally be a processor which has memory 1277 associated with it. This processor can be implemented in a separate computer or server or can be implemented as part of the same devices that implement client elements. Those devices can optionally run both client element software and control element software at the same time. But preferably only one control element software operates in any one area of interest network. The control element can be implemented as software downloaded as an application or installed at the time of manufacture. In essence, the control element can be programmed in this manner to, as one example, implement the process flow disclosed in process flow diagrams included in this document. The control element 1275 may optionally be connected to a variety of third parties including but not limited to Advertisers 1281, Cable Operators 1283, DBS operators 1285 and others. The connections to third parties may be direct as shown in
Area of Interest information 1287 is created by an individual or group of individuals and can propagate via invitations to join sent on the Internet 1213 to known individuals who share that interest. Those who accept the invitation have the client element software downloaded and are asked to invite others who might also be interested. In this manner, the group grows for example, as shown in the flow chart previously disclosed.
User Presentation Functionality enables the presentation to users of the results of the search for SIs relating to the area of interest. Each client element 1235n captures SIs in the area of interest and conveys them to the control element 1275 which assembles them in memory as a data base. The results can be presented to users by communication from the control element 1275 to each client element 1235n. This communication can be one to one individually to each client element 1235n or can be via a broadcast communication wherein the control element 1275 communicates simultaneously to all client elements 1235n in the area of interest. As previously disclosed in
An optional reporting functionality 1279 can be implemented to issue reports from the control element 1275 or the presentation functionality 1289 of various types of information of value to third parties via the Internet 1213 or by other communications technologies. A third party may find a report about a user's selection of SI information valuable. The report can optionally identify the user so that follow-up action can be implemented, for example, a sales call. Alternatively, statistics about the number of users who select a given SI may be anonymously accumulated to the value of, for example, an advertiser. Another report of interest is the confirmation that an SI has appeared in a video signal, verifying, for example, that a contractual obligation has been satisfied. A further report of interest consists of the context in which the SI is detected. For example, the time, the channel, or the physical location of the SI within the video can be of value to third parties such as, for example, designers of higher performance systems to detect SIs in video. In general, metadata is “data about data”. That is, metadata includes but is not limited to details about the data format, timing, location, content, Internet addresses of the client elements and/or control element, identification of the users, area of interest of the group of client elements that detected the SI and other such information. This information can be of value to third parties and can be a source of revenue.
It is clear from the structure of
Areas of interest may be created by one or more users who wish to access more SIs pertaining to their interest area than can be accomplished just in their personal viewing time. By forming a network of other users, greater coverage of information can be accomplished since SIs are captured by the group in video not monitored by each individual user. Alternatively, a third party may supply an area of interest to the control element 1275 based on inferences about users' preferences supplied by companies that gather consumer information based on, for example, past purchases, membership in loyalty groups, inferences about household income based on zip code, and the like.
It may be important to protect privacy by not identifying channels and times of receivers in use and only identifying channels and times of found information when the receiver is “off” and in control of the controlling element. This would also apply to the multiple tuners that are not in use by the people in the location where the receiver is based. In that way, no information concerning what is being watched would be collected. Other methods of protecting privacy could be considered if it becomes necessary.
Of course, if it becomes desirable to collect information about what is being watched, viewers can be given the options to agree (opt-in), perhaps with some reward for their cooperation. This information can be collected anonymously.
Other embodiments can include implementation of applications or “apps” on portable devices such as cell phones or tablets. In those cases, geographic information from GPS or cell phone tower triangulation techniques can be factored into the decision process of which information to capture and which to ignore.
The multiple receivers and portable devices can be in contact with each other through the Internet, communication over cable, or any other appropriate method of communication.
The above described embodiments of the invention are intended to be illustrative only. Numerous alternative embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the following claims.
Reference is made to the following three provisional U.S. patent applications: (1) provisional patent application titled “Method for More Efficient Collecting of Information” filed Oct. 14, 2011, U.S. Ser. No. 61/627,619; (2) provisional patent application titled “Method for More Efficient Collecting of Information” filed Jun. 19, 2012, U.S. Ser. No. 61/690,097; and (3) provisional patent application titled “System for Scannable Icon Detection and Management” filed Jun. 19, 2012, U.S. Ser. No. 61/690,104. Reference is also made to that certain U.S. utility patent application titled “System for Scanable Icon Detection and Management” filed Jul. 23, 2012, U.S. Ser. No. 13/555,757. These four documents are incorporated herein by this reference, and priority to these four documents is claimed herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61627619 | Oct 2011 | US | |
| 61690097 | Jun 2012 | US | |
| 61690104 | Jun 2012 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13555757 | Jul 2012 | US |
| Child | 13650425 | US |
