System and Method for Synchronizing On-Air Commercial Programming with Interactive Applications

Number: 20220021926
Published: 2022-01-20
Filed: 2021-09-28
Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
Inventors: Cheng; Albert Hao
CPC: H04N21/4788; H04N21/4781; H04N21/4758; H04N21/8547; H04N21/8545; H04N21/242; H04N21/4784; H04N21/812; H04N21/8173; H04N7/52; H04N21/43074
Verdict: Set aside broadcast ad synchronization, business
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for the synchronizing on-air commercial programming with interactive applications, providing interactive content synchronized with on-air television programming. There is provided a system comprising a client device with a display device and an input device and running a synchronization application. The client device receives digital data transmitted from a server, and transmits user feedback information generated from user interactions with the digital data back to the server. The digital data are interactive advertisements, such as online social games, that increase users' awareness of the advertised products or messages. The digital data are delivered to the user's client device in synchronization with the broadcasting of on-air television commercials.

Background

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to interactive content. More particularly, the present invention relates to interactive content synchronized with on-air television programming. Background Art

Interactive television is well known in the art. Interactive television usually allows viewers to interact with the contents related to on-air television programming. For example, reality television shows and game shows are two types of television programming that allow viewers to interact via devices connected to the Internet to affect, for example, the outcome of the show by voting or other interactions. Devices providing on-air television interactivity may include mobile devices such as cell phones, general purpose computing devices such as laptop, desktop, or tablet PCs, integrated IPTVs hosting interactive applications such as Google TV, Direct TV, WebTV and other devices allowing viewers to interact with on-air television programming.

ETV is one well-known example of interactive television. ETV often requires viewers to have a computer connected to the World Wide Web and to be in proximity to a television. During the broadcast of on-air television programming, the user can access program specific Internet website that is synchronized to the on-air television programming, providing much deeper viewer engagement.

While interactive television programs can be a source of excitement for many viewers,

Claims

21: A method for use by a server for synchronizing an interactive social game with a transmission of an advertisement, the method comprising: receiving, by the server from each of a plurality of client devices over a network, information indicative of a beginning of the transmission of the advertisement after a transmission of a noncommercial programming, wherein the advertisement includes detectable audio or visual signals to indicate the beginning of the transmission of the advertisement to the plurality of client devices; starting, by the server in response to receiving the information from each of the plurality of client devices, the interactive social game, wherein the interactive social game is played on the plurality of client devices not receiving the transmission of the advertisement and the transmission of the noncommercial programming; terminating, by the server, the interactive social game being played on the plurality of client devices in synchronization with a return to the transmission of the noncommercial programming. || 26: A server for synchronizing an interactive social game with a transmission of an advertisement, the server comprising: a processor configured to: receive, from each of a plurality of client devices over a network, information indicative of a beginning of the transmission of the advertisement after a transmission of a noncommercial programming, wherein the advertisement includes detectable audio or visual signals to indicate the beginning of the transmission of the advertisement to the plurality of client devices; start, response to receiving the information from each of the plurality of client devices, the interactive social game, wherein the interactive social game is played on the plurality of client devices not receiving the transmission of the advertisement and the transmission of the noncommercial programming; terminate the interactive social game being played on the plural of client devices in synchronization with a return to the transmission of the noncommercial programming. || 31: A computing device for synchronizing an interactive social game with a reception of an advertisement, the computing device comprising: a display screen; the computing device configured to: determine a beginning of the reception of the advertisement after a reception of noncommercial programming being played on a first device, by detecting audio or visual signals in the advertisement indicative of the beginning of the reception of the advertisement; transmit, to a server over a network, information indicative of the beginning of the reception of the advertisement after reception of the noncommercial programming; in response to transmitting the information, receive an instruction from the server to start the interactive social game for playing the interactive social game by a user of the computing device not receiving the advertisement and the noncommercial programming; terminate the interactive social game being played by the user in synchronization with a return to the reception of the noncommercial programming by the first device.