System and method for enabling advertisement interaction with an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10509558-B2
Application number	US-201715836270-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2017
Priority date	Dec 8, 2017
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

In accordance with an embodiment, described herein is a system and method for enabling advertisement interaction with an electronic device, for use in a digital media content environment. A media device includes a touch-sensitive display screen, and user interface that enables access to a stored media application. During the streaming of media content from a media server, an audio advertisement or other type of advertisement can be inserted into a stream, for playback at the media device. Using playback controls provided either by the user interface, or by a headphones, headset, or other type of device, a user can interact with the advertisement (even if the user interface is locked), by performing a defined gesture, which, if received at the media application during a defined time period associated with the advertisement, is interpreted as a signal to select or otherwise interact with the advertisement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for enabling advertisement interaction with an electronic device, for use in a digital media content environment, comprising:
a media device having a processor, operating system, user interface, and media application that enables playback of a stream of media content at the media device;
wherein the media device operates with a headphones or headset device having playback controls for controlling playback of the stream of media content using the media device;
wherein the media application is configured to:
associate particular operations of one or more playback controls at the headphones or headset device with defined gestures, wherein each defined gesture is associated with a time threshold within which a combination of the playback controls must be applied in order for the gesture to be recognized,
receive, from the operating system, during playing of an advertisement inserted into the stream for playback at the media device, an indication of an operation of the one or more playback controls at the headphones or headset device,
determine whether the operation of the one or more playback controls at the headphones or headset device, as indicated by the operating system, is:
(a) a particular defined gesture, as indicated by receipt of the one or more playback controls within the time threshold, and
(b) received at the media application during a defined time period associated with the playing advertisement,

if the operation of the one or more playback controls determined to be the particular defined gesture is received at the media application during the defined time period associated with the advertisement playing at the media device, then determining that the operation of the one or more playback controls is indicative of selection of the advertisement, and performing a first functionality associated therewith, and
otherwise performing a regular functionality associated with the operation of the one or more playback controls.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the particular defined gesture is a skip action, and the indication of the operation of the one or more playback controls at the headphones or headset device, and associated with the particular defined gesture, is passed by the operating system to the media application, for use by the media application in determining whether the particular defined gesture is received during the defined time period associated with the advertisement playing at the media device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is configured to be locked, and wherein the indication of the operation of the one or more playback controls at the headphones or headset device, and associated with the particular defined gesture, is communicated from the operating system to the media application while the user interface is locked.

4. The system of claim 1 , whereupon determining that the operation of the one or more playback controls is indicative of selection of the advertisement, the media application causes an indication of a media content that is associated with the advertisement to be placed in a queue data structure at the media application, for playback at the media device.

5. A method of enabling advertisement interaction with an electronic device, for use in a digital media content environment, comprising:
providing, at a media device having a processor, operating system, and user interface, a media application that enables playback of a stream of media content at the media device;
wherein the media device operates with a headphones or headset device having playback controls for controlling playback of the stream of media content using the media device;
wherein the media application is configured to:
associate particular operations of one or more playback controls at the headphones or headset device with defined gestures, wherein each defined gesture is associated with a time threshold within which a combination of the playback controls must be applied in order for the gesture to be recognized,
receive, from the operating system, during playing of an advertisement inserted into the stream for playback at the media device, an indication of an operation of the one or more playback controls at the headphones or headset,
determine whether the operation of the one or more playback controls at the headphones or headset device, as indicated by the operating system, is:
(a) a particular defined gesture, as indicated by receipt of the one or more playback controls within the time threshold, and
(b) received at the media application during a defined time period associated with the playing advertisement,

if the operation of the one or more playback controls determined to be the particular defined gesture is received at the media application during the defined time period associated with the advertisement playing at the media device, then determining that the operation of the one or more playback controls is indicative of selection of the advertisement, and performing a first functionality associated therewith, and
otherwise performing a regular functionality associated with the operation of the one or more playback controls.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the particular defined gesture is a skip action, and the indication of the operation of the one or more playback controls at the headphones or headset device, and associated with the particular defined gesture, is passed by the operating system to the media application, for use by the media application in determining whether the particular defined gesture is received during the defined time period associated with the advertisement playing at the media device.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the user interface is configured to be locked, and wherein the indication of the operation of the one or more playback controls at the headphones or headset device, and associated with the particular defined gesture, is communicated from the operating system to the media application while the user interface is locked.

8. The method of claim 5 , whereupon determining that the operation of the one or more playback controls is indicative of selection of the advertisement, the media application causes an indication of a media content that is associated with the advertisement to be placed in a queue data structure at the media application, for playback at the media device.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, including instructions stored thereon which when read and executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform the steps comprising:
providing, at a media device having a processor, operating system, and user interface, a media application that enables playback of a stream of media content at the media device;
wherein the media device operates with a headphones or headset device having playback controls for controlling playback of the stream of media content using the media device;
wherein the media application is configured to:
associate particular operations of one or more playback controls at the headphones or headset device with defined gestures, wherein each defined gesture is associated with a time threshold within which a combination of the playback controls must be applied in order for the gesture to be recognized,
receive, from the operating system, during playing of an advertisement inserted into the stream for playback at the media device, an indication of an operation of the one or more playback controls at the headphones or headset device,
determine whether the operation of the one or more playback controls at the headphones or headset device, as indicated by the operating system, is:
(a) a particular defined gesture, as indicated by receipt of the one or

Assignees

• Spotify Ab

Inventors

• Chen Edward
• Cohen Simon
• Horned Carl

Classifications

• G11B27/34

  Indicating arrangements  {(indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D)} · CPC title

• H04L65/1089

  by adding media; by removing media · CPC title

• H04L65/1059

  End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication · CPC title

• G06F3/0219

  Special purpose keyboards · CPC title

• G06F3/0488 Primary

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title