Networked public multi-screen content delivery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017289596-A1
Application number	US-201615087832-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2016
Publication date	Oct 5, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Interactive, multimedia content is presented on multiple display devices in public areas. The display device includes components for recognizing users in viewing areas and selecting content to present the recognized users. Content may be specifically tailored for the recognized users, and the content may be split up into mini-episodes that are displayed across disparate public display devices. As the users are detected at the different display devices, the mini-episodes of content may be presented in a sequential manner, such that a first mini-episode is played at on a first display device, a second mini-episode is play on a second display device, and so on until the content is entirely played. User interactions to the presented content may also be captured and used in future content selections.

First claim

1 . An apparatus for identifying users in a public area and presenting targeted content, the apparatus comprising:
a first presentation device having a first viewing area in a first public area; memory storing instructions for identifying content to be presented to the at least one user; and one or more processors programmed for:
recognizing one or more physical characteristics of at least one user in a first plurality of users identified within a first viewing area of a first public display device,
receiving, over a network, content to present through the first presentation device, the content being selected based on the recognized one or more physical characteristics of the at least one user and based on other content previously presented to the at least one user recognized in a second group of users at a second presentation device having a separate viewing area than the first presentation device, wherein the first presentation device and the second presentation device areas are located in one or more public areas, and
presenting, to the at least one user through the first presentation device, the received content selected based on the recognized one or more physical characteristics of the at least one user and the other content previously presented to the at least one user at the second presentation device.

2 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a camera for capturing an image of the user while in the area.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is programmed for executing a facial recognition module to recognize a face of the at least one user.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured for recognizing two or more users in the area and selecting the content for presentation based on the common characteristics of the two or more users in the area.

5 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third presentation device having a third viewing area in the one or more public areas; wherein the processor is configured for recognizing the at least one user in the third viewing area at a different time; and a second processor programmed for:
recognizing the at least one user in the third viewing area at a later time than the received content was previously presented to the user through the first presentation device,
accessing a user profile of the recognized at least one user,
selecting a second piece of content to present to the at least one user based on the user profile and the received content presented to the user on the first presentation device, and
presenting the second piece of content to the at least one user through the third presentation device during the later time.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed for identifying a common characteristic among a plurality of users in the viewing area.

7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further programmed for identifying a common characteristic among a threshold number of users as a subset of the plurality of users in the viewing area.

8 . The device of claim 6 further comprising a plurality of presentation devices, wherein the processor is further programmed for updating content on at least one of the plurality of presentation devices based upon a threshold number of users recognized nearest to the at least one of the plurality of presentation devices.

9 . A method for controlling the display of content on public display devices based on recognized users in an area, the method comprising:
recognizing one or more physical characteristics of at least one user in a first plurality of users identified within a first viewing area of a first public display device; accessing a user profile of the at least one user; presenting a first portion of the content to the at least one user based on the user profile and the at least one user being recognized in the first plurality of users within the viewing area of the first public display; recognizing the at least one user in a second plurality of users in a second viewing area of a second public display, the second viewing area being in a different public area than the first viewing area; and selecting a second portion of the content to present to the second plurality of users on the second public display based on the first portion of content that was displayed on the first public display to the at least one user and the at least one user being recognized in the second plurality of users in the second viewing area.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more physical characteristics comprise at least one of a face, eye, hair color, height, weight, human proportion, gaze, fingerprint, gesture, or facial expression.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second timeframes are calculated based on a determined direction or speed of movement of the user.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more physical characteristics of at least one user are captured by a camera coupled to the public display device.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising displaying an indicia in the first or second portion of the content configured to direct a mobile computing device to additional online information related to the content.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the indicia comprises at least one of a quick response (QR) code, an image, a uniform resource locator, or a tiny uniform resource locator.

15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving physical characteristics of a plurality of users in the viewing area of the first or second public display devices.

16 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising selecting the first or second portions of content for presentation to a group of at least three users based on the location of the first public display.

17 . A method for controlling presentation of content with multiple presentable portions on a computing device, the method comprising:
identifying a user in a first building within a first public viewing area of a first content display device at an initial time; selecting a first portion of the content to present to the user on the first content display device during the initial time; directing the first portion of the content to be presented to the user on the first content display during the initial time; identifying the user in a second building within a second public viewing area of a second content display device at a second time; selecting a second portion of the content to present to the user on the second content display during the second time based on the user having been presented with the first portion of the content and based on the first content displayed during the initial time; and directing the second portion of the content to be presented to the user on the second content display.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said monitoring the face of the user through the camera comprises:
performing facial recognition to determine a gaze direction of the user; identifying the gaze points based on the gaze direction determined through facial recognition.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
identifying the user in a third public viewing area of a third content display device at a third time; selecting a third portion of the content to present to the user on the third content display during the third time based on the user having been presented with the second portion of the content; and directing the third portion of the content to be presented to the user on the third content display.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Krasadakis Georgios
• Mowatt David
• Correia André Filipe da Silva

Classifications

• H04N21/262

  Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists {(scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62)} · CPC title

• H04N21/4532

  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 title

• H04L67/306

  User profiles · CPC title

• H04N21/4223

  Cameras (H04N23/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N21/25883 Primary

  being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address (arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52) · CPC title