Audio/video companion screen system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9183558-B2
Application number	US-201313754325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2013
Priority date	Nov 5, 2012
Publication date	Nov 10, 2015
Grant date	Nov 10, 2015

Abstract

Systems and methods disclosed herein include systems and methods for delivering secondary content to a plurality of portable devices, the secondary content comprising events synchronized to primary content, the process including delivering an application to a plurality of portable display devices, the application configured to execute events on the portable display devices; and causing the events executed on the portable display devices to be synchronized with primary content.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. In a motion picture theater, a process for providing interactive secondary content at a plurality of portable display devices, wherein the interactive secondary content is to be executed and displayed on the portable display devices, the interactive secondary content synchronized to a motion picture being shown on a main screen in the motion picture theater, the process comprising:
delivering an application to the plurality of portable display devices, the application configured to execute interactive events on the portable display devices, wherein the interactive events comprise the interactive secondary content;
displaying the interactive secondary content on the portable display devices, such that the interactive secondary content presents the interactive secondary content to a viewer, captures viewer input, and processes the captured viewer input, wherein at least a portion of the interactive secondary content originates with the motion picture and appears to flow down the main screen onto the portable display devices, and wherein the interactive secondary content comprises a game played solely on one or more of the portable display devices; and
causing at least part of the interactive secondary content displayed on the one or more portable display devices to be temporally synchronized with one or more predetermined scenes in the motion picture, wherein the game is themed to correspond with the predetermined scenes in the motion picture.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein delivering the application comprises communicatively coupling a server with the plurality of portable display devices and downloading the application to the coupled portable display devices.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein causing at least part of the interactive secondary content displayed on the portable display devices to be temporally synchronized comprises transmitting a synchronization signal to the portable display devices, and wherein the process further comprises the application using information in the synchronization signal to trigger execution of a secondary-content event at a time synchronized with a corresponding event in the motion picture.

4. The process according to claim 3 , wherein the synchronization signal comprises an audio signal.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the interactive secondary content displayed comprises one or more interactive screens to present the game to the viewers.

6. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising determining viewer performance based on the processed viewer input.

7. The process according to claim 6 , further comprising:
ranking viewer performance for one or more of the interactive events; and
sending results of the ranking to the portable display devices.

8. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising automatically displaying on the portable display devices a notification about delivering the application to the portable display devices.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the portable display devices act as extensions of the main screen.

10. A system for delivering secondary content to a plurality of secondary content display devices in a motion picture theater, the system comprising:
an application server configured to provide an application to the plurality of secondary content display devices, the application configured to execute interactive events on the secondary content display devices; and
a primary content delivery device that provides a motion picture in the motion picture theatre;
wherein the interactive events comprise interactive secondary content to be displayed on the secondary content display devices,
wherein at least a portion of the interactive secondary content originates on the primary content delivery device and appears to flow down the primary content delivery device onto the secondary content display devices,
wherein the interactive secondary content is configured to capture viewer input and to process the captured viewer input,
wherein the interactive secondary content comprises a game played solely on one or more of the secondary content display devices,
wherein the primary content delivery device and the application server are further configured to temporally synchronize at least a portion of the game with one or more predetermined scenes in the motion picture, and
wherein the game is themed to correspond with the predetermined scenes in the motion picture.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the application server is configured to temporally synchronize the at least a portion of the game with the predetermined scenes by transmitting a synchronization signal to the secondary content display devices, and wherein the application uses information in the synchronization signal to trigger execution of a secondary-content event at a time synchronized with a corresponding event in the motion picture.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the synchronization signal comprises an audio signal.

13. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the interactive secondary content displayed comprises one or more interactive gaming screens to present the game to one or more viewers.

14. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the application server determines viewer performance based on the processed viewer input.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the application server ranks the viewer performance for one or more of the interactive events and sends results of the ranked viewer performance to one or more of the secondary content display devices.

16. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of secondary content display devices are portable display devices, and wherein each of the secondary content display devices comprises:
a display screen configured to display the interactive secondary content generated by the application; and
a viewer input mechanism configured to accept the viewer input.

17. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the secondary content display devices act as extensions of the primary content delivery device.

18. A process for delivering event content to a viewer, the event content accompanying a motion picture, the process comprising:
displaying, on a portable display device, a notification about an application to be delivered to the portable display device;
receiving the application at the portable display device;
synchronizing the application to one or more predetermined scenes on a primary display in the motion picture, using a synchronization signal, wherein synchronizing the application comprises:
detecting a trigger in the synchronization signal; and
upon detecting the trigger, executing the application to initiate an interactive event in the portable display device at a time synchronized with a corresponding event in the motion picture;

wherein the interactive event comprises event content to be displayed on the portable display device, wherein the event content comprises a game themed to correspond with one or more of the predetermined scenes, wherein at least a portion of the event content originates on the primary display and appears to flow down the primary display onto the portable display device, and wherein the interactive content captures viewer input on the portable display device and processes the captured viewer input.

19. The process according to claim 18 , wherein the event content displayed comprises one or more interactive gaming screens to present the game to a set of viewers.

Assignees

• Davy James K
• Kwan Brian
• Jessen David M
• Madden James
• Disney Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Davy James K
• Kwan Brian
• Jessen David M
• Madden James

Classifications

• H04N21/41415

  involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk · CPC title

• G06Q30/0267

  Wireless devices · CPC title

• H04N21/4126

  The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones · CPC title

• H04N21/4758

  for providing answers, e.g. voting · CPC title

• G06Q30/00 Primary

  Commerce · CPC title