Narrowcasting from public displays, and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9524584-B2
Application number	US-201113193141-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2011
Priority date	Mar 3, 2009
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A user with a cell phone interacts, in a personalized session, with an electronic sign system. In some embodiments, the user's location relative to the sign is discerned from camera imagery—either imagery captured by the cell phone (i.e., of the sign), or captured by the sign system (i.e., of the user). Demographic information about the user can be estimated from imagery captured acquired by the sign system, or can be accessed from stored profile data associated with the user. The sign system can transmit payoffs (e.g., digital coupons or other response data) to viewers—customized per user demographics. In some arrangements, the payoff data is represented by digital watermark data encoded in the signage content. The encoding can take into account the user's location relative to the sign—allowing geometrical targeting of different payoffs to differently-located viewers. Other embodiments allow a user to engage an electronic sign system for interactive game play, using the cell phone as a controller.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method for providing contextually-targeted responses to observers of an electronic sign system, the electronic sign system including a sign and a camera for depicting observers of the sign, the method employing one or more processors configured by software instructions to perform acts including:
analyzing image data from the electronic sign system camera to determine a first location of a first mobile observer, and a second location of a second mobile observer;
analyzing image data from the electronic sign system camera, that depicts the first and second observers, to determine demographic attributes of said observers;
determining first response data for delivery to the first observer based on one or more of said demographic attributes of the first observer, and determining second response data for delivery to the second observer based on one or more of said demographic attributes of the second observer, the second response data being different than the first response data;
receiving image data captured by a viewer's portable device, the image data depicting the electronic sign;
determining, from viewpoint-dependent distortion of known imagery presented on the sign as depicted in the received image data, whether it was captured from the first location or the second location, and thereby to determine whether said viewer is the first or second observer; and
sending the first or second response data to said viewer, based on whether the viewer was determined to be the first observer or the second observer;
wherein demographically-relevant response data is directed to a particular observer as a consequence of the sign system capturing imagery depicting observers, and the particular observer's device capturing imagery depicting the sign.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing includes performing a geometrical analysis on the received image data to estimate a location within the viewing area from which the image was captured.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein performing the geometrical analysis on the received image data includes analyzing a geometry of at least a portion of the captured image of the object to estimate a location within the viewing area from which the image was captured.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing does not include detecting a digital watermark.

5. An electronic sign system comprising:
a sign portion;
a camera;
a processor; and
a memory containing instructions causing the sign system to perform acts including:
analyzing image data from the electronic sign system camera to determine a first location of a first mobile observer, and a second location of a second mobile observer;
analyzing image data from the electronic sign system camera, that depicts the first and second observers, to determine demographic attributes of said observers;
determining first response data for delivery to the first observer based on one or more of said demographic attributes of the first observer, and determining second response data for delivery to the second observer based on one or more of said demographic attributes of the second observer, the second response data being different than the first response data;
receiving image data captured by a viewer's portable device, the image data depicting the electronic sign;
determining, from viewpoint-dependent distortion of known imagery presented on the sign as depicted in the received image data, whether it was captured from the first location or the second location, and thereby to determine whether said viewer is the first or second observer, said processing being performed on a hardware processor configured to perform such an act; and
sending the first or second response data to said viewer, based on whether the viewer was determined to be the first observer or the second observer;
wherein demographically-relevant response data is directed to a particular observer as a consequence of the sign system capturing imagery depicting observers, and the particular observer's device capturing imagery depicting the sign.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing software instructions that, if executed by a processing system associated with an electronic sign system equipped with a camera, cause the sign system to perform acts including:
analyzing image data from the electronic sign system camera to determine a first location of a first mobile observer, and a second location of a second mobile observer;
analyzing image data from the electronic sign system camera, that depicts the first and second observers, to determine demographic attributes of said observers;
determining first response data for delivery to the first observer based on one or more of said demographic attributes of the first observer, and determining second response data for delivery to the second observer based on one or more of said demographic attributes of the second observer, the second response data being different than the first response data;
receiving image data captured by a viewer's portable device, the image data depicting the electronic sign;
determining, from viewpoint-dependent distortion of known imagery presented on the sign as depicted in the received image data, whether it was captured from the first location or the second location, and thereby to determine whether said viewer is the first or second observer, said processing being performed on a hardware processor configured to perform such an act; and
sending the first or second response data to said viewer, based on whether the viewer was determined to be the first observer or the second observer;
wherein demographically-relevant response data is directed to a particular observer as a consequence of the sign system capturing imagery depicting observers, and the particular observer's device capturing imagery depicting the sign.

7. A method for providing location-based, contextually-targeted responses to observers of an object that is viewable from within a viewing area associated with the object, the method employing one or more processors configured by software instructions to perform acts including:
obtaining location data describing a location of a person present within the viewing area, said location data being based on geometrical analysis of imagery depicting said person captured by a camera that is fixed relative to the object, or based on geometrical analysis of imagery depicting the object captured by a camera-equipped device conveyed by said person;
analyzing imagery depicting the person to determine contextual data relating to the person;
determining response data associated with the contextual data;
receiving image data from a device, the image data corresponding to an image of the object, captured from within the viewing area;
processing the received image data to determine whether a location within the viewing area from which the image was captured is the location of the person present within the viewing area, wherein said processing includes analyzing a geometry of at least a portion of the captured image of the object to estimate a location within the viewing area from which the image was captured; and
upon determining that the location within the viewing area from which the image was captured is the location of the person present within the viewing area, returning the response data to said device.

Assignees

• Rodriguez Tony F
• Digimarc Corp

Inventors

• Rodriguez Tony F

Classifications

• G06T3/0006

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T2201/0051

  Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain · CPC title

• H04N21/8358

  involving watermark {(protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467)} · CPC title

• G06T1/0021

  Image watermarking · CPC title

• G06F3/0425

  using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected (tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386) · CPC title