Back-channel media delivery system

Abstract

A back-channel media delivery system that may be used for tracking the number and type of human impressions of media content rendered by the system during the time the media was rendered is provided. The back-channel media delivery system includes a rendering device for rendering media, an environmental sensor for sensing impressions and other environmental variables and a computing device configured to play media on the rendering device, and gather data related to the external states detected by the environmental sensor. The system may include rules that interpret that data and may cause the system to custom select, tailor or control future playback of media on the system.

1 . A method of rendering media, the method comprising:
 selecting a first instance of media;   rendering the first instance of media on a first rendering device;   sensing at least one environmental state external to the first rendering device to provide a first sensed state; and   saving a first record of the first sensed state.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one environmental state comprises at least one of: the presence of a person in proximity to the first rendering device, the duration of the presence of a person in proximity to the first rendering device, the height or weight of a person in proximity to the first rendering device, the count of the number of persons sensed over time, the rate of change of persons sensed within a given time period, the number of people looking at the first rendering device, how long a person looks at the first rendering device, the actual time during which a person is looking at the first rendering device, the size, shape or height of a person who is looking at the rendering device, the speed with which someone in proximity to the first rendering device moves, and the presence of a radio frequency identification (‘RFID’) tag in proximity to the first rendering device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising:
 selecting a second instance of media according to the first record;   rendering the second instance of media on a second rendering device;   sensing at least one environmental state external to the second rendering device to provide a second sensed state; and   saving a second record of the second sensed state.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising:
 prior to selecting the first instance of media, defining a plurality of rules for selecting media.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the first rendering device comprises at least one of: a television screen, a video monitor, an electronic sign, and an audio playback system. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the second rendering device comprises at least one of: a television screen, a video monitor, an electronic sign, and an audio playback system. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the first rendering device is the same device as the second rendering device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein sensing at least one environmental state comprises sensing with at least one sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of: thermal imaging camera sensors, infrared sensors, pressure sensors, video imaging camera sensors, sonar sensors, laser sensors, attention tracking sensors, and radio frequency identification (‘RFID’) tag sensors. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein attention tracking sensors comprise at least one of: eye tracking sensors and face tracking sensors. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the face tracking sensors track the attention of a subject based on the angle the subject's face makes with at least one rendering device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein media comprises media encoded as at least one of: MP3, MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, WMA and WMV. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 3  wherein selecting the first and second instances of media comprises selecting the first and second instances of media according to at least one rule for selecting media. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the at least one rule for selecting media comprises a rule that permits rendering an instance of media depending on at least one of: the time of day, the day of the week, the media previously rendered, playback quotas, perishability and the sensing of at least one of the plurality of environmental states. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the first and second records of the first and second sensed states, respectively, comprise:
 a record of the time of day when the sensing occurred;   data related to the type of environmental state sensed; and   a record identifying the instance of media being rendered at that time.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 periodically communicating with a backend server to upload the records of the sensed states and to obtain new instances of media for rendering.   
     
     
         17 . A media playback system comprising:
 at least one rendering device;   at least one environmental sensor;   a computing device coupled to the at least one rendering device and the at least one environmental sensor and configured to:
 select a first instance of media stored in the computing device; 
 render the first instance of media on the at least one rendering device; 
 while rendering the first instance of media:
 use the at least one environmental sensor to sense at least one environmental state external to the computing device to provide sensed states; and 
 save a record of the sensed states. 
 
   
     
     
         18 . The media playback system of  claim 17  wherein the at least one environmental state comprises at least one of: the presence of a person in proximity to the media playback system, the duration of the presence of a person in proximity to the media playback system, the height or weight of a person in proximity to the system, the count of the number of persons sensed over time, the rate of change of persons sensed within a given time period, the number of people looking at the first rendering device, how long a person looks at the first rendering device, the actual time during which a person is looking at the first rendering device, the size, shape or height of a person who is looking at the rendering device, the speed with which someone in proximity to the first rendering device moves, and the presence of a radio frequency identification (‘RFID’) tag in proximity to the media playback system. 
     
     
         19 . The media playback system of  claim 17  wherein the at least one rendering device comprises at least one of: a television screen, a video monitor, an electronic sign, and an audio playback system. 
     
     
         20 . The media playback system of  claim 17  wherein the at least one environmental sensor comprises at least one of: thermal imaging camera sensors, infrared sensors, pressure sensors, video imaging camera sensors, sonar sensors, laser sensors, attention tracking sensors, and radio frequency identification (‘RFID’) tag sensors. 
     
     
         21 . The media playback system of  claim 20  wherein attention tracking sensors comprise at least one of: eye tracking sensors and face tracking sensors. 
     
     
         22 . The media playback system of  claim 21  wherein the face tracking sensors track the attention of a subject based on the angle the subject's face makes with at least one rendering device. 
     
     
         23 . The media playback system of  claim 17  wherein the computing device is further configured to render media encoded as at least one of: MP3, MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, WMA and WMV. 
     
     
         24 . The media playback system of  claim 17  wherein the computing device is further configured to select the first instance according to at least one rendering rule. 
     
     
         25 . The media playback system of  claim 24  wherein the at least one rendering rule comprises a rule that permits rendering an instance of media depending on at least one of: the time of day, the day of the week, the media previously rendered, playback quotas, perishability and the record of sensed states. 
     
     
         26 . The media playback system of  claim 17  wherein the computing device is further configured to:
 select a second instance of media according to the record of the sensed states; and   render the second instance of media on at least one rendering device.   
     
     
         27 . The media playback system of  claim 17  further comprising:
 a backend server coupled to the computing device, the computing device further configured to:   periodically communicate with the backend server;   upload the records of sensed states to the backend server; and   to download new instances of media or new rules to the computing device.   
     
     
         28 . A method of defining rendering criteria for rendering media on a media delivery device comprising:
 receiving rendering information from the media delivery device;   creating rules based on the rendering information; and   sending the rules to the media delivery device wherein the rules define the criteria for rendering the media on the media delivery device.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  further comprising:
 sending media for rendering to the media delivery device.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the rules that define criteria for rendering the media depend on at least one of: the time of day, the day of the week, the media previously rendered, playback quotas, perishability and the record of sensed states. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the rendering information comprises:
 environmental data sensed by the media playback device during rendering of media by the device;   a record of the time of day when the media playback device sensed the environmental data; and   a record identifying the media being rendered when the media playback system sensed the environmental data.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the environmental data comprises information indicating at least one of: the presence of a person in proximity to the media playback system, the duration of the presence of a person in proximity to the media playback system, the height or weight of a person in proximity to the media playback system, the count of the number of persons sensed over time, the rate of change of persons sensed within a given time period, the number of people looking at the first rendering device, how long a person looks at the first rendering device, the actual time during which a person is looking at the first rendering device, the size, shape or height of a person who is looking at the rendering device, the speed with which someone in proximity to the first rendering device moves, and the presence of a radio frequency identification (‘RFID’) tag in proximity to the media playback system. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the environmental data is sensed by at least one environmental sensor. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the at least one environmental sensor comprises at least one of: thermal imaging camera sensors, infrared sensors, pressure sensors, video imaging camera sensors, sonar sensors, laser sensors, attention tracking sensors, and radio frequency identification (‘RFID’) tag sensors. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein attention tracking sensors comprise at least one of: eye tracking sensors and face tracking sensors. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the face tracking sensors track the attention of a subject based on the angle the subject's face makes with at least one rendering device. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 28  wherein receiving rendering information and sending media for rendering and rules comprises receiving and sending, respectively, through at least one of: an Ethernet connection, an RS-232 serial connection, a USB connection, an 802.11x wireless connection, a Bluetooth connection, an infra-red connection and non-volatile storage. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein non-volatile storage comprises at least one of: a DVD, a CD, a magnetic tape or floppy disk and a memory card. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein a memory card comprises at least one of: a Compact Flash card, a Secure Digital Card, a MultiMedia Card, SmartMedia, a MemoryStick of MemoryStick PRO, and xD-Picture Card and a Micro Drive.