Linked content

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention generate linked contents. Linked contents may include a preliminary content and one or more subsequent contents. In one embodiment, the viewer is only shown the subsequent content upon detecting a positive reaction to the preliminary content. The subsequent content is associated with presentation triggers that specify a context in which the subsequent content should be presented. The context may be defined by a time of day, location, user activity, and/or other parameters. For example, the presentation trigger may specify a context in which the user is able to purchase a good or service. For example, the context could be the user driving (activity context) near a coffee shop (location context) in the morning (time context). The reaction to the preliminary content may be explicit or implicit.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of providing linked content, the method comprising:
 receiving, at an entertainment device, image data from a camera that depicts an audience for an ongoing media presentation;   identifying, at the entertainment device, an audience member by analyzing the image data;   generating, at the entertainment device, audience data by analyzing the image data;   determining, at the entertainment device, from the audience data that the audience member has reacted positively to a preliminary content that describes a product or service shown as part of the ongoing media presentation; and   in response to said determining, associating the audience member with a content path that comprises a subsequent content that has a presentation trigger that, when satisfied, causes a presentation of the subsequent content.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises determining an audience member's reaction to the preliminary content is positive by analyzing the image data and including the audience member's reaction in the audience data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises associating the audience member with a user account and associating the audience member with a mobile device through the user account. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises determining that the presentation trigger has been satisfied using data generated by the mobile device and presenting the subsequent content to the audience member. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises presenting the subsequent content through the mobile device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the presentation trigger is satisfied when the audience member is near a retail outlet where the product or service is sold. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the audience member has reacted positively to the preliminary content comprises recognizing an affirmative gesture performed by the audience member. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises determining demographic information for the audience member by analyzing the image data and including the demographic information within the audience data. 
     
     
         9 . A method of assigning an audience member to a content path, the method comprising:
 receiving, at an entertainment device, image data from a camera that depicts an audience for an ongoing media presentation;   identifying, at the entertainment device, the audience member by analyzing the image data;   generating, at the entertainment device, audience data by analyzing the image data;   determining, from the audience data, a strength of the audience member's reaction to content shown as part of the ongoing media presentation; and   in response to said determining, associating, at the entertainment device, the audience member with a content path that comprises multiple subsequent contents that each has a presentation trigger that, when satisfied, causes a presentation of an associated subsequent content.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the audience member is identified through facial recognition using the image data. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the content path comprises a high-enthusiasm subsequent content that is associated with a lower-level incentive and a low-enthusiasm subsequent content that is associated with a higher-level incentive. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising assigning the audience member to the high-enthusiasm subsequent content when the strength of the audience member's reaction is strongly positive and the low-enthusiasm subsequent content when the strength of the audience member's reaction is weakly positive. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the strength of the audience member's reaction is determined using a reaction profile for the audience member that includes a range or reactions observed in the audience member. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising presenting the associated subsequent content through a mobile device of the audience member. 
     
     
         15 . A mobile device comprising:
 a processor; and   computer storage memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, implement a method of managing a content path, the method comprising:
 receiving, on the mobile device associated with a user, a content path that comprises a subsequent content that is related to content to which the user previously responded positively; 
 determining that a presentation trigger associated with the subsequent content is satisfied by the mobile device's present context; and 
 presenting the subsequent content to the user. 
   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the user responded positively by performing a gesture. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises monitoring the user's response to the subsequent content, activating a different subsequent content in the content path based on the user's response, and monitoring conditions to determine when the presentation trigger associated with the different subsequent content is satisfied. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the user's response is negative and the different subsequent content comprises a larger incentive for the user to purchase a good or service. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the content path comprises multiple subsequent contents that are individually activated based on different user responses to one or more of the multiple subsequent contents. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the presentation trigger comprises the mobile device being located in a geographic area.