Data mining, influencing viewer selections, and user interfaces

Abstract

A narrative includes a number of serially connected narrative segments combined by a director or editor in a defined sequence to tell a story. A number of different narrative segments are available to the director or editor. A content delivery editor provides editors and directors with the ability to augment a narrative with additional narrative segments that provide alternate perspectives, views, or insights to the consumer. Such allows conveyance of the same narrative to the consumer using a number of plots or perspectives. Branch points in the narrative provide the consumer the opportunity to follow a storyline they find interesting. Each consumer follows a “personalized” path through the narrative. The director or editor may influence selection at branch points by providing priming stimuli prior to presentation of a prompt to select a branch and by optionally providing target stimuli during presentation of the prompt to select a branch.

1 .- 42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . A method of operation in a narrative editing system which includes at least one processor, and at least one nontransitory process-readable medium that stores at least one of processor-executable instructions or data, the narrative editing system operable to edit a narrative comprised of a plurality of narrative segments, the method comprising:
 providing at least one user interface with a plurality of user interface elements, the user interface elements including at least one priming selection user interface element, which in use sets a priming selection for at least one selection-influenced narrative segment, the selection of which is to be influenced by priming, the at least one selection-influenced narrative segment is to be included in a prompt to select between a number of narrative segments during a presentation of the narrative;   in response to the priming selection for the at least one selection-influenced narrative segment, logically associating the priming selection with the at least one selection-influenced narrative segment in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium;   logically associating a priming stimulus with at least one of the narrative segments of the narrative that is to be presented prior to the presentation of the at least one selection-influenced narrative segment in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium, the priming stimulus provided during a presentation of the at least one of the narrative segments of the narrative that is to be presented prior to the presentation of the at least one selection-influenced narrative segment; and   logically associating a target stimulus with the prompt in which the selection-influenced narrative segment is to be included in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium, the target stimulus provided during a providing of the prompt, wherein user exposure to the priming stimulus influences selection of the at least one selection-influenced narrative segment.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43  wherein providing at least one user interface further includes providing a user interface which includes a stimulus selection user interface element that in use sets at least one stimulus characteristic of at least one of the priming stimulus or the target stimulus, the method further comprising:
 in response to the setting of the at least one stimulus characteristic for the at least one of the priming stimulus or the target stimulus via the at least one user interface, logically associating the at least one stimulus characteristic with the at least one of the priming stimulus or the target stimulus in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium. 
 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44  wherein providing the user interface which includes a stimulus selection user interface element comprises providing a user interface which includes a stimulus selection user interface element that in use sets a stimulus sensory modality for at least one of the priming stimulus or the target stimulus. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 43  wherein logically associating a target stimulus with the prompt in which the selection-influenced narrative segment is included in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium comprises logically associating a target stimulus that is of the same sensory modality as the priming stimulus with the prompt in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 43  wherein logically associating a target stimulus with the prompt in which the selection-influenced narrative segment is included in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium comprises logically associating a target stimulus that decreases a probability of selection of the selection-influenced narrative segment. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 43  wherein logically associating a priming stimulus with at least one of the narrative segments comprises logically associating a priming stimulus that is below a human user's conscious perception with at least one of the narrative segments in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 43  wherein logically associating a priming stimulus with at least one of the narrative segments comprises logically associating a priming stimulus having a presentation duration of less than 500 milliseconds with at least one of the narrative segments in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 43  wherein logically associating a priming stimulus with at least one of the narrative segments comprises logically associating a plurality of priming stimuli with at least one of the narrative segments in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 43  wherein logically associating a priming stimulus with at least one of the narrative segments comprises logically associating an audible priming stimulus with at least one of the narrative segments, the audible priming stimulus provided during the presentation of the one of the narrative segments on a number of audio channels of a media content playback device less than a total number of available audio channels of the media content playback device. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising:
 collecting priming stimulus data and selection data for at least one user; and   analyzing the collected priming stimulus data and the selection data;   wherein logically associating a priming stimulus with at least one of the narrative segments comprises logically associating a priming stimulus with at least one of the narrative segments based at least in part on the analyzed priming stimulus data and the selection data.   
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52  wherein analyzing the collected priming stimulus data and the selection data comprises analyzing the collected priming stimulus data and the selection data for a single user to determine to which priming stimuli the single user is most responsive. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 52  wherein analyzing the collected priming stimulus data and the selection data comprises analyzing the collected priming stimulus data and the selection data for a group of users to determine to which priming stimuli the group of users are most responsive. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54  wherein analyzing the collected priming stimulus data and the selection data for a group of users to determine to which priming stimuli the group of users is most responsive comprises analyzing the collected priming stimulus data and the selection data for a group of users in a determined demographic. 
     
     
         56 . A narrative editing system, comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one nontransitory process-readable medium that stores at least one of data or processor-executable instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
 provide at least one user interface with at least one user interface element, the at least one user interface element including:
 at least one priming selection user interface element, which in use sets a priming selection for at least one selection-influenced narrative segment, the selection of which is to be influenced by priming, the at least one selection-influenced narrative segment is to be included in a prompt to select between a number of narrative segments during a presentation of the narrative; 
 
   wherein the at least one processor:
 in response to the priming selection for the at least one selection-influenced narrative segment, logically associates the priming selection with the at least one selection-influenced narrative segment in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium; 
 logically associates a priming stimulus with at least one of the narrative segments of the narrative that is to be presented prior to the presentation of the at least one selection-influenced narrative segment in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium, the priming stimulus provided during a presentation of the at least one of the narrative segments of the narrative that is to be presented prior to the presentation of the at least one selection-influenced narrative segment; and 
 logically associates a target stimulus with the prompt in which the selection-influenced narrative segment is to be included in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium, the target stimulus provided during a providing of the prompt, wherein user exposure to the priming stimulus influences selection of the at least one selection-influenced narrative segment. 
   
     
     
         57 . The narrative editing system of  claim 56  wherein the at least one processor:
 provides a user interface which includes a stimulus selection user interface element that in use sets at least one stimulus characteristic of at least one of the priming stimulus or the target stimulus; and 
 in response to the setting of the at least one stimulus characteristic for the at least one of the priming stimulus or the target stimulus via the at least one user interface, logically associates the at least one stimulus characteristic with the at least one of the priming stimulus or the target stimulus in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium. 
 
     
     
         58 . The narrative editing system of  claim 57  wherein the at least one processor:
 provides a user interface which includes a stimulus selection user interface element that in use sets a stimulus sensory modality for at least one of the priming stimulus or the target stimulus. 
 
     
     
         59 . The narrative editing system of  claim 56  wherein the at least one processor:
 logically associates a target stimulus that is of the same sensory modality as the priming stimulus with the prompt in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium. 
 
     
     
         60 . The narrative editing system of  claim 56  wherein the at least one processor:
 logically associates a target stimulus that decreases a probability of selection of the selection-influenced narrative segment. 
 
     
     
         61 . The narrative editing system of  claim 56  wherein the at least one processor:
 logically associates a priming stimulus that is below a human user's conscious perception with at least one of the narrative segments in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium. 
 
     
     
         62 . The narrative editing system of  claim 56  wherein the at least one processor:
 logically associates a priming stimulus having a presentation duration of less than 500 milliseconds with at least one of the narrative segments in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium. 
 
     
     
         63 . The narrative editing system of  claim 56  wherein the at least one processor:
 logically associates a plurality of priming stimuli with at least one of the narrative segments in the at least one nontransitory process-readable medium. 
 
     
     
         64 . The narrative editing system of  claim 56  wherein the at least one processor:
 logically associates an audible priming stimulus with at least one of the narrative segments, the audible priming stimulus provided during the presentation of the one of the narrative segments on a number of audio channels of a media content playback device less than a total number of available audio channels of the media content playback device. 
 
     
     
         65 . The narrative editing system of  claim 56  wherein the at least one processor:
 collects priming stimulus data and selection data for at least one user; 
 analyzes the collected priming stimulus data and the selection data; and 
 logically associates a priming stimulus with at least one of the narrative segments based at least in part on the analyzed priming stimulus data and the selection data. 
 
     
     
         66 . The narrative editing system of  claim 65  wherein the at least one processor:
 analyzes the collected priming stimulus data and the selection data for a single user to determine to which priming stimuli the single user is most responsive. 
 
     
     
         67 . The narrative editing system of  claim 65  wherein the at least one processor:
 analyzes the collected priming stimulus data and the selection data for a group of users to determine to which priming stimuli the group of users is most responsive. 
 
     
     
         68 . The narrative editing system of  claim 67  wherein the at least one processor:
 analyzes the collected priming stimulus data and the selection data for a group of users to determine to which priming stimuli the group of users is most responsive which comprises analyzing the collected priming stimulus data and the selection data for a group of users in a determined demographic. 
 
     
     
         69 .- 110 . (canceled)