MXPA01004235A - System for obtaining data regarding customer use of interactive television. - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method for obtaining data regarding customer use of interactive television, comprising one or more application servers including one or more application programs for the input of information by a customer through a graphical user interface; a broadcast center; a communications satellite; one or more individual satellite dishes for receiving one or more application programs from the communications satellite; one or more integrated receiver/decoders ("IRDs") with a modem, said IRDs further comprising callback functionality and flash memory for storing a data log of customer transaction and navigation information, wherein said modem is in electronic communication with one or more communications servers for receiving callbacks from the IRDs; one or more communications servers for receiving the callback in electronic communication with one or more interactive servers; one or more interactive servers in electronic communication with one or more interactive data repositories IDR s for storing data. The interactive server may comprise a parser of the data in the data log and an encapsulator of the information into appropriate protocol for database users, said interactive server being in electronic communication with one or more IDRs. The IDR may be in communication with an interactive business system ("IBS") wherein data in the IDR is correlated with data in the IBS.

Description

A SYSTEM FOR OBTAINING DATA REGARDING THE USE OF INTERACTIVE TELEVISION BY CUSTOMERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates generally to methods and systems for collecting and recording data and communication functionality in databases and, more particularly, to methods and systems for collecting and recording data from navigation and transaction with respect to the use of interactive television by customers. 2. Description of the Prior Art Satellites have had a significant impact on the television industry. With an orbital location far from Earth, satellites transmit a useful signal over a wide footprint. The great geographical coverage of the satellites makes it possible to provide thousands, if not millions, with only one satellite. People use individual satellite dishes to address the viewer's television systems ("DTV"). Recently, interactive television has become available. With interactive television, available and the inability to access the user's input data. The use of instantaneous memory allows the downloading of data registers through backwards of the integrated receivers / decoders ("IRD") used in the satellite television system. In addition, a system for extracting this data would be preferably scalable to accommodate future growth. Such a system and method would allow for convenient transactions and accurate registration of user patterns. There is also a need for a system and a method for reconnecting, managing and managing the information that is provided and processed by the different interactive television applications to and from companies that operate geographically dispersed. Therefore, it is to the effective resolution of the above-mentioned problems and disadvantages of the prior art that the present invention is directed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a system and a method for storing interactive television data in an Interactive Data Warehouse ("IDR") with access to information transmitter and others. Each application of In accordance with the purpose of the invention, as it is incorporated and broadly described herein, the invention is a system and method for obtaining data with respect to the use of interactive television by clients, comprising one or more application servers, including one or more. more application programs for the introduction of information by a client; an emission center for communicating one or more application programs with a satellite of communications; one or more individual satellite satellite dishes to receive one or more communication satellite application programs in electronic communication with one or more receivers / decoders i "T IR_ > rDv "'), a Graphical User Interface (" GUI ") for the client to enter information in the application program and in electrical communication with one or more modems, where the IRDs include the back-demand function and instant memory for store a data record of the customer's transaction information and navigation, where one or more modems are in electronic communication with one or more communication servers to receive backward processing of the IEs, one or more communication servers to receive the retro-demand, and one or more servers in electronic communication with one or more interactive data repositories ("IDR") to store data. Further, in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as it is extensively incorporated and described herein, the interactive server of the invention comprises a parser of the data in the data record and an encapsulator of the information in the appropriate protocol for the data. users of the database, the interactive server being in electronic communication with one or more IDR, where the IDR is in communication with an interactive commercial system ("IBS"), where the data in the IDR is correlated with data in the IBS. It should be understood that both the above general description and the following detailed description are explanatory and non-restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated and constituted. part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention, according to <; With other objects, which will be apparent hereinafter, the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 illustrates the architecture of the physical computing components of the present invention. Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the flow of IRD data from the client to the IDR. Figure 3A is an illustration of the form of the data for each customer action that is being stored in the IDR Figure 3B is an illustration of the form of the customer action data record that is being stored and downloaded from the client. 1 IDR Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the date's flow from the IRD to the application of the user's upper level in the preferred embodiment, Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the data flow in an alternative embodiment of the invention Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating data transmission in an alternative embodiment of the invention, Figure 7 is an alternative embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES Referring to Figure 1, the architecture of the system of the present invention 100, a system for obtaining data with respect to the use of interactive television by clients, is shown. One or more application servers 110 contain one or more programs of application 120. Application program 120 may provide information to the customer, communication functionality such as communication with a bank, or e-commerce functionality, or any combination of those services.

The preferred application server 110 is a server Sun Ultra 5, although an NT server or equivalent server can be used. The application program 120 can be one written in OpenTV or an equivalent language. The application program 120 allows the introduction of information by a client. The application program 120 is transmitted to an emission center 130. The transmission to the emission network 130 can be via a terrestrial link TI or its equivalent. The application program 120 is idle linked upwardly to a communications satellite 140, preferably a G8i satellite or equivalent. One or more clients, in a place within the satellite footprint, in South America, for example, receives the application program 120 via its Preferably, the data recorder 180 also includes one hour and fecjha stamped per each action performed by the client. The register 180 is then stored within the flash memory 190 within the IRD 160. Preferably, 1. i instant memory 190 is stored in a communication terminal with a local identification number within the IRD 160. However, the data record 180 can also be stored in a random access memory stored within the IRD 160. The preferred format of the registration of data is illustrated in Figures 3A and 3B, described in more detail below. Thus, in the preferred embodiment, each time a client has access to an interactive television application 120 and performs an action within it, the type of action and the time and date of the action within the interactive application 120 are stored in the data register in the flash memory 190. Through a back-demand procedure, the data register 180 is transmitted from the IRD 160 through a modem 200. The data register 180 is encapsulated in a protocol-1 of data transfer. Any appropriate protocol for data transmission, such as TCP / IP or HTTP, can be used. In the Subsequently, the data record 180 is transferred from the IRD 1 0 through the communication server 210, to the interactive server 220. The interactive server Í20 separates the data registration transfer protocol 180, parses each discrete action of the client within the 1 0 data record, encapsulates each action in the data with a protocol to be copied, and multiplexes the newly encapsulated data. In the preferred mode, the interactive server 220 identifies a particular interactive television action by means of a code and routes it to an appropriate IDR 240. The interactive server 220 encapsulates the data in the TCP / IP format for transmission. However, other protocols are known in the art and can be used. The interactive server 220 is preferably a Sun Ultra 5 with a 333 MHz CPU and 256 MB RAM or its equivalent. As shown in Figure 1, the interactive server 220 includes a routing application 230 to route the data of the particular action newly encapsulated take 1os of the data record 180 transferred via the recall. The routing application 230 is preferably written in Unix C, however, it is also good to be written in OpenTV or in an equivalent programming language. Of the routing application 230, the information related to the particular action is communicated to one or more interactive data repositories ("IDR") 240. The IDR 240 is preferably a memory storage and manipulation device, such as a database of computer. In the preferred modality, the data of the particular action of the IDR 240 are then correlated with an integrated commercial system ("IBS") 250. The IBS 250 in the preferred embodiment contains information that can be correlated with the information sent. to the IDR 240. For example, in the preferred embodiment the IDR 240 contains an identification number for the communications card containing the instant memory 190 in the IRD 160 initiating the back demand. This identification number becomes part of the record transmitted in the retro-request. The IBS 250 can include the name, biographical information and other information. related to the interactive television client using the IDR 240. In this way, the information about the browsing habits and interactive television transaction of the client can be derived. Clearly, it is intended that this system 100 be. used by a multiple of clients and a corresponding multiple of IRD 160. In the Interactive content providers different 330A, 330B under two different protocols. As shown in Figure 1, the data register 180 is downloaded from the IRD 160 in a back-demand via a modem 200 to the communication server 280. The data register 180 then flows from the communication server 280 to the interactive server 270. In the mode Preferred, as described above, the data record 180 of the backward request flows in an encapsulated form. Within interactive server 27f, data record 180 is then communicated to an Application Program Interface ("API") 300. API 300 separates the encapsulation protocol from re < 180 data and analyzes the data syntactically; of individual transactions of the data record 180. Each particular action performed by the client preferably has its own identification number. The API 300 examines the particular action and searches for the identification code associated with a particular database user or an interactive television content server 330A, 330B. The data associated with each particular action is then communicated via the application of the router 300. The application of the changer 300 places the individual transaction data in the preselected protocol and distributes the data to the different ones. content servers 330A, 330B. Preferably, the router application is written in OpenTV. As shown in Figure 2, the API 300 converts individual action data to different forms of protocol. The action of interactive television by each content provider 310A, 310B is then communicated through the interactive server 270.

For example, a bank content provider 330A may require that its information 310A be in a protocol such as HTTP. Alternatively, the bank may request that the information be sent to it in its proprietary protocol. The bank 330A therefore allows the customers of interactive television to make safe bank transactions while the interactive television content provider tracks the time, date and number of transactions. In the preferred embodiment, the data for the bank 330A is communicated through the interactive server 270 through an HTTP 320A connection on the interactive server 270. In addition, the data for a different content provider 330B can be communicated through the interactive server 270 via a different protocol, such as through a TCP / IP 320B connection. The different content provider 330B could get browsing data or customer action data. In this way, secure communication can be made, with only a record of the client's action being performed by the user of the database or the interactive television content provider. Other protocols were also set. For example, a deposit could be made to a bank account via an interactive television application, and a record of which a deposit was made can be registered, while the amount of the deposit and the account number of the deposit can remain secure with respect to to the provider of the interactive television application. Interactive server 270 may also use other protocol connections, such as those for IMAP and proprietary protocols by the bank. Several users of the database or content providers can be included in the system. Each content provider 330A, 330B may have a different protocol for the distribution of information related to an action associated therewith. However, more data can be transferred if the protocol is one that is not CPU-intensive, such as TCP / IP. In an embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2, the user of the 330B database receives 1¿ interactive television action information through its own TCP / IP 335 connection, and stores the information in its IDR 3 50. The user of the 330B database would then be able to extract a report of the relevant portions of the 180 information in the IDR 350, such as in a number of actions, a date, time and frequency of particular actions. In addition, a database machine 340, as is known in the art, can be used to extract information from the database of the user of the database 350. Figure 3A uses the preferred way in which the information 180 is obtained. . The fields can include the ID of a Smart card, the Producer ID, the Application ID, the Page ID and a Time / Date ID / Date Clock. For example, the ID of the Smart Card can be used to identify the communication cards, and thus, the IRD 160, of which the data record 180 comes. The Producer ID can identify the producer of the services offered and accepted, the ID of the Application can identify the request of a particular producer if he has had access, the ib of the Page can describe which page of several has been accessed within of a particular application, and a Time / Date ID / Date Clock would identify when the action occurred individual. However, other names of recovered data and data were also considered. The data as shown, are variable ordered sequences. However, it may also be appropriate for them to be numeric. Finally, it is important that the data fields are of appropriate length. The lengths of the variables in Figure 3A are merely illustrative. Figure 3B illustrates how a data record 180 comprises a number of simple actions. Figure 4 illustrates the data flow during the preferred use of system 100 to obtain two types of action data - particular navigation data 3 370 and transaction data 3 10. As shown, data from various 360 interactive television applications they can be obtained in the IRD 360 and saved as a data record as described above. In the preferred embodiment, the data may include navigation data 370 from within 'applications such as a game application, ap. weatherization, or application of commercial notices. Also, transaction data 380 can be obtained. of a banking application, e-commerce application or other interactive application. In a banking application, the particular action data is preferably encoded. Due to the nature of the action data particular, in this example is a transaction, the navigation data within the banking application are not obtained. Similarly, as shown in 360 in Figure 4, e-commerce applications or other interactive television applications may have their data encoded or their data may not be defined according to the parameters defined in the IRD 160. In In that case, the IRD 160 can still obtain transaction data 380. All actions of the user 360 are then obtained and stored in the IRD 160 as a database of the client's actions until a retro-demand is initiated. Upon retroremand, the IRD 160 transmits the actions 360 to a communication server 215. In the preferred embodiment, the 360 information is transmitted in a patented interactive server protocol. The communication server 2 15 receives the back-demand in the preferred mode. The interactive server 220 encapsulates the individual action data taken in the data register 180 in the 1 TCP / IP protocol and multiplexes the data for efficient distribution. However, where an application is a banking application to be encapsulated in a proprietary protocol of a bank, encapsulation to a protocol before encapsulation in the banking protocol is unnecessary. interactive television, where an IDR 620 is kept centrally, as well as one or more carriers 590. In Figure 5, the application server 510 is centrally located, such as Fort Lauderdale, Florida , and it is transmitted to an emission center 520. One or more application programs 510 are transmitted to satellite 530 and downloaded to an ISD 540 in an IRD 550. The IRD 550 transmits a navigation data record and transaction error via a retro-demand through a 560 telephone line within a country telephone system. The data record is sent through a communication server 570 and the server interact .vo 580 as discussed above. The communication server 570 and the interactive server 580 can, alternatively, be located in the same operating company. Interactive television actions 585 are then communicated to an IDR 590, such as an IDR 590 for a particular Interactive Content Provider ("I: P") 630. As described above, the IDR of the operating company 590 is in communication with an IBS of the operating company 600. The IBS of the operating company 600 preferably includes data such as the identification of the customer associated with the IRD 550 used for a interactive television action particular 585. In this way, a client can be identified exactly with an action and can be appropriately billed for the action. Also, other uses of the data may be made. The data for the particular action 585 is transmitted to the IDR of the operator country 590, and can then be transmitted 610 to the central IDR 620, shown in Figure 5 as being in Fort Lauderdale. The file of particular actions 585 is then communicated to one or more users of the database of d, itos, or interactive content providers ("ICP") 630 A, 630B. The ICP 630A and 630B may or may not be in the location of the operator country. The transmission of data between the IDR of the operating company 590 and the central IDR 620 in the preferred embodiment is via a two-way satellite, such as the 8Gi satellite, used by Galaxy Latin America. However, other data transmission methods known in the art may also be used. The data of more than one IDR of the operating company 590 can thus be transmitted 5 and maintained in the central IDR 620. In another embodiment, a central IBS is correlated with a central IDR 620. A system for distributing information in two senses of a DR of operating companies is further illustrated; n Figure 6 in 700. For each operator company 710, 20, the data is extracted from the IDR 730, 740 and transmitted two via satellite 750 to a central IDR 760 which will be able to produce consolidated reports 770. The data in the IDR of the operating company 730, 740 may still be correlated with one or more IBS 780, 790 within each carrier 710, 720. Preferably, the protocol for the satellite interface or interconnection would be consistent for all broadcasting centers for each operating country. The data sent to the central IDR 760 can be data from the IDR of the operating company 730, 740. The data can then be correlated with a central IBS 800. Alternatively, the data sent can be data from the IDR of the operating company 730 , 740, after they have been correlated; with the IBS of the operating company 780, 790. In an alternative modality, illustrated in Figure 7, a data record 900 is downloaded from the IRD 910 via a 920 modem via a back demand. The communication server 930, a bank of telephone modems in this fashion, receives the back-demand and transmits the data record 900 to an interactive server 940. The data region 900 is encapsulated in a data transmission protocol, such as TCP / IP. Interactive server 940 separates the protocol

Claims (10)

CLAIMS Having disregarded the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property.

1. A system for obtaining data related to the use of interactive teivision by clients, characterized in that it comprises: one or more application servers that include one or more application programs for the introduction of information by a client, such application server in electronic communication with one or more emission centers; an e-riision center to communicate one or more application programs with a communications satellite; an omnibration satellite; one or more individual satellite dish antennas for receiving one or more communication satellite application programs in electronic communication with a communication satellite and in electronic communication, ca with one or more integrated receivers / decoders ("IRD"); one or more IRD in electrical communication with one or more interfaces or Inte connections User Graphics

("GUI") for a client to enter information in an application program and in electrical communication with one or more modems, 1ps IRD further comprises the functionality of backward and backward memory to store a data record of transaction information and client navigation, where one or more modems are in electronic communication with one or more communication servers to receive backdrops from the IRDs; one or more communication servers to receive the backlog in electronic communication 'with one or more interactive servers; one or more interactive servers in electronic communication with one or more interactive data repositories ("IDR"); and one or more IDRs to store data. 2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the interactive server comprises a parser of the data in the data register and an encapsulator of the information in the appropriate protocol for the users of the database, the server being Interactive in electronic communication with one or more IDR, and the IDR stores the information syntactically based.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the IDR is in communication with an interactive commercial system ("IBS"), where the data in the IDR is correlated with data in the IBS.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that the data in the IDR is communicated to a central IDR.

5. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that a code in the data downloaded from the IRD is compared with the information in the IBS to allow 1.a identification of the client,

6. A method to obtain data related to the use of interactive television by clients, characterized in that comp) rende the steps of: providing one or more application programs on one or more application servers; transmit the application program to an emission center; transmit the application schedule of the emission center to a communications satellite; transmitting the application program of the communication satellite to one or more individual satellite dish antennas; communicating the application program of the individual satellite dish to one or more integrated receiver / decoder (s) ("IRD"); allow a customer to enter information in the application program received by the IRD via a GUI; enter- the information in a data record in the flash memory in the IRD; transmit the data record via a retroactive request from the IRD to a communication server; transmit the data record of the communication server to an interactive server; analyze syntactically the individual user's navigation and transaction data from the data record; and store the individual user's navigation and transaction data in one or more interactive data repositories ("IDR correlate the data in the IDR with data in a Interactive Commercial System

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that it further comprises the step of communicating the data in the IDR with a central IDR.

8. A system for obtaining data related to the use of interactive television by clients, characterized in that it comprises: one or more application servers that also include one or more application procedures for the introduction of information by a client, the server being application n electronic communication with one or more emiston centers; an eitision center to communicate one or more programs of application with a communications satellite; a satellite of < ommunications; one or more individual satellite dish antennas for transmitting one or more communication satellite application programs in electronic communication with the communication satellite and in electronic communication with one or more integrated receiver / decoder ("IRD"); one or more IRD in electrical communication with one or more Interfaces or Inte User Graphical Connections ("GUI") for a client to enter information in the application program and one or more modems, the IRD also understands the functionality of retro-demand and instant memory to store a data record of customer transaction and navigation information, where one or more modems are in electronic communication with one or more servers; of communications to receive retro-complaints from the IRDs one or more communication servers to receive the back-demand in electronic communication with one or more interactive servers; one • more interactive servers that comprise a parser of the data in the data record in particular actions and a router of the particular action data, where the router encapsulates the particular action data in the appropriate protocol for the users of the base of data, the interactive server being in electronic communication with one or more interactive data repositories ("IDR"); and one more IDR to store particular actions analyzed syntactically in the interactive server in electronic communication with an interactive commercial system ("IBS"); where the IDR is in communication with a central IDR, and a central IBS is in communication with the central IDR.

9. A system for obtaining data related to the use of interactive television by customers, characterized in that it comprises: one or more communication servers to receive the back-demand in electronic communication with one or more interactive servers; one or more interactive servers that receive the data record and place the data in an interactive data repository ("4DR") in the form of a data table; and one or more interactive commercial systems ("IBS") in electronic communication with the IDR, where the IBS has data, which are correlated with the IDR data.

10. A recé: integrated decoder ("IRD") to be used in a system to obtain data related to the use of interactive television by clients, characterized in that the system comprises: one or more application servers that include in addition one or more application programs for the introduction of information by a client, the application server being in electronic communication with one or more broadcasting centers; an emission center for communicating one or more application programs with a communications satellite; a communications satellite; one or more individual satellite dish antennas for receiving one or more communication satellite application programs in electronic communication with the communication satellite and in electronic communication with one or more IRD; one or more IRD in electrical communication with one or more Interfaces o- Inte connections User Graphs ("GUI") for a user to enter information in the application program one or more modems, IRDs also include the back-demand and instant memory functionality to store a data record of transaction information and client navigation, where one or more modems are in electronic communication with one or more communication servers to receive backdrops from the IRD; one or more communication servers to receive the back-demand in electronic communication with one or more interactive servers; one or more interactive servers that receive the data record and place the data in an interactive data repository ("IDR") in the form of a data table; and one or more interactive commercial systems ("IBS") in electronic communication with the IDR, where the IBS has data, which are correlated with data in the IDR SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A system (1? 0) and a method for obtaining data related to the use of interactive television by clients, comprising one or more application servers that (110) include one or more application programs for "entering information by a client through a graphical user interface or interface (170), a broadcast centreline (130), a communications satellite (140), one or more individual satellite dish antennas 150) to receive one or more broadcast programs, application (120) of the communication satellite (130), one or more integrated receivers / decoders ("IRD") (160) with a modem (200), the IO (160) further comprise the functionality of retrofan and memory snapshot (190) for storing a data record (180) of transaction information and client browsing, where one or more models (190) is in electronic communication with one or more communication servers (210) to receive calls from the IRD (] 60), one or more communication servers (210) to receive the back-demand in electronic communication with one or more interactive servers (220); one or more interactive servers (220) in electronic communication with one or more repositories