Abstract:
The present invention relates to systems and methods for rewarding entertainment consumers, and more specifically to a system and method for rewarding people for watching or otherwise engaging in various forms of media and entertainment (e.g. broadcast TV, on-demand TV, games, live entertainment, movies, and radio) to promote loyalty to or improve recognition of all entertainment, while collecting useful data about the media consumption habits as well as the rewards consumption patterns associated with those consumers.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/509,021, filed on Jul. 18, 2011 and entitled “System and Method for Tracking and Rewarding Media and Entertainment Usage Including Substantially Real Time Rewards.” This application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to systems and methods for rewarding entertainment consumers, and more specifically to a system and method for rewarding people for watching or otherwise engaging in various forms of media and entertainment (e.g. broadcast TV, on-demand TV, games, live entertainment, movies, and radio) to promote loyalty to or improve recognition of all entertainment, while collecting useful data about the media consumption habits as well as the rewards consumption patterns associated with those consumers. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Over the past two decades there has been huge growth in the number of in-home entertainment options. Much of this growth has been driven by cable and satellite television, which not only provides more broadcast channel options than traditional over-the-air broadcast television could provide, but also provides the ability to view programming on demand. This on demand programming includes some of the same content (e.g. movies, sporting events, news, talk shows, dramatic series, comedy series, documentaries, family programming, educational programming, and reality programming). While some of this content is pay-per-view, much of the content is still supported by the sale of commercial advertising interspersed during the content. 
         [0006]    Over the past decade there has also been significant growth in various in-home entertainment options, including but not limited to broadcast TV, on-demand programming, gaming (particularly online games), online video and radio. Taking radio as an example, over the past few years the addition of paid satellite radio programming, new technologies, such as HD radio, have expanded the offerings that can be made available well beyond the stations that could be provided on AM and FM radio. 
         [0007]    As a result of this proliferation of entertainment choices, there is a desire in the media and entertainment industry to attract viewers/listeners, which may also be referred to herein as media and entertainment consumers or just consumers, to consume (i.e. listen and/or watch) content. There is an associated desire in the media and entertainment industry to retain viewers. 
         [0008]    Notwithstanding the proliferation of media and entertainment options there is still a limit to the amount of content and commercial advertising that can be provided. Consequently, content providers have been looking for additional outlets to connect to their viewers. Among other things, content providers have been trying various means to use the Internet and other social media, such as Facebook® and Twitter®. Most of these means have involved connecting the viewers with one another to discuss programming and other media-related interests via social networks and destination websites where the viewers may consume additional content and be exposed to additional advertising. 
         [0009]    However, these traditional media attempts at Internet and social media offerings have required too much effort for viewers to access. Moreover, these attempts have not been sufficiently interactive to attract users in a systematic way. Consequently, there is a need for a system and method that will engage viewers and encourage them to interact with additional outlets in association with their media and entertainment viewing interests. 
         [0010]    Reward or loyalty programs are ubiquitous. Generally these programs seek to reward certain buying behaviors that benefit a company. One common example of a loyalty program is that of airline frequent flyer programs. These frequent flyer programs began by providing points for every mile flown on a particular airline with a predetermined number of points redeemable for free airline tickets (e.g. 50,000 points or miles) or for upgraded service (e.g. 10,000 points to upgrade from Economy to First Class). As these frequent flyer programs evolved point awards were enhanced by a variety of factors, including providing premium points based on premium ticket pricing and based on how many annual miles the flyer flies (e.g. two points for every mile flown if the flyer flew in excess of 50,000 miles in the previous year). There was also an evolution in the redemption opportunities to include the ability to exchange points for airport club memberships and even physical goods. Many credit card companies and hotel chains have established programs that are remarkably similar to the airline frequent flyer example. 
         [0011]    Another common example are retail loyalty programs. Many of these programs provide a discount based on the presentation at the point of sale of a loyalty card or the input of unique information associated with the user&#39;s account, such as the user&#39;s telephone number. 
         [0012]    In all instances, loyalty program sponsors gather at least a minimal amount of data (e.g. telephone number and/or zip code) directly from the user and then collect other data regarding the user&#39;s purchasing/traveling patterns through their continued use of their loyalty account. For instance, a grocer may use information from the frequent purchase of flowers to provide coupon offers. An airline may provide an email to a particular frequent flyer regarding reduced fares to vacation destinations that the consumer has previously flown to. A credit card loyalty program may provide reduced rate concert or sporting event tickets for certain card users to reward their level of card usage. 
         [0013]    Loyalty programs have not been successfully deployed in association with media and entertainment content. There is a need to integrate features of a variety of loyalty programs into a meaningful interaction with viewers, media and entertainment providers, and content owners. There is an associated need to develop new loyalty programs that are specific to the media opportunity. 
         [0014]    Media and entertainment providers and their advertising customers have long had data that purports to provide demographic and quantitative information regarding the consumers of media and entertainment. For instance, advertisers may be interested in knowing which television shows attract 20-35 year female viewers or which radio programs attract the most teenage boys. Various companies have developed over the decades that provide this type of data based on their relationships with a “random sample” of the viewing public. There is a need to improve the collection, variety, and granularity of data available to media and entertainment providers, content providers and advertisers. There is also an associated desire to have greater sample sizes and variety. 
         [0015]    Over the last few years, the adoption of smart phones has accelerated particularly within highly desirable demographics for media and entertainment providers, content providers, and advertisers. Smart phones provide cellular telephone audio, SMS messaging, MMS messaging, data services, and sufficient processor power to run computer applications. There are many smart phone manufacturers who design smart phones and other devices for use with a variety of complex operating systems including, but not limited to, Android, Blackberry OS, iOS, Windows Mobile 7, and WebOS. Because smart phones are used regularly in daily life they provide an opportunity for advertisers and marketers. This opportunity, however, has been under-utilized, particularly to harness viewers for media content providers. 
       SUMMARY OF DISCLOSURE 
       [0016]    The present disclosure teaches various inventions that address, in part (or in whole) these and other various desires in the art. Those of ordinary skill in the art to which the inventions pertain, having the present disclosure before them will also come to realize that the inventions disclosed herein may address needs not explicitly identified in the present application. Those skilled in the art may also recognize that the principles disclosed may be applied to a wide variety of techniques involving communications, marketing, reward systems, and social networking. 
         [0017]    The present invention provides a new and innovative system and associated methods for rewarding individual viewers of television, games, music, radio, movies, live events and other forms of broadcast or recorded entertainment in a manner that would promote loyalty to and/or improve recognition of certain content, while providing information and marketing opportunities to the entire audience or at an individualized level for content providers and advertisers. The present invention also preferably includes a social component and game features that could be added for those users who might be interested in a richer experience. 
         [0018]    At its most basic level, consumers initially download a simple free application to their mobile phone, tablet, or laptop, consumers place their app-enabled mobile phone (or any other device) in front of them while watching television or otherwise receiving media content; the app captures real-time data about the media content (e.g. audio) by responding to a user-interface prompt; the captured programming data is analyzed and matched via a network of servers; and feedback is provided to the consumer based on the captured audio. Preferably, the consumer will be awarded points for just performing this downloading step. The consumers may additionally (or alternatively) engage with the system using their personal computer and/or tablet computer if they are interested in having more robust interactions with the system. 
         [0019]    To encourage further use and deeper interactions, the viewers are provided incentives, such as loyalty points. At its most basic, the system preferably provides recognition to even the most passive users by providing incentives for checking into the system and watching television with the system activated. Among the incentives there will be different tiers of user status (i.e. Fan to Super Fan) and loyalty points. The loyalty points will be used to increase and maintain interactions between consumers and content/media providers, including, but not limited to engaging viewers with commercials on television, involving them in polling exercises, and exposing them to additional adjunct content. For instance, the viewer could get more points in selected instances for watching a television show for N consecutive weeks; by reacting to content of the show and associated advertisements; by allowing others to share what they are watching (in real-time as well as historically); and by chatting with other users watching the same content in real-time as well as in a post-show, virtual “watercooler” mode. In this way, the system provides a tool for media and entertainment networks to attempt to effect viewing behavior changes through a system of tiered rewards of their choosing. 
         [0020]    Other macro and micro loops that prompt further user interaction are context sensitive and preferably use analytics to automatically cluster users based on attributes (e.g. user, behavior, show preferences). For instance, the system may remind viewers of upcoming shows, provide trends, and provide information about friends&#39; viewing habits and preferences. These loops should allow the system to offer more relevant rewards to each user segment. It is also contemplated that the viewers would get additional loyalty points for referring additional users; reviewing a newsletter; providing additional user profile information (e.g. email address, Facebook account, Twitter account, mobile phone number, third party loyalty card numbers); opting-in for SMS text messaging; participating in a user survey; logging onto the system via Facebook and/or Twitter; and participating in social networking discussions about the content and/or the process. To facilitate this functionality, the system would preferably pull comments in from Facebook and Twitter and then allow viewer  40  to comment on the posts and tweets that have been pulled in. 
         [0021]    The loyalty points will be easy to redeem across multiple digital platforms, including via mobile devices. There will be three primary types of incentives with options (but not so many as to cloud the redemption process):
   (1) cash equivalents (e.g. send restaurant/retailers/grocery gift card, pay a portion of the cable bill, pay a portion of mobile phone bill, or donation to charity);   (2) tangible prizes selected directly from an on-line catalog, won in an on-line auction, or won as part of a sweepstakes; and   (3) entertainment relevant incentives (e.g. drawn into a Simpson&#39;s episode, exclusive American Idol content).
 
Data regarding each user&#39;s point redemption activities may be utilized to capture user preferences, including but not limited to, brand preferences. For example, a user redeeming points for a Coca Cola T-shirt may indicate a preference for Coke. Similarly, redemption for a 4-pack of razor blades may indicate a desire for a particular product as approved by others.
   
 
         [0025]    The system and associated methods will provide various revenue generation opportunities including, by way of example, media and sponsorship sales, charter marketing partnerships, direct marketing and promotional offers, aggregated sales data, point sales, affiliate revenues associated with reward redemption and strategic partner revenues. In particular, the system and associated methods provide the ability to conduct push marketing via the computer applications deployed on computers and smart phones as well as via email, and SMS. That push marketing may be narrowly tailored based on information collected by the system regarding the demographics and content interests of the viewers. 
         [0026]    In another example, the ability to shift and/or increase viewer loyalty provides monetary value to media and entertainment network content providers and their advertisers. For instance, the system could push a message to a viewer presently watching a show on FOX that markets a similar show for ABC. In another example, the system may allow FOX to maintain more of their audience throughout the season (whereas shows have traditionally lost audience shares as the season moves on). As would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art having the present specification, drawings, and claims before them, these examples (and other similarly related examples) would apply similarly to games, live entertainment, and on-demand or pay-per-view programming, among other potential forms of entertainment. 
         [0027]    Raw data analytics provide an additional potential revenue source. Just touching the surface of the data, the system may allow determination of the best commercials, the most watched shows, and the most discussed shows. In combination with secure, private collection of data from the viewers, a nearly endless variety of analytics may be conducted. For instance, the demographic, content viewing and reward selection data may combine to tell the owner of certain content that their 20-30 year old viewers are interested in pay-per-view concerts, a new weekly show or an upcoming studio-release movie. In another example, the data could show a correlation between viewers who redeemed points for razor blades and viewership of hockey. 
         [0028]    The analytic engine may skim the data to provide the ability to advertisers to provide for self-serve ad buying capabilities. In other words, a razor manufacturer could choose to send razor ads to the mobile phones of 18-22 year old males who recently watched a show containing a scene where an actor used their razor. 
         [0029]    These and other advantages and uses of the present system and associated methods will become clear to those of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing the present specification, drawings, and claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0030]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a system in accordance with one approach to the present invention. 
           [0031]      FIG. 2  illustrates some of the details associated with the audio identification engine of the system illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0032]      FIG. 3  illustrates some of the details associated with the viewer feedback engine of the system illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 4  illustrates a flow diagram of one approach to the overall interaction between viewers and the system associated with one potential aspect of the present invention. 
           [0034]      FIG. 5  illustrates a flow diagram of the potential interactions a viewer may have in association with one embodiment of the system illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0035]      FIG. 5A  illustrates a flow diagram of a method of audio check-in verification that may be used in association with one embodiment of the system illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0036]      FIG. 5B  illustrates the potential programming options that a viewer may choose to participate in, in one embodiment of the system illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0037]      FIG. 6  illustrates one potential user interface approach to an introduction screen that may be used in association with one example of an application that may be downloaded onto a smart phone (or other portable device) with the understanding that the smart phone and graphical user interface illustrated in the figures is merely intended to provide an example of one potential deployment of the application without limiting the invention to that particular type of smart phone, operating system, or graphical user interface. 
           [0038]      FIG. 6A  illustrates one user interface approach to a “welcome” screen in the installed application that would preferably be used in association with the computer application deployed on the exemplary smart phone of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0039]      FIGS. 7 ,  7 A and  7 B collectively illustrates one user interface approach to a simplified “create account” screen in the installed application that would preferably be used in association with the computer application deployed on the exemplary smart phone of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0040]      FIG. 7C  illustrates an optional user interface in the installed application that may be used in association with the computer application deployed on the exemplary smart phone of  FIG. 6  to obtain additional information about the viewer. 
           [0041]      FIG. 8  illustrates one potential user interface approach to a “get started” screen in the installed application that may be used in association with the exemplary smart phone of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0042]      FIG. 8A  illustrates one user interface approach to a “an audio check in” screen in the installed application that would preferably be used in association with the computer application deployed on the exemplary smart phone of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0043]      FIG. 9  illustrates one user interface approach to a “home screen” in the installed application that may be used in association with the exemplary smart phone of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0044]      FIG. 10  illustrates one user interface approach to a “check-in” screen in the installed application that may be used in association with the exemplary smart phone of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0045]      FIG. 11A  illustrates one user interface approach to a “checked in” screen in the installed application that may be used in association with the exemplary smart phone of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0046]      FIG. 11B  illustrates the user interface of  FIG. 11A  with the “bonus points” section expanded. 
           [0047]      FIG. 11C  illustrates the user interface when a viewer selects the “Who&#39;s hot tonight?” bonus point option of  FIG. 11B . 
           [0048]      FIG. 11D  illustrates the user interface of  FIG. 11A  with the “chatter” section expanded with the title portion hiding above the visible screen and the bonus points and friends/share portions hiding below the visible screen. 
           [0049]      FIG. 12  illustrates one user interface approach to a personal profile screen that may be used in the installed application on the exemplary smart phone of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0050]      FIG. 13  illustrates one user interface approach to a “favorites” screen that may be used in the installed application in the exemplary smart phone of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0051]      FIGS. 14A and 14B  illustrate one user interface approach to searching for content on live and online television, respectively, that may be used in the installed application on the exemplary smart phone of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0052]      FIGS. 15A ,  15 B,  15 C,  15 D and  15 E together illustrate one user interface approach to rewards redemption that may be used in association with one example of the installed application as it may be deployed on the exemplary smart phone of  FIG. 6 , while illustrating the types of rewards that may be provided in association with one or more embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0053]      FIG. 16  illustrates one user interface approach to a logout screen in the installed application that would preferably be used in association with the computer application deployed on the exemplary smart phone of  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0054]    The present invention provides a system and method that can be utilized with a variety of different client devices, including but not limited to desktop computers and mobile devices such as PDA&#39;s, smart phones, cellular phones, tablet computers, and laptops, to reward consumers of media and entertainment (also called “viewers”) in a manner that should promote loyalty to and/or improve recognition of certain shows, while further providing information and marketing opportunities. Thus, while the invention may be embodied in many different forms, the drawings and discussion are presented with the understanding that the present disclosure is an exemplification of the principles of the inventions disclosed herein and is not intended to limit any one of the disclosed inventions to the embodiments illustrated. 
         [0055]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a system  100  and its potential avenues for interaction with the real world toward implementing the concepts of the present invention. In particular, system  100  communicates with viewer  40  via a computer application  110  that has been installed on the smart phone  55  in viewer&#39;s hand. System  100  may also communicate with viewer  40  via SMS, MMS, push notification, and other types of messaging (not shown) that are or may become available on smart phone  55 . Although the specification will continue to speak in terms of smart phone  55 , it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art having the present specification, drawings, and claims before them that in some approaches to the present invention it would be possible to utilize any telephone or even computer that can capture audio for transmission into system  100 . 
         [0056]    The smart phone  55  is connected to the system  100  via a cellular telephone system  50  and computer network  60 . The cellular telephone system  50  may be any type of system, including, but not limited to CDMA, GSM, TDMA, 3G, 4G, and LTE. To facilitate the use and bi-directional transmission of data between the system  100  and smart phone  55 , the cellular telephone system  50  is preferably operably connected to computer network  60  in a variety of manners that would be known to those of ordinary skill in the art. 
         [0057]    System  100  may further communicate with viewer  40  via computer  30  that is operably connected to the system  100  via the computer network  60 . The computer network  60  used in association with the present system may comprise the Internet, WAN, LAN, Wi-Fi, or other computer network (now known or invented in the future). It should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art having the present specification, drawings, and claims before them that the computer network  60  may be operably connected to the computer  30  over any combination of wired and wireless conduits, including copper, fiber optic, microwaves, and other forms of radio frequency, electrical and/or optical communication techniques. 
         [0058]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a fundamental concept is that some device, such as smart phone  55  is exposed to the ambient audio  15  that viewer  40  is currently experiencing. For instance,  FIG. 1  depicts the viewer  40  listening to a television  10  and a radio  20 . The television  10  may be broadcasting live television programming that was delivered to the television  10  from various sources, such as cable set top box or satellite receiver  11 , DVD or BluRay disks (not shown), or from a digital video recorder (DVR), which may be incorporated into set top box/receiver  11 . The radio  20  may be broadcasting AM, FM, HD radio and/or satellite radio programming into the living room of viewer  40 . As illustrated in  FIG. 5A , when the computer application  110  (previously installed on smart phone  55 ) is activated, it will capture a moment of the ambient audio  15 . Alternatively, the application  110  may be continuously running, but only obtain an audio segment after the viewer  40  presses a “Check-In” button (see, e.g.,  FIG. 8  or  9 ). The captured audio segment may be converted into an audio fingerprint on the smart phone  55  and then transmitted to the system  100  via cellular telephone system  50  and computer network  60  or it may be converted into an audio fingerprint after the audio segment has been transmitted to the system  100 .  FIG. 8A  depicts a potential user interface that may appear while the system is obtaining and checking the audio sample (i.e. the process depicted in  FIG. 5A ). If the fingerprint segment of the audio sample is successfully matched to a fingerprint in the fingerprint database  155 , then the viewer is notified of the successful check-in. If the fingerprint segment of the audio sample is not successfully matched to a fingerprint in the fingerprint database  155 , then the viewer is notified of the non-match. If there was a non-match, the viewer may be given an opportunity to try matching again (by obtaining a new short audio segment) or by inputting the name of the program automatically or finding the show via a “SEARCH” button (causing the interfaces illustrated in  FIGS. 14A and 14B  to appear on the screen), thus providing a textual search of the content programming listings. 
         [0059]    Returning to  FIG. 1 , computer  30  may be any type of computer, such as desktop, laptop, or tablet computer that can preferably operably connect to the computer network  60 . Computer  30  should include a video display and a browser capable of rendering content from social media sites such as Facebook® to enhance the viewer experience in interacting with the system  100 . Computer  30  may also have the computer application  110  installed thereon. The computer application  110  installed on the computer  30  may be a different or the same application that is installed on smart phone  55 . It is possible for computer application  110  to have a slightly different look and feel on computer  30  than on smart phone  55  because of the additional screen space, however, it is preferred that the look and feel be sufficiently similar to invoke the same feeling in the viewer with respect to the interaction with the system  100 . As such, computer application  110  on the computer  30  could also be used to check into shows in the manner described with respect to  FIG. 5A  above. 
         [0060]    System  100  includes the computer application  110 , an audio identification engine  150 , a viewer feedback engine  200 , and an analytics engine  250 . Computer application  110  may be pre-installed on computer  30  and/or smart phone  55 . However, as depicted in  FIG. 4 , after viewers learn about system  100  (box  400 ), it is primarily contemplated that the viewer  40  may download the computer application  110  (box  410   a ) from one of a variety of sources including, but not limited to the iTunes® AppStore, Android® application marketplace or a dedicated website. It is alternatively contemplated that the viewer  40  may send an email to a dedicated website and receive, in return, a copy of the computer application  110  for installation (box  410   c ). It is also contemplated that the viewer  40  may send a predetermined SMS message to an enumerated short code (e.g. Send JOIN to 55512) and receive instructions for interacting with system  100  via a return SMS message (box  410   d ). Finally, it may be possible for viewer  40  to register on the website without downloading the computer application  110  (box  410   b ). In such a case the application  110  may be invoked from the website (or otherwise in the cloud). 
         [0061]    Computer application  110  will be explained in further detail with respect to the flow diagrams of  FIGS. 4 ,  5 ,  5 A, and  5 B as well as representative smart phone screen shots depicted in  FIGS. 6 through 16 . For now, it should be understood that computer application  110  will be used to capture a segment of ambient audio  15  for use in the remainder of system  100 . 
         [0062]    Although the various aspects of system  100 , such as audio identification engine  150 , a viewer feedback engine  200 , and an analytics engine  250  have been illustrated as being singular and co-located with one another to avoid obscuring the invention, as should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art having the present specification, drawings, and claims before them it is contemplated that the various aspects of system  100  may be deployed across the globe in the cloud or on a plurality of servers, which may provide redundant functionality to allow quicker—substantially real-time—processing of the ambient audio  15  that is being captured by computer application  110 . In fact, it should also be understood that certain aspects of the audio identification engine  150  could even be deployed onto the smart phone  55  and/or computer  30  of each viewer  40 . 
         [0063]    The audio identification engine  150  takes the captured audio segment and converts it from audio to audio fingerprint. Then, audio identification engine  150  compares the resulting audio fingerprint with audio fingerprints stored in database  155  to determine whether the audio segment received from the viewer  40  is known. It is contemplated that the conversion from audio to audio fingerprint (and any intermediate stages in between) may be performed local to the viewer or within audio identification engine  150 . 
         [0064]    The audio fingerprints of the media and entertainment content is stored in database  155  (along with textual data regarding the fingerprint, including but not limited to show title) following processing of the media and entertainment content by content acquisition engine  160 . However, as also shown in  FIG. 2 , the media and entertainment audio fingerprints may be provided directly from content acquisition engine  160  directly to audio recognition engine  151 . This use case would primarily occur where the media and entertainment content was live content, however, it need not be so limited. In particular, the content acquisition engine  160  may capture the entire range of audio, some sub-range(s) of the audio spectrum, read preexisting audio fingerprints within the audio, and/or create fingerprint representations of the media and entertainment content  180  for use in comparing the audio fingerprints received from the various viewers in audio recognition engine  151  and/or storage in database  155 . 
         [0065]    Various forms of audio recognition can be used in the audio recognition engine  151 , including everything from full blown speech recognition to audio fingerprinting using selected frequencies within the audio range. Likewise, various speech recognition and audio fingerprinting techniques may be used to create a digital representation of the audio that has been captured in associated with the media and entertainment content currently being experienced by viewer  40 . As would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art having the present specification, drawings, and claims before them audio identification engine  150  will be capable for processing audio for a plurality of viewers in parallel. This is particularly true in the use case where the audio recognition/fingerprinting aspect of audio recognition engine  151  is deployed on computer  30  and/or smart phone  55 . This use case will minimize the amount of data that is transmitted between the viewer and the remainder of the system  100 , however, it may require the use of more sophisticated smart phones or run the risk of slower response times. 
         [0066]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the audio identification engine  150  sends data regarding the media and entertainment content that the viewer  40  is presently experiencing to the viewer feedback engine  200 . Viewer feedback engine  200  is illustrated in more detail in  FIG. 3 . In particular, viewer feedback engine  200  includes viewer identification engine  301 , reward identification engine  305 , programming engine  310 , reward fulfillment engine  315 , and database  330 . When the viewer launches the application for the first time (for instance using the application  110  as illustrated in  FIG. 6 ), viewer identification engine  301  is responsible for creating the viewer account (see box  420  of  FIG. 4 ). And then, the viewer identification engine  301  interacts with viewer  40  via the computer software  110  to obtain identification information regarding the viewer  40 . 
         [0067]    Where the viewer  40  is a first-time user of the system, only very basic user information is preferably gathered by the viewer identification engine  301  at this initial stage of viewer interaction with the system  100 .  FIGS. 7 ,  7 A and  7 B collectively depict one user interface that may be used for initial data collection. As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , viewer identification engine  301  ensures that viewer  40  accepts the terms and conditions for using system  100  with 1-button opt-in. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the illustrated user interface provides the viewer  40  with the option to download a copy of the terms and conditions of system use to the viewer&#39;s smart phone via the hyperlink. Clicking the checkbox or otherwise indicating assent to those terms and conditions is required by the viewer identification engine  301 .  FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrates that the viewer may need to be asked to accept other functional aspects to comply with application store requirements. In this example, the questions posed are for permissions that iOS (Apple Computer, Cupertino, Calif.) require of all applications. It should be understood that the example set by the illustrations of  FIGS. 7A and 7B  may have applicably to other types of permissions that may be required. 
         [0068]      FIG. 7C  illustrates the possibility that viewer identification engine  301  may later be voluntarily provided additional information by the viewer  40 , which may be input on a secondary screen. 
         [0069]    The viewer identification engine  301  also provides welcome communication (see  FIG. 4 , box  430 ). One illustrative example of the type of initial welcome communication contemplated is shown in  FIG. 8 . In general, the initial welcome provides immediate points feedback, encourage to obtain more points by just logging into system  100  and checking into a show. Preferably, the initial welcome communication provides an optional opportunity for curious viewers to tour the offering of the system. 
         [0070]    The data collected by viewer identification engine  310  is stored in database  330 . While database  330  is depicted as a single database, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art having the present specification, drawings, and claims before them that the database  330  may be stored in multiple locations and across multiple pieces of hardware, including but not limited to storage in the cloud. In view of the sensitive data stored in database  330 , it will be secured in an attempt to minimize the risk of undesired disclosure of viewer information to third parties. 
         [0071]    Viewer identification engine  301  will also be responsible for identifying the viewer  40  in all subsequent interactions within system  100  (see  FIG. 4 , reference numbers  440  and  460 ). Once the viewer  40  has been registered with the system  100 , the viewer  40  may log off the system (box  445 ,  FIG. 4 ) and login to interact with the system as they so desire. As further shown in  FIG. 4 , after some pre-determined milestone, such as one week since registration or forty hours logged into the system, the viewer identification engine  301  in combination with the reward identification engine  305  preferably sends a more detailed welcome message to the viewer  40  (box  450 ,  FIG. 4 ). This detailed welcome message may include more information about the different opportunities to gain reward points within the system and the variety of ways that those points can be redeemed. The detailed welcome message may also provide information regarding the other rewards that viewers may receive by using the system, such as those provided by the programming engine  310 . 
         [0072]    When a viewer  40  logs back into the system  100 , the viewer identification engine  301  identifies the viewer  40  then begins to obtain and store further data with respect to that viewer  40  for storage in database  330 . For instance, the viewer interaction and content watching data would be stored by database  330 . In one example, this data may include information that during the current interaction with the system ( FIG. 4 ,  440  or  460 ), the viewer  40 : 
         [0000]    was logged into system  100  via their smart phone  55  from 19:00 to 22:30 on Monday, May 23, 2011 from New York, N.Y. according to the GPS locator on smart phone  55 ;
 
during this login the viewer  40  watched a basketball game in real time on TBS between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls;
 
interacted with ten fellow viewers of the game on TBS on the Chicago Bulls fan site (created within programming engine  310 );
 
sent a status update to his Facebook® account via computer software  110  on his smart phone  55  at 21:45;
 
was rewarded ten points for logging into the system, fifty points for watching the game in real time, one-hundred points for interacting on the Chicago Bulls fan site; and ten points for sending a status update for a total of one-hundred and seventy points; and
 
considered redeeming three-hundred points for a Chicago Bulls bumper sticker.
 
         [0073]    Database  330  may also be used to store the loyalty points given the viewer, the loyalty points used by the viewer, and any rewards provided to the viewer by reward fulfillment engine  315 . Database  330  may be queried by the analytics engine  250  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) and will be queried by the reward identification engine  305  and reward fulfillment engine  310 . 
         [0074]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the reward identification engine  305 , identifies rewards that will be given to the viewer if the viewer participates in certain behaviors. For instance, as shown in the example above, reward identification engine  305  granted the viewer points for simply logging into the system, watching particular media and entertainment content (e.g. the basketball game) in real time, interacting with the programming engine  310 , and sending a status update to social media (e.g. Facebook®) from within the system  100 . The point values assigned to each action may be determined by the reward identification engine  305  on a viewer-by-viewer basis depending upon the demographics and prior usage patterns of the viewer  40 . The point values may be further adjusted by the interests of media and entertainment content providers in attracted and/or retaining viewers with the demographic and/or usage patterns of the viewer. Based on data stored in database  330 , the reward identification engine  305  may have provided a text message via computer application  110  or an email to the viewer to encourage that viewer to participate in the social network within the programming engine  310 . 
         [0075]      FIG. 5  illustrates one potential flow for interaction of viewer  40  with the system (boxes  440 ,  460  of  FIG. 4 ). As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , when a viewer logs into the system they may be immediately checking into a media or entertainment show. If the viewer successfully logs into a show (i.e. “verified”), then a screen similar to the one illustrated in  FIG. 11A  is generated. Alternatively, the viewer may just be logging into the system. In which case, the viewer is allocated points and then receives a message about the point allocation that may be similar to the initial welcome message depicted in  FIG. 8 . Following the point allocation message, the viewer may continue onto the “home screen.” One potential embodiment of the “home screen” has been illustrated in  FIG. 9 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 9 , the viewer may use the “home screen” to commence various tasks. For instance, the viewer may maintain their viewer profile and even add additional information, such as their supermarket loyalty rewards card number (see, e.g.,  FIG. 7C ). 
         [0076]    In another example, the viewer  40  may review the current TV listings as a launch point to check into selected a show. One potential interface for such a TV listings launch screen is depicted in  FIG. 10 . As further depicted in  FIG. 5 , the viewer may return from the TV listings screen back to the home screen. The viewer may also navigate between the TV listings screen and screens that focus on the viewer&#39;s own favorite shows (see  FIG. 13 ), the system-manager&#39;s favorite shows (“Our Favorites”) and the viewer&#39;s friends&#39; favorite shows (“My Friends”). The viewer may also launch search windows from within the TV listings (see, e.g.  FIGS. 14A and 14B ). 
         [0077]    As illustrated in  FIG. 5B  and would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art having the present specification, drawings, and claims before them, the programming engine  310  could establish separate fan sites (or chat rooms) for sporting teams and may further separate the fan sites by information regarding the frequency that the viewer watches that type of sporting event (i.e. novice or expert basketball viewers). By inviting viewer  40  to the expert basketball social site, it may encourage the viewer to spend more time logged into the system  100 . These fan sites may be similarly provided for music events and popular TV shows (as may be defined by the data collected from the viewers or as may be defined by the interest of a media or entertainment content provider who is interested in establishing a show as “popular”), among other potential examples. 
         [0078]    A portion of one potential fan site is depicted in  FIG. 11D . In the illustrated case the fan site relates to the particular “American Idol” episode where viewers are chatting about the show as they watch. As would be understood by those skilled in the art, the smart phone  55  allows a viewer to swipe the screen with an upward or downward motion to scroll the chat content through the visible window on the smart phone. As would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, other smart phones and devices may have different navigation techniques to allow the viewer to navigate through the chat content. 
         [0079]    In another example, the programming engine  310  may provide children&#39;s programming that dovetails with a particular educational program that the viewer may be watching with their child in real-time. In such a case, the reward identification engine  305  may read from the audio identification engine that a child of the viewer  40  (viewers in the system must be at least 13 years of age or older) is watching a supported children&#39;s educational program and send various forms of messages to encourage the viewer to engage with the value-added programming available via the programming engine  310  of the system  100 . Similar examples may be formed around entertainment news and the provision of exclusive video (e.g. interviews with the stars of a particular show, a music video related to a movie, etc.) 
         [0080]    In yet another example, the programming engine  310  may establish media and entertainment programming related fan sites in real-time. The reward identification engine  305  may then invite particular viewers to join the real-time chat (via emails, SMS messages and/or in-program messages) based on information obtained from the viewer identification engine  301  and database  330 . 
         [0081]    Returning to  FIG. 5 , when the viewer has finished their participation in the programming, the system determines whether points should be allocated and if so awards them. In one approach, the system may issue a message about the point allocation before returning the viewer to the home screen (see  FIG. 9 ). Alternatively, the points may simply be incremented and the viewer returned directly to the home screen. 
         [0082]    From the home screen, the viewer may choose to redeem points for rewards via the reward fulfillment engine  315 . The reward fulfillment engine  315  may fulfill rewards via electronic credits sent to other electronic systems via the computer network  60  (such as the iTunes or Amazon.com), via regular mail (including private parcel services), or via the cellular telephone system  50 . In particular, where the viewer  40  chooses to receive a reward via regular mail, the viewer identification engine  301  will collect complete postal address information regarding the viewer  40  because the system  100  may have only previously obtained zip code data (see  FIG. 7 ). This postal data would be saved in database  330  along with the other data regarding the viewer  40 . As shown in  FIGS. 15A-15E  there are a variety of rewards that may be managed and offered by reward fulfillment engine  315 , which will be discussed in association with  FIGS. 15A-15E  below. 
         [0083]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , after various periods of time, the system  100  may communicate with the viewer  40 , reference number  470 . These communications may be during interactions with the system  460 , but they are more likely to be between interactions with the system to encourage the viewer  40  to return to the system. Preferably, these periodic communication will be sent within the application  110 . However, particularly if the viewer has not launched application  110 , it is contemplated that these periodic communications may be sent via the cellular telephone system  50 , as SMS or MMS messages (if the viewer has opted-in to receive such messages (see  FIG. 7A ), or via the computer network  60  as emails and/or instant messages. 
         [0084]    The screen shots of  FIGS. 6 through 16  collectively illustrate one potential flow of the application  110  on one particular type of smart phone. In particular, these screen shots are depicted on a smart phone that includes a touch sensitive screen, such that activation of any depicted button merely requires the touch of a finger or stylus within the real-estate encompassed by that button. In one approach to the user interface, many of the screens, such as those in  FIGS. 8 through 15  include common user interface elements, such as the viewer name in the upper left hand corner of each screen and the viewer&#39;s current reward point total in the upper right hand corner, and (in many views) the navigation buttons along the bottom. This uniformity between various screens of the user interface simplifies the user interaction with the system. With respect to the bottom navigation buttons, they provide quick links to Watch TV (i.e. select a show via the interface of  FIG. 10 ); audio check-in ( FIG. 8A ); the rewards home page ( FIG. 15A ); and the home page ( FIG. 9 ). As should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art the particular look and feel, text, the ordering of the information may not be necessary to implement the inventive concepts disclosed herein. 
         [0085]      FIG. 6  illustrates a launch screen for application  110  according to one embodiment of the invention. As illustrated here, the viewer may create an account, either through the application directly, or through another media or social networking website, such as (by way of example only) TWITTER,™ FACEBOOK™ or LINKEDIN.™ While not shown, the introductory screen may include a “login” link (not shown) for user with existing accounts. As discussed with reference to  FIG. 4  above, the viewer  40  may arrive at the screen of  FIG. 6  by, among other paths, selecting a link for a website from the browser of his/her smart phone. Alternatively, the viewer may download an application from an “app store” (such as an “app store” specific to the user&#39;s smartphone operating system or platform). Once the application is downloaded, the user/viewer can open up the application directly from the user&#39;s smart phone. 
         [0086]    As shown in  FIGS. 7 ,  7 A and  7 B, the account creation screen will request only the most basic user information (e.g. First Name, Last Name, email and password). It is important that only this basic information is requested to streamline the enrollment process so as to minimize the potential of losing potential adopters during the enrollment process. It is contemplated that additional information about the viewer  40  may be voluntarily collected from the viewer, with the viewer  40  earning additional loyalty points for supplying each aspect of additional information. This additional information collection is depicted in  FIG. 7C  to include mobile number, type of SMS plan the user has, Zip Code, and/or TV Provider. Depending on the embodiment of the system  100 , some or all of these categories of information, or other categories of information may be requested, and the illustrations of  FIGS. 7 ,  7 A,  7 B, and  7 C should not be construed to limit the invention in any way. 
         [0087]      FIG. 9  illustrates an example of a home screen. As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the home screen may include a number of menu items, including without limitation: Check-In (navigating to the user interface of  FIG. 8A  and enabling the check-in process illustrated in  FIG. 5A ), My Favorites (navigate to the user interface of  FIG. 13 ), My Friends (a user interface like  FIG. 13 , but listing the favorite shows selected by the friends of the viewer  40 ), Rewards (navigate to the user interface of  FIG. 15A ), Our Favorites, Earn More Bonus Points, My Profile (navigate to the user interface of  FIG. 12 ), Notifications, and Settings. 
         [0088]    The “Our Favorites” button depicted in  FIG. 9  would navigate to a user interface similar to that of  FIG. 13 , but listing the “favorites” of the system-editors, which may be selected on a viewer-by-viewer basis based on the information regarding the viewer  40  contained in database  330  and relationships between system  100  and various content owners and/or advertisers. 
         [0089]    The “Earn More Bonus Points” button illustrated in  FIG. 9 , would take the viewer to a screen that provides point earning opportunities (such as the types of opportunities depicted in  FIG. 11B ). These opportunities may be selected on a viewer-by-viewer basis based on the information regarding the viewer  40  in database  330  and relationships between system  100  and various content owners and/or advertisers. 
         [0090]    The “Notifications” button illustrated in  FIG. 9 , would take the viewer to a screen that provides notices from the system and advertisers. As shown in  FIG. 9 , merely pressing this button would have added 3 loyalty points into the viewer&#39;s account. The notices that are provided in the notification screen may be selected on a viewer-by-viewer basis based on the information regarding the viewer in database  330  and relationships between system  100  and various content owners and/or advertisers. 
         [0091]    As shown in  FIG. 9 , one implementation of the “home screen” may include buttons that offer featured rewards across the bottom of the user interface screen instead of the standard navigation buttons discussed above. On the home screen, this substitution makes particular sense because the standard soft-navigation keys are already provided elsewhere on the “home screen.” By selecting any of the featured rewards the viewer  40  is taken to a detailed rewards page, such as the type of pages depicted in  FIGS. 15C and 15D . 
         [0092]      FIG. 10  illustrates one potential version of a “check in” interface. As illustrated in  FIG. 10 , by pressing the portion of the TV listing grid with “CSI,” “IDOL,” or “GLEE” the viewer would check-in the selected program and receive an addition number of loyalty points upon confirmed check-in (via audio identification engine  150 ). As further illustrated in  FIG. 10 , other programming may be selected from this familiar guide grid format that may be laid out in the order deployed by the viewer&#39;s TV provider (e.g. AT&amp;T, Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Time Warner) if that provider was identified by the viewer (see  FIG. 7C ). 
         [0093]      FIG. 11A  provides an illustration of a screen that could appear following a successful check in of the viewer  40  by the audio identification engine  150 . As illustrated, the screen may provide feedback on the amount of points added (i.e. 50 points) due to the viewer&#39;s selected behavior and further positive feedback about the viewer&#39;s participation in the system.  FIG. 11B  depicts the user interface following the viewer  40  pressing the “Bonus Points” ribbon on  FIG. 11A . By doing so, the system  100 , provides access to additional opportunities to earn points.  FIG. 11C  depicts the user interface following the viewer  40  pressing the “Who&#39;s Hot Tonight” bonus point opportunity button on  FIG. 11B . Also illustrated in  FIG. 11A  is the ability to post status information regarding the content the viewer is watching via an easy interface to various social media/networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. (see  FIG. 11D ). 
         [0094]      FIG. 13  provides an illustration of one potential screen that shows the viewer&#39;s favorite shows. As further illustrated the viewer may decide to share their list of favorite shows via various social media outlets. 
         [0095]      FIGS. 14  A and  14 B provide an illustration of the search potential in the present invention.  FIG. 14A  shows search for programming on live television, while  FIG. 14B  depicts the ability to search for programming contained in a selected one of the online content providers. By providing the ability to select the online service, the system  100  may be able to streamline the audio fingerprint search associated with audio check-in to include only the programming available via the selected online service. 
         [0096]    As illustrated with respect to  FIGS. 15A through 15F , the reward account may include points that can be redeemed for rewards, cash or store credits, or other cash equivalent rewards (e.g. send restaurant/retailers/grocery gift card, offer pay a portion of the cable bill, pay a portion of mobile phone bill, donation to charity, a movie ticket coupon); tangible prizes (such as selected directly from an on-line catalog, won in an on-line auction, won as part of a sweepstakes); incentives prizes (e.g. drawn into a particular television show or video, exclusive video content, free ring tones); and any combination of the foregoing, or other similar types of promotional or loyalty rewards. 
         [0097]    For instance,  FIGS. 15A through 15F  illustrate some of the diversity of rewards offered by the present system. For instance, one reward may consist of mobile phone offers, such as paying a portion of the monthly cell phone bill or paying for unlimited SMS messaging. Another similar potential reward offering is payment of a portion of the cable bill, such as the basic subscription fee, or for a particular on-demand or pay-per-view movie. Here, the viewer  40  has selected the “Rewards” button to navigate to the user interface of  FIG. 15A . As illustrated, the categories of reward offers fills the visible screen (and probably continues onto virtual screens that may be accessed by swiping a finger across the screen of smart phone  55 . If the viewer  40  selects the “gift card” category, the user interface shifts to  FIG. 15B  where a variety of gift cards are displayed. In the illustrated example, the available gift card offerings all fit within the single screen. The viewer  40  selects a particular gift card offer, such as the $10 iTunes® gift card via regular mail offer causing the user interface to shift to  FIG. 15C . As illustrated on  FIG. 15C , the type of reward (e.g. $10 iTunes® gift card via regular mail), the number of point necessary to “buy” the reward, and a description of the reward (and any special terms and conditions) are displayed. As also illustrated, once the viewer  40  has decided that they want the reward, they press the “Redeem” button, which will debit the reward point account of viewer  40 . As further illustrated in  FIG. 15C , the system may provide the viewer  40  with a potential alternative acquisition (e.g. an electronic iTunesD gift card for fewer points). 
         [0098]      FIG. 15D  provides an illustration of potential user interface to offer a sweepstakes reward opportunity. As illustrated in  FIG. 15D , the user interface provides a description of the reward and the number of points needed to enter the sweepstakes. As further depicted, the system may inform the viewer of the current number of entries in the sweepstakes and the time remaining to enter. Reward points are deducted upon entry into the sweepstakes regardless of whether the viewer wins. 
         [0099]      FIG. 15E  provides an illustration of potential user interface to offer an online auction reward option. As illustrated, the user interface in  FIG. 15E  provides a description of the reward, an opening bid, a current bid, and the remaining time to enter a bid. As would be understood, bid entry would be limited to amounts that are greater then the current bid. Even if a bid is acceptable, the reward points will only be deducted if the viewer  40  wins the auction. 
         [0100]    Data regarding each user&#39;s point redemption activities may be utilized to capture user preferences, including but not limited to, brand preferences. For example, a user redeeming points for a Coca Cola T-shirt may indicate a preference for Coke. Similarly, redemption for a 4-pack of razor blades may indicate a desire for a particular product as approved by others. 
         [0101]      FIG. 16  illustrates one user interface approach to a simplified “logout” screen. In particular, after a viewer has chosen to logout of the system they are provided with information about the just terminated session and offers to earn more points. In addition, the logout screen provides a simple way to log back into the system. 
         [0102]    Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the appended claims. 
         [0103]    To the extent that any of the claims appended hereto are construed to be means plus function claims under 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the means includes code running on a processor to perform the desired function.