Matrix Code Temporal Data for Interaction Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for tracking user interaction with audiovisual content, such as set-top boxes or cable boxes, are prone to errors and fail to accurately distinguish between interactions at different times, leading to undesired interactivity and incomplete participation.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that embed temporal information in a digital construct, allowing a television receiver to modify and display a matrix code with playback time data, enabling accurate tracking of user interactions by capturing and decoding this information with a reader device and transmitting it to a monitoring party for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a digital construct contains only transmission time data, then the data structure remains simple, but the system cannot distinguish between initial viewing and replay interactions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds temporal information within a digital construct that is itself embedded in a matrix code displayed during audiovisual content. The temporal data structure contains nested elements including playback time stamps, allowing multiple levels of information hierarchy without increasing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a monitoring party as an intermediary that receives communications from reader devices and processes the temporal information. This mediator handles the complexity of temporal data analysis, keeping the television receiver and reader device relatively simple while achieving precise interaction tracking
2Reliability
If users interact with displayed information immediately, then real-time feedback is achieved, but errors like misdialing cannot be corrected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds temporal information in the digital construct before user interaction occurs. By pre-configuring the matrix code with playback time data, the system establishes a reference point that allows users to verify they are interacting at the correct time, preventing erroneous interactions without requiring additional correction time
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring party receives communications from reader devices and processes temporal information to determine interaction timing. This feedback mechanism confirms whether user interactions occurred at intended moments, allowing for verification and correction of timing errors while maintaining real-time interaction capabilities
3Measurement precision
If temporal data is embedded in the digital construct, then replay tracking accuracy improves, but the data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts temporal information from the complex digital construct and transmits it separately to the monitoring party. The reader device captures the matrix code and sends communications containing temporal data, which the monitoring party then processes to determine playback timing. This extraction approach isolates the complex temporal data processing from the consumer devices, maintaining simplicity at the user end while achieving precise measurement
Data Source
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AI summary
Measuring and tracking user interaction with a television receiver, such as a set top box or cable box. The television receiver may create and display a matrix code that includes temporal information, user identification information, geographic information, and/or a user selection. The matrix code may be captured by a matrix reading device and transmitted to a monitoring entity. Optionally, the matrix reading device may decode the matrix code and transmit associated data to the monitoring entity. The monitoring entity may use the code or data to track and distinguish between user interactions at different points in time.