Cloud-Based TV Viewership Data for E-Commerce Recommendations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing e-commerce product recommendation systems are limited in scope, relying solely on user inputs, previously viewed products, and browsing history, missing opportunities to suggest relevant products that may not be captured by these methods.

Innovation Solution

A cloud-based system that collects and stores TV viewership data using automated content recognition (ACR) to recommend products based on commercials viewed by users, providing a broader range of potential recommendations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If product recommendations are based solely on user inputs, previously viewed products, and browsing history, then the recommendation system is simple to implement, but the scope and relevance of recommendations are narrow

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescope of product recommendationsVSAvoidcomplexity of recommendation system
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple data sources including TV viewership data, radio listenership data, search queries, and browsing history into a unified recommendation system. This combination broadens the scope of recommendations beyond what any single source could provide, while the integrated approach manages complexity through centralized data processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The recommendation system is designed to process and analyze multiple types of user interaction data across different platforms and media channels. This multi-functional capability allows the system to generate recommendations based on diverse data inputs, enhancing versatility while maintaining a unified system architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If TV viewership data is collected using automated content recognition, then product recommendation relevance is enhanced through demographics and ad campaign reinforcement, but system complexity and data processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of product recommendationsVSAvoidcomplexity of data collection system
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces automated content recognition (ACR) technology as an intermediary to bridge TV/radio content and user viewing/listening data. This mediator automatically identifies and captures commercial content, enabling precise tracking of ad exposure without manual intervention, thereby enhancing recommendation accuracy while managing complexity through automated processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces manual data collection and analysis methods with automated content recognition technology. This substitution uses algorithmic processing to identify and extract product information from TV and radio content, improving measurement precision while reducing the need for manual data processing infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple data sources are integrated for product recommendations, then the pool of potential recommendations is broadened, but data processing and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepool of potential recommendationsVSAvoidvolume of data to be processed
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential and relevant features from multiple data sources, such as product identifiers, user interaction patterns, and demographic information. This selective extraction reduces the volume of data that needs to be stored and processed while maintaining the versatility of recommendations based on the most important data elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments data from different sources into distinct categories and processing streams, allowing for efficient management and analysis of large volumes of data. By organizing data into manageable segments, the system can process information from multiple sources without being overwhelmed by the total data volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11107125B1Use of mobile device to provide product recommendations for an e-commerce shopping site
Publication Date: 2021.08.31 ALPHONSO INC
  • US11107125B1 patent drawing
  • US11107125B1 patent drawing
  • US11107125B1 patent drawing

AI summary

Recommendations are made to an e-shopper based on commercials that the e-shopper may have recently viewed on TV or heard on radio. In one preferred embodiment, a cloud-based server collects and stores TV viewership data through mobile devices, using automated content recognition (ACR).