U.S. patent application number 13/849234 was filed with the patent office on 2013-11-07 for delivering actionable elements relating to an object to a device.
This patent application is currently assigned to Quad/Graphics, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is QUAD/GRAPHICS, INC.. Invention is credited to William A. Bear, Matthew T. Kammerait, Gary Lundberg, Monte Rose.
Application Number | 20130297670 13/849234 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49513466 |
Filed Date | 2013-11-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130297670 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lundberg; Gary ; et
al. |
November 7, 2013 |
DELIVERING ACTIONABLE ELEMENTS RELATING TO AN OBJECT TO A
DEVICE
Abstract
A computing system and method for delivering actionable elements
related to a multi-page printed piece comprises a network interface
circuit, a memory and a processing circuit. The memory is
configured to store identifying information for a plurality of
different multi-page printed pieces and associated actionable
elements for each printed piece. The processing circuit is
configured to receive via the network interface circuit a request
for actionable elements for the multi-page printed piece, the
request having input information. The processing circuit is further
configured to compare the input information in the request to the
identifying information stored in the memory, retrieve the
actionable elements for different pages of the multi-page printed
piece from the memory based on the comparison, and send the
retrieved actionable elements via the network interface
circuit.
Inventors: |
Lundberg; Gary; (Milwaukee,
WI) ; Kammerait; Matthew T.; (Mequon, WI) ;
Rose; Monte; (Hartland, WI) ; Bear; William A.;
(Roberts, WI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
QUAD/GRAPHICS, INC. |
Sussex |
WI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Quad/Graphics, Inc.
Sussex
WI
|
Family ID: |
49513466 |
Appl. No.: |
13/849234 |
Filed: |
March 22, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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13843670 |
Mar 15, 2013 |
|
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13849234 |
|
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|
61642750 |
May 4, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
709/201 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 67/10 20130101;
G06F 3/1285 20130101; H04W 4/02 20130101; H04W 4/80 20180201; G06F
16/113 20190101; H04W 4/029 20180201; H04L 67/306 20130101; H04L
67/18 20130101; G06F 40/134 20200101; G06F 3/1268 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/201 |
International
Class: |
H04L 29/08 20060101
H04L029/08 |
Claims
1. A computing system for delivering actionable elements related to
a multi-page printed piece, comprising: a network interface
circuit; a memory configured to store identifying information for a
plurality of different multi-page printed pieces and associated
actionable elements for each printed piece; and a processing
circuit configured to: receive via the network interface circuit a
request for actionable elements for the multi-page printed piece,
the request having input information; compare the input information
in the request to the identifying information stored in the memory;
retrieve the actionable elements for different pages of the
multi-page printed piece from the memory based on the comparison;
and send the retrieved actionable elements via the network
interface circuit.
2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit
is configured to receive personalized data for a user and to
retrieve the actionable elements based further on the personalized
data for the user.
3. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the personalized data
comprises historical user interface data, the historical user
interface data representing previous interactions between a user
and a user's computing device.
4. The computing system of claim 3, wherein the historical user
interface data comprises user selections of actionable elements
displayed on the computing device.
5. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the actionable elements
are arranged based on the personalized data for the user.
6. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the personalized data
comprises at least one of a device type, a location, and a user
profile, wherein the actionable elements are retrieved based on the
at least one of a device type, a location, and a user profile.
7. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit
is configured to receive requests for actionable elements from at
least two different media channels, wherein the media channels are
selected from the group consisting of a printed publication, a
product packaging, a point-of-sale sign, and an outdoor sign.
8. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores the
actionable elements indexed by pages in the multi-page printed
piece which are pre-associated with the actionable elements.
9. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit
is configured to receive user interaction data indicating user
interaction with the actionable elements, to store the user
interaction data in the memory, and to generate a report of the
user interaction data in response to a request.
10. A computing system for building an infrastructure of actionable
elements related to different printed items, comprising: a network
interface circuit; a memory configured to store identifying
information for a plurality of different printed items to be
printed for different customers; and a processing circuit
configured to receive, for each printed item, a selection of a
discovery mechanism for discovering the printed item from a
plurality of different discovery mechanisms and at least one
actionable element, the actionable element providing access to
content or functionality supplemental to content printed on the
printed item, wherein the processing circuit is configured to store
the selection of the discovery mechanism and the actionable element
in the memory in association with the identifying information for
each of the plurality of different printed items to be printed for
different customers.
11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the processing
circuit is configured to electronically scan the printed item to
identify printed information on which to base the actionable
element.
12. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the processing
circuit is configured to generate the actionable element based on
text input from a user input device.
13. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the processing
circuit is configured to display a user interface portal for use by
the different customers, wherein the actionable elements are
received from the different customers via the user interface portal
for the different printed items.
14. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the processing
circuit is configured to receive user interaction data based on
user interaction with the actionable element.
15. The computing system of claim 14, wherein the processing
circuit is configured to send one of a plurality of different
actionable elements to a user based at least in part on the user
interaction data.
16. The computing system of claim 14, wherein the processing
circuit is configured to provide access to user interaction data
for different printed items securely to respective customers via
user interface portals
17. A computer-readable medium comprising computer instructions
that when executed by a processing circuit are configured to cause
the processing circuit to: receive a request for content
supplemental to printed content in a multi-page printed piece, the
request comprising information retrieved from the multi-page
printed piece using a discovery mechanism; retrieve from a memory
device the supplemental content, wherein the supplemental content
comprises different supplemental content items for different pages
of the multi-page printed piece, wherein the supplemental content
items comprise at least one of a hyperlink, a phone call item, an
augmented reality item and a video item; and send the retrieved
supplemental content for use with a computing device.
18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the
processing circuit is further configured to send an application to
the computing device to be used by the computing device to retrieve
the information from the multi-page printed piece.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the
supplemental content comprises a hyperlink to a retailer web site
associated with a product illustrated in the printed piece.
20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer
instructions further cause the processing circuit to receive user
interaction data from the computing device representing user
interaction with the supplemental content and to store the user
interaction data in a memory.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 13/843,670, filed Mar. 15, 2013, which is incorporated herein
by reference in its entirety. This application claims the benefit
of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/642,750, filed May 4, 2012,
which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] This application generally relates to presenting actionable
elements related to an object, such as a printed item, on a device.
More particularly, this application relates to presenting
electronic information related to the contents of a printed piece
or item to facilitate use of or supplement the content of the
printed piece.
[0003] Examples of printed publications include catalogs,
magazines, newspapers, direct mail, retail inserts, signage,
brochures, books, manuals, etc. Some embodiments may be used with
printed pieces or items that are not publications. Some embodiments
may be used with printed pieces such as single-page or
single-surface printed pieces (as opposed to multi-page printed
publications such as magazines, etc.), point of sale signage,
outdoor signage (such as large signs displayed along a roadway),
etc. Some printed publications are filled with URLs, phone numbers,
email addresses, physical addresses, and other information that is
not electronically accessible.
[0004] Computers, including smart phones and other types of
electronic devices, are used as sources for information and
entertainment. Electronic devices are being used to, for example,
manage a user's schedules, display streaming video for
entertainment and informational purposes, provide audio
entertainment, display web pages, and display electronic books.
[0005] Computers can display printed text and images in
increasingly high resolution and can also provide advanced
functionality associated with the text and images. The advanced
functionality associated with printed text and images can include
providing word definitions, providing links to related information,
allowing bookmarking of information, etc. For example, a person
reading an electronic book can select an unfamiliar word and
request a definition of that word. The computer displaying the
electronic book can display a definition of the word from a locally
stored database or using an external information source, such as
the Internet.
SUMMARY
[0006] A computing device, method and system is disclosed for
displaying actionable elements related to a multi-page printed
piece. The device includes an input device, a transceiver circuit
and a processing circuit. The input device is configured to receive
input data which identifies the multi-page printed piece. The
transceiver circuit is configured to transmit a request for data
based on the received input data and to receive response data. The
processing circuit is configured to generate, based on the response
data, actionable elements for each of a plurality of different
pages in the multi-page printed piece for display, the actionable
elements being selectable by a user to interact with the additional
content related to the selected actionable element.
[0007] A computing system and method for delivering actionable
elements related to a multi-page printed piece comprises a network
interface circuit, a memory and a processing circuit. The memory is
configured to store identifying information for a plurality of
different multi-page printed pieces and associated actionable
elements for each printed piece. The processing circuit is
configured to receive via the network interface circuit a request
for actionable elements for the multi-page printed piece, the
request having input information. The processing circuit is further
configured to compare the input information in the request to the
identifying information stored in the memory, retrieve the
actionable elements for different pages of the multi-page printed
piece from the memory based on the comparison, and send the
retrieved actionable elements via the network interface
circuit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying
drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts
throughout.
[0009] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a print experience, showing the
use of an electronic device together with a printed piece,
according to one illustrative embodiment;
[0010] FIG. 2 is an illustration of various discovery mechanisms
that may be used in different embodiments;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a screen shot of a menu showing a plurality of
different printed pieces, according to one illustrative
embodiment;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a screen shot of a title screen of one printed
piece and an actionable element in the form of a hyperlink, a
subscribe button, a search function and an open for content
function, according to one illustrative embodiment;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of illustrative actionable elements
and illustrative actions that may occur in response to selection of
the actionable elements;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of illustrative actionable elements
and illustrative actions that may occur in response to selection of
the actionable elements;
[0015] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a system for processing requests
for actionable elements, according to one illustrative
embodiment;
[0016] FIG. 8A is a flow diagram of a system illustrating an
infrastructure for processing requests for actionable elements,
according to one illustrative embodiment;
[0017] FIG. 8B is a block diagram of a computing system for storing
and serving actionable elements, according to one illustrative
embodiment;
[0018] FIG. 9 is an illustration of a data structure stored in a
memory implementing a publication information database, the data
structure configured to include an electronic document related to a
printed publication and associated content, according to an
illustrative embodiment;
[0019] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method for processing actionable
elements related to a multi-page printed piece, according to one
illustrative embodiment;
[0020] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method for processing actionable
elements related to a printed item or other physical object,
according to one illustrative embodiment;
[0021] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a method for processing a request
for actionable elements, according to one illustrative
embodiment;
[0022] FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a method for building an
infrastructure of actionable elements related to different printed
items or physical objects, according to one illustrative
embodiment;
[0023] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a method for processing a request
for supplemental content, according to one illustrative
embodiment;
[0024] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating
digital elements associated with a printed piece or physical object
based on received variant information, according to one
illustrative embodiment;
[0025] FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating
digital elements associated with a printed piece or physical object
based upon variant information, according to an illustrative
embodiment.
[0026] FIG. 17 is a computer implemented augmentation system for
presenting digital information related to the content of a printed
piece or an object based on received information identifying the
printed piece or object, according to one illustrative
embodiment.
[0027] Before the embodiments are described in detail, it is to be
understood that the systems and methods are not limited in their
applications to the details of construction and the arrangement of
components set forth in the following description or illustrated in
the drawings. These are only illustrative embodiments, and the
systems and methods described herein are capable of being
implemented in other embodiments and of being practiced in various
ways.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0028] Some embodiments herein allow electronic devices to be
utilized in combination with printed pieces and physical objects to
provide a number of benefits that are not realized by the printed
piece or object alone.
[0029] Some embodiments herein provide a more convenient method of
obtaining additional information about a multi-page printed piece
by using a device to discover the piece once and, in response,
receiving additional information and/or actionable elements for one
or more than one pages in the piece. In some embodiments, the
additional information and/or actionable elements may be obtained
without requiring a user to individually discover each portion or
page of a multi-page piece.
[0030] Some embodiments allow a user to more easily obtain
supplemental content for a printed piece or physical object without
having to identify which pages of a piece or portions of an object
have actionable elements and which do not, as well as allow the
user to engage between the piece or object and the related digital
information together
[0031] Some embodiments allow users, such as printers, publishers,
advertisers, and others, to make supplemental content for a printed
piece or object available without the need for extensive education
of end users.
[0032] Some embodiments make the process of building a database of
actionable elements for a printed piece or object easier, since
fewer discovery mechanisms may be required and fewer steps are
required to obtain content.
[0033] Some embodiments may provide less intrusion on pages of a
printed piece in the form of QR codes or special imaging features
needed for discovery, or the need to have such intrusions on every
page or portion of a page where additional information or
actionable elements are desired.
[0034] Some embodiments may provide a launch point to provide an
end user with a display of or access to supplemental content,
actionable elements or additional information for a complete
printed piece or a group of related pages or content within a
piece, or all pages related to a particular image or launch point,
without having to individually take an image of multiple launch
points associated with multiple distinct pieces of content.
[0035] Some embodiments may also provide an easier method of
producing an interactive experience by using or tying a single
launch point to a complete printed piece or group of related pages
within a printed piece, such method taking into account versioning
and page structure.
[0036] Some embodiments may allow brand owners, advertisers and/or
publishers of printed materials and objects to provide hyperlinks
to a deeper page of a web site than would be printed in the printed
version of the materials or available on the object itself.
[0037] Referring now to FIG. 1, an illustration of a print
experience is shown. In this embodiment, a printed piece 10 (in
this example a printed publication) is shown being read by a user.
The same printed publication 10 may be read in print form alongside
a mobile computing device 12 implementing one or more features
described herein.
[0038] Printed publication 10 may comprise content (e.g., text,
images, editorials, advertisements, graphical content, etc.)
printed on a physical, tangible, medium, such as paper, and
published to a distribution of recipients, sometimes on a
periodical basis. Printed publication 10 may be a multi-page
publication. Examples of printed publications include catalogs,
magazines, newspapers, direct mail, retail inserts, signage,
brochures, books, manuals, etc. Some embodiments may be used with
printed pieces or items that are not publications. Some embodiments
may be used with printed pieces such as single-page or
single-surface printed pieces (as opposed to multi-page printed
publications such as magazines, etc.), point of sale signage,
indoor or outdoor signage (such as large signs displayed along a
roadway), etc.
[0039] For a publication printed in different versions, the
versions may be based on one or any combination of segmented data
based on characteristics, needs and preferences of the end user of
the printed publication.
[0040] Mobile computing device 12 may be any of a variety of
different types of computing systems that are designed to be used
portably. Some are hand-held devices, such as a smartphone or a
wrist-wearable computer, since they are configured to be used while
being held in a person's hand. Some are not hand-held, but
nevertheless mobile, such as laptop computers, wearable glasses,
etc. In other embodiments, non-mobile computing systems may be
used, such as a desktop computer, television, connected TV, smart
TV, monitor, etc.
[0041] Although system 110 is described with reference to a typical
computing system, it should be understood that the system and
method described herein could be implemented in a variety of ways.
One such example could be wearable glasses including an integral
display and processor for implementing the functionality described
herein.
[0042] In this embodiment, mobile computing device 12 is configured
to run a computer application that may be downloaded to the device.
The computer application can facilitate the functions described
herein of discovering printed publication 10, retrieving actionable
elements or other supplemental content, displaying actionable
content, etc.
[0043] Referring now to FIG. 2, some discovery mechanisms that may
be used in different embodiments are illustrated. In some
embodiments, a discovery mechanism for a printed item may be used
to identify the printed publication using an internet-enabled
smartphone or tablet device to prompt the device to display or
otherwise provide access to additional web-enabled content, which
may comprise audio/visual content, audio content without visual
content, haptic feedback, or other content. Mobile computing device
12 may operate a computer application configured to provide a
publication identification home screen 14 on a display device to a
user having a plurality of selectable options 16 for activating
different discovery mechanisms.
[0044] A Quick Response (QR) code or other 2D bar code may be used
as a launch point on some publications. Device 12 may provide bar
code input button 18 on the display (or alternatively, an
application or other program may be configured to automatically
recognize, for example without requiring user input or selection, a
bar code or other image element). In response to selection of bar
code input button 18, a camera on device 12 may be activated with
the image received at the camera shown on display 14. Based upon
selection of the barcode recognition function icon 18, device 12
may be configured to display a barcode recognition screen 19
displaying a digital image captured by an integrated camera of
device 12. Home screen 19 may be configured to provide instructions
to the user regarding framing of the barcode, to assist in
recognition of the barcode. The user may place the camera over a QR
code 20, and device 12 may automatically (i.e., without requiring
further user input), or in response to user input, acquire an image
of the QR code and thereby read the code.
[0045] In another embodiment, a wireless ID tag, such as a Near
Field Communication (NFC) device or other Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) device, may be used as part of a discovery
mechanism. Device 12 may be brought near a printed item close
enough to allow the transfer of an ID code to device 12. Device 12
may have an integrated read that can continuously scan for the
presence of such codes, in a manner that little or no user input is
required to accomplish the discovery.
[0046] In another embodiment, a textual search function may be used
for discovery. Based on selection of the manual entry function icon
20, device 12 may be configured to display a searching screen 22
including a virtual keyboard 23 configured to allow a user to
manually enter one or more keywords intended to help identify a
particular printed publication. The user can provide information
about the printed publication and/or content provided therein such
as title, article name, date, image information, or other
publication or content information. Screen 22 may be configured to
display a listing of identified printed publications in an
information section 25 based upon keywords entered by the user. In
response to selection of a textual search input button or icon 20,
a search screen 22 may be shown allowing the user to type in a
search query to find the printed piece.
[0047] In another embodiment, an image recognition function may be
used for discovery. The user may select an image recognition input
button or icon 24. In response to this selection, device 12 may be
configured to display on image recognition home screen 14 a digital
image captured by an integrated camera of device 12. Home screen
310 may be configured to include instructions to the user for
capturing an image using device 12. The user captures an image of
all or a portion of a page of the printed item, such as a cover of
a printed publication, as shown at 26. Device 12 may use points in
the image to identify the printed item, with processing handled
either locally on device 12 or remotely at a server computer.
[0048] As shown, the discovery may be made through interaction with
a launch point on the printed publication, such as a QR code, other
bar code, NFC tag, or portion of an image, or by a user typing in a
search query for the publication, or by a user scanning an image of
a shape or sculptural aspect of an object. Other discovery
techniques may be implemented.
[0049] A software application installed on the user's device can
read the launch point and direct an internet browser or other
application installed on the device to a specific URL or
augmentation information associated with, or included in the launch
point of the printed piece, as will be described in greater detail
below. Alternatively, upon reading the launch point, the software
application may open or launch other software applications for
alternative uses.
[0050] In one embodiment, a single input data or code obtained from
a multi-page printed item may be used by device 12 to obtain
actionable elements for a plurality of different pages, without
requiring a user to scan each page of the multi-page printed
item.
[0051] Content displayed as a result of reading the launch point
may relate to an object associated with the launch point. For
example, where the displayed content is tied to an advertisement,
scanning the launch point may display a web page directed to a
product, a brand, an article or other editorial content that is
directly associated with the launch point, as will be described in
greater detail below.
[0052] Another discovery mechanism can be an algorithm that
deduces, predicts, or determines an edition of a printed
publication for which a user will want actionable elements. For
example, if a user discovers the February edition of a magazine,
the system can suspect that the user will want the March edition of
the same magazine. Further, the system can automatically submit
supplemental data for the March edition to a screen such as that
shown in FIG. 3; and this submission may occur prior to the printed
version is shipped, or based on information about the known ship
date, the actual date that the printed version is scheduled to
arrive at the user's home.
[0053] FIG. 3 is a screen shot of a menu showing a plurality of
different printed pieces, according to one illustrative embodiment.
In response to a textual search query or a code received from a
launch point, device 12 may be configured to search for
publications that match the query. The search may be done locally
on device 12, for example in a list of previously-stored
"favorites" or known subscriptions the user has to printed
publications, and/or the search may be done on a remote server
computer against tens, thousands, or more printed publications.
Device 12 may generate display data representing a plurality of
different multi-page printed pieces 30, 32 for simultaneous display
on a single screen.
[0054] In this example, a user has typed "Milwaukee" into a search
field 29. Device 12 has searched a remote database of potential
matches by title of publication, and two results are shown:
"Milwaukee Magazine January 2012" 30 and "Milwaukee Magazine
October 2012" 32. A thumbnail image of a front cover of the
magazine may be displayed in an active area of the screen, to allow
a user to press the screen to select actionable elements for the
selected publication. The thumbnail image may have a smaller file
size than a full-size image of the page stored on a remote server.
In response to selection of one of the multi-page printed pieces
being simultaneously displayed, a plurality of actionable elements
for the selected piece may be displayed.
[0055] FIG. 4 is a screen shot of a title screen of one printed
piece and an actionable element in the form of a hyperlink, a
subscribe button, a search function and an open for content
function, according to one illustrative embodiment. In this
embodiment, selection of one of publications 30 and 32 (FIG. 3)
leads to a title screen 40 illustrating a larger thumbnail image of
the printed publication. Title screen 40 may provide additional
actionable or convenient items, such as a subscribe button 42,
which can be touched or tapped to take the user to a subscription
page configured to sign the user up for a subscription (for
example, by taking suitable delivery address, payment information,
etc.) A website input button 44 may be provided, which can be
tapped to take the user to a desired website, for example, using a
browser application operating on device 12.
[0056] An input button 46 may be tapped to display additional
actionable elements. The actionable elements may be downloaded to
device 12 prior to the tap or in response to the tap.
[0057] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of illustrative actionable elements
and illustrative actions that may occur in response to selection of
the actionable elements. Device 12 may be configured to present
supplemental publication information using a plurality of
publication information screens 50-60 is shown. Although screens
50-60 are shown by way of example, the display screen can provide
the functionality described herein in many alternative ways.
[0058] An actionable element home screen 62 or 64 can be displayed
on device 12 based upon the publication ID code or data received as
described above with reference to FIGS. 2-4. The information
displayed on home screen 62 or 64 may be related to information in
the physical printed publication 10 (FIG. 1). Advantageously, home
screens 62, 64 display a plurality of actionable elements and/or
other descriptive information in a related group of content. In
this embodiment, home screen 62, 64 may provide the end user with a
display of or access to all actionable items for a complete printed
publication, or a group of related pages within a printed
publication, or all pages related to a particular image or launch
point, without having to individually take an image of every page
or barcode or tag.
[0059] Device 12 is configured to receive data from local memory or
a remote server in response to the ID code discovered for the
printed publication. From this received response data (e.g.,
hyperlinks, text data, phone numbers, etc.), device 12 generates
actionable elements 70-94. In the illustrated embodiment,
actionable elements are generated for each of a plurality of
different pages in the multi-page printed piece for display on
screens 62, 64. An actionable element is an element provided by
device 12 which is selectable by a user to retrieve and/or display
additional content related to the selected actionable element.
[0060] For example, actionable element 70 is a field of screen 62
comprising a hyperlink to www.bayshoretowncenter.com, an active
area of the screen acting as a user input device, and a textual
display of the element, namely "Bayshore Town Center." In response
to selection of the actionable element, a mobile web browser is
launched to display the web site referenced in the hyperlink, as
shown by screen 50.
[0061] As another example, actionable elements 74 and 76 direct a
user to social media applications operating on device 12 referenced
to Bayshore Town Center, for Facebook and Twitter,
respectively.
[0062] As another example, an actionable element may be selected by
a user to provide an augmented reality experience with respect to a
corresponding page in the printed publication. For example, a 3-D
image, video, or other content may be overlaid on an image of the
printed page, as shown by screen 56. The augmented reality content
may be downloaded in response to selection of the actionable
element, or may be downloaded prior to selection of the actionable
element. The augmented reality content may be anchored to or
aligned with the image taken by the mobile device, or it may be not
anchored to the image.
[0063] As another example, an actionable element 88 may comprise a
hyperlink to a mapping application configured to show a map of the
location of the retail store referenced in the actionable element,
as shown by screen 58.
[0064] As another example, an actionable element 90 is a phone call
element. In response to selection of this element, device 12
launches a phone application and dials the phone number displayed
in element 90. The phone call may be implemented with a single
touch of element 90, or with a touch-and-confirm method after
displaying the phone number within the phone application.
[0065] As another example, an actionable element 92 may comprise a
hyperlink or other reference to launch video content related to the
page or printed content of the printed publication referenced by
the actionable element 92, as shown by screen 60.
[0066] A user, using device 12, can select any information being
displayed on the information screens 62, 64 to display information
detail screens 50-60. Information detail screens 50-60 may be used
to launch web pages, display additional images, display rich media
content, display additional information, and implement additional
functionality such as mapping, making reservations, etc.
[0067] Screens 62 and 64 are merely illustrative. In one
embodiment, the screen is configured to display actionable elements
for a plurality of different pages of a multi-page publication
simultaneously on a single screen on the display. The single screen
may be scrollable to reveal additional information on the screen.
For example, screens 62 and 64 may be different portions of a
single screen.
[0068] The actionable elements may be arranged for display based on
page numbers of the multi-page printed piece relating to each of
the actionable elements. For example, screen 62 shows "p10" in a
header bear 63, indicating that the actionable elements 70-76 all
relate to content on page 10 of the physical printed publication
corresponding to the actionable elements. In this embodiment, the
actionable elements are arranged from top to bottom of the screen
in the order that their corresponding printed content appears in
the printed publication. This arrangement provides a view in ways
like a "table of contents" in that it is arranged by page number.
Alternatively, the contents may be arranged topically or in any
other logical order, such as chronologically, etc. This arrangement
may allow a user to easily locate the actionable elements for pages
being viewed by the user in the physical copy of the printed
publication (as in FIG. 1).
[0069] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of illustrative actionable elements
and illustrative actions that may occur in response to selection of
the actionable elements. Actionable elements 102-112 are displayed
on screen 100. As one example, in response to selection of element
104, details of a product shown on the page of the printed
publication (e.g., a product sales catalog) may be shown, such as
price, customer ratings, pictures, etc. The element may comprise an
indicator, such as a letter or number, to assist the user in
correlating the actionable element to a product shown in the
printed publication at the page referenced by the page header 103.
From screen 120 or 122, or from another actionable element on
screen 100, a user may "add to cart" or complete additional steps
in the purchasing of the product being viewed, resulting in screen
124 (e.g., a shopping cart or payment/shipping screen).
[0070] As another example, selection of a marquee advertising
actionable element 101 may bring the user to a product search
mobile website page, as shown at screen 126. The user may then
search by keyword or product number to obtain a listing of products
available from that advertiser, as shown in screen 128.
[0071] As another example, an actionable element may be selected to
request a paper catalog, as shown by screen 130. For example, a
user may have discovered the publication using a text search
without having or owning a printed copy of the catalog. In this
case, the user is viewing the actionable elements without the
printed copy of the publication in hand. In this scenario, or
others, the user may be presented with a "request a catalog"
actionable element to direct a user to a screen that will receive
the user's address, phone, or other information needed to ship a
paper copy of a catalog to the user's physical address.
[0072] As another example, an actionable element may be selected to
"find a store", as shown by screen 132. As another example, an
actionable element may be selected to "buy now" a particular
product.
[0073] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a system for processing requests
for actionable elements, according to an illustrative embodiment.
On a device side 110, device 12 may comprise an input device (such
as a camera, text search box, wireless transceiver, microphone,
etc.) configured to receive input data which identifies the
multi-page printed piece. Device 12 may comprise a wired or
wireless transceiver circuit (e.g., a Wi-Fi circuit, an Ethernet
circuit, a cellular data circuit, etc.) configured to transmit a
request for data based on the received input data and to receive
response data. A processing circuit within device 12 is configured
to implement the functions described herein.
[0074] On a server side, 114, a server computer (e.g., comprising
one or more physical computing systems, a cloud computer, etc.) is
configured to deliver actionable elements to device 12. Server
computer may comprise one or more functional circuit modules (e.g.,
programmed portions of a processing circuit) and a network
interface circuit, which may comprise any suitable electrical
circuit and associated components for communicating with a network,
such as the Internet.
[0075] Server side may also comprise a memory 118, which may
comprise one or more databases. Database 118 may be a repository of
information including electronic documents and other content
associated with one or more printed publications. Electronic
documents may comprise a complete image of a printed piece or
digital elements related to or associated with the printed piece.
In an alternative embodiment, one or more portions of the
information and/or functionality of database 118 may be stored
locally on device 12.
[0076] Associated content in database 118 associated with the
content in the printed publication can further include information
about attributes such as page number, layout, location,
orientation, image and/or product information such as SKU, date,
digital rights management, author, owner, caption, color, shape,
links storyline, and transaction information such as price, size,
UPC, shipping and other types of information. Moreover, extra or
associated data feeds related to the content may be associated with
the content. These data feeds may be in the form of text, image,
video, and may be associated with a digital address such as a URL.
Web and file links may further be associated with any of the
content. The content associated with the data feeds can be
promotional or informational.
[0077] Database 118 may define a lightweight content structure,
which serves as an outline, or a skeleton, for each final print
media version, distributed. This database may include all of the
print version parameters such as title, date, number of pages,
location destination, etc. The content outline is also a container
structure from which to digitally distribute print media
augmentation or supplemental content (e.g., actionable elements) as
well as print reference or look-up information such as images,
pages, watermarks, embedded codes, keywords, etc. Database 118 can
further include information about attributes such as page number,
layout, location, orientation, image information such as SKU, date,
digital rights management, author, owner, caption, color, links
storyline, and transaction information such as price, size, UPC,
shipping and other types of information. Moreover, extra or
associated data feeds related to the content may be associated with
the content. These data feeds may be in the form of text, image,
video, and are generally associated with a digital address such as
a URL. Web and file links may further be associated with any of the
content. The content associated with the data feeds can be
promotional or informational. The content and associated
information can be stored on a memory in a dedicated server or
cloud environment.
[0078] In one embodiment, database 118 may contain files suitable
for use by a printing press (e.g., a digital laser printing press,
a web offset printing press, a gravure printing press, or other
presses) for large-scale commercial printing. Such printing presses
may have multi-color print towers (e.g., cyan, yellow, magenta,
black), plates, blankets, and other features of large-scale
commercial printing presses. In such an embodiment, database 118
may serve data to both printing presses and to mobile devices. For
example, full images may be printed by the printing presses, and
something less than full images, such as actionable elements and/or
thumbnails having smaller files sizes may be served to mobile
devices for use with the printed publication.
[0079] The actionable elements may correspond to printed text in
the multi-page printed piece, wherein the actionable elements are
displayed in a format different than a format of the printed text.
For example, a page of a magazine may have an image of an
advertisement comprising a textual portion listing a web site
address. The corresponding, related actionable element may comprise
the textual portion comprising the web site without the full
corresponding image. Advantageously, actionable elements may
provide additional information or features that need not be
published in the print version of the publication, such as a link
to a web page deeper within a web site.
[0080] An infrastructure implemented on server side 114 may provide
access to content of a printed publication to an end-user on an
end-user device.
[0081] The infrastructure may receive a request in relation to the
printed publication via request 120. A module 122 may look up the
issue of the publication and the actionable elements by searching
database 118. The request may be compared with identifying
information (e.g., IDs, codes, data, etc.) associated with the
content in database 118. Database 118 may comprise advertisements
124, images of pages in the printed publication, and/or metadata
indexed by title and/or issue 128.
[0082] At a module 130, the infrastructure is configured to process
the data from database 118 for transmission to device 12. For
example, the actionable elements may be stitched together or
otherwise combined into a file, arranged or organized by page
number, formatted for device 12 based on the type of device (e.g.,
operating system, browser type, device capabilities, display size,
wireless data connection type, etc.), and/or other information
contained in the request or other otherwise processed. This results
in data organized in a framework corresponding to the printed pages
of the printed publication, as illustrated at framework 132. The
processed content associated with the printed publication may be
provided to the end-user device via response data 134.
[0083] Implementations are not limited to the structures or
functions illustrated in FIG. 7. For example, device 12 may provide
some of the functionality of module 130 to format the response data
for display as actionable elements. Actionable elements may be
generated at device 12 based on processing steps occurring on
device 12, module 130, and/or other portions of the system.
[0084] FIG. 8A is a flow diagram of a system illustrating an
infrastructure for processing requests for actionable elements,
according to one illustrative embodiment. In this flow diagram,
pages of a printed publication 140 are shown. In one example, the
digital data files for the pages may be available at a printing
operator, and may include .pdfs or other image files of the actual
pages to be printed, version data for different versions of the
publication, management information system (MIS) information for
the publication, time/date of printing, .xml files, and other
data.
[0085] The server side computing system may be programmed to create
the mobile application infrastructure or framework which may
reflect all print work, be structured to support mobile interaction
and rich media connections to print, and/or provide content and
statistics analytics. A framework 132 comprises data generated by
the server side computing system representing the layout by page of
the printed publication. Actionable elements 142, 144, 146, etc.
may be associated with certain page of the printed publication,
based on related information printed on the page.
[0086] FIG. 8B is a block diagram of a computing system for storing
and serving actionable elements, according to one illustrative
embodiment. A content manager and database system 150 is a
computing system configured to build an infrastructure of
actionable elements related to different printed items. System 150
comprises one or more network interface circuits configured to
facilitate communication with other computers over networks, such
as the Internet. System 150 comprises a memory configured to store
identifying information (e.g., IDs, codes, data, image data
elements for image recognition, etc.) for a plurality of different
printed items to be printed for different customers. The
identifying information may be any type of data or code configured
to uniquely identify a printed item or items. In this illustrative
embodiment, system 150 may be maintained by a printing company,
software services company, or other entity. These entities may
serve single customers or a plurality of different customers, such
as magazine publishers, packaging manufacturers, advertisers,
etc.
[0087] System 150 may be configured to receive, for each printed
item, a selection of a discovery mechanism for discovering the
printed item from a plurality of different discovery mechanisms and
at least one actionable element.
[0088] The selections may be input manually into the database by
the entity operating system 150 on behalf of its customers, as
indicated by manual entry block 152. For example, text entry may be
used. Alternatively, or in addition, the selections may be input
via a customer interface portal 156, which comprises a web site
accessible with secure credentials by a customer to input its own
data for its own printed items. The selection of a discovery
mechanism can be by way of a checklist presented to the user (e.g.,
"_QR code, _image recognition, and/or _RFID tag"), by allowing the
user to graphically select and place a launch point on the printed
item, or by other methods.
[0089] System 150 may also be configured to receive selections of
actionable elements providing access to content or functionality
supplemental to content printed on the printed item. The
supplemental content may be hyperlinks, augmented reality files,
video files, audio files, image files, charts or graphs, links to
web pages, etc. The selections of actionable elements may be
received via manual entry 152, via customer interface portal 156,
etc. System 150 may be configured to associate content with the
printed publication, and store the content in a memory.
[0090] In another example, a digital content scraping system 154
can be used to scan or read an image file showing the printed item,
to identify potentially actionable elements in the image file, and
to remove or scrape those items from the image and store them in
memory. For example, the pages of a magazine may each be read to
identify any URLs, phone numbers, addresses, social media icons, or
other recognizable text or images, to provide a list of data items
that can be used to generate actionable elements. Optical character
recognition, or any other reading or scraping technologies may be
used. A customer or other person may review the list of scraped
items, edit, and store the edited contents in memory.
[0091] In another example, a publisher may use customer interface
portal 156 to upload a structured spreadsheet document (e.g.,
Microsoft Excel, etc.) containing hyperlinks or other supplemental
content.
[0092] In another example, a publisher may use an advertisement
portal, such as an ad portal used to insert advertisements to the
print process through a separate data stream than the images for
the pages to be printed, to upload supplemental content.
Supplemental content may loaded into system 150 through this
portal. In one example, an advertising agency may upload an
advertisement to be printed in a plurality of different
publications. In this case, the supplemental content can be
uploaded once and linked to the multiple different publications. In
one embodiment, the supplemental content can be overlaid with
different brand creative based on the printed publication that is
to carry the printed version of the supplemental content.
[0093] In another example, a web feed format, such as an RSS feed,
may be used to update the supplemental content. API 161 may provide
yet further access to database 160 by way of one or more
application programming interfaces accessible by other
entities.
[0094] In another example, geolocation, or ZIP-code and USPS
carrier route data can be used to add discovery element links.
[0095] System 150 is configured to store the selection of the
discovery mechanism and the actionable element or elements in the
memory in association with the ID for each of the plurality of
different printed items to be printed for different customers.
[0096] A user activity block 158 is a processing circuit or part of
a computing system configured to record activity a user performs
with device 12. A user may be given an option of having some of the
user's activity recorded, for example by an "opt in" or "opt out"
screen displayed on device 12. If the user does opt to have
activity recorded, any user interactions with an actionable element
described herein may be recorded. An amount of time a user spends
reviewing certain items may also be recorded. A user may store a
user profile on device 12 comprising areas of interest (e.g., golf,
swimming, sports, etc.), name, location, home location, work
location, whether a user is a standard customer or preferred
customer for a particular retailer, customer loyalty codes or
numbers, coupon codes, or other information the user feels
comfortable sharing with system 150.
[0097] In one example, system 150 may be configured to select a
particular actionable element or set of items for a user based at
least in part on the user interaction data and/or personalized data
for the user. One example is to select a particular version of a
set of actionable elements based on a version of a printed
publication. Versioning occurs, for example, when similar
publications are printed in multiple versions, each version having
content specific to a group or person based at least in part on
segmented data or personal data. Segmented data generally refers to
data dividing groups of individuals into segments that share
similar characteristics, needs or preferences. As an example, data
may be segmented by demographic or geographic information.
Demographic information may refer to the statistical
characteristics of a population. Commonly used demographic
characteristics may include age, abilities, mobility, home
ownership, employment status, income, education level, occupation,
marital status, parental status, and other similar types of data
that could be used to characterize a population. Geographic
information may include information characterized by the physical
location of the customer or other data source. Commonly used
geographic characteristics may include geopolitical information
(e.g., nation, state, region, county, city, or neighborhood),
postal information (e.g., zip code-based information), global
positioning information, etc. In addition to market segmentation,
versions of a publication may be based upon personal data or
attributes such as the characteristics of an individual as opposed
to a population of people. Characteristics that could be used for
personal data or attributes can include name, behavior, age, etc.,
but also could include a number of characteristics shared with
demographic and geographic information.
[0098] System 150 may be configured to receive personalized data
for a user (e.g., user interaction data, user profile data, segment
data, version data, etc.) and to retrieve the actionable elements
based further on the personalized data for the user. The
personalized data may comprise historical user interface data, the
historical user interface data representing previous interactions
between a user and a user's mobile computing device. The historical
user interface data may comprise user selections of actionable
elements displayed on the mobile computing device.
[0099] In one embodiment, system 150 may be configured to arrange
the actionable elements based on the personalized data for the
user. For example, actionable elements in a same or similar
category to a user's interest, as stored in a user profile, may be
placed first in a list of actionable elements on a page. The
selections and arrangements described herein may alternatively be
implemented on device 12.
[0100] In another embodiment, a context aware platform provided by
a third party, such as Gimbal's platform, Qualcomm Labs, Inc., may
be used to provide personalized data for users that can be used to
trigger, generate, update or modify supplemental content or
actionable elements.
[0101] In another example, system 150 may be configured to make
available to customer portal 156 user interaction data relating to
the printed items associated with that customer, for example in the
form of a report. This may allow the customer to evaluate the
effectiveness of certain advertisements or other content, based on
whether a user interacts with the content (e.g., an augmented
reality item, hyperlink, etc.), how long or how extensively a user
interacts with the content, whether a user makes a purchase of an
item using an actionable element, etc. Access may be provided
securely to different customers (e.g., via username/password or
other credentials) to maintain confidentiality.
[0102] An advertiser/brand owner block 160 represents access to
system 150 by an advertiser or brand owner. An advertiser may
provide actionable elements or updates to actionable elements
stored in system 150, for example, to reflect sales, sale dates,
inventory of products, replacement products for products that are
sold out, IDs of customers who are preferred customers (e.g.,
pricing categories for customers or by location or other segment),
etc. System 150 may be configured to select, edit, or update
actionable elements received via blocks 152, 154 or 156 based on
this additional information received from block 160. Block 160 may
represent a secure web portal accessible by advertisers, brand
owners, ad agencies, or other entities.
[0103] Channels 162 represent the different channels of media from
which users can access the information in system 150 or to which
the system can deliver information associated with printed items or
objects. Any or all data in system 150 can be used by a printer for
printing in-store signage, point of sale signage, or packaging
materials, by a press operator for printing publications, by a web
site operator for presenting and updating product offerings and
content, by a digital publisher for publishing a digital edition of
a magazine or other publication, by an outdoor advertising agency
for publishing outdoor advertisements, or for use in other media
channels. Select data elements can be requested from system 150,
without the need to download an entire preassembled page with all
of its collective links and other supplemental content. This may
allow content owners or providers to make content available for use
in multiple channels without having to use separate workflows. This
may also allow them to create content for different segmented
markets without having to use separate workflows.
[0104] The various data feeds into system 150 may be static or
dynamic. Static feeds may include data being entered manually, for
example. Dynamic feeds may include data being continuously or
periodically updated as it is acquired, typically without requiring
manual user input for each data element.
[0105] FIG. 9 is an illustration of a data structure stored in a
memory implementing a publication information database 118, the
data structure configured to include an electronic document 200
related to a printed publication and associated content, according
to an illustrative embodiment. The form and content of the database
may be varied to customize the functionality described herein.
[0106] An electronic document 200 may be configured to include a
plurality of signatures 202 and/or digital images 204
representative of signatures 202. In a printed publication, a
signature is a large sheet printed with multiple pages that when
folded becomes a section of the printed publication 100.
Accordingly, each signature may be associated with multiple
signature content sections 206 in the electronic document 200.
[0107] Signature content sections 206 define a page structure that
is the architecture and building blocks of the printed publication
100. Content sections 206 may further be subdivided based on the
content in any particular signature content section, such as by
specific articles, images, advertisements, etc.
[0108] A signature content section 206 can include information 208
about the discovery mechanism used by a system to correlate the
content in the printed publication with a particular signature
content section 206. For example, identification information 208
can include a listing of displayed bar codes, an image for image
matching, etc.
[0109] Signature content sections 206 can further include content
detail information 210 that includes page structure information
including the design and layout of individual pages and how those
pages are arranged and coordinated in the complete printed
publication. Page structure also can include taxonomy and tagging
of the printed publications and their associated pages and content.
Examples of page structure can include primary information about
the printed media itself, such as publisher, title, issue and
version information. Page structure also can include page and
content information, such as one or more of the following: page
number and layout type, whether the page or content relates to
editorial or advertisement, whether the page or content is image or
text, the orientation and/or location information of the page and
content, image information such as SKU, date, digital rights
management, author, owner, caption, and color data, text
information such as storyline, transactional information including
price, volume, size, code, etc. information, any links to web or
file destinations, extra or associated data feeds. In one
embodiment, structure section 206 or portions thereof may be used
to tie content information to the particular content in the printed
publication 100 in which it is published. Table 1 below provides an
exemplary listing of page structure information.
TABLE-US-00001 Printed Media Information Page and Content
Information Publisher Information (CRM Page (number and layout
type) information such as name, address, historical informa- tion,
market type, etc.), Title Information (name of printed publication)
Issue (volume no, date, Editorial season, etc.) Version Information
(demo- Advertisement graphic, geographic, or other segmented type)
Video Information Image Information location on the page
orientation image information (SKU(s) for product on the page, Date
product or sale is good for, digital rights management (DRM),
Author, Owner, Caption, Color, Links, Ad or Editorial) Text
information location orientation description (storyline,
transactional information) Extra/Associated data feeds (may add in
extra data to images- typically asso- ciated with opt-in experience
such as special offers, promos, video, additional info, augment
reality events, Web and File Links
[0110] Signature content section 206 may be associated with content
variants 212. A content variant 212 is a variant of a digital
signature having a variation to at least some of the content
associated with the section 206. Content variant 212 may include a
regional variant 214 to customize the content in the content
section based on geographic information and/or a segment variant
216 to customize the content in the content section based on
segment information.
[0111] Electronic documents 200 or digital elements associated with
the documents may be automatically generated during a printing
process for the printed publication 100. Each signature may be
initially generated by capturing digital images or .pdfs during the
printing process to form the signature 202 and content section 204.
Further, as different versions of a printed publication are
printed, image processing software can be configured to detect
variations for inclusion in content variants 212. Further, the
content section may be automatically populated with information
associated with the printing run such as print timing information,
publisher information, printer information, etc.
[0112] Content detail information 210 may be added and/or modified
at any time following the generation of the electronic document.
Added detail information can include adding hyperlinks to content
sections, adding rich media, adding statistical information such as
number of times a hyperlink is accessed, how users are using the
launch point (frequency, click-throughs, purchases based on launch
points, etc.), the correlation between launch points and accessed
associated content, etc.
[0113] In another embodiment, a data structure for storing print
item IDs and actionable elements may comprise one or more of the
following, in this or a different order: print; structure;
publication; title; issue; version; signature; page; content or
sub-content item; actionable element. The content may be, for
example, an advertisement, editorial, product description, etc. The
content may be, for example, an image, a graph, a chart, a logo,
etc.
[0114] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method for processing actionable
elements related to a multi-page printed piece, according to one
illustrative embodiment. At a block 1000, an input device is
configured to receive input data which identifies the multi-page
printed piece. The input device may be a camera, text box on a
screen, RFID tag, etc. At a block 1002, a transceiver circuit is
configured to transmit a request for data based on the received
input data. At a block 1004, the transceiver is configured to
receive response data, which may take a variety of forms, formats,
or protocols. The response data includes data that can be used to
provide actionable elements on a screen of the mobile computing
device. At a block 1006, a processing circuit coupled to the
transceiver circuit is configured to generate, based on the
response data, actionable elements for each of a plurality of
different pages in the multi-page printed piece for display. The
actionable elements are configured to be selectable by a user to
retrieve and/or display additional content related to the selected
actionable element.
[0115] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method for processing actionable
elements related to a printed item or other physical object,
according to an illustrative embodiment. At a block 1100, an input
device is configured to receive input data which identifies the
printed item. At a block 1102, a transceiver circuit coupled to the
processing circuit is configured to transmit a request for data and
(at a block 1104) to receive response data. At a block 1106, a
processing circuit coupled to the transceiver circuit is configured
to generate, based on the response data, an actionable element
previously associated with the printed item for display. The
actionable element represents the printed text and is displayed in
a format different than a format of the printed text.
[0116] The actionable element may relate to the printed text,
include portions of the printed text, or otherwise be associated
with the printed text. The actionable element, while representing
the printed text, may be displayed in a different format, for
example, in a different font, with hypertext underlining, separated
from a corresponding or underplayed image, or otherwise differently
formatted. As another example, the actionable element may be
displayed without displaying a full image of the printed item
having the printed text. In one embodiment, but not downloading a
full image of the printed item (at full resolution, size, and/or
scale), communication bandwidth may be reduced.
[0117] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a method for processing a request
for actionable elements, according to an illustrative embodiment.
At a block 1200, a memory is configured to identifying information
(e.g., IDs, image characteristics, titles, etc.) for a plurality of
different multi-page printed pieces. The different multi-page
printed pieces may be, for example, a magazine from a first
publisher and a magazine from a second, different publisher. At a
block 1202, a memory is configured to store associated actionable
elements for each printed piece. The actionable elements may be
indexed or otherwise associated with the printed pieces in memory.
The memory may store the actionable elements indexed by pages in
the multi-page printed piece which are pre-associated with the
actionable elements. Pre-association may occur at any time before
the request for actionable elements is received. Alternatively,
association of actionable elements and pages may occur dynamically
or "on the fly" or after receiving the request for actionable
elements. For example, the system 150 may be configured to select
data elements, components, metadata, data files, or other portions
of a complete set of data for a printed page or object. These data
elements may comprise substantially less memory and bandwidth than
the complete set of data, thereby making them more readily
downloadable. These data elements may be customizable based on
search query data, thereby making them more relevant or pertinent
to the particular end user.
[0118] At a block 1204, a processing circuit on a server side is
configured to receive via a network interface circuit a request for
actionable elements for the multi-page printed piece, the request
having an ID. The request may come from a mobile computing device,
which acquires the ID using a discovery mechanism. At a block 1206,
the processing circuit is configured to compare the ID in the
request to the IDs stored in the memory. At a block 1208, the
processing circuit is configured to retrieve the actionable
elements for different pages of the multi-page printed piece from
the memory based on the comparison. At a block 1210, the processing
circuit is configured to send the retrieved actionable elements via
the network interface circuit, back to the requesting device.
[0119] FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a method for building an
infrastructure of actionable elements related to different printed
items or physical objects, according to one illustrative
embodiment. At a block 1300, a memory is configured to store IDs
for a plurality of different printed items to be printed for
different customers. At a block 1302, a processing circuit is
configured to receive, for each printed item, a selection of a
discovery mechanism for discovering the printed item from a
plurality of different discovery mechanisms. The discovery
mechanism selection may include any of receiving a selection among
different discovery technologies, receiving an upload of a bar
code, receiving an upload of image recognition data or a selection
of an image or portion thereof to be recognized, receiving a
selection of a code for use with an RFID tag, or other selection
actions. At a block 1304, the processing circuit is configured to
receive, for each printed item at least one actionable element, the
actionable element providing access to content or functionality
supplemental to content printed on the printed item. At a block
1306, the processing circuit is configured to store the selection
of the discovery mechanism and the actionable element in the memory
in association with the ID for each of the plurality of different
printed items to be printed for different customers (e.g.,
marketers, publishers, etc.).
[0120] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a method for processing a request
for supplemental content, according to an illustrative embodiment.
At a block 1400, the method comprises receiving a request for
content supplemental to printed content in a multi-page printed
piece. The request may comprise a code retrieved from the
multi-page printed piece using a discovery mechanism. At a block
1402, the method comprises retrieving from a memory device the
supplemental content, wherein the supplemental content comprises
different supplemental content items for different pages of the
multi-page printed piece. For example, the supplemental content
items may comprise at least one of a hyperlink, a phone call item,
an augmented reality item and a video item. At a block 1404, the
method comprises sending the retrieved supplemental content for use
with a mobile computing device.
[0121] In an alternative embodiment, the processing circuit is
further configured to send an application to the mobile computing
device to be used by the mobile computing device to retrieve the
code from the multi-page printed piece. The application may be
software embodied on a tangible medium, downloadable to the mobile
computing device (for example, through an "app store"), or another
type of computer application. The application may be configured to
perform any of the functions described herein, such as retrieving
code from the multi-page printed piece in a discovery process.
[0122] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating
digital elements associated with a printed piece or physical object
based on received variant information, according to one
illustrative embodiment. In one exemplary embodiment, a printed
publication identification request, entered using a home screen for
example, may be made by an end-user through the use of an end-user
device 12 in a block 1502. Regardless of the form of the request or
how it is made, the request can be provided by the end-user to a
processing circuit, either directly or indirectly. The request can
also be provided through a network, such as a phone or data network
that can be wired or wireless. Likewise, the request may be
received by a server-side processing circuit, either directly or
indirectly from the end-user or end-user device, via the
network.
[0123] Upon receiving the request, the request may be compared to
the stored content in database 118 and the information related
thereto. As an example, a search of a publication by title will be
compared to title information of the stored content. Alternatively,
a request coming from a bar code may include publication
information (title, version, etc.) that is compared to the same
type of information of the stored content. The comparison will
result in a list of potential matches, which can be sent to and
received by the end-user via the end-user device for confirmation
or selection. This may result from a request that does not include
enough information to specifically identify a specific printed
publication or version thereof. Upon such confirmation or
selection, the printed publication 100 and an associated electronic
document 200 is identified in a step 1504.
[0124] In a step 1506, the processing circuit is configured to
determine whether the electronic document or digital elements
associated with the printed piece include any content variants. If
so, in a step 1506, the processing circuit is configured to
determine the nature of the variants and to determine available
variant resolution information. For example, where the electronic
document is a clothing catalog that includes a regional variant for
northern states and a regional variant for southern states, the
processing circuit may be configured to attempt to obtain
additional information regarding the source of the request received
in step 1502. Steps may include accessing stored information
regarding the device 12 or a user of device 12, utilizing GPS
functionality of the device 12, etc. Variant resolution in step
1508 may also include displaying the variants for selection by the
user.
[0125] Variant resolution in step 1508 allows information from
device 12 and/or end user opt-in identification to be used to
generate customized publication augmentation information. This
provides a flexible and diverse method of publication content
discovery for the end user to enhance the print viewing
experience.
[0126] Advantageously, information available through device 12, a
user profile associated with device 12, and information associated
with the printed publication itself can be used to facilitate
variant resolution. Information available through device 12 can
include a device location, a device type, a device model, device
usage statistics, etc. The user profile may be provided by the user
and/or may be culled from existing information sources. Publication
information for the printed publication may include identifying the
variant of the printed publication, identifier of a subscriber or
purchaser of the printed publication, etc. The variant of the
electronic document may be different from a variant of the printed
publication depending on the inputs used in step 1508. The user
profile may include user-set preferences. For example, if the user
is using a device that is not well suited for a telephone call, the
user can request that any phone call actionable elements not be
presented on its screen.
[0127] Advantageously, generating an electronic document during the
printing of a printed publication may allow the system to utilize
the same or a similar set of data structures and workflows from the
printed publication to deliver/distribute a multi-channel
experience (print and digital) through the electronic document.
This efficiency may reduce problems of double submissions and
workflows which cause delay, higher incidence of error, reduced
labor requirements, etc.
[0128] Following resolution of the variants in step 1508, a
customized representation of the electronic document may be
presented to the user of device 12 in step 1510. Generating a
customized electronic document may include stitching together the
signatures including digital content to generate a digital version
of the printed publication at the time of the request 1508 based on
variant information that is available also at the time of the
request.
[0129] Presenting the customized electronic document in step 1510
can further include displaying content associated with the
generated version of printed publication in a step 1512. The
displayed content linked to printed media may represent anything
that can be displayed on the mobile device: URLs, phone numbers,
email addresses, video, audio, etc.
[0130] The method of flowchart 1500 can be used to display the
printed media and linked content from a single end-user request
submission. For example, the single end-user request submission
could be generated by manually searching, using the device to
conduct imaging or image recognition within that publication,
scanning a barcode such as a UPC code or QR code, interaction with
a tag such as a Near Field Communication (NFC) tag, or other means.
The launch point used to generate the request no longer needs to
correlate to individual pages or content links (though it may in
alternative embodiments), but instead may correlate to the entire
printed media piece or groups of related pages and content within
the printed media piece. The launch point now may provide a proxy
for use in print media marketing based on single images or ads. For
example, the launch point may be used as a catalog proxy for the
entire catalog, a launch point on an item as a proxy to a complete
catalog and so on.
[0131] Advantageously, the method of flowchart 1500 provides a
system that has the ability to pull separate image/page files in
real time to build (or stitch) a version of a publication at the
time of a request as opposed to grabbing a single file of the
complete publication. This process gives an advantage of reducing
prep and handling time and also reduces the amount of data to be
stored (i.e., no need to store multiple complete variants),
especially as it relates to publications with numerous
versions.
[0132] FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating
digital elements associated with a printed piece or physical object
based upon variant information, according to an illustrative
embodiment. The method of flowchart 1600 includes the process of
pulling together separate images, or pages, or links for mobile
content from database 118 in real-time at the time the user
accesses the publication. This content can be based on personalized
data, like either the demographic or geographic attributes of the
user accessing the work as described above.
[0133] In a step 1602, system 150 receives input parameters related
to the printed publication and the end user. Input Parameters may
be any one or combination of the known print parameters--title,
publication or in-home date, page and advertising version
information, page sequence, mail address or newsstand location,
personalization, etc.--and mobile devices parameters--smartphone or
tablet type, geo-location, user opt-in selection, method of
discovery applied, etc. Geographical location for print media may
be determined by the final physical destination, be it the postal
address or newsstand regional location. The print postal zip code,
carrier route, and newsstand location information may be used to
correlate to mobile device end user interaction, geo-location, and
opt-in profile. Device characteristics may include, for example,
whether a device supports web browsing, multi-media support such as
video and audio, and whether a device supports autonomous
applications. The device, along with the stitched together and
downloaded information and Internet links, can provide an augmented
content experience that serves as a companion to print media. User
characteristics may include characters of those individuals and
publishers who wish to have or provide an enhanced print media
experience. Users reading a print media piece may use their mobile
device to interact with content and information called-out and/or
linked within the print. Once a user has accessed a publication
version, they can scroll to or activate any page or link within the
publication.
[0134] Based on the received input parameters, the system 150 can
generate a listing of content detail information in a step 1604.
The content detail information can include associated content from
the electronic document or supplemental content defined based on
the structure of the printed publication. The content from the
electronic document may be defined based on the structure of the
printed publication because of the method used to generate the
electronic document, described above. Following structure
definition, content may be associated with the content of the
electronic document without modifying the underlying structure.
[0135] In a step 1606, the processing circuit on the server or
device side can be used to identify and select content variants
based on the device information, printed publication information,
and user information received in step 1602. Selection of content
variants may include selection of associated content rather than
selection of the content in the printed publication.
[0136] In a step 1608, device 12 can be configured to access an
associated content listing, similar to the listing shown and
described above with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. The listing of
associated content can include a photograph of the content from the
printed publication along with additional functionality such as a
web link, a hyperlink, mapping functionality, etc.
[0137] Access to the content may be in the form of a digital
reproduction of the specific version of the printed publication, a
customized version of the publication based upon the segmented
information known about the end user, or otherwise providing
linking or interactivity with the content from the printed
publication. This may be through a URL, web page, or other digital
destination or content, including GPS, content information,
invitation for electronic or digital communications, etc. The end
users also may desirably distribute or share the content from the
printed publication with other users. Access to the content may be
obtained through the display, through an audio output circuit,
through haptic feedback, etc.
[0138] FIG. 17 is a computer implemented augmentation system for
presenting digital information related to the contents of a printed
piece or object based on received information identifying the
printed piece or object, according to an illustrative embodiment.
The description of the components below may apply to other
components shown or described in other embodiments presented
herein.
[0139] Augmentation system 1710 includes an information processor
1712, one or more identification input devices 1714, a user
interface 1716, and a memory 1718. Although system 1710 is shown as
including a single system including specific components associated
with specific function, it should be understood that the
functionality described herein may be performed using multiple
systems and more, fewer and/or a different arrangement of
components, and that functionality described as being performed by
any specific component may alternatively be performed by any other
component.
[0140] The functional components of system 1710 are implemented
using hardware including a processing circuit implementing the
information processor 1712, a system memory 1718 for storing
instructions for implementing the information processor 1712, and a
system bus that couples various system components, including the
system memory, to the processing circuit. Further, the described
components may be implemented using hardware and/or software
embodied on a tangible medium.
[0141] The processing circuit may comprise or be a portion of any
type of computer processor comprising suitable analog and/or
digital circuit components, such as a microprocessor,
microcontroller, application-specific integrated circuit,
programmable logic, etc., configured to implement the functionality
described herein. The processor also may be local or network
based.
[0142] The system memory may include computer storage media in the
form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory
(ROM) and/or random access memory (RAM). System 1710 may also
include other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile
computer storage media, such as a local or cloud-based drive
including the information database 1718.
[0143] Information processor 1712 may comprise software embodied on
a computer-readable medium (such as firmware, memory, a CD-ROM,
etc.) and implemented by a processing circuit configured to
determine an identification of a printed piece or object and to
provide information to the user interface 1716 to augment the
information in the printed piece or object. Specifically, in one
embodiment the processor 1712 may be configured to receive input
from an input device 1714 to allow processor 1712 to identify a
printed piece 10 and optionally a page in the printed piece. Based
on the identified page and/or printed piece, processor 1712 may be
configured to retrieve augmentation information from the memory
1718 for the user interface 1716. The augmentation information can
include digital elements associated with the printed piece or
object, and may include an electronic copy of the printed piece or
descriptions of the content within the printed piece, text,
graphics, etc., that are customized to the device 1710, user of
device 1710 and/or augmented content accessed in context based on
the identified page.
[0144] Input device 1714 can include any type of input device or
method for receiving information or an identification of a printed
piece or object. Examples can include, but are not limited to a
camera, a transceiver, a microphone, a keyboard including either a
physical keyboard and/or a virtual keyboard implemented using the
display 1716, haptic or capacitive screens, radio frequency
readers, or other electronic devices and sensors that are
configured to interact with a printed piece or object. The input
device 1714 may be embodied in a wearable housing, such as
eyeglasses, a wristband, a belt clip, a hat, etc. Input devices
1714 can be configured to operate in combination with software
implemented by processor 1712 to perform a number of different
recognition or discovery methods. For example, a camera input
device 1714 may capture an image of text, graphics and or code
within the printed piece or object, and convey that to an image
matching circuit implemented by processor 1712. Among other
possibilities, a user can use the input device 1714 to recognize a
printed piece cover, content within a printed piece, a universal
product code or other type of barcode displayed in the printed
piece, an ISBN number, radio frequency tag or near field
communication tag, text or graphics, etc. to initiate a process for
identifying the printed piece. Alternatively, a user can manually
enter the name of a printed piece or object using search terms to
find the desired printed piece or object.
[0145] User interface 1716 can be any type of display configured to
display information provided by processor 1712, such as a liquid
crystal display (LCD), an active matrix LCD, an organic
light-emitting diode display, or other display types, audio device
or speaker, haptic screen, or other interface that can convey
information to any one or all of the five senses.
[0146] Augmentation system 1710 may be configured to access or
display digital elements associated with the piece generated during
the printing of the printed publication. The digital elements
associated with the document may be augmented or supplemented with
additional functionality related to the content contained in the
printed publication. The augmentation may be provided by functional
blocks overlaid on the display of the electronic document, by
displaying a table of contents including available functional
content where the table of contents is structured to mirror the
content contained in the printed publication, by providing
supplemental content may not display information such as an audio
file playback, haptic feedback, etc., or any combinations thereof,
etc.
[0147] According to one embodiment, a computer implemented method
for providing digital elements associated with a printed piece or
other object comprises: receiving a request from a requester for a
digital element associated with the printed piece or object, the
request including information to identify the printed piece or
object; selecting one or more content variants associated with the
printed piece, object or requester of the digital element;
generating the digital element to include or be based on the one or
more content variants; and sending the digital elements to the
requester.
[0148] The request may further include content variants such as
location data indicating a geographic origin of the request,
information about the device or user of the device. Generating a
digital element may include assembling the digital elements based
on such content variants. Each content variant may be selected
based on at least one of the printed piece identification, object
information, user information, device information, and request
information.
[0149] In one embodiment, generating a digital element associated
with the printed piece or object may include generating a table of
contents based on the selected content variants. The digital
elements or representation associated with the printed piece or
object may be unique from the printed piece or object itself based
on the selected content variants. Ultimately, this allows a user to
experience a version of the printed publication or object relevant
to that user, and allows brand-owners and content creators to
deliver more useful, targeted and personalized messages and offers
and calls for action to users.
[0150] According to another embodiment, a computer implemented
method for providing a representation of--or digital elements
associated with--a printed piece or object based on received input
data may comprise: receiving identification information related to
a printed piece or object; matching the received identification
information to a printed piece or object; identifying content
associated with the printed piece or object, the content optionally
being structured based on the structure of the printed piece or
object description; and sending the associated content for use on a
user interface. The associated content may be received by and/or
downloaded to a computing device; and the associated content may be
communicated via the user interface.
[0151] The printed piece or object may include one or a plurality
of launch points, each launch point being associated with unique
associated content. The digital elements associated with these
launch points may be configured to include one or more hyperlinks
based on the information associated with these launch points. The
launch points may comprise a graphic and/or text, such as those
found on the cover or page of certain printed pieces. Other launch
points may include a radio frequency or near field communication
(NFC) tag, a quick response (QR) code, a universal product code
(UPC), a barcode, an international standard book number (ISBN), a
wireless transmitter, a product shape or distinctive element, etc.
The radio frequency, near field communication (NEC), or wireless
devices may be active or passive devices. The information obtained
through the input device from the launch point is processed to
information that can be sent for comparison with information about
the launch point, for example through a database look-up table.
Once a positive identification of the printed piece or object is
made, the digital elements associated with the printed piece or
object may be sent to the user interface and/or downloaded.
[0152] According to another embodiment, a computer implemented
system for providing a customized digital information related to a
printed piece or object using a computing device may comprise: one
or more input devices for receiving information for identifying a
printed piece or object and at least one of a device
characteristic, a user characteristic and a printed piece
characteristic or object characteristic. An electronic document or
a digital element generator implemented by a processor on a
computing device may be configured to select one or more content
variants associated with the printed piece or object. The content
variants may be selected based on one of a device characteristic, a
user characteristic, and a printed publication characteristic. The
processor may further be configured to generate a digital
representation or digital elements of the printed publication to
include the plurality of content variants. An electronic display of
the computing device may be configured to display the digital
representation of the printed piece or object. The device
characteristic may include GPS or other location data indicating a
request geographic origin. Generating digital information related
to the printed piece or object may include assembling a plurality
of content variants selected based on the GPS data. Generating
digital information related to the printed piece or object may
further include generating a table of contents based on one or more
of the content variants. The digital information related to the
printed piece or object may be unique from the printed publication
based on the selected content variants.
[0153] While some embodiments are described with reference to
printed pieces or printed publications, other embodiments may be
used with non-printed objects, such as perhaps a purse or handbag,
shaped items such as bottles or containers, items having a
distinctive or recognizable feature, or objects that may otherwise
be recognizable using a discovery mechanism. The embodiments herein
may allow these brand owners or advertisers to deliver additional
content such as actionable elements relating to everyday objects to
the user.
[0154] The invention has been described in terms of several
preferred embodiments. It will be appreciated that the invention
may otherwise be embodied without departing from the fair scope of
the invention.
* * * * *
References