HK1231225B - Tracking pixels and cookies for television event viewing - Google Patents

Description

Tracking pixels and cookies for TV event viewing

Related patent applications

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/920,086, filed on December 23, 2013.

Background Art

The traditional television (TV) viewing experience and the method of consuming video media over the internet have been converging for some time and are now becoming interdependent. As business models, these two forms of media delivery have evolved over the years through monthly subscription fees and pay-per-view revenue models, but for both, the advertising-supported model remains the dominant economic engine.

Financial support from advertisers is typically based on the number of viewers exposed to an ad, with advertisers charged per thousand "impressions," or the number of times an ad is viewed, often referred to as "cost per thousand" or "CPM." Generally, higher CPM rates are charged for ads that can provide additional detailed information about these individual impressions, such as the time of day the ad was viewed or the market region where the viewing occurred. Associating these impressions with demographic information about those who viewed the ad is even more valuable, especially when that demographic information is one that the advertiser believes provides better prospects for positive action regarding the product or service being promoted.

For content accessed from a personal computer or any other type of internet-connected device, a viewer's internet browsing activity can be easily detected and captured through a variety of techniques. The most common technique is the use of "cookies," also known as HTTP cookies, web cookies, or browser cookies. These are small data files sent from the website being browsed to the user's browser. Whenever the website is reloaded, the browser then sends the cookie back to the server, allowing the server to be aware of the user's previous activity on that server. This method allows "shopping carts" to save older, uncompleted purchases and pre-authenticate users so they don't need to re-enter certain credentials.

Cookies are also used to build a history of previous browsing. This information is advantageously used to allow the presentation of commercial offers that are more likely to interest the user than would be possible in a random search. For example, a user browsing Philadelphia using a search engine such as Google for "Hotels in Seattle" will find that many of the websites subsequently browsed display advertisements for Seattle travel, tourism, entertainment, local attractions, and other customized service offers. This is a result of certain data about the search activity being stored locally on the user's computer in the form of data cookies.

Another common technique exploits the fact that most commercial web pages are not completely self-contained. Due to a variety of technical and commercial reasons, many elements seen on a displayed web page are instead assembled "on the fly" using content downloaded from many different servers that are often geographically dispersed. Thus, when initially downloaded, the screen location where some image, animation, or advertisement could be displayed is often actually blank, but contains program instructions, most commonly in HTML or JavaScript, that make a request or "call" to the server where the desired content is located.

These requests typically include the IP address of the requesting computer, the time the content is being requested, the type of web browser making the request, the attributes of the display on which the content is being displayed, and other details. In addition to acting on the request and serving the requested content, the server can store all of this information and associate it with a unique tracking token (sometimes in the form of a browser cookie) that is associated with the content request.

Even in situations where a web page doesn't require additional content to enhance the user's browsing experience, this same technology can be used to gain insights into the behavior and habits of people browsing a website, which can then be used to personalize the type of advertising served to the user. This can be accomplished by programming a web page to request a graphic file from a specific server using invisible (not displayed) graphic files called "tracking pixels." These are (usually) small image files (GIF, JPEG, PNG, etc.) whose Internet addresses are embedded into web pages and other HTML files. When a specific web page containing these tracking pixels is loaded, the web browser then typically sends a request over the Internet to the server at the address of the embedded web graphic. The server at this address sends the requested graphic file (e.g., tracking pixel) and logs the event of the request for the specific graphic. These tracking pixel files are sometimes referred to by other names such as web bugs, clear pixels, tracking bugs, pixel tags, web beacons, or clear gifs. Regardless of the name of these token images, their function is generally the same.

In many commercial applications, advertisers, their agencies, or other third-party services may decide to use tracking pixels to track impressions (as described above, an impression consists of a person viewing an image). Each time an ad is displayed, code in the displayed web page addresses a server, either locally or over the internet, that contains the tracking pixel. The server that responds to the request then logs information that may include the user's IP address, host name, device type, screen size, operating system, web browser, and the date the image was viewed.

In traditional TV viewing, commercial ratings data is typically collected and analyzed offline by media search companies such as the Nielsen Company using dedicated devices, sometimes called "home units," that are connected to televisions in a limited number of selected households. These devices record when a television is tuned to a specific channel, but there is an unmet need for reliable technology to detect whether a viewer actually watched a specific video segment (whether broadcast content or commercials). Furthermore, there is still no truly reliable process for confirming whether and when broadcast content that has been recorded and stored on a DVR or the like is viewed at some later time.

Furthermore, with existing monitoring services such as Nielsen, there is a material delay between the time a program is aired and the availability of reliable, broad-based information about which programs are watched in which markets and what demographics are available to content providers or advertisers. There is significant debate about the effectiveness of predictions when extrapolating from this small sample of potential viewers (estimated to be around 1 in 10,000 households) to the entire United States.

Therefore, the ability to accurately determine in near real time what television program or commercial each television viewer in the United States is watching at any given moment has long been an unmet market need. This has become a challenge because it requires not only being able to identify what channel has been tuned to, but also specifically what content is being viewed, as the media that viewers are actually consuming may include not only scheduled programming, but also regionally or locally inserted commercials, time-staggered content, or other entertainment products.

Some attempts have been made to use audio matching techniques to map what is heard on a home television set to a database of "audio fingerprints." This is a process intended to match an audio fingerprint to some specific content. It has been found that the speed and reliability of such techniques currently available on the market are limited. Video matching of screen images to known content is computationally more difficult than using audio, but theoretically more accurate and useful. Matching a segment of video being viewed to a database of samples (including samples extracted from online television events just a few seconds earlier) presents a number of technical challenges, but has been effectively employed and is taught, inter alia, in U.S. Patent No. 8,595,781.

Summary of the Invention

The subject matter disclosed in detail below relates to a real-time content identification and tracking system that allows monitoring of television program consumption for individual televisions or other viewing devices. The metrics collected can include data about viewing of specific broadcast media, commercial messages, interactive on-screen information, or other programs, as well as locally cached, time-staggered programs. Information about media consumption by these specific televisions or other viewing devices can be returned to the system's business clients via a trusted third-party intermediary service, and in some embodiments, encoded tokens can be used to manage the display of certain events and allow robust auditing of contract performance by each party involved.

More specifically, the systems and methods disclosed herein allow for the identification of video segments being viewed or interactive messages displayed on the video screen of any connected television viewing device, such as a smart TV, a TV with a cable set-top box, or a TV with an internet-based set-top box. Furthermore, this video segment identification system accurately identifies whether a video segment is broadcast, pre-recorded, or a commercial message, and incorporating this capability into an all-in-one system allows for the provision of a variety of new products and services to commercial clients in a manner similar to the tracking capabilities provided over the internet using so-called cookies and media consumption tracking pixels. Several embodiments of the systems and methods are described in detail below from a commercially practical perspective.

The ability to monitor viewing events on internet-connected televisions at multiple locations can be used in conjunction with the display of contextually targeted content. Contextually targeted content is typically embedded in a contextually targeted display application module (hereinafter referred to as a "contextually targeted display application"). One or more contextually targeted display applications are then sent from a central server device to (and loaded into) each participating television system before displaying the video segments of interest associated with these application modules. Sometimes, when a contextually targeted display application is executed, the contextually targeted display application calls other servers across the Internet to obtain additional (or current) information to update or add to the content already embedded in the application module. All of the contextually targeted display application's content, whether sent in advance or retrieved at execution time, appears within the frame of the contextually targeted display application window, which pops up on the television screen for the user to view and sometimes interact with. However, it should be understood that sometimes the purpose of the contextually targeted display application is not to display anything, but rather to simply call an embedded URL address (or send an embedded coded token) to trigger the audit device to register (i.e., record) a viewing event.

One aspect of the subject matter disclosed in detail below is a method performed by a computer system for automatically recording viewing events on a screen of a television system, comprising the following operations: (a) storing a corresponding reference data set for each of a plurality of reference video segments in a database; (b) loading a plurality of context-directed display applications into a memory of the television system, each context-directed display application having a corresponding tracking pixel URL address embedded therein; (c) receiving a video fingerprint from the television system at a server, the video fingerprint being derived from a television signal corresponding to a portion of the video segment displayed on the screen; (d) searching the database to identify a reference data set that best matches the video fingerprint; and (e) responding (i) recording receipt of the request for the tracking pixel in a memory of the server. The request for the tracking pixel may include information identifying the television system, information indicating a geographic location of the television system, information identifying the contextually targeted content, and a time at which the server received the request for the tracking pixel.

Another aspect of the subject matter disclosed below is a system for automatically recording viewing events on a television system's screen, the system comprising a television system having a screen, first and second servers, and a database in communication via a network. The database stores a corresponding reference dataset for each of a plurality of reference video segments. The television system is programmed to obtain a video fingerprint from a television signal corresponding to a portion of the video segment displayed on the screen. The first server is programmed to: load a plurality of contextually targeted display applications into the television system's memory, each contextually targeted display application having a corresponding tracking pixel URL address embedded therein; receive the video fingerprint from the television system; search the database to identify the reference dataset that best matches the video fingerprint; identify the contextually targeted display application associated with the matching reference dataset; and send a signal to the television system identifying the associated contextually targeted display application. The television system is further programmed to send a request for a tracking pixel to a tracking pixel URL address embedded in the associated contextually targeted display application, the tracking pixel URL address being located on the second server. The second server is programmed to receive a request for the tracking pixel from the television system, send the tracking pixel to the television system, and record receipt of the request for the tracking pixel in a memory.

Another aspect is a method performed by a computer system for automatically recording viewing events on a screen of a television system, comprising the following operations: (a) storing a corresponding reference data set for each of a plurality of reference video segments in a database; (b) loading a plurality of context-oriented display applications in a memory of the television system, each context-oriented display application having a corresponding encoding token embedded therein; (c) receiving a video fingerprint from the television system at a server, the video fingerprint being derived from a television signal of a corresponding portion of the video segment displayed on the screen; (d) searching the database to identify a reference data set that best matches the video fingerprint; (e) in response to identifying the matching reference data set in operation (d), identifying the context-oriented display application associated with the matching reference data set; (f) in response to identifying the associated context-oriented display application in operation (e), sending a signal to the television system identifying the associated context-oriented display application; (g) sending the encoding token embedded in the associated context-oriented display application from the television system to an audit server; (h) decoding the encoding token at the audit server; and (i) recording receipt of the encoding token in a memory of the audit server.

Yet another aspect is a system for automatically recording viewing events on a television system's screen, the system comprising a television system having a screen, first and second servers, and a database in communication via a network. The database stores a corresponding reference dataset for each of a plurality of reference video segments. The television system is programmed to obtain a video fingerprint from a television signal corresponding to a portion of the video segment displayed on the screen. The first server is programmed to: load a plurality of context-specific display applications into the television system's memory, each context-specific display application having a corresponding encoded token embedded therein; receive a video fingerprint from the television system, the video fingerprint derived from the television signal corresponding to the portion of the video segment displayed on the screen; search the database to identify a reference dataset that best matches the video fingerprint; identify the context-specific display application associated with the matching reference dataset; and send a signal to the television system identifying the associated context-specific display application. The television system is further programmed to send the encoded token embedded in the associated context-specific display application to the second server. The second server is programmed to receive and decode the encoded token from the television system and record receipt of the encoded token in a memory.

[0014] Other aspects of the system and method for automatically recording viewing events for an Internet-connected television are disclosed below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1a shows an embodiment that allows specific video segments to be identified by sampling the TV's video frame buffer, creating fingerprints, and then comparing these fingerprints to a pre-cached database of fingerprints of known programs. If a match is found, the system determines whether there is a system event scheduled to be associated with the arrival of the program and executes the event on the client device while reporting the activity to the central system.

Figure 1b shows one embodiment of a system and method for allowing commercial clients of the system to monitor the consumption of specific television programs in real time (including viewing interactive information displayed locally by the television client) using a method similar to how Internet websites use tracking pixels to monitor and record the web page viewing of specific users.

FIG2 illustrates one embodiment of a system and method for allowing a service provider to identify specific television programming consumption in real time and then return this information to a commercial client of the system without client involvement.

Figure 3 shows a preferred embodiment of a system and method for allowing real-time identification of specific television program consumption and returning this information in the form of a cookie to the system's commercial client through a trusted third-party intermediary service to confirm delivery and return a secondary confirmation to the system to verify the third party's report.

FIG4 illustrates an additional embodiment of a system and method for enabling real-time identification of specific television program consumption and returning this information to a commercial client of the system via a trusted third-party intermediary service. This embodiment incorporates additional steps to provide control and service verification by the client using coded tokens displayed according to additional standard management events. This is combined with robust auditing of the performance of each party involved through the use of coded tokens and repeated confirmations, which can be cross-checked to allow the client to verify service delivery.

Figure 5 is a flow chart summarizing the initial configuration processing sequence utilized by certain embodiments as illustrated in the example of Figure 3. This embodiment uses a video tracking URL to call a client server in a manner similar to how a traditional HTML web page obtains graphic elements and other files from a server accessed over the Internet.

Figure 6 is a flow chart summarizing a second processing sequence utilized by certain embodiments of the system as depicted in Figure 3. This embodiment allows for a relatively more robust tracking and confirmation service to be provided to customers than certain other embodiments.

Figure 7 is a flow chart summarizing the initial configuration process sequence utilized by certain embodiments of the system as depicted in Figure 4. This embodiment accepts a coded token sent by the customer to provide additional data integrity and audit capabilities.

Figure 8 is a flow chart summarizing a second processing sequence utilized by other embodiments of the system as depicted in Figure 4. This processing sequence allows for the delivery of more efficient customer support features, including even more robust security features.

Reference will now be made to the drawings, in which similar elements in different drawings have the same reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The use of tracking pixels is a tradition of personal computers and web browsers. When a web browser addresses a website, the web server sends a program to the web browser in the form of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). This program itself contains many subprogram modules, such as Java, Adobe Flash, and JavaScript. Furthermore, these elements often come from different servers.

All information (text, graphics, videos) is combined into a single page displayed within a computer browser using HTML. Within this page are multiple windows, some containing graphics and some containing videos. Additionally, advertisements from various sponsors appear on the page. These advertisements themselves consist of HTML code, which also includes Java, Flash, JavaScript, and other programming elements. This code is provided to website operators by advertising agencies acting on behalf of advertisers.

Hundreds to thousands of lines of computer code precisely instruct a computer's web browser what text, graphics, and videos to display, including what font to use, text color, background color, and the precise location of the text and images displayed or the video window positioned. Among the program elements provided by the advertising agency is a graphic element in JPEG or PNG format, much like those from a digital camera, known as a "tracking pixel." It can be 1×1 pixel in size and set to 100% transparent so that it doesn't show up in the displayed content. However, when a computer's browser executes the HTML code from a website, when the program retrieves an ad, the browser calls the advertiser's servers across the internet (one for graphics, one for video (if present), and one for event tracking (auditing)) to retrieve the multiple elements that form the ad window partition of the web page. HTML reads a program element called GET, which instructs the program to call a URL to obtain, among other things, certain information needed to render and display the web page. When this instruction (i.e., to retrieve the graphic element at the URL address) is executed, it calls the advertiser's server at that URL address (hereinafter referred to as the "ad server"). The ad server then sends the element (in this example, the tracking pixel) back to the client system's web browser. Display of the tracking pixel is irrelevant, but the ad server's action in responding to the GET call from the client system's web browser causes an event to be logged, telling the advertiser that the ad was displayed on, for example, a Weehawken, New Jersey, web page. The ad server also logs the time and date of the request.

This method of auditing ads allows for a higher level of confidence in the system than if the website operator simply reported to the advertiser the number of times a web page was displayed. However, the website operator also wants to know how many times an ad was displayed so that the website operator can track its advertising billing. Due to the complexity of web servers and web browsers, a server may send one or more HTML web pages, but not display all of the pages it receives. Therefore, in the above example, neither the website operator nor the advertiser can know how often an ad was displayed simply by counting the number of times the website operator's server issued the HTML code when a web browser in a certain household requested it.

According to the system disclosed below, the aforementioned tracking pixel approach extends to smart TVs, which include a small computer or processor programmed to execute a web browsing application. This computer system within the television system can take over the television screen and display content identical to what a person would see on a personal computer. However, the use of this computer system is often oriented toward pre-programmed applications that provide a "secret garden" much like a smartphone. These pre-loaded programs (apps) might be apps for watching movies over the internet or getting the latest news. The resulting user experience is nearly identical to that of a smartphone or iPad. In reality, these apps are essentially just pre-packaged web page scripts, typically written in HTML. When this app runs, it calls a software program to a web server to send all the information needed to display the web page. Of course, unlike an iPad held in a person's hand, the information a smart TV receives from a website operator is formatted for a larger display, perhaps 10 feet from the viewer. This programming approach, by itself, may not be suitable for live TV, as the internet language HTML is intended as a static means of linking information from multiple computers (not to be confused with a web page's ability to display a video within a window on the web page).

The novelty of the video tracking pixel disclosed herein stems from the underlying technology of using tracking pixels, but extends its application to video by employing video matching, whereby the act of identifying a video segment through video matching can be used to trigger a program running on the computer system of a smart TV or set-top box. When the program runs, a portion of its program code addresses a remote computer server to request that the server send a graphical element back to the program running on the smart TV or set-top box. The video tracking pixel system utilizes existing Internet programming languages and existing Internet server technology used for prior art web tracking pixels.

Using tracking pixels in the context of televisions provides a third party with a means of verifying that a video segment of interest has been displayed on a television. Similarly, this video segment of interest could be an advertisement for a company's products or a competitor's products. For example, competitor A, Ford Motor Company, might want to know how many times an advertisement for competitor B, Toyota Motor Corporation, has been viewed in a particular market. Competitor A can obtain this information by contracting with a video tracking pixel service to deploy an application on every smart TV in the market area of interest, such as the New York City metropolitan area, that is triggered each time competitor B's advertisement is displayed on each TV. In another use case, if the triggered application displays contextually targeted information (information that appears as a pop-up on the TV screen) in a home, this event can be audited using the same means as in the previous example of simply detecting the display of the video segment of interest. In other words, video tracking pixels provide consumers of contextually targeted information services with an independent means of verifying the delivery and subsequent display of the service to multiple televisions.

Current means of auditing the display of television programs or advertisements are inaccurate because, for example, the buyer of a television advertising spot only knows how many times the buyer's advertisement was broadcast, but does not know how many televisions were on and tuned to the channel on which the advertisement was broadcast. Several companies have devised various means to statistically measure household television viewing events, but this is a very inaccurate technique and does not accurately measure actual viewing. For example, during a commercial break, a viewer may switch channels to view another channel and miss the commercial. Through the video tracking pixel method disclosed in detail below, the actual viewing of an advertisement (or any video segment of interest) can be measured. If the advertisement involves contextually targeted information, the display of this additional information can also be verified.

A method for matching a viewed video with reference videos stored in a database will now be described with reference to Figures 1a and 1b, which depict, at a high level, components of a system that allows for the identification of specific video segments by sampling a television's video frame buffer. The systems illustrated in Figures 1a and 1b represent useful examples to provide background for additional embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed below with reference to Figures 2 through 4.

As can be seen from Figure 1a, a matching server 101 (of a matching server system) receives a reference video feed 102 of a plurality of television channels or other video information, such as feature films or archival footage, and builds a reference database 103 of their digital fingerprints stored in a computer memory. The fingerprints consist of samples of at least a subset of the received video frames. These samples can be, but are not limited to, one or more video sub-regions of the video frames that are further processed by averaging or other techniques known to those skilled in the art.

Matching server 101 preferably includes multiple centrally located matching servers, of which FIG1a depicts only one matching server. Each matching server may in turn include multiple processors programmed to perform different functions, such as video segment identification and context-based targeting management. Each matching server may in turn communicate with a corresponding plurality of remotely located television systems, of which FIG1a depicts only one. The system depicted in part in FIG1a (as well as the systems depicted in part in FIG1b and in FIG2-4) will be described with reference to a single television system communicating with a single matching server, although it should be understood that in practice, multiple television systems will communicate with multiple matching servers.

Referring to FIG. 1 a , a remotely located television system 108 is capable of communicating with a matching server 101 via communication channels 106 , 107 , and 115 (e.g., the Internet). The television system 108 may be a smart television or a television monitor with an external set-top controller. A television client 109 receives video programming from a television video frame buffer (not shown in FIG. 1 a). The television client 109 is a software application running on a computer or processor of the television system 108. The television system samples the data from the television video frame buffer and generates an unknown (i.e., not yet identified) video fingerprint, which is sent to the matching server 101 via the communication channel 107 for matching with data in the reference database 103.

More specifically, the video fingerprint obtained from the processing of the television system 108 is transmitted via the communication channel 107 to the video segment identification processor 105, which is part of the matching server 101. The television client 109 generates a fingerprint for the unknown video using an algorithm similar to that used by the matching server 101 to store the reference video in the reference database 103. The video segment identification processor 105 continues to search the reference database 103, attempting to find a match with the incoming video fingerprint using search methods known in the art, such as the method taught by Neumeier et al. in U.S. Patent No. 8,595,781, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. When the video segment identification processor 105 finds a match between a known fingerprint in the reference database 103 and the unknown fingerprint of the video segment received from the television system 108, the video segment identification processor 105 sends a message to the context-based targeting manager 104, thereby identifying the video segment displayed by the television system 108. (As used herein, the term "manager" refers to a processor or computer that is programmed to perform application software for data management or data processing functions.) Contextually targeted manager 104 determines what event, if any, is associated with the detection of the newly identified video fingerprint from TV client 109. Once an appropriate response is determined, contextually targeted manager 104 sends an encoded trigger to application manager 110 of TV system 108 via communication channel 106. (Application manager 110 is software running on the same processor in TV system 108 on which TV client software runs.) Application manager 110 launches and triggers, or otherwise signals, the particular application determined to be associated with the event.

More specifically, the application manager 110 sends a trigger signal to the context-directed display application 112 via the communication channel 111. The television system 108 can be loaded with multiple context-directed display applications. (The context-directed display application 112 is software running on the same processor in the television system 108 on which the television client software is running.) In one example, the context-directed display application 112 can be called to display a related graphic image overlaid on the video screen of the television system 108, the graphic image having information related to, for example, the television advertisement currently being displayed. The graphic overlay comes from embedded graphics stored within the context-directed display application (previously downloaded from the context-directed manager 104). Or, when the context-directed display application causes the overlay, the image can come from an external website. Similar to a web browser, the context-directed display application can contain a URL pointing to an external website for requesting graphics and/or video.

After the overlay is displayed, the contextually targeted display application 112 sends an event completion message via the communication channel 115 to the contextually targeted manager 104, which records the action. This last step is useful when an advertiser or another third party wishes to receive additional contextually targeted information, a display overlay, or even just confirmation that a video segment, such as an advertisement or public service announcement, has been displayed on the television system 108. In these cases, the contextually targeted manager 104 can provide the third party with a log file of, for example, the time and location of the occurrence.

FIG1 b illustrates how one embodiment of the system operates if configured in a manner similar to how many internet websites monitor content consumption. A TV client 109 receives video programming from a television video frame buffer of a television system 108. As previously described, the TV client 109 is a software application running on a computer or processor of the television system 108, which may be a smart TV or a television monitor with an external set-top controller. The video stream is processed according to methods known in the art, such as those taught by Neumeier et al. in U.S. Patent No. 8,595,781.

The monitored TV client 109 sends a video fingerprint of the video being viewed to the matching server 101. The video fingerprint consists of multiple samples per second of the unknown program being displayed on the TV 109. These video fingerprints, which contain "clues" about the video segment being viewed, are sent to the video segment identification processor 105 via the communication channel 107. The video segment identification processor attempts to match the "clues" with data in the reference database 103 to identify the program being viewed and the specific segment of the video segment in the sent sample. It then passes a token pointing to this information and its associated metadata to the context-based manager 104. If and when this segment of interest is identified, the context-based manager 104 then determines what action (if any) to take. The results of the determination are sent to the application manager 110 of the TV system 108 via the communication channel 106, which routes this information (e.g., in the form of a software script) to the context-based display application 112 via the communication channel 111. The context-targeted display application 112 then sends a request to display a segment of content via a communication channel 113 (e.g., the Internet) to a URI-based address embedded in a software script provided by the application manager 110. This request addresses a client server 116 somewhere on the Internet. The location of the client server 116 is not relevant to the process disclosed herein (i.e., the client server 116 can be located anywhere). The client server 116 returns a data item via a communication channel 114, perhaps a small graphic (i.e., a tracking pixel) with transparent pixels (e.g., a .png file). Upon receiving this data item, the context-targeted display application 112 assembles the remaining display elements (if any) and presents the image on the screen of the television system 108, much like a web page is composed of addressable elements assembled by a web browser for display on a personal computer screen. The context-targeted display application 112 sends a request for a specific graphical element via the communication channel 113 to provide information to the commercial client server 116 indicating that the television system 108 has viewed the video segment of interest and has presented a context-related graphical overlay. For example, when client server 116 sends a tracking pixel via communication channel 114 in response to receiving a GET call via communication channel 113, client server 116 may log this event. (As previously described, the tracking pixel is not displayed on the television system. The primary purpose of sending the tracking pixel in response to a GET call is to complete the request so that the GET call is not repeated.)

Another task of the context-oriented display application 112 may be to transmit a confirmation (i.e., event log) message back to the matching server 101 via the communication channel 115, where it is logged, perhaps for billing purposes or network reliability monitoring. A disadvantage of this embodiment is that it requires the business client to be an active participant in the process, taking on the responsibility of maintaining its own database of graphical elements (also known to those skilled in the art as tracking pixels) on the client server 116 while recording the details of the video segment matches found based on the received graphical requests.

Optionally, a specific context-targeted display application 112 can be triggered to send a request for a tracking pixel along with other information including a television system identifier, location, etc., without requesting that any content be displayed as a graphical overlay on the television screen. Since the tracking pixel request is triggered by the matching server 102 identifying the relevant video segment being viewed, the client server 116 can log the event (i.e., displaying the identified video segment on the identified television system) upon receipt of the tracking pixel request. This approach can allow the client server to determine the number of television systems viewing a particular video segment within the region of interest, even when context-targeted material is not provided.

FIG2 illustrates how another embodiment of a system configured to offload the administrative burden of maintaining a database of graphical elements ("tracking pixels") and corresponding access logs on client server 216 might operate. A television client 209 receives a video program from a television video frame buffer (not shown in FIG2 ). A television system 208 samples the data from the television video frame buffer and generates an unknown (i.e., not yet identified) video fingerprint. The television client 209 generates a fingerprint for the unknown video using an algorithm similar to that used by matching server 201 for storage in reference database 203. The video fingerprint contains "clues" about what is being watched, including multiple samples per second of the unknown program being displayed on the screen of television system 208. These clues are sent to matching server 201 via communication channel 207 for matching with data in reference database 203. More specifically, the clues obtained from processing in television system 208 are transmitted via communication channel 207 to video segment identification processor 205. The video segment identification processor 205 continuously searches the reference database 203, attempting to find a match with an incoming video fingerprint. When the video segment identification processor 205 finds a match between a known fingerprint in the reference database 203 and an unknown fingerprint of a video segment received from the television system 208, the video segment identification processor 205 sends a message to the context-directed manager 204, thereby identifying the video segment displayed by the television system 208. The context-directed manager 204 determines what, if any, event is associated with the detection of the newly identified video fingerprint from the television client 209. Once an appropriate response is determined, the context-directed manager 204 sends an encoded trigger to the application manager 210 of the television system 208 via the communication channel 206. The application manager 210 initiates and triggers or otherwise signals the specific context-directed display application 212 that has been determined to be associated with the trigger and event. More specifically, the application manager 210 sends a trigger signal to the specific context-directed display application 212 via the communication channel 211. In one example, the context-targeted display application 112 can be invoked to display a related graphical image overlaid on the video screen of the television system 208, along with information related to, for example, the television advertisement currently being displayed. The context-targeted display application 212 sends an event completion message via a communication channel 215 to the context-targeted manager 204, which records the occurrence of the action for internal tracking and accounting purposes. The context-targeted manager 204 also sends a confirmation report to the client server 216 via a communication channel 217 (e.g., the Internet) to confirm the detection of the video segment displayed on the television system 208. While quite efficient, this embodiment cannot support the commercial client's need to ensure that the received video identification information is sufficiently accurate.

FIG3 illustrates how a particularly advantageous embodiment of the system operates when configured to incorporate a display validation audit server 318 as part of this process. This allows commercial client servers 316 to obtain independent verification of the number of views or "clicks" on their advertisements or some other specific video segments. Although the display validation audit server 318 is illustrated as being separate from the client server 316 in FIG3 , the two servers can be combined into a single server. In the case where the display validation audit server is independent, the server 318 can be operated by a trusted third party.

Referring again to FIG. 3 , a TV client 309 receives a video program from a TV video frame buffer (not shown in FIG. 3 ). The TV system 308 samples the data from the TV video frame buffer and generates an unknown (i.e., not yet identified) video fingerprint. The TV client 309 generates a fingerprint for the unknown video using an algorithm similar to that used by the matching server 301 for storage in the reference database 303. The video fingerprint contains "clues" about what is being watched, including multiple samples per second of the unknown program being displayed on the screen of the TV system 308. These clues are sent to the matching server 301 via the communication channel 307 for matching with the data in the reference database 303. More specifically, the clues obtained from the processing in the TV system 308 are transmitted via the communication channel 307 to the video segment identification processor 305. The video segment identification processor 305 continuously searches the reference database 303, attempting to find a match with the incoming video fingerprint. When the video segment identification processor 305 finds a match between a known fingerprint in the reference database 303 and an unknown fingerprint of a video segment received from the television system 308, the video segment identification processor 305 sends a message to the context-directed manager 304, thereby identifying the video segment displayed by the television system 308. The context-directed manager 304 determines what event (if any) is associated with the detection of the newly identified video fingerprint from the television client 309. Once an appropriate response is determined, the context-directed manager 304 sends an encoded trigger to the application manager 310 of the television system 308 via the communication channel 306. The application manager 310 launches and triggers or otherwise signals the specific context-directed display application 312 that has been determined to be associated with the event. More specifically, the application manager 310 sends a trigger signal to the context-directed display application 312 via the communication channel 311. In one example, context-targeted display application 312 can be invoked to display a related graphical image overlaid on the video screen of television system 308, while also displaying information related to, for example, a currently displayed television advertisement. Context-targeted display application 312 is programmed to notify verification audit server 318 via communication channel 315a that certain television systems 308, appropriately identified by associated metadata by device, time, location, or other information, have viewed a video segment of interest (typically identified by its timestamp and associated metadata provided by matching server 301). This notification can include a request from client server 316 (maintained by a commercial client for the video segment viewing detection service) to send a tracking pixel, which is sent via communication channel 315b. Verification audit server 318 then delivers an audited event report containing an observation detection event indicator and associated metadata to client server 316 via communication channel 319.

Optionally, the context-specific display application 312 also sends a confirmation of the event to the context-specific manager 304 via communication channel 317b, thereby providing a single source of truth for both billing and verification data. Optionally, the confirmation audit server 318 also provides a message to the context-specific manager 304 via communication channel 317a indicating that the client server 316 has been notified. This approach can be used to maintain an internal display confirmation audit trail for the confirmation audit server 318.

FIG4 depicts another embodiment of a system with certain additional advantages. As shown in FIG4 , a video client 409 of a television system 408, such as a television or other video display device, receives a video program. As in other embodiments, the television client 409 receives the video program from a television video frame buffer (not shown in FIG4 ). The television system 408 samples the data from the television video frame buffer and generates an unknown (i.e., not yet identified) video fingerprint. The television client 409 generates a fingerprint for the unknown video using an algorithm similar to that used by the matching server 401 for storage in a reference database 403. The video fingerprint contains "clues" about what is being watched, including multiple samples per second of the unknown program being displayed on the screen of the television system 408. These clues are sent to the matching server 401 via a communication channel 407 for matching with data in the reference database 403. More specifically, the clues obtained from the processing in the television system 408 are transmitted to the video segment identification processor 405 via the communication channel 407. The video segment identification processor 405 continues to search the reference database 403, attempting to find a match with the incoming video fingerprint. When the video segment identification processor 405 finds a match between a known fingerprint in the reference database 403 and an unknown fingerprint of a video segment received from the television system 408, the video segment identification processor 405 sends a message to the context-directed manager 404, thereby identifying the video segment displayed by the television system 408. The context-directed manager 404 determines what, if any, event is associated with the detection of the newly identified video fingerprint from the television client 409. Once an appropriate response is determined, the context-directed manager 404 sends an encoded trigger to the application manager 410 of the television system 408 via the communication channel 406. The application manager 410 launches and triggers or otherwise signals the specific application that has been determined to be associated with the event.

More specifically, the video segment identification processor 405 attempts to match the received clues with reference data in the database 403 to identify a specific segment of the video segment in the program and the transmitted sample, and then passes a token pointing to this information and its associated metadata to the context-oriented manager 404. If and when this segment of interest is identified, the context-oriented manager 404 then determines what (if any) action is to be performed. When an action is to occur on the television system 408, this determination is sent to the application manager 410 via the communication channel 406 along with the token and/or cryptographic seed (public key value) received from the client server 416 via the communication channel 421. The client server 416 can then use the token and/or cryptographic seed to uniquely identify any event, action, or metric associated with the token for verification or other purposes. The application manager 410 then routes this information to the context-oriented display application 412 via the communication channel 411, which then displays the associated graphical image overlaid on the video screen of the television system 408. The context-oriented display application 412 is programmed to notify the confirmation audit server 418 via communication channel 415a that certain television systems 408, suitably identified by associated metadata via device, time, location, or other information, have viewed a video segment of interest (typically identified by its timestamp and associated metadata provided by the matching server 401). This notification may include a request from the client server 416 to send a tracking pixel, which is sent via communication channel 415b. The confirmation audit server 418 then delivers an audited event report to the client server 416 via communication channel 419, the audited event report containing the observation detection event indicator and associated metadata.

Optionally, the contextually targeted display application 412 also sends an acknowledgement of the event to the contextually targeted manager 404 via communication channel 417b. Optionally, the acknowledgement audit server 418 also provides a message to the contextually targeted manager 404 via communication channel 417a indicating that the client server 416 has been notified. Optionally, the contextually targeted manager 404 sends an unaudited event report to the client server 416 via communication channel 420.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that tokens as described above can be beneficially applied to the task of identifying the confirmation received by the third-party verification service 418 from the television system 408. For example, the client server 416 can provide a unique token for each of the top 120 demographic market areas (DMAs) in the United States. It is the responsibility of the matching server 401 to assign corresponding tokens to the television systems present in each DMA before the token is expected to be used. When the system disclosed herein detects a video segment, such as a television commercial, and instructs the television system 408 to send a message to the third-party verification service 418, the token identifying the DMA area is transmitted as part of the message. This helps the client server 416 to classify the collected data. In addition to the example of regional identification disclosed herein, tokens can be established for classification tasks. In addition, a combination of multiple parameters can be assigned to a token, or multiple tokens can be assigned to any combination of television systems for beneficial metrics.

If the client provides an encrypted seed as the token, or as a supplement to the token, such as the public key value of a public key/private key encryption pair, the computing device of the television system 408 algorithmically processes the encrypted seed to generate a unique encrypted code, which is further transmitted back to the client server 416 when transmitted to the third-party verification service 418 for active identification of specific television systems and any video segments viewed on those specific television systems.

FIG5 shows a flow chart summarizing the key establishment process utilized by certain embodiments, such as the system depicted in FIG3 . In this flow chart, the process begins with a first step 501, which involves the matching server 301 receiving a video tracking pixel uniform resource locator (URL) from the client server 316 via a communication channel 317a from the display verification audit device 318. This URL is then embedded in a contextually targeted display application 312 associated with the business customer (i.e., the client server 316) in step 102. In step 503, this contextually targeted display application is then sent to selected television clients, such as smart TVs or set-top boxes, on corresponding television systems 308 in the region, metropolitan area, or local viewing area of interest to the business customer. In the next step 504, an event execution list is established via the contextually targeted manager 304. The final step 505 in this process is to send an event list to the application manager 310 (in the target television system 308) that associates the event trigger code from the context-directed manager 304 with a specific context-directed display application 312 stored in the storage device of the television system 308. Receipt of the event trigger code from the context-directed manager 304 will cause the application manager 310 to launch the specific context-directed display application 312 associated with the code xxx.

FIG6 illustrates a flow chart summarizing a second processing sequence utilized by certain embodiments, exemplified by the system depicted in FIG3 . The process begins at step 601, with television system 308 receiving one or more context-targeted display applications 312 from matching server 301. In step 602, application manager 310 receives an event trigger list from context-targeted manager 304 that matches context-targeted display applications with trigger codes sent via context-targeted manager 304. In step 603, television client 309 sends video information from a television display to video segment identification processor 305, a subsystem of matching server 301. In step 604, video segment identification processor 305 monitors video from multiple television systems and reports matches between unknown video segments from these television systems and known video segments stored in a database associated with matching server 301. This identification of known video segments (i.e., matches) is sent to context-targeted manager 304. In step 605, the context-oriented manager 304 matches the identified video segment with a list of events associated with the identified video segment. In step 606, when a particular video segment matches a related event, this causes the context-oriented manager 304 to send a trigger to the application manager 310, which is part of the television system 308. In step 607, when the application manager 310 receives the trigger from the context-oriented manager 304, the application manager 310 launches the context-oriented display application 312 that has been associated with the received trigger.

6 assumes that the display confirmation audit server 318 is incorporated into the client server 316. In this configuration, upon execution, the contextually targeted display application 312 addresses the URL embedded in the application via communication channel 315a (step 608) to obtain the designated video tracking pixel from the client server 316. Step 609 involves the client server 316 sending the tracking pixel via communication channel 315b and logging the request for the tracking pixel to confirm that the relevant contextually targeted display application 312 is running on the television system 308. In step 610, the contextually targeted display application 312 also sends an event confirmation in the form of a token to the matching server 301 to confirm that the contracted services have been performed, thereby concluding the process.

FIG7 illustrates a flowchart summarizing the key establishment process sequence utilized by the system depicted in FIG4 , as described in certain embodiments. In this flowchart, the process begins with a first step 701, which involves the matching server 401 receiving a video tracking pixel URL from the client server 316 via the communication channel 421. In step 702, the URL with the associated data token is embedded into the contextually targeted display application associated with the business customer being served (the client server 416). In step 703, the contextually targeted display application 412 is then sent to the selected television system 408 in the regional or local viewing area of interest. In the next step 704, an event execution list is created by the contextually targeted manager 404. The final step 705 in this process is sending an event list to the application manager 410, associating the trigger codes received from the contextually targeted manager 404 with the contextually targeted display applications to be executed (launched) upon receipt of these trigger codes by the application manager 410.

FIG8 illustrates a flow chart summarizing the modified processing sequence utilized by certain embodiments, exemplified by the system depicted in FIG4 . The process begins at step 801 , where the application manager 410 receives one or more context-targeted display applications from the context-targeted manager 404 of the matching server 401 . In step 802 , the application manager 410 receives a list of cues from the context-targeted manager 404 that match the context-targeted display applications with trigger codes. In step 803 , the TV client 409 sends video information from a TV display to the video segment identification processor 405 in the matching server 401 . In step 804 , the video segment identification processor 405 monitors video from multiple TV systems and reports identified video segments from these TV systems to the context-targeted manager 404 . In step 805 , the context-targeted manager 404 matches the identified video segments with a list of events associated with the identified video segments. In step 806, when a particular video segment matches a relevant event, this causes the context-directed manager 404 to send a trigger to the application manager 410 in the television system 408. In step 807, when the application manager 410 receives the trigger from the context-directed manager 404, the application manager 410 launches the context-directed display application 412 that the application manager 410 determines is associated with the trigger.

FIG8 assumes that the display confirmation audit server 318 is incorporated into the client server 316. In this configuration, upon execution, the contextually targeted display application 412 launched in step 808 calls a URL embedded in the application and sends a data token, which may also be embedded in the application or, alternatively, previously stored at a known location in the memory of the television system 408. Step 809 involves the client server 416 logging the request for the tracking pixel to confirm that the relevant contextually targeted display application 412 is running on the television system 408. In step 810, the contextually targeted display application 412 also sends an event confirmation in the form of a token to the matching server 401 to confirm that the contracted services were performed, thus concluding the process.

Although the systems and methods have been described with reference to a number of embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the teachings herein. Furthermore, many modifications may be made to simplify and adapt the concepts and practices disclosed herein to particular circumstances. Accordingly, it is intended that the subject matter covered by the claims not be limited to the disclosed embodiments.

As used in the claims, the term "computer system" should be broadly interpreted to encompass a system having at least one computer or processor, and the system may have multiple computers or processors communicating via a network or bus. As used in the preceding sentence, the terms "computer" and "processor" both refer to a device that includes a processor (e.g., a central processing unit) and some form of memory (i.e., a computer-readable medium) for storing programs readable by the processor.

The method claims set forth below should not be construed as requiring that the steps recited therein be performed in alphabetical order (the alphabetical order in the claims is used solely to reference the steps previously recited) or in the order in which they are recited. Nor should they be construed as excluding any portion of two or more steps from being performed in parallel or alternately.

Claims (40)

1. A computer-executed method, comprising: Multiple reference datasets are stored through the server's processor, and each reference dataset is associated with a reference video segment; Multiple applications for remote storage are identified, wherein the applications based on context are associated with a reference dataset, and wherein the applications based on context have corresponding addresses; Repeatedly receive one or more video fingerprints, wherein the video fingerprint is associated with one or more frames of the video segment being displayed; A reference dataset that identifies one or more frames of a video segment that match the received video fingerprint; Identify a specific context-based application, wherein the specific context-based application is associated with the reference dataset, and wherein the specific context-based application has a corresponding address; and Sending a signal identifying the specific application based on the context, wherein when the signal identifying the specific application based on the context is received at the media system, the signal identifying the specific application based on the context causes the media system to: display content from the specific application based on the context, and send a message to an additional server using the corresponding address, and wherein receiving the message at the additional server causes the additional server to record a viewing event related to the specific application based on the context, wherein the viewing event indicates that the content from the specific application based on the context has been displayed on the media system for viewing by one or more viewers. 2. The computer execution method of claim 1, wherein the message includes information identifying the media system. 3. The computer execution method of claim 1, wherein the message includes information indicating the geographical location of the media system. 4. The computer execution method of claim 1, wherein the message includes information identifying content included in the particular application based on the context. 5. The computer execution method according to claim 1, wherein the corresponding address of the application according to the background is a URL address. 6. The computer execution method of claim 1, wherein the media system receives the background-based application and the message via the Internet. 7. The computer execution method of claim 1, wherein the media system transmits the one or more video fingerprints and the message via the Internet. 8. A server, comprising: One or more processors; and A non-transitory computer-readable medium, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the following operations: Multiple reference datasets are stored through one or more processors, wherein the reference datasets are associated with reference video segments; Multiple applications for remote storage are identified, wherein the applications based on context are associated with a reference dataset, and wherein the applications based on context have corresponding addresses; Repeatedly receive one or more video fingerprints, wherein the video fingerprint is associated with one or more frames of the video segment being displayed; A reference dataset that identifies one or more frames of a video segment that match the received video fingerprint; Identify a specific context-based application, wherein the specific context-based application is associated with the reference dataset, and wherein the specific context-based application has a corresponding address; and Sending a signal identifying the specific application based on the context, wherein when the signal identifying the specific application based on the context is received at the media system, the signal identifying the specific application based on the context causes the media system to: display content from the specific application based on the context, and send a message to an additional server using the corresponding address, and wherein receiving the message at the additional server causes the additional server to record a viewing event related to the specific application based on the context, wherein the viewing event indicates that the content from the specific application based on the context has been displayed on the media system for viewing by one or more viewers. 9. The server of claim 8, wherein the message includes information identifying the media system. 10. The server of claim 8, wherein the message includes information indicating the geographical location of the media system. 11. The server of claim 8, wherein the message includes information identifying content included in the particular application based on the context. 12. The server of claim 8, wherein the corresponding address of the application according to the background is a URL address. 13. The server of claim 8, wherein the media system receives the background application and the message via the Internet. 14. The server of claim 8, wherein the media system transmits the one or more video fingerprints and requests for the messages via the Internet. 15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: Multiple reference datasets are stored through the server's processor, and each reference dataset is associated with a reference video segment; Multiple applications for remote storage are identified, wherein the applications based on context are associated with a reference dataset, and wherein the applications based on context have corresponding addresses; Repeatedly receive one or more video fingerprints, wherein the video fingerprint is associated with one or more frames of the video segment being displayed; A reference dataset that identifies one or more frames of a video segment that match the received video fingerprint; Identify a specific context-based application, wherein the specific context-based application is associated with the reference dataset, and wherein the specific context-based application has a corresponding address; and Sending a signal identifying the specific application based on the context, wherein when the signal identifying the specific application based on the context is received at the media system, the signal identifying the specific application based on the context causes the media system to: display content from the specific application based on the context, and send a message to an additional server using the corresponding address, and wherein receiving the message at the additional server causes the additional server to record a viewing event related to the specific application based on the context, wherein the viewing event indicates that the content from the specific application based on the context has been displayed on the media system for viewing by one or more viewers. 16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the message includes information identifying the media system. 17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the message includes information indicating the geographical location of the media system. 18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the message includes information identifying content included in the particular application according to the context. 19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the corresponding address for the application according to the background is a URL address. 20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the media system transmits the one or more video fingerprints and the message via the Internet. 21. A method performed by a computer system for automatically recording viewing events on a television system screen, comprising the following operations: (a) Store in the database the corresponding reference dataset for each of the multiple reference video segments; (b) Loading a plurality of background-oriented display applications into the memory of the television system, each background-oriented display application having a corresponding tracking pixel URL address embedded therein; (c) Repeatedly receiving video fingerprints from the television system at the server, the video fingerprints being derived from the television signal of a corresponding portion of a video segment being displayed on the screen; (d) Search the database to identify the reference dataset that best matches the video fingerprint; (e) In response to identifying the matching reference dataset in operation (d), identify a background-oriented display application associated with the matching reference dataset, wherein the background-oriented display application has a corresponding tracking pixel URL address; (f) In response to identifying the relevant background-oriented display application in operation (e), sending a signal to the television system to identify the relevant background-oriented display application, wherein the signal to identify the relevant background-oriented display application causes the television system to: display content from the relevant background-oriented display application and send a message to an additional server using the corresponding tracking pixel URL address, and wherein receiving the message at the additional server causes the additional server to record a viewing event related to the relevant background-oriented display application, wherein the viewing event indicates that the content from the relevant background-oriented display application has been displayed on the television system for viewing by one or more viewers. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the following operations: (g) Send a request for a tracking pixel from the television system to the server using the tracking pixel URL address embedded in the relevant background-oriented display application; (h) In response to receiving the request for the tracking pixel, the tracking pixel from the server is sent to the television system; and (i) Record the receipt of the request for the tracking pixel in the server's memory. The request for tracking pixels includes information to identify the television system, and operation (i) includes recording the identity of the television system. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the request for tracking pixels includes information indicating the geographical location of the television system, and operation (i) includes recording the geographical location of the television system. 24. The method of claim 22, wherein the request for the tracking pixel includes information identifying the background-oriented content, and operation (i) includes recording the identity of the background-oriented content. 25. The method of claim 22, wherein operation (i) includes recording the time when the server receives the request for the tracking pixel. 26. The method of claim 22, wherein the television system receives the background-oriented display application and the tracking pixels via the Internet. 27. The method of claim 22, wherein the television system transmits the video fingerprint and the request for the tracking pixel via the Internet. 28. A system for automatically recording viewing events on a television system screen, the system comprising a television system with a screen communicating via a network, a first server and a second server, and a database, wherein: The database stores a corresponding reference dataset for each of the multiple reference video segments; The television system is programmed to obtain a video fingerprint from the television signal of a corresponding portion of the video segment being displayed on the screen; The first server is programmed to: Multiple background-oriented display applications are loaded into the memory of the television system, each background-oriented display application having a corresponding tracking pixel URL address embedded therein; The video fingerprint is repeatedly received from the television system; The database was searched to identify the reference dataset that best matched the video fingerprint; Identify background-oriented display applications associated with the matched reference dataset, wherein the background-oriented display applications have corresponding tracking pixel URL addresses; and The television system is sent a signal identifying the relevant background-oriented display application, wherein the signal identifying the relevant background-oriented display application causes the television system to: display content from the relevant background-oriented display application and send a message to the second server using the corresponding tracking pixel URL address, and wherein receiving the message at the second server causes the second server to record a viewing event related to the relevant background-oriented display application, wherein the viewing event indicates that the content from the relevant background-oriented display application has been displayed on the television system for viewing by one or more viewers. 29. The system of claim 28, wherein the television system is further programmed to send a request for a tracking pixel to the tracking pixel URL address embedded in the associated background-oriented display application, the tracking pixel URL address being located at the second server; and The second server is programmed to: receive the request for the tracking pixel from the television system, send the tracking pixel to the television system, and record in memory the receipt of the request for the tracking pixel. The television system is further programmed with an application manager that triggers the associated background-oriented display application to send the request for tracking pixels in response to an encoded trigger signal received from the first server. 30. The system of claim 29, wherein the request for tracking pixels includes information identifying the television system, and the second server is further programmed to record the identity of the television system. 31. The system of claim 29, wherein the request for tracking pixels includes information indicating the geographical location of the television system, and the second server is further programmed to record the geographical location of the television system. 32. The system of claim 29, wherein the request for the tracking pixel includes information identifying the background-oriented content, and the second server is further programmed to record the identity of the background-oriented content. 33. The system of claim 29, wherein the second server is further programmed to record the time at which the request for the tracked pixel is received. 34. The system of claim 29, wherein the network includes the Internet. 35. A method performed by a computer system for automatically recording viewing events on a television system screen, comprising the following operations: (a) Store in the database the corresponding reference dataset for each of the multiple reference video segments; (b) Loading a plurality of background-oriented display applications into the memory of the television system, each background-oriented display application having a corresponding tracking pixel URL address embedded therein; (c) Repeatedly receiving video fingerprints from the television system at the server, the video fingerprints being derived from the television signal of a corresponding portion of a video segment being displayed on the screen; (d) Search the database to identify the reference dataset that best matches the video fingerprint; (e) In response to identifying the matching reference dataset in operation (d), identify a background-oriented display application associated with the matching reference dataset, wherein the background-oriented display application has a corresponding tracking pixel URL address; (f) In response to identifying the relevant background-oriented display application in operation (e), sending a signal to the television system to identify the relevant background-oriented display application, wherein the signal to identify the relevant background-oriented display application causes the television system to: display content from the relevant background-oriented display application and send a message to an audit server using the corresponding tracking pixel URL address, and wherein receiving the message at the audit server causes the audit server to record a viewing event related to the relevant background-oriented display application, wherein the viewing event indicates that the content from the relevant background-oriented display application has been displayed on the television system for viewing by one or more viewers. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein each background-oriented display application has a corresponding encoded token embedded therein, and the method further comprises the following operations: (g) Sending an encoded token embedded in the relevant background-oriented display application from the television system to the audit server; (h) Decode the encoded token at the audit server; and (i) Record the receipt of the coded token in the memory of the audit server. The encoded token is a function of the geographic location of the television system. 37. The method of claim 36, wherein the encoded token is a function of a category other than geographic location. 38. The method of claim 36, further comprising sending an encryption seed from the server to the television system for encrypting the encoded token. 39. A system for automatically recording viewing events on a television system screen, the system comprising a television system with a screen communicating via a network, a first server and a second server, and a database, wherein: The database stores a corresponding reference dataset for each of the multiple reference video segments; The television system is programmed to obtain a video fingerprint from the television signal of a corresponding portion of the video segment being displayed on the screen; The first server is programmed to: Multiple background-oriented display applications are loaded into the memory of the television system, each background-oriented display application having a corresponding pixel tracking URL address embedded therein; Repeatedly receive video fingerprints from the television system, the video fingerprints being derived from the television signal of a corresponding portion of a video segment being displayed on the screen; The database was searched to identify the reference dataset that best matched the video fingerprint; Identify background-oriented display applications associated with the matched reference dataset, wherein the background-oriented display applications have corresponding pixel-tracking URL addresses; and A signal is sent to the television system to identify the relevant background-oriented display application, wherein the signal identifying the relevant background-oriented display application causes the television system to: display content from the relevant background-oriented display application and send a message to a second server using the corresponding tracking pixel URL address, and wherein receiving the message at the second server causes the second server to record a viewing event related to the relevant background-oriented display application, wherein the viewing event indicates that the content from the relevant background-oriented display application has been displayed on the television system for viewing by one or more viewers. 40. The system of claim 39, wherein each background-oriented display application has a corresponding encoded token embedded therein. The television system is further programmed to send an encoded token embedded in the relevant background-oriented display application to the second server; and the second server is programmed to receive and encode the encoded token from the television system, and record the receipt of the encoded token in memory. The television system is further programmed with an application manager that triggers the associated background-oriented display application to send the encoded token in response to an encoded trigger signal received from the first server.