Multimedia Content Viewing Confirmation

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a computer implemented method and system for confirming that a viewer viewed multimedia content on a client device. A multimedia content owner uploads multimedia content on a server. The client device receives the multimedia content from the server and plays the multimedia content on a display screen of the client device. A random challenge is presented to the viewer by overlaying the random challenge on the multimedia content. A response for the presented random challenge is invoked from the viewer. A correct or partially correct response from the viewer confirms that the multimedia content has been viewed by the viewer. A response report is generated based on the response from the viewer. The viewer is credited with an item of value and the multimedia content owner is debited a fee, if the response report confirms the multimedia content was viewed by the viewer.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer implemented method for confirming that a viewer viewed a multimedia content on a client device, comprising the steps of:
 providing a random challenge generator in said client device of said viewer for generating a random challenge in said client device;   playing said multimedia content on a display screen of said client device;   presenting said generated challenge to said viewer to confirm said viewer viewed the multimedia content played on the display screen of said client device, wherein said challenge is:
 random in content, and wherein a challenge with a different content is presented during each repeated playback of said multimedia content; and 
 unrelated to said multimedia content; 
   receiving a response from said viewer for said presented challenge; and   confirming said multimedia content has been viewed by said viewer by confirming accuracy of said response provided by said viewer for said presented challenge.   
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said multimedia content is received from a server, and wherein said multimedia content is uploaded on said server by a multimedia content owner. 
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , comprising: integrating said challenge- and a stream of said multimedia content in real-time. 
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said random challenge is:
 presented at random times during play of said multimedia content, after play of said multimedia content, and   presented at random physical locations on said multimedia content;   
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said client device checks for correctness of said response. 
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprises:
 generating a response report based on said response from said viewer; and   crediting said viewer with an item of value and debiting a fee from said multimedia content owner, if said response report confirms said multimedia content was viewed by said viewer.   
     
     
         7 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said random challenge is presented on said display screen of said client device. 
     
     
         8 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining play duration of said multimedia content, wherein said challenge is presented during said play duration of said multimedia content, after said play duration of said multimedia content, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said response is received from said viewer at the end of said play of said multimedia content. 
     
     
         10 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said viewer is requested to provide a response to said challenge within a predetermined period of time after said challenge is presented. 
     
     
         11 . A computer implemented system for confirming that a viewer viewed multimedia content on a client device, comprising:
 a server for providing said multimedia content to a viewer, wherein said server comprises an upload module for enabling a multimedia content owner to upload said multimedia content on said server;   said client device of said viewer connected to said server via a network for receiving said multimedia content from said server, playing said multimedia content on a display screen of said client device, and integrating a challenge stream and a stream of said multimedia content to generate a challenge in real-time;   a view confirmation module on said client device for confirming that said viewer viewed said multimedia content on said display screen of client device, wherein said view confirmation module comprises:
 a challenge generator in said client device for generating said challenge, wherein said challenge is random in content, and wherein the content of said challenge is unrelated to said multimedia content, and wherein the content of said challenge is random each time the same multimedia content is played on the client device; 
 a challenge-response module for presenting said challenge to said viewer on said display screen of said client device by overlaying said challenge on said multimedia content, wherein said challenge-response module invokes a response from said viewer for said presented challenge; 
 said challenge-response module for determining correctness of said response entered by said viewer to confirm said multimedia content has been viewed by said viewer; 
 a report generation module for generating a response report based on said response from said viewer; and 
   a payment module for crediting said viewer with an item of value and debiting a fee from said multimedia content owner, if said response report confirms said multimedia content was viewed by said viewer.   
     
     
         12 . The computer implemented system of  claim 11 , wherein said client device is one of an internet-enabled mobile device, a computer with a web browser, and a set top box capable of delivering interactive multimedia content. 
     
     
         13 . The computer implemented system of  claim 11 , wherein said challenge comprises one or more of a random number, a random icon, a random shape, a product logo, a service logo, a random color, a random mathematical equation, and a random target on said display screen of said client device for said viewer to interact therewith using one of touch and a pointing device, wherein said challenge is presented at random times during playback of said multimedia content, after playback of said multimedia content, and a combination thereof, and wherein said challenge is presented at random physical locations on said multimedia content. 
     
     
         14 . The computer implemented system of  claim 11 , wherein said challenge-response module presents one or more of said challenges at one or more times during playback of said multimedia content, after playback of said multimedia content, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The computer implemented system of  claim 11 , wherein said client device further comprises a timer for ensuring that said viewer provides said response to said challenge within a predetermined period of time after said challenge is presented. 
     
     
         16 . The computer implemented system of  claim 15 , wherein said timer counts an interrupt time period for interrupting said playing of said multimedia content and presenting said challenge, wherein said interrupt time period is less than duration of said multimedia content. 
     
     
         17 . A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein said computer program product comprises:
 a first computer parsable program code for receiving multimedia content from a server and playing said multimedia content on a display screen of a client device of a viewer, wherein said multimedia content is uploaded on said server by a multimedia content owner;   a second computer parsable program code for generating a challenge using a random challenge generator in said client device of said viewer, wherein content of said generated challenge is random;   a third computer parsable program code for integrating said challenge and a stream of said multimedia content in real-time, wherein the content of said challenge is random each time the same multimedia content is played on the client device;   a fourth computer parsable program code for displaying said multimedia content on said client device and presenting said challenge to said viewer to confirm said viewer viewed the multimedia content played on the display screen of said client device, wherein said challenge is:
 unrelated to said multimedia content; 
 presented at random times during play of said multimedia content, after play of said multimedia content, and a combination thereof; 
 presented at random physical locations on said multimedia content; 
   a fifth computer parsable program code for invoking a response from said viewer for said presented challenge;   a sixth computer parsable program code in combination with said client device for confirming said multimedia content has been viewed by said viewer if said response entered by said viewer in said client device indicates a correct response to said presented challenge;   a seventh computer parsable program code for generating a response report based on said response from said viewer; and   an eighth computer parsable program code for crediting said viewer with an item of value and debiting a fee from said multimedia content owner, if said response report confirms said multimedia content was viewed by said viewer.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said random challenge generator generates said challenge independent of an active connection to said server. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said client device further comprises a challenge-response module to confirm said viewer's response to said presented challenge is correct, and wherein said client device generates said response report based on said viewer's response using a locally resident report generation module and transmits said response report to said server.