WO2018176081A1

WO2018176081A1 - A method and a system for associating an object contained in media content with an entity

Info

Publication number: WO2018176081A1
Application number: PCT/AU2018/050195
Authority: WO
Inventors: David GLASSON
Original assignee: ALLT Technologies Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2017-03-28
Filing date: 2018-03-05
Publication date: 2018-10-04

Abstract

There is provided a computer system for associating an object contained in media content with an entity. The computer system comprises: a memory device configured to store machine-readable instructions; a processor configured to obtain the machine-readable instructions from the memory device, execute the machine-readable instructions. T he machine-readable instructions cause the processor to: automatically recognise the object contained in the media content the object representing a product or service; determine the entity to be associated with the object, the entity providing the product or service; and generate an association indication indicative of an association of the object with the entity.

Description

A ME T HOD AND A SYS T E M FO R AS S OCIATING AN O BJ E CT C ONTAINE D IN

ME DIA C ONT E NT WIT H AN E NTITY

F ield of the Invention

[1 ] The present invention relates to distribution of promotional content and in particular to association of an object contained in media content with an entity.

Bac kground of the Invention

[2] Any discussion of the background art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such background art is prior art nor that such background art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field in Australia or worldwide.

[3] All references, including any patents or patent applications, cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinence of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents forms part of the common general knowledge in the art; in Australia or in any other country.

[4] Declining TV and music company revenues are causing great concerns for traditional media companies. P iracy is practically impossible to prevent, and the addition of streaming media, online content and recorded programs are rendering advertising less relevant and lucrative. The traditional model for both industries is in urgent need of change yet no solution is presented itself to either industry.

[5] Additionally, modern advertising is largely an attempt to cause the viewer to engage with the product being advertised ^" usually online ^" the primary function of most advertising models involves a :search for X term^"or :log onto Y website ^" C ommonly social media penetration is becoming more relevant in live TV, for example: the Q and A television program broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting C orporation (ABC) network; or late-night talk show hosts, for example J immy Fallon, encouraging weekly themes for their viewers to engage with the program content for example via Facebook by interactions with the talk-show s profile page or Twitter via tweet hashtags for the viewers to use.

S ummary of the Invention

[6] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer system for associating an object contained in media content with an entity, the computer system comprising a memory device configured to store machine-readable instructions, a processor configured to obtain the machine- readable instructions from the memory device, execute the machine-readable instructions, wherein the machine-readable instructions cause the processor to automatically recognise the object contained in the media content, the object representing a product or service, determine the entity to be associated with the object, the entity providing the product or service, and generate an association indication indicative of an association of the object with the entity. The association indication may be one to one, one to many or many to one when a number of entities are determined. The association indication allows the entity to provide promotional content such as offers, coupons, special deals and other information, to a consumer of the media content. F urther, the entity does not need to resort to dedicated promotional campaigns such as television commercials or newspaper advertisements.

[7] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor may automatically recognise the object contained in the media content by performing a pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on the media content to recognise the object

[8] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor may perform the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on textual information associated with the media content

[9] In one embodiment of the invention, the textual information may be included in a script, a S ubR ip caption file, or closed captioning text associated with the media content. S uch files are generally structured in a certain way, which makes it possible to locate the object in these files.

[10] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor may perform the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on visual information contained in the media content The visual information may contain specific trademarks, logos or popular products or services being displayed in the media content.

[1 1 ] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor may perform the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on audio information contained in the media content. T he audio information may include conversations, specific pieces of music or specific sounds pertinent to a product or a service. S uch as sound of a telephone, or a Blackberry ringtone, or a sound of a lawnmower etc.

[12] In one embodiment of the invention, the object may include one or more of the following:

a keyword descriptive of the product or service;

a name of a known person, place or an event;

a name of a character in the media content;

a name of an actor of a character in the media content

a brand name associated with the product or service;

a trademark associated with the product or service;

visual data associated with the product or service;

audio data associated with the product or service;

a name of the product or service; and

a name of the entity that provides the product or service.

[13] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor may determine the entity to be associated with the object by invoking an Internet search engine to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object. The Internet search engines link to a large number of databases all over the World Wide Web. F urther, many other details pertaining to the entity, such as location, contact details, reviews and costs of products can be found using the Internet search engines.

[14] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor may determine the entity to be associated with the object by searching one or more e-C ommerce websites to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object. The e-C ommerce websites have specialized databases which contain specific information about the products and services and the entities. S uch information includes reviews, costs, versions, stock availability, shipping costs and payment gateways etc.

[1 5] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor may determine the entity to be associated with the object by searching one or more of the following databases to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object

a business name database;

a trademark database;

a patent database;

a brand name database;

a court database; and

an industrial standard database.

[1 6] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor may generate the association indication by sending an association request to the entity to be associated with the object, receiving an association response from the entity in response to the association request, the association response indicating the entity is to be associated with the object and generating the association indication based on the association response.

[17] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor may generate the association indication by sending an association request to each of a plurality of entities that provide the product or service; receiving an association response from each of the plurality of entities in response to the association request each of the association response including a value indication indicative of a cost for one of the plurality of entities to be associated with the object and generating the association indication indicative of the association of the object with the one of the plurality of entities based on the cost. T his way the association of the object with the entity may involve bidding for the association. Thus, the highest bidder may obtain highest preference in generation of the association indication.

[18] In one embodiment of the invention, the cost indicated by the value indication included in the association response from the one of the plurality of entities may be higher than other costs indicated by other value indications included in the association responses from other entities.

[19] In one embodiment of the invention, the association request may include one or more transaction options, and the association response may include one of the one or more transaction options. The transaction options may allow a user to transact with the entity in one or more manners, such as through bank gateways, application stores and/or social networks.

[20] In one embodiment of the invention, the association indication may indicate the one of the one or more transaction options included in the association response.

[21 ] In one embodiment of the invention, the one of the one or more transaction options may indicate one of the following transactions:

a social network engagement activity;

a purchase of the product or service;

a review of the product or service; and

a downloading of an application in relation to the product or service.

[22] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor may generate the association indication by determining the association of the object with the entity based on media content and generating the association indication indicative of the association of the object with the entity. This allows generation of the association indication based on an agreement between the entity and the system. In this manner, the processor does not need to send any association request or wait for any association response. [23] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor may further generate a promotion indication based on the association indication to promote the media content and inserts the promotion indication to the media content. T he promotion indication acts as a pointer to the association indication. T he promotion indication itself can be transmitted with the media content and may be used to access the association indication from any device connected to the network.

[24] In one embodiment of the invention, the computer system may further comprise a storage device, and the processor further stores the promotion indication in association with the association indication in the storage device. The storage device may be a local storage device or a cloud-based storage device.

[25] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor may further send the media content with the promotion indication through a media signal, the media signal including the promotion indication and the media content

[26] In one embodiment of the invention, the system may further comprise a media receiver and a computing device, wherein the media receiver receives the media signal including the promotion indication and the media content, determines the promotion indication from the media signal and sends the promotion indication over a communication network from the media receiver to the computing device associated with a user. In this manner, the media receiver has the capability to extract the promotion indication from the media signal and transmit the promotion indication to the computing device.

[27] In one embodiment of the invention, the computing device may further receive the promotion indication, obtain the association indication associated with the promotion indication from the storage device, presents a message on the computing device based on the association indication and conduct a transaction based on the transaction option included in the association indication.

In one embodiment of the invention, the association indication may lude a time indication indicative of a time instant when the message is presented, and the computing device presents the message at the time instant. For example, the media content may be divided into chapters and the message may be presented only when a corresponding chapter of the object is being played.

[29] In one embodiment of the invention, the media receiver may further present the media content containing the object, and the computing device presents the message when the object is presented by the media receiver. This allows the message to be presented in real time as the object is appearing in the media content T his is a highly desirable aspect of modern day real time advertising without distracting the user from the media content.

[30] According to second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer implemented method for associating an object contained in media content with an entity, comprising automatically recognising the object contained in the media content, the object representing a product or service, determining the entity to be associated with the object the entity providing the product or service and generating an association indication indicative of an association of the object with the entity.

[31 ] In one embodiment of the invention, automatically recognising the object contained in the media content may comprise performing a pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on the media content to recognise the object

[32] In one embodiment of the invention, performing the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process may comprise performing the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on textual information associated with the media content

[33] In one embodiment of the invention, the textual information may be included in a script, a S ubR ip caption file, or closed captioning text associated with the media content

[34] In one embodiment of the invention, performing the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process may comprise performing the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on visual information contained in the media content

[35] In one embodiment of the invention, performing the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process may comprise performing the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on audio information contained in the media content

[36] In one embodiment of the invention, the object may include one or more of the following:

a keyword descriptive of the product or service;

a name of a known person, place or an event;

a name of a character in the media content;

a name of an actor of a character in the media content

a brand name associated with the product or service;

a trademark associated with the product or service;

visual data associated with the product or service;

audio data associated with the product or service;

a name of the product or service; and

a name of the entity that provides the product or service.

[37] In one embodiment of the invention, determining the entity to be associated with the object may comprise invoking an Internet search engine to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object.

[38] In one embodiment of the invention, determining the entity to be associated with the object may comprise searching one or more e-C ommerce websites to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object.

[39] In one embodiment of the invention, determining the entity to be associated with the object may comprise searching one or more of the following databases to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object

a business name database; a trademark database;

a patent database;

a brand name database;

a court database; and

an industrial standard database.

[40] In one embodiment of the invention, generating the association indication may comprise sending an association request to the entity to be associated with the object, receiving an association response from the entity in response to the association request, the association response indicating the entity is to be associated with the object and generating the association indication based on the association response.

[41 ] In one embodiment of the invention, generating the association indication may comprise sending an association request to each of a plurality of entities that provide the product or service, receiving an association response from each of the plurality of entities in response to the association request each of the association response including a value indication indicative of a cost for one of the plurality of entities to be associated with the object and generating the association indication indicative of the association of the object with the one of the plurality of entities based on the cost

[42] In one embodiment of the invention, the cost indicated by the value indication included in the association response from the one of the plurality of entities may be higher than other costs indicated by other value indications included in the association responses from other entities.

[43] In one embodiment of the invention, the association request may include one or more transaction options, and the association response may include one of the transaction options.

[44] In one embodiment of the invention, the association indication may indicate the one of the one or more transaction options included in the association response. [45] In one embodiment of the invention, the one of the one or more transaction options may indicate one of the following transactions:

a social network engagement activity;

a purchase of the product or service;

a review of the product or service; and

a downloading of an application in relation to the product or service.

[46] In one embodiment of the invention, the generating the association indication may comprise determining the association of the object with the entity based on media content and generating the association indication based on the association of the object with the entity.

[47] In one embodiment of the invention, the computer implemented method further may comprise generating a promotion indication based on the association indication to promote the media content and inserting the promotion indication to the media content.

[48] In one embodiment of the invention, the computer implemented method may further comprise storing the promotion indication in association with the association indication in a storage device.

[49] In one embodiment of the invention, the computer implemented method may further comprise sending the media content with the promotion indication through a media signal, the media signal including the promotion indication and the media content.

[50] In one embodiment of the invention, the computer implemented method may further comprise receiving, at a media receiver, the media signal including the promotion indication and the media content, determining, by the media receiver, the promotion indication from the media signal and sending the promotion indication over a communication network from the media receiver to a computing device associated with a user.

[51 ] In one embodiment of the invention, the computer implemented method may further comprise receiving, at the computing device associated with the user, the promotion indication, obtaining, at the computing device associated with the user, the association indication associated with the promotion indication from the storage device, presenting a message on the computing device based on the association indication and causing the computing device to conduct a transaction based on the transaction option included in the association indication.

[52] In one embodiment of the invention, the association indication may include a time indication indicative of a time instant when the message is presented, and presenting the message comprises presenting the message at the time instant.

[53] In one embodiment of the invention, the media receiver may further present the media content containing the object, and the computing device may present the message when the object is presented by the media receiver.

[54] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a non-transitory machine-readable medium, including machine-readable instructions stored thereon, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to automatically recognise the object contained in the media content, the object representing a product or service, determine the entity to be associated with the object, the entity providing the product or service and generate an association indication indicative of an association of the object with the entity.

[55] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer software program, including machine-readable instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of any one of the preceding embodiments.

[56] Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed.

[57] The invention has been developed primarily for use with the broadcasting of media content such as through internet, radio, television using Direct To Home (DT H) services or any other equivalent broadcasting service or broadcasting of media content to public places such as stadiums, auditoriums, theatres and concerts etc.. However, it will be appreciated that the application of the invention is not limited to these fields.

B rief Des cription of the Drawings

[58] Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, a preferred embodiment / preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[59] F ig. 1 illustrates an exemplary environment of devices to which various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented;

[60] F ig. 2 illustrates another environment of devices to which various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented;

[61 ] F ig. 3 illustrates a yet another environment of devices to which various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented;

[62] F ig. 4 illustrates a method for associating an object contained in media content with an entity, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[63] F ig. 5 illustrates a method for sharing a promotion indication included in a media signal with a computing device associated with a user, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[64] F ig. 6 illustrates a method for conducting a transaction on receiving a promotion indication using a computing device associated with a user, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

[65] F ig. 7 illustrates a generic computing device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Des cription of E mbodiments

[66] It should be noted in the following description that like or the same reference numerals in different embodiments denote the same or similar features. [67] F igure 1 illustrates an exemplary environment 100 of devices to which various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented. As shown in F igure 1 , the environment 100 comprises a media content server 102 configured to generate media content in forms of audio, video and text etc. T he media content server 102 is also configured to generate associated data with the media content The associated data includes, but is not limited to, a script, a S ubR ip caption file or closed captioning text associated with the media content. The associated data may also be generated by a third-party without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. F urther the media content server 102 is further configured to store the media content and the associated data in a media content storage device 101 .

[68] The media content server 102 is connected to a network 1 10. In accordance with various embodiments, the network 1 10 is any one of, but not limited to, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN) and a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) etc. P referably, the network 1 10 is Internet. Also, connected to the network 1 10 is an association server 104.

[69] The association server 104 comprises a memory device 1042 configured to store machine-readable instructions and a processor 1044 configured to obtain the machine-readable instructions from the memory device 1042 and execute the machine-readable instructions. In one embodiment of the invention, the machine-readable instructions may be included in a non-transitory machine-readable medium. The processor 1044 reads the machine-readable instructions from the medium. In another embodiment of the invention, the machine-readable instructions may be included in a computer software program, which can be downloaded by association server 104 from another device via the network 1 10.

[70] The machine-readable instructions cause the processor 1044 to automatically recognise the object contained in the media content the object representing a product or service. In one embodiment of the invention, the processor 1044 automatically recognises the object contained in the media content by performing a pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on the media content to recognise the object. [71 ] In various embodiments of the invention, the object includes one or more of the following

a. a keyword descriptive of the product or service;

b. a name of a known person, place or an event;

c. a name of a character in the media content;

d. a name of an actor of a character in the media content;

e. a brand name associated with the product or service; f. a trademark associated with the product or service; g. visual data associated with the product or service; h. audio data associated with the product or service; i. a name of the product or service; and

j. a name of the entity that provides the product or service

[72] In one embodiment, the processor 1044 is configured to recognise one or more particular objects from the media content. For example, the processor 1044 may recognise a C oca-C ola trademark ( ^"C oca-C ola J, a C oca-C ola bottle, or the iconic sound logo of Intel as the consumer of the media content may be interested in products and services provided by C ocl-C ola or Intel. As another example, the object can be a person s name such as ^"Hugh J ackman_ as the consumer may be interested in the products and services endorsed by Hugh J ackman.

[73] In another embodiment the processor 1044 is configured to recognise generic objects, such as those denoted by descriptive words such as ^"shirt_., "book_., ^"cereal _, ^"shoe_., ^"pest control_., ^"legal counsel_., ^"dentist_., etc.

[74] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor 1044 performs the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on textual information associated with the media content. The textual information may be included in the script, the S ubR ip caption file, or the closed captioning text associated with the media content For example, the processor 1044 scans the script and identifies a keyword representing a product or a service.

[75] In another embodiment, the processor 1044 extracts visual information from the media content and performs the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on the visual information contained in the media content The visual information contains visual objects, for example, but not limited to, a brand logo, a beverage bottle, a breakfast cereal or a detergent powder being used in the running of the media content. Particularly, the processor 1044 analyses the media content frame by frame and identifies the visual objects from each frame of the media content.

[76] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the processor 1044 extracts audio information and performs the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on the audio information contained in the media content. The audio information may include audio object such as the mentioning of ^"C oke _ or pest control_, or spa treatment_, in dialogs between characters of the media content. Other examples of audio object would be specific pieces of music, for example, the iconic sound logo of Intel.

[77] In F igure 1 , a plurality of servers 108 (e.g. 108a, 108b, 108c and 108d) are connected to the network 1 10. T he plurality of server 108 are associated with respective entities. The entity may be a business entity which is capable of providing certain a product or a service. The plurality of servers 108 act as point of contact for the respective entities. For example, the entity is C oca- C ola C ompany, and the server 108a is the email server of C oca-C ola C ompany. Therefore, any communication with C oca-C ola C ompany may be routed through the server 108a. The entity may also an individual associated with such as a character or a performer of the character. These entities are to be associated with certain products or services.

[78] In various other embodiments, the entity is, but not limited to, one or more of the following:

a. an individual;

b. a company;

c. a non-profit organization;

d. a cooperative body;

e. a corporation;

f. a municipality;

g. a political party; h. a state;

i. a religious body; and

j. a trade union.

[79] The machine-readable instructions cause the processor 1044 to determine an entity to be associated with an object recognised from the media content. As an example, the processor 1044 determines the entity to be associated with the object by searching one or more databases 106 to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object. The databases 106 are connected to the network 1 10 and include, but are not limited to:

a. a business name database;

b. a trademark database;

c. a patent database;

d. a brand name database;

e. a court database; and

f. an industrial standard database.

[80] For example, the processor 1044 is configured to search a business name database for a business name that contains text ^"Coca-C ola _ recognised from the media content As a result The C oca-C ola C ompany_, is identified from the business name database.

[81 ] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor 1 044 determines the entity to be associated with the object by invoking an Internet search engine to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object.

[82] The Internet search engine may be invoked using a search engine server 1 12 connected to the network 1 10. In addition to the databases listed above, the databases 106 further comprise a number of other databases regarding various products and services and providers of such products and services. S uch databases may be spread over World Wide Web and the search engine server 1 12 may serve to integrate such other databases and provide a common interface to products, services and providers or entities corresponding to such products and services. In various embodiments, the search engine server 1 12 may also be configured to host advertisements in regards to the products and services. In that manner, it is envisaged that the search engine server 1 12 may also be configured to provide other data in regards to the products and services such as contact details of the entities, associated costs, web addresses and web links directing to the products and services.

[83] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor 1044 determines the entity to be associated with the object by searching one or more e- C ommerce websites to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object. T he one or more e-C ommerce websites may be accessed via one or more e-C ommerce servers 1 14. The one or more e-C ommerce servers 1 14 may be configured to access one or more respective dedicated e-C ommerce databases 1 15. The one or more dedicated e-C ommerce databases 1 15 may be configured to store specialized information regarding the products and services. The specialized information may include, but is not limited to, stock availability, current costs, versions, logistical costs, delivery schedules, payment gateways and supply chain information. This kind of specialized information is beneficial to a user, as the user does not need to refer a number of sources to collect the information.

[84] F urther, the machine-readable instructions cause the processor 1044 to generate an association indication indicative of an association of the object with the entity. In one embodiment, the processor 1044 generates the association indication by sending an association request to the entity, particularly, a server 108a, to be associated with the object Further, the processor 1044 receives an association response from the entity, particularly, the server 108a, in response to the association request the association response indicating the entity is to be associated with the object. Further, the processor 1044 generates the association indication based on the association response.

[85] In another embodiment of the invention, the object recognised from the media content may represent a service or product that is provided by multiple entities. T he processor 1044 sends the association request to each of the plurality of entities that provide the product or service, particularly, multiple servers 108. Further, the processor 1044 receives the association response from each of the plurality of entities in response to the association request, each of the association response including a value indication indicative of a cost for one of the plurality of entities to be associated with the object. F urther, the processor 1044 generates the association indication indicative of the association of the object with the one of the plurality of entities based on the cost. In one embodiment of the invention, the cost indicated by the value indication included in the association response from the one of the plurality of entities is higher than other costs indicated by other value indications included in the association responses from other entities. T hus, the entity bidding with highest value indication obtains the highest preference in the order of association.

[86] For example, the processor 1044 recognises a generic term soft drink_ from the media content, and determines there are multiple entities that provide soft drinks, for example, T he C oca-C ola C ompany and P epsiC o Inc. Then processor 1044 sends the association request to both the sever 108a of The C oca-C ola C ompany and the server 108b of P epsiC o Inc. The association request may provide some price options for The C oca-C ola C ompany and PepsiC o Inc. to choose from in order to associate their products or services with the generic term soft drink_. The price option can range for example, from $1 ,000 to $10,000. In response to the association request The C oca-C ola C ompany and PepsiCo Inc. indicates in their association responses how much they agree to pay for this association and send their association responses to the association server 104. Upon receipt of the association response from the sever 108a of The C oca-C ola C ompany and the server 108b of P epsiC o Inc., the processor 1044 compares the prices from the C oca-C ola C ompany and PepsiC o Inc. and associates the generic term soft drink_ with the one that pays a higher price.

[87] It would be appreciated by a skilled addressee that the preference may also be given based on other factors, such as proximity to a location of the user, reviews received by the entity from other users, ability of the entity to meet the requirements of the user with regard to the product or the service.

[88] In one embodiment of the invention, the association request includes one or more transaction options for the entity to choose from. A transaction option indicates what a user can do when the association indication is obtained at the user s device. The transaction option indicates, but is not limited to, one of the following transactions:

a. a social network engagement activity;

b. a purchase of the product or service;

c. a review of the product or service; and

d. a downloading of an application in relation to the product or service.

[89] Upon receipt of the association request at the server 108 of the entity, the entity may choose one of the one or more the transaction options and the one of the one or more transaction options is included in the association response that is sent to the association server 104.

[90] Upon receipt of the association response at the association server 104, the processor 1044 generates the association indication indicative of the one of the one or more transaction options included in the association response.

[91 ] In one embodiment, the processor 1044 may determine the association of the object with the entity in accordance with an agreement with the entity without sending an association request to any of the plurality of servers 108 and waiting for the association response. For example if The C oca-C ola C ompany has an agreement with the owner of the media content, which provides all C oca-C ola related objects recognised from the media content can be associated with The C oca-C ola C ompany, the processor 1044 automatically determines the association of those objects with The C oca-C ola C ompany based on the media content and generates the association indication indicative of the association of those objects with T he C oca-C ola C ompa ny. [92] In one embodiment of the invention, the processor 1044 generates a promotion indication based on the association indication to promote the media content. F urther, the processor 1044 inserts the promotion indication to the media content. T he promotion indication comprises a promotion code which may be directly embedded into the media content. In another embodiment the promotion code may be encrypted for security purposes, before being inserted into the media content. The promotion code may also have a unique signature of the media content server 102 and the association server 104 to allow traceability of the promotion code.

[93] In one embodiment of the present invention, the processor 1044 further stores the promotion indication in association with the association indication in a storage device 105 connected with the network 1 10. The storage device 105 may be a locally maintained storage device or an Internet based cloud hosted storage device. While having the storage device 105 local allows additional firewalls and other security features to be implemented, having the storage device 105 on cloud is much more cost effective and faster to access from anywhere, with minimal network issues. The storing of the promotion indication and the association indication in the storage device 105 provides a link between the two indications. Thus, one may be accessed using the other, subject to certain restrictive conditions, such as network authorization, passwords, biometric authentication, etc., if necessary. F urther, the processor 1044 sends the media content with the promotion indication through a media signal, the media signal including the promotion indication and the media content. For example, the processor 1044 sends the media signal to a broadcast server 1 16. T he media signal may be broadcasted by the broadcast server 1 1 6 through a number of technologies including, but not limited to, a broadcast tower 1 18 that receives the media signal from the broadcast server 1 16 and broadcasts the media signal to users ^' TVs. T he broadcast server 1 1 6 may also broadcast the media signal to the user s TVs via Cable Television, Direct to Home (DT H) or Over The Air (OTA) technologies, or through the network 1 10 in a form of a web cast or LAN based streaming etc. [94] F igure 2 illustrates another environment 200 of devices to which various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented. In one embodiment of the invention, a media receiver 210 receives the media signal including the promotion indication and the media content, from the broadcast tower 1 18. Further, the media receiver 210 determines the promotion indication from the media signal. In one embodiment, the media receiver 210 is programmed to identify the promotion indication from the media signal. For example, the promotion indication may be inserted in the first :n ^" characters of the media signal. In another embodiment the location of the promotion indication in the media signal may vary depending on the broadcasting protocol used by the broadcast server 1 16. F urther, the media receiver 210 sends the promotion indication over a communication network 215 to a computing device 230 associated with a user.

[95] For example, the media receiver 210 includes a Bluetooth or Wi-F i interface, and sends the promotion indication to the computing device using the Bluetooth or Wi-F i interface, through which the computing device 230 is able to receive the promotion indication after verifying the necessary credentials of the media receiver 210 and/or the communication network 21 5. It is to be noted here that the computing device 230 itself may need to have its own credentials verified by the communication network 21 5. In another embodiment, the computing device 230 is further configured to receive the media signal including the media content and the promotion indication from the broadcast server 1 16 via the network 1 10.

[96] Upon receipt of the promotion indication at the computing device 230, the computing device 230 accesses the storage device 105 through the network 1 10 and obtains the association indication associated with the promotion indication from the storage device 105.

[97] As described above, the association indication includes a transaction option chosen by the entity, which indicates what the user can do when the association indication is obtained at the user s device. T herefore, the computer device 230 conducts a transaction based on the transaction option included in the association indication. [98] For example, in one embodiment, the association device indicates that The C oca-C ola C ompany is associated with the C oca-C ola product occurs in the media content, and the transaction option allows the user to purchase a C oca-C ola product. Therefore, the computing device 230 presents a message in a message box on the computing device 230 once the association indication is obtained. The message asks the user if the user wants to buy a C oca-C ola product If the user clicks on the Yes _ button in the message box, the computing device 230 starts a purchase process, by, for example, opening a webpage for the user to make a payment and provide the delivery address. In another embodiment, the transaction option allows the user to be involved in a review process with respect to the C oca-C ola product Therefore, the computing device 230 leads the user to a Facebook page to allow the user to comment on the C oca-C ola product.

[99] The computing device 230 may conduct the transaction via a plurality of transaction servers 240 connected to the network 1 10. In one embodiment of the invention, the computing device 230 may have a dedicated application installed in a form of a client software which enables the computing device 230 to receive or obtain the promotion indication and make use of the promotion indication in conducting corresponding transactions using the plurality of transaction servers 240. In another embodiment the computing device 230 may use a plurality of browser applications which may enable the computing device 230 to connect to the plurality of transaction servers 240.

[100] The plurality of transaction servers 240 may include for example, but not limited to, a social networking server, a banking transaction server, a publishing server for writing blogs and an application store, such as G oogle P lay or Windows S tore.

[101 ] In one embodiment of the invention, the association indication further includes a time indication indicative of a time instant when the message is presented, and the computing device 230 presents the message at the time instant. For example, the media content may be divided into a plurality of chapters. E ach chapter may have one or more objects and correspondingly one or more respective association indications and one more respective promotion indications. Hence, the one or more promotion indications are received by the computing device 230 only when a respective chapter is being played in the media content. F urther, the computing device 230 is able to access the corresponding one or more association indications only when the message is displayed at the time instance.

[102] In one embodiment of the invention, the media receiver 210 further presents the media content containing the object at a media play device 220 such as a television, and the computing device 230 presents the message when the object is presented by the media receiver 210. This is an advanced form of real time advertisement, as the association indication is pushed to the computing device 230 in real time as the user is viewing the object on the media play device 220.

[103] For example, if the keyword T-shirt^" which is associated with a shirt supplier ^"Brook Brothers _, occurs in a third scene of the media content, a message that prompts the user to interact with Brook Brothers is presented the computing device 230 during or after the third scene but not before the third scene.

[104] F igure 3 illustrates a yet another environment 300 of devices to which various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented. A media receiver 310 receives the media content with promotion indications through the network 1 10. T he media receiver 310 plays the media content on a large screen 310 in an auditorium. F urther, a media receiver 320 sends the promotion indications to a computing device 330, which is being used by a user in the auditorium, through a communication network 325. The computing device 330 is able to determine the association indications from the storage device 105 based on the promotion indications and conduct transactions via the plurality of transaction servers 240 according to the transaction options included in the association indications.

[105] F igure 4 illustrates a method 400 for associating an object contained in media content with an entity, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The method 400 begins at step 410, when the processor 1044 automatically recognises the object contained in the media content, the object representing a product or service. At step 420, the processor 1044 determines the entity to be associated with the object, the entity providing the product or service. At step 430, the processor 1044 generates the association indication indicative of the association of the object with the entity. F urther, in one embodiment of the invention, the processor 1044 generates the promotion indication based on the association indication to promote the media content and inserts the promotion indication to the media content Further, the processor 1044 stores the promotion indication in association with the association indication in the storage device 105. Also, the processor 1044 sends the media content with the promotion indication through the media signal, the media signal including the promotion indication and the media content.

[106] F igure 5 illustrates a method 500 for sharing the promotion indication included in the media signal with the computing device 230 associated with the user, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The method begins at step 510 when the media receiver 210 receives the media signal including the promotion indication and the media content. At step 520, the media receiver 210 determines the promotion indication from the media signal. F urther, at step 530, the media receiver 210 sends the promotion indication over the communication network from the media receiver 210 to the computing device 230 associated with the user. In another embodiment, the computing device 230 may also receive the promotion indication, embedded in the media signal, directly from the broadcast server 1 16 through the network 1 10.

[107] F igure 6 illustrates a method 600 for conducting the transaction on receiving the promotion indication using the computing device 230 associated with the user, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The method begins at step 610 when the promotion indication is received at the computing device 230. F urther, at step 620, the computing device 230 obtains the association indication associated with the promotion indication from the storage device 105. At step 630, a message is presented on the computing device 230 based on the association indication. At step 640, the computing device 230 is caused to conduct the transaction based on the transaction option included in the association indication.

[108] F igure 7 illustrates computing device 700 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The computing device 700 is an example of the association server 104

[109] The steps of the above methods, particularly, the steps in relation to method 400, may be implemented as machine-readable instructions executable by the computing device 700. The machine-readable instructions may be divided into one or more computer program code instruction libraries, such as dynamic link libraries (DLL), wherein each of the libraries performs one or more steps of the methods. Additionally, a subset of the one or more of the libraries may perform graphical user interface tasks relating to the steps of the method.

[1 10] The computing device 700 comprises semiconductor memory 710, which is an example of the memory device 1042 of the association server 104. The memory 710 comprises volatile memory such as random-access memory (RAM) or read only memory (R O M). T he memory 710 may comprise either RAM or R O M or a combination of RAM and R OM. The machine- readable instructions are stored in the memory 710.

[1 1 1 ] The computing device 700 comprises a processor 7000, which is an example of the processor 1044 of the association server 104. The processor 7000 may be a reduced instruction set computer (RIS C) or complex instruction set computer (CIS C) processor or the like The processor 7000 obtains the machine-readable instructions from the memory device 710 to perform the machine-readable instructions.

[1 12] The computing device 700 comprises a computer program code storage medium reader 730 for reading the computer program code instructions from a computer program code storage media 720. The storage media 720 may be optical media such as C D-R O M disks, magnetic media such as floppy disks and tape cassettes or flash media such as US B memory sticks. [1 13] The computing device 700 further comprises I/O interface 740 for communicating with one or more peripheral devices. The I/O interface 740 may offer both serial and parallel interface connectivity. For example, the I/O interface 740 may comprise a S mall C omputer System Interface (S CS I), Universal S erial Bus (US B) or similar I/O interface for interfacing with the storage medium reader 730. The I/O interface 740 may also communicate with the one or more human interface devices (HID) 760 such as keyboards, pointing devices, joysticks and the like. The I/O interface 740 may also comprise a computer to computer interface, such as a R ecommended S tandard 232 (RS -232) interface, for interfacing the device 700 with one or more personal computer (PC) devices 790. The I/O interface 740 may also comprise an audio interface for communicating audio signals to one or more audio devices 7050, such as a speaker or a buzzer.

[1 14] The device 700 also comprises a network interface 770 for communicating with one or more computer networks 780. T he network 780 may be a wired network, such as a wired E thernet network or a wireless network, such as a Bluetooth network or IE E E 802.1 1 network. The network 780 may be a local area network (LAN), such as a home or office computer network, or a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet or private WAN.

[1 15] The computing device 700 further comprises a storage device 7030, such as a magnetic disk hard drive or a solid-state disk drive. The machine- readable instructions may be loaded into the storage device 7030 from the storage media 720 using the storage medium reader 730 or from the network 780 using network interface 770. During the bootstrap phase, an operating system and one or more software applications are loaded from the storage device 7030 into the memory 710. During the fetch-decode-execute cycle, the processor 7000 fetches the machine-readable instructions from the memory 710, decodes the instructions into machine code, executes the instructions and stores one or more intermediate results in the memory 710. In this manner, the instructions stored in the memory 710, when retrieved and executed by the processor 7000, may configure the computing device 700 as a special-purpose machine that may perform the steps described in the present disclosure.

[1 16] The device 700 also comprises a video interface 7010 for conveying video signals to a display device 7020, such as a liquid crystal display (LC D), cathode-ray tube (C RT) or similar display device. T he device 700 also comprises a communication bus subsystem 750 for interconnecting the various components described above. The bus subsystem 750 may offer parallel connectivity such as Industry S tandard Architecture (ISA), conventional Peripheral C omponent Interconnect (PCI) and the like or serial connectivity such as P CI E xpress (PCIe), S erial Advanced Technology Attachment (S erial ATA) and the like.

[1 17] The embodiments of the system and method described above offer a number of advantages. F irst, it allows owners of the media content to generate revenue from their media content by associating with entities that are paying. F urther, the promotional content such as the promotion indication are directly provided to the users or consumers of the media content at their devices, without having to endure through any undesirable interruptions while the media content is being played. F urther, the method and the system provide a number of options to choose from in terms of how to conduct a transaction. The promotional content such as promotion indications and transaction options etc. are dynamic in real time, thus the user is able to keep up with the latest trends. The entities involved are also benefited by cost savings as they are able to selectively pay to associate the related objects with the entities.

[1 18] Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the words comprise_., comprises _, and comprising_, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated step or element or group of steps or elements but not the exclusion of any other step or element or group of steps or elements. 9] Any one of the terms: ^"including_, or which includes _, or ^"that includes _, as used herein is also an open term that also means including at least the elements/features that follow the term, but not excluding others. 0] The various methods or processes outlined herein may be coded as software that is executable on one or more processors that employ any one of a variety of operating systems or platforms. Additionally, such software may be written using any of a number of suitable programming languages and/or programming or scripting tools, and also may be compiled as executable machine language code or intermediate code that is executed on a framework or virtual machine. 1 ] In this respect various inventive concepts may be embodied as a computer readable storage medium (or multiple computer readable storage media) (e.g., a computer memory, one or more floppy discs, compact discs, optical discs, magnetic tapes, flash memories, circuit configurations in F ield P rogrammable Gate Arrays or other semiconductor devices, or other non- transitory medium or tangible computer storage medium) encoded with one or more programs that, when executed on one or more computers or other processors, perform methods that implement the various embodiments of the invention discussed above. The computer readable medium or media can be transportable, such that the program or programs stored thereon can be loaded onto one or more different computers or other processors to implement various aspects of the present invention as discussed above. 2] For the purpose of this specification, where method steps are described in sequence, the sequence does not necessarily mean that the steps are to be carried out in chronological order in that sequence, unless there is no other logical manner of interpreting the sequence.

3] The term social network as used herein comprises a social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network may in an arrangement be an online eco-system including data structure comprising one or more connections describing the relationships between individuals connected and or participating in the social network and is defined explicitly by the one or more connections. Examples of common social networks include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, P interest and the like.

[124] In the context of this document the term ^"bus_ and its derivatives, while being described in a preferred embodiment as being a communication bus subsystem for interconnecting various devices including by way of parallel connectivity such as Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), conventional P eripheral C omponent Interconnect (P CI) and the like or serial connectivity such as PC I Express (PCIe), S erial Advanced Technology Attachment (S erial ATA) and the like, should be construed broadly herein as any system for communicating data.

[125] As described herein, :a computer implemented method ^" should not necessarily be inferred as being performed by a single computing device such that the steps of the method may be performed by more than one cooperating computing devices.

[126] S imilarly objects as used herein such as :web server^" server^" xlient computing device ^" xomputer readable medium^" and the like should not necessarily be construed as being a single object, and may be implemented as a two or more objects in cooperation, such as, for example, a web server being construed as two or more web servers in a server farm cooperating to achieve a desired goal or a computer readable medium being distributed in a composite manner, such as program code being provided on a compact disk activatable by a license key downloadable from a computer network.

[127] In the context of this document the term ^"database_, and its derivatives may be used to describe a single database, a set of databases, a system of databases or the like. The system of databases may comprise a set of databases wherein the set of databases may be stored on a single implementation or span across multiple implementations. The term ^"database _, is also not limited to refer to a certain database format rather may refer to any database format For example, database formats may include MyS Q L, MyS QLi, X ML or the like. [128] The invention may be embodied using devices conforming to other network standards and for other applications, including, for example other WLAN standards and other wireless standards. Applications that can be accommodated include IE E E 802.1 1 wireless LANs and links, and wireless E thernet.

[129] In the context of this document, the term wireless _, and its derivatives may be used to describe circuits, devices, systems, methods, techniques, communications channels, etc., that may communicate data through the use of modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium. The term does not imply that the associated devices do not contain any wires, although in some embodiments they might not In the context of this document, the term wired_, and its derivatives may be used to describe circuits, devices, systems, methods, techniques, communications channels, etc., that may communicate data through the use of modulated electromagnetic radiation through a solid medium. The term does not imply that the associated devices are coupled by electrically conductive wires.

[130] Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the specification discussions utilizing terms such as ^"processing_., computing_s calculating_., ^"determining_., analysing_, or the like, refer to the action and/or processes of a computer or computing system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulate and/or transform data represented as physical, such as electronic, quantities into other data similarly represented as physical quantities.

[131 ] In a similar manner, the term ^"processor_, may refer to any device or portion of a device that processes electronic data, e.g., from registers and/or memory to transform that electronic data into other electronic data that e.g., may be stored in registers and/or memory. A ^"computer_, or a ^"computing device _, or a ^"computing machine _, or a ^"computing platform_, may include one or more processors.

[132] The methodologies described herein are, in one embodiment, performable by one or more processors that accept computer-readable (also called machine-readable) code containing a set of instructions that when executed by one or more of the processors carry out at least one of the methods described herein. Any processor capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken are included. Thus, one example is a typical processing system that includes one or more processors. T he processing system further may include a memory subsystem including main RAM and/or a static RAM, and/or RO M.

3] F urthermore, a computer-readable carrier medium may form, or be included in a computer program product A computer program product can be stored on a computer usable carrier medium, the computer program product comprising a computer readable program means for causing a processor to perform a method as described herein.

4] In alternative embodiments, the one or more processors operate as a standalone device or may be connected, e.g., networked to other processors), in a networked deployment, the one or more processors may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer or distributed network environment. The one or more processors may form a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine.

5] Note that while some diagram(s) only show(s) a single processor and a single memory that carries the computer-readable code, those in the art will understand that many of the components described above are included, but not explicitly shown or described in order not to obscure the inventive aspect. For example, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term ^"machine_, shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

6] An E mbodiment of each of the methods described herein is in the form of a computer-readable carrier medium carrying a set of instructions, e.g., a computer program that are for execution on one or more processors. Thus, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, embodiments/arrangements of the present invention may be embodied as a method, an apparatus such as a special purpose apparatus, an apparatus such as a data processing system, or a computer-readable carrier medium. The computer-readable carrier medium carries computer readable code including a set of instructions that when executed on one or more processors cause a processor or processors to implement a method. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a method, an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment/arrangement or an embodiment/arrangement combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of carrier medium (e.g., a computer program product on a computer-readable storage medium) carrying computer-readable program code embodied in the medium.

[137] The software may further be transmitted or received over a network via a network interface device. While the carrier medium is shown in an example embodiment/arrangement to be a single medium, the term carrier medium_, should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. T he term carrier medium_, shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by one or more of the processors and that cause the one or more processors to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present invention. A carrier medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media.

[138] The systems and methods described herein, and/or shown in the drawings, are presented by way of example only and are not limiting as to the scope of the invention. Unless otherwise specifically stated, individual aspects and components of the systems and methods may be modified, or may have been substituted therefore known equivalents, or as yet unknown substitutes such as may be developed in the future or such as may be found to be acceptable substitutes in the future. The systems and methods may also be modified for a variety of applications while remaining within the scope and spirit of the claimed invention, since the range of potential applications is great, and since it is intended that the present systems and methods be adaptable to many such variations.

Industrial Applicability

[139] It is apparent from the above, that the arrangements described are applicable for advertising, content provision, promotional campaigns and publicity with regards to entities such as business entities and celebrities involved in provision of various products and services.

Claims

C laims The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1 . A computer system for associating an object contained in media content with an entity, the computer system comprising:

a memory device configured to store machine-readable instructions; a processor configured to

obtain the machine-readable instructions from the memory device,

execute the machine-readable instructions, wherein the machine-readable instructions cause the processor to:

automatically recognise the object contained in the media content, the object representing a product or service;

determine the entity to be associated with the object the entity providing the product or service; and

generate an association indication indicative of an association of the object with the entity.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the processor automatically recognises the object contained in the media content by performing a pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on the media content to recognise the object

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the processor performs the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on textual information associated with the media content

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the textual information is included in a script a S ubR ip caption file, or closed captioning text associated with the media content.

5. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the processor performs the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on visual information contained in the media content

6. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the processor performs the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on audio information contained in the media content

7. The computer system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the object includes one or more of the following:

a keyword descriptive of the product or service;

a name of a known person, place or an event;

a name of a character in the media content;

a name of an actor of a character in the media content;

a brand name associated with the product or service;

a trademark associated with the product or service;

visual data associated with the product or service;

audio data associated with the product or service;

a name of the product or service; and

a name of the entity that provides the product or service.

8. The computer system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the processor determines the entity to be associated with the object by invoking an Internet search engine to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object.

9. The computer system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the processor determines the entity to be associated with the object by searching one or more e-C ommerce websites to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object

10. The computer system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the processor determines the entity to be associated with the object by searching one or more of the following databases to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object:

a business name database;

a trademark database; a patent database;

a brand name database;

a court database; and

an industrial standard database.

1 1 . The computer system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the processor generates the association indication by:

sending an association request to the entity to be associated with the object;

receiving an association response from the entity in response to the association request the association response indicating the entity is to be associated with the object; and

generating the association indication based on the association response.

12. The computer system of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the processor generates the association indication by

sending an association request to each of a plurality of entities that provide the product or service;

receiving an association response from each of the plurality of entities in response to the association request, each of the association response including a value indication indicative of a cost for one of the plurality of entities to be associated with the object; and

generating the association indication indicative of the association of the object with the one of the plurality of entities based on the cost

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the cost indicated by the value indication included in the association response from the one of the plurality of entities is higher than other costs indicated by other value indications included in the association responses from other entities.

14. The computer system of any one of claims 1 1 to 13, wherein the association request includes one or more transaction options, and the association response includes one of the one or more transaction options.

1 5. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the association indication indicates the one of the one or more transaction options included in the association response.

1 6. The computer system of claim 15, the one of the one or more transaction options indicates one of the following transactions:

a social network engagement activity;

a purchase of the product or service;

a review of the product or service; and

a downloading of an application in relation to the product or service.

17. The computer system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the processor generates the association indication by:

determining the association of the object with the entity based on media content; and

generating the association indication indicative of the association of the object with the entity.

18. The computer system of any one of the preceding claims, the processor further:

generates a promotion indication based on the association indication to promote the media content; and

inserts the promotion indication to the media content

19. The computer system of claim 18, further comprising a storage device, and the processor further stores the promotion indication in association with the association indication in the storage device.

20. The computer system of claim 19, the processor further sends the media content with the promotion indication through a media signal, the media signal including the promotion indication and the media content.

21 .The computer system of claim 20, further comprising a media receiver and a computing device, wherein the media receiver

receives the media signal including the promotion indication and the media content;

determines the promotion indication from the media signal;

sends the promotion indication over a communication network from the media receiver to the computing device associated with a user.

22. The computer system of claim 21 , wherein the computing device further

receives the promotion indication;

obtains the association indication associated with the promotion indication from the storage device;

presents a message on the computing device based on the association indication;

conducts a transaction based on the transaction option included in the association indication.

23. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the association indication includes a time indication indicative of a time instant when the message is presented, and the computing device presents the message at the time instant.

24. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the media receiver further presents the media content containing the object, and the computing device presents the message when the object is presented by the media receiver.

25. A computer implemented method for associating an object contained in media content with an entity, comprising:

automatically recognising the object contained in the media content, the object representing a product or service; determining the entity to be associated with the object, the entity providing the product or service; and

generating an association indication indicative of an association of the object with the entity.

26. The computer implemented method of claim 25, wherein automatically recognising the object contained in the media content comprising:

performing a pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on the media content to recognise the object.

27. The computer implemented method of claim 26, wherein performing the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process comprising performing the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on textual information associated with the media content

28. The computer implemented method of claim 27, wherein the textual information is included in a script, a S ubR ip caption file, or closed captioning text associated with the media content.

29. The computer implemented method of claim 26, wherein performing the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process comprising performing the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on visual information contained in the media content

30. The computer implemented method of claim 26, wherein performing the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process comprising performing the pattern recognition or artificial intelligence process on audio information contained in the media content

31 .The computer implemented method of any one of claim 25 to 30, wherein the object includes one or more of the following:

a keyword descriptive of the product or service;

a name of a known person, place or an event;

a name of a character in the media content; a name of an actor of a character in the media content;

a brand name associated with the product or service;

a trademark associated with the product or service;

visual data associated with the product or service;

audio data associated with the product or service;

a name of the product or service; and

a name of the entity that provides the product or service.

32. The computer implemented method of any one of claims 25 to 31 , wherein determining the entity to be associated with the object comprises invoking an Internet search engine to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object

33. The computer implemented method of any one of claims 25 to 31 , wherein determining the entity to be associated with the object comprises searching one or more e-C ommerce websites to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object.

34. The computer implemented method of any one of claims 25 to 31 , wherein determining the entity to be associated with the object comprises searching one or more of the following databases to determine the entity that provides the product or service represented by the object

a business name database;

a trademark database;

a patent database;

a brand name database;

a court database; and

an industrial standard database.

35. The computer implemented method of any one of claims 25 to 34, wherein generating the association indication comprises:

sending an association request to the entity to be associated with the object; receiving an association response from the entity in response to the association request the association response indicating the entity is to be associated with the object; and

generating the association indication based on the association response.

36. The computer implemented method of any one of claims 25 to 34, wherein generating the association indication comprises:

37. The computer implemented method of claim 36, wherein the cost indicated by the value indication included in the association response from the one of the plurality of entities is higher than other costs indicated by other value indications included in the association responses from other entities.

38. The computer implemented method of any one of claims 35 to 37, wherein the association request includes one or more transaction options, and the association response includes one of the transaction options.

39. The computer implemented method of claim 38, wherein the association indication indicates the one of the one or more transaction options included in the association response.

40. The computer implemented method of claim 39, the one of the one or more transaction options indicates one of the following transactions:

a social network engagement activity;

a purchase of the product or service; a review of the product or service; and

a downloading of an application in relation to the product or service.

41 . The computer implemented method of any one of claims 25 to 40, wherein the generating the association indication comprises:

generating the association indication based on the association of the object with the entity.

42. The computer implemented method of any one of claims 25 to 41 , further comprising:

generating a promotion indication based on the association indication to promote the media content; and

inserting the promotion indication to the media content.

43. The computer implemented method of claim 42, further comprising:

storing the promotion indication in association with the association indication in a storage device.

44. The computer implemented method of claim 43, further comprising:

sending the media content with the promotion indication through a media signal, the media signal including the promotion indication and the media content.

45. The computer implemented method of claim 44, further comprising:

receiving, at a media receiver, the media signal including the promotion indication and the media content;

determining, by the media receiver, the promotion indication from the media signal;

sending the promotion indication over a communication network from the media receiver to a computing device associated with a user.

46. The computer implemented method of claim 45, further comprising:

receiving, at the computing device associated with the user, the promotion indication;

obtaining, at the computing device associated with the user, the association indication associated with the promotion indication from the storage device;

presenting a message on the computing device based on the association indication;

causing the computing device to conduct a transaction based on the transaction option included in the association indication.

47. The computer implemented method of claim 46, wherein the association indication includes a time indication indicative of a time instant when the message is presented, and presenting the message comprises presenting the message at the time instant.

48. The computer implemented method of claim 47, wherein the media receiver further presents the media content containing the object, and the computing device presents the message when the object is presented by the media receiver.

49. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, including machine-readable instructions stored thereon, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to

automatically recognise the object contained in the media content the object representing a product or service;

determine the entity to be associated with the object, the entity providing the product or service; and

50. A computer software program, including machine-readable instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of any one of the preceding method claims.