Television system with aided user program searching

• US 10,051,299 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Boyer, Franklin E., Demers, Timothy B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Montoya, Oschta
• Application Number:
  US15/697,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20170366831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4666 using neural networks, e.g. processing the feedback provided by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score

Abstract

A system having an adaptive browse feature and an adaptive flip feature is provided. The adaptative browse and flip features may be selected to receive program viewing suggestions. The system may provide a suggestion by displaying an adaptive browse region or adaptative flip region including a program suggestion. The system identifies programs to suggest based on a user=s viewing activity. The system uses different algorithms that are user-selectable and user-adjustable identify program suggestions. The system may query a program guide database to build a list of programs having attributes similar to the attributes of the current program or the last viewed program. The system may use an adaptive learning algorithm such as a neural network. The neural network may be trained by the program guide by monitoring user-viewing activity. Each algorithm may be personalized for multiple users.

Claims

1. An interactive program guide system for aiding a user identifying media assets for viewing, comprising:

a user device on which an interactive program guide is at least partially implemented, wherein the user device is configured to;

generate for display an interactive menu that includes a first option for limiting media asset listings in an overlay based on attributes of a currently displayed media asset and a second option for limiting media asset listings in the overlay based on attributes of a last viewed media asset;

display video of a current media asset being received from a first source;

allow the user to sequentially browse media asset listings for available media assets by selectively displaying media asset listings in the overlay that is displayed while the video of the current media asset is displayed;

in response to receiving a user selection of the first option, limit which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay based only on various media asset attributes of the video of the current media asset being displayed; and

allow the user to adjust the relative importance of the various media asset attributes of the current media asset that are used to limit the displayed media asset listings, wherein the adjustment of the relative importance is performed by adjusting a weight factor for each media asset attribute.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user device is further configured to limit which media asset listings are displayed by building a list of media asset listings from a media asset listings database based on the various media asset attributes of the current media asset.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user device is further configured to limit which media asset listings are displayed by building a list of media asset listings from a media asset listings database based on the various media asset attributes of a previously displayed media asset.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user device is further configured to allow the user to select the displayed media asset listing to access the media asset associated with the displayed media asset listing.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user device is further configured to limit which media asset listings are displayed by using a neural network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user device is further configured to allow the user to select an algorithm to be used to limit which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user device is further configured to selectively display media asset listings is a display region on the screen by selectively displaying each of the media asset listing separately in a display region on the screen.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user device is further configured to allow video of a media asset to be displayed for a predetermined period of time before limiting which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user device is further configured to limit which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay based only on the various media asset attributes of a previously displayed media asset for a predetermined period of time before limiting which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay based only on the various media asset attributes of the current media asset being displayed.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the user device is further configured to allow the user to select, using a user input device, whether or not to limit which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay.

11. In an interactive program guide system, a method for aiding a user in identifying media assets for viewing, comprising:

displaying video of a current media asset being received from a first source;

generating for display an interactive menu that includes a first option for limiting media asset listings in an overlay based on attributes of a currently displayed media asset and a second option for limiting media asset listings in the overlay based on attributes of a last viewed media asset;

allowing the user to sequentially browse media asset listings for available media assets by selectively displaying media asset listings in the overlay that is displayed while video of the current media asset is displayed;

in response to receiving a user selection of the first option, limiting which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay based only on various media asset attributes of the video of the current media asset being; and

allowing the user to adjust the relative importance of various media asset attributes of the current media asset that are used to limit the displayed media asset listings, wherein the adjustment of the relative importance is performed by adjusting a weight factor for each media asset attribute.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the limiting comprises building a list of media asset listings from a media asset listings database based on the various media asset attributes of the current media asset.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the limiting comprises building a list of media asset listings from a media asset listings database based on the various media asset attributes of a previously displayed media asset.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising allowing the user to select the displayed media asset listing to access the media asset associated with the displayed media asset listing.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein limiting comprises using a neural network to limit which media asset listings are displayed.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising allowing the user to select an algorithm to be used to limit which media asset listings are displayed.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein selectively displaying media asset listings in a display region on the screen comprises selectively displaying each media asset listing separately in a display region on the screen.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising allowing video of a media asset to be displayed for a predetermined period of time before limiting which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising limiting which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay based only on the various media asset attributes of a previously displayed media asset for a predetermined period of time before limiting which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay based only on the various media asset attributes of the current media asset being displayed.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising allowing the user to select, using a user input device, whether or not to limit which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay.