Enhanced video programming system and method utilizing user-profile information

• US 10,205,998 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2015
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Ullman, Craig, Harrington, Jeffrey M., Abato, Michael R., Duda, Carl R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Kieu Oanh T
• Application Number:
  US14/835,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20160156973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 725117, 725 46, 725 50
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 : involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 : Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Example embodiments of compiling and maintaining information for use in transmitting content to a machine via a network are presented. In an example embodiment, a request for information regarding a user of a client device is received at the client device via a communication network from a server storing a user profile. An input including a user response to the request for information is received at the client device. The user response to the request for information is transmitted from the client device via the communication network to the server for updating the user profile. Selected content pushed by the server based on the updated user profile is received at the client device via the communication network from the server.

Claims

1. A method for compiling and maintaining information for use in transmitting content to a machine via a network, the method comprising:

receiving, at a client device via a communication network from a server storing a user profile, a request for information regarding a user of the client device;

receiving, at the client device, a first input comprising a user response to the request for information;

transmitting, from the client device via the communication network to the server, the user response to the request for information for updating the user profile; and

receiving, at the client device via the communication network from the server, content selected and pushed by the server based on the updated user profile and based on at least one user attribute inherited into the updated user profile based on membership of the user to a group.

2. The method of claim 1, the selected and pushed content being related to a video program being viewed by the user.

3. The method of claim 1, the selected and pushed content comprising a selected video stream of a plurality of video streams of a video program.

4. The method of claim 3, the plurality of video streams corresponding to different camera angles.

5. The method of claim 3, the plurality of video streams corresponding to different story plots.

6. The method of claim 1, the selected and pushed content comprising audio content.

7. The method of claim 1, the selected and pushed content comprising an executable application.

8. The method of claim 1, the selected and pushed content comprising an icon representing a particular service.

9. The method of claim 1, the selected and pushed content comprising a user survey question, the operations further comprising:

causing, via the client device, presentation of the user survey question;

receiving, at the client device, a second input comprising a user answer to the user survey question; and

transmitting, from the client device via the communication network to the server, the user answer to the user survey question for further updating the user profile.

10. The method of claim 9, the receiving of the user survey question occurring according to at least one of a particular schedule and a particular order of a plurality of user survey questions comprising the presented user survey question.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the client device, a second input comprising a user logon request; and

transmitting, from the client device via the communication network to the server, the user logon request;

the receiving of the request for information regarding the user of the client device occurring after the transmitting of the user logon request.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at the client device, presentation of the selected and pushed content;

transmitting, from the client device via the communication network to the server, during the presentation of the selected and pushed content, an indication of user activity at the client device for further updating the updated server profile.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

maintaining, at the client device, a copy of the user profile;

receiving, at the client device via the communication network from the server, an update for the copy of the user profile after the transmitting of the indication of the user activity at the client device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at the client device, presentation of the selected and pushed content;

transmitting, from the client device via the communication network to the server, during the presentation of the selected and pushed content, an indication of user activity at the client device for a determination as to whether the updated server profile is to be updated further.

15. The method of claim 14, the determination as to whether the updated server profile is to be further updated depending upon a type of the user activity.

16. The method of claim 14, the determination as to whether the updated server profile is to be further updated depending upon whether the user activity exceeds a particular threshold.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

maintaining, at the client device, a copy of the user profile;

receiving, at the client device via the communication network from the server, an update for the copy of the user profile after the transmitting of the indication of the user activity at the client device.

18. The method of claim 1, the request for information comprising a user survey question, and the user response comprising an answer to the user survey question.

19. A client device, comprising:

one or more hardware processors; and

a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, cause the client device to perform operations comprising;

receiving, at the client device via a communication network from a server storing a user profile, a request for information regarding a user of the client device;

receiving, at the client device, an input comprising a user response to the request for information;

transmitting, from the client device via the communication network to the server, the user response to the request for information for updating the user profile; and

receiving, at the client device via the communication network from the server, content selected and pushed by the server based on the updated user profile and based on at least one user attribute inherited into the updated user profile based on membership of the user to a group.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by one or more hardware processors of a client device, cause the client device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at the client device via a communication network from a server storing a user profile, a request for information regarding a user of the client device;

receiving, at the client device, an input comprising a user response to the request for information;

transmitting, from the client device via the communication network to the server, the user response to the request for information for updating the user profile; and

receiving, at the client device via the communication network from the server, content selected and pushed by the server based on the updated user profile and based on at least one user attribute inherited into the updated user profile based on membership of the user to a group.