Individualized detailed program recommendations with active updating of viewer preferences

• US 10,255,353 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsunoda, Tomohiro, Hoshino, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Telan, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US12/723,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,315 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 61
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/337 Profile generation, learning or modification
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 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 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An information processing apparatus is provided which includes: a first managing part for managing first data about preferences of a user; a second managing part for managing second data about information; a retrieving part for retrieving the second data about the information used by the user; and an updating part for updating the first data by use of the second data retrieved by the retrieving part. If the second data are found to exist within the first data, then the updating part updates the first data using the second data; if the second data are not found to exist within the first data, then the updating part adds the second data to the first data.

Claims

1. A method of operating an information processing apparatus including a memory device storing instructions, the method comprising:

(a) causing a processor to extract a keyword of content data;

(b) causing the processor to select content data among a plurality of content data based on a comparison of the extracted keyword and preference data of a user, wherein the preference data of the user is created through a learning process, a filtering process, and a registration process, wherein the filtering process includes calculating a degree of similarity with a profile of a second user including a similar score to the user for a known feature, the degree of similarity is calculated using a user profile value score for the known feature, a user mean score, a second user profile value score for the known feature, and a second user profile mean;

wherein the degree of similarity is then used, along with the user mean score, the second user profile value score, and the second user profile mean, to calculate a predicted vector, wherein the predicted vector is a numerical value of user interest in an unknown feature to the user,

wherein the similar score is created by the registration process and the learning process,

wherein the user mean score is a mean value of the user'"'"'s preference data, the second user profile mean represents a mean value of the second user'"'"'s preference data, and the second user profile value score is the second user'"'"'s score for the unknown feature; and

(c) causing the processor to cause a display device to display recommendation information of the selected content data and a plurality of recommended reasons based on the extracted keyword, wherein the recommendation information includes a program name, cast members, and a recommendation level,

wherein the plurality of recommended reasons includes the extracted keyword and at least one of an actor and interests of other users, wherein the interests of other users are based on the predicted vector,

wherein at least one of the plurality of recommended reasons is changed to an administrator selected word for recommendation that is different than the extracted keyword.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the processor to select the displayed recommendation information based on data corresponding to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of keywords including the extracted keyword includes:

(a) a first keyword having a first keyword ID; and

(b) a second keyword having a second keyword ID.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising causing the display device to display, to the user, the first keyword based on the first keyword ID.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising causing the display device to suppress display, to the user, of the second keyword based on the second keyword ID.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein:

(a) the first keyword having the first keyword ID is associated with a first flag; and

(b) the second keyword having the second keyword ID is associated with a second flag.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising causing the display device to display, to the user, the first keyword having the first keyword ID based on the first flag.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising causing the display device to suppress display, to the user, of the second keyword based on the second flag.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a flag is associated with the extracted keyword based on the extracted keyword being at least one of words, monosyllabic words, unintelligible words, and administrator preselected words.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the processor to cause the display device to display a presentable word corresponding to a suppressed extracted keyword.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of recommended reasons is not displayed in response to an administrator preset determination to conceal the extracted keyword.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the preference data of the user includes presetting, by an administrator, the registration process to be weighted most heavily, the learning process to be weighted second most heavily, and the filtering process to be weighted least heavily.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein presetting weights includes varying, by the administrator, at least a value of a score in a database that is provided to manage user preference data.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising discontinuing the use of the learning process when a predetermined threshold of learning has been reached.

15. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor;

at least one memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

(a) extract a keyword of content data;

(b) select content data among a plurality of content data based on a comparison of the extracted keyword and preference data of a user, wherein the preference data of the user is created through a learning process, a filtering process, and a registration process, wherein the filtering process includes calculating a degree of similarity with a profile of a second user including a similar score to the user for a known feature, the degree of similarity is calculated using a user profile value score for the known feature, a user mean score, a second user profile value score for the known feature, and a second user profile mean;

wherein the degree of similarity is then used, along with the user mean score, the second user profile value score, and the second user profile mean, to calculate a predicted vector, wherein the predicted vector is a numerical value of user interest in an unknown feature to the user,

wherein the similar score is created by the registration process and the learning process,

wherein the user mean score is a mean value of the user'"'"'s preference data, the second user profile mean represents a mean value of the second user'"'"'s preference data, and the second user profile value score is the second user'"'"'s score for the unknown feature; and

(c) cause a display device to display recommendation information of the selected content data and a plurality of recommended reasons based on the extracted keyword, wherein the recommendation information includes a program name, cast members, and a recommendation level,

wherein the plurality of recommended reasons includes the extracted keyword and at least one of an actor and interests of other users, wherein the interests of other users are based on the predicted vector,

wherein at least one of the plurality of recommended reasons is changed to an administrator selected word for recommendation that is different than the extracted keyword.

16. The information processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the processor to select the displayed recommendation information based on data corresponding to the user.

17. The information processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein a plurality of keywords including the extracted keyword includes:

(a) a first keyword having a first keyword ID; and

(b) a second keyword having a second keyword ID.

18. The information processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the display device to display, to the user, the first keyword based on the first keyword ID.

19. The information processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the display device to suppress display, to the user, of the second keyword based on the second keyword ID.

20. The information processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

(a) the first keyword having the first keyword ID is associated with a first flag; and

(b) the second keyword having the second keyword ID is associated with a second flag.

21. The information processing apparatus of claim 20, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the display device to display, to the user, the first keyword having the first keyword ID based on the first flag.

22. The information processing apparatus of claim 20, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the display device to suppress display, to the user, of the second keyword based on the second flag.

23. The information processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein each one of the plurality of recommended reasons is not displayed in response to an administrator preset determination to conceal the extracted keyword.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions structured to cause an information processing apparatus to:

(a) extract a keyword of content data;

(b) select content data among a plurality of content data based on a comparison of the extracted keyword and preference data of a user, wherein the preference data of the user is created through a learning process, a filtering process, and a registration process, wherein the filtering process includes calculating a degree of similarity with a profile of a second user including a similar score to the user for a known feature, the degree of similarity is calculated using a user profile value score for the known feature, a user mean score, a second user profile value score for the known feature, and a second user profile mean;

wherein the degree of similarity is then used, along with the user mean score, the second user profile value score, and the second user profile mean, to calculate a predicted vector, wherein the predicted vector is a numerical value of user interest in an unknown feature to the user,

wherein the similar score is created by the registration process and the learning process,

wherein the user mean score is a mean value of the user'"'"'s preference data, the second user profile mean represents a mean value of the second user'"'"'s preference data, and the second user profile value score is the second user'"'"'s score for the unknown feature; and

(c) cause a display device to display recommendation information of the selected content data and a plurality of recommended reasons based on the extracted keyword, wherein the recommendation information includes a program name, cast members, and a recommendation level,

wherein the plurality of recommended reasons includes the extracted keyword and at least one of an actor and interests of other users, wherein the interests of other users are based on the predicted vector,

wherein at least one of the plurality of recommended reasons is changed to an administrator selected word for recommendation that is different than the extracted keyword.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions are further structured to cause the information processing apparatus to select the displayed recommendation information based on data corresponding to the user.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein a plurality of keywords including the extracted keyword includes:

(a) a first keyword having a first keyword ID; and

(b) a second keyword having a second keyword ID.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions are further structured to cause the information processing apparatus to cause the display device to suppress display, to the user, of the second keyword based on the second keyword ID.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein each one of the plurality of recommended reasons is not displayed in response to an administrator preset determination to conceal the extracted keyword.