Method and apparatus for collecting and reporting consumer trend data in an information distribution system

• US 20020077880A1
• Filed: 12/14/2000
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sedna Patent Services LLC
• Original Assignee: Sedna Patent Services LLC
• Inventors: Gordon, Donald F., Bayrakeri, Sadik, Feinberg, Brian
• Application Number:
  US09/737,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20020077880A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• 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 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/845 Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Techniques to collect data indicative of viewer habits and preferences relating to television viewing and/or use of a user interface (e.g., an interactive program guide) provided at the terminal. Various types of information may be collected to identify and track the habits and preferences of the viewers. For example, the viewers'"'"' interaction with the terminals, selections made by the viewers, requests for particular programming, demographic information, and others, may be collected for the viewers. These various types of information (i.e., “trend” data) may be continually collected by an application executing at the terminal, temporarily stored in a storage unit, and thereafter reported (e.g., periodically, or upon request) to a head-end of an information distribution system. The head-end may analyze the trend data, and may select and provide programming, advertisements, and other contents targeted to the terminals based on the analyzed data.

Claims

1. A method for collecting information related to an information distribution system, comprising:

receiving user inputs at a terminal;

collecting trend data based on the received user inputs; and

reporting the collected trend data to a server in the information distribution system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each received user input corresponds to an event, the method further comprising:

stamping each event with a time of occurrence for the event.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

associating each event with a source where the event occurred.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the collected trend data is reported periodically.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the collected trend data is reported upon receiving a request for the trend data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the trend data includes user interaction at the terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the trend data includes user demographic information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the trend data includes user selections for specific programming choices.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the trend data is indicative of user preferences for programming.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user inputs include a selection for a particular filter icon from among a plurality of filter icons provided in a user interface at the terminal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user inputs include a selection for a particular program provided to the terminal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user inputs include a request for a particular program to be provided to the terminal.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the user inputs include user navigation through a user interface.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining statistical information for the received trend data.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

polling the plurality of terminals for the trend data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of terminals are randomly selected for polling.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the trend data is indicative of user preferences relating to television viewing.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the trend data is indicative of user habits and preferences relating to use of an interactive program guide.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein each received user input corresponds to an event at the terminal, and wherein the trend data includes a plurality of events collected at the plurality of terminals.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the analyzing includes

categorizing the events into time of day at which the events occurred.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the analyzing includes

categorizing the events into day of week in which the events occurred.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the analyzing includes

categorizing the events by geographic regions in which the events occurred.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the trend data includes demographic information collected for the plurality of terminals.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

selecting and targeting contents for delivery to the plurality of terminals based on the analyzed trend data.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the targeted contents include advertisements or programming, or a combination thereof.

14. A method for collecting information related to an information distribution system, comprising:

receiving user inputs at a terminal, wherein each received user input corresponds to an event;

stamping each event with a time of occurrence for the event;

collecting trend data based on the events at the terminal; and

reporting the collected trend data to a server in the information distribution system.

15. A method for collecting information related to an information distribution system, comprising:

receiving trend data based on user inputs at a plurality of terminals; and

analyzing the trend data in accordance with one or more categories.

25. A method for providing information in an information distribution system, comprising:

receiving trend data based on user inputs at a plurality of terminals;

analyzing the trend data in accordance with one or more categories; and

delivering contents to the plurality of terminals based at least in part on the analyzed trend data.