Hub pages for set top box startup screen

• US 20020078453A1
• Filed: 12/15/2000
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuo, Hanchang
• Application Number:
  US09/737,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20020078453A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• 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 21/4532 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 21/47 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71

Abstract

An apparatus and method of generating a customized startup page for an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG). A user establishes a user profile including preferences and location information that is stored in a database at an EPG server. Upon receipt of a request from a Set Top Box (STB) the EPG server invokes a HUB generator program that generates a custom startup page for the EPG based upon the user profile.

Claims

1. A method of providing a customized startup page for an Electronic Program Guide, comprising:

receiving a request for the startup page from a Set Top Box associated with a user;

finding a user profile corresponding to the user in a user database;

generating a link to content based upon the user profile; and

generating the startup page comprising at least the link to content.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content comprises a web site.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content comprises a television program source.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user profile comprises location information.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user profile comprises programming preferences of the user.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating comprises querying a plurality of databases to obtain a plurality of links based upon the user profile.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the databases is accessed via the Internet.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the databases is updated via periodic contact with a remote server accessed via the Internet.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request for the startup page from a Set Top Box is received from a web browser program residing on the Set Top Box.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the startup page comprises an HTML document populated with at least the link to content.

11. An apparatus for generating an Electronic Program Guide startup Hub page for a Set Top Box, comprising:

means for receiving an HTTP request from the Set Top Box;

a user database storing a user profile;

a Hub generating program that receives the HTTP request and generates a query of the user database to retrieve the user profile from the user database;

the Hub generating program generating a query of a site database for information associated with the user profile; and

the Hub generating program generating a Hub page by populating an HTML document with the information.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for sending the Hub page to the Set Top Box.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the user profile contains location information.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the user profile contains user preferences.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the information includes links to content selected based upon the user profile.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the hub page comprises a template selected from a plurality of available templates based upon the user profile, and wherein the template is populated with links determined from the user profile.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a remote database wherein the remote database is accessed via the Internet, and wherein the Hub generating program generates a query of the remote database for information associated with the user profile.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the site database is updated via periodic contact with a remote server accessed via the Internet.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the HTTP request is for a startup page and is received from a web browser program residing on a Set Top Box.

20. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the information includes a default hub page template selected from a Home page template, a sports page template, a news page template and a children'"'"'s page template.

21. An apparatus for generating an Electronic Program Guide startup Hub page for a Set Top Box, comprising:

means for receiving an HTTP request from the Set Top Box, wherein the HTTP request is for a startup page and is received from a web browser program residing on a Set Top Box;

a user database storing a user profile, wherein the user profile contains at least location information, user preferences and a default Hub page template;

wherein the default hub page template is selected from a Home page template, a sports page template, a news page template and a children'"'"'s page template;

a Hub generating program that receives the HTTP request and generates a query of the user database to retrieve the user profile from the user database;

the Hub generating program generating a query of a plurality of databases for information associated with the user profile, the information comprising links to content;

the plurality of databases comprising at least a remote database wherein the remote database is accessed via the Internet, and a site database that is updated via periodic contact with a remote server accessed via the Internet;

the Hub generating program generating a Hub page by populating an HTML document with the information; and

means for sending the Hub page to the Set Top Box.