Personalizing CE equipment configuration at server via web-enabled device

• US 20020144282A1
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van Ee, Jan
• Application Number:
  US09/823,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20020144282A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The configuring of CE equipment by the consumer is facilitated by means of delegating the configuring to an application server on the Internet. The consumer enters his/her preferences in a specific interactive Web page through a suitable user-interface of an Internet-enabled device, such as a PC or set-top box or digital cellphone. The application server generates the control data based on the preferences entered and downloads the control data to the CE equipment itself or to the Internet-enabled device.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a consumer to program a first consumer electronics system (102) for operation according to a preference of the consumer, the method comprising enabling the consumer to interact via a network (112) with an application (114) on a server (110) for generating control data to program the first system according to the preference.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising enabling to download the control data from the server to the first system for programming the first system.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising enabling to download the control data from the server to a second system of the consumer for programming the first system upon transfer of the control data from the second system to the first system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer interacts with the server via a second system (104) different from the first system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation relates to configuring the first system for selective processing of content information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system comprises at least one of the following:

a PTV, an audio jukebox, a television set, a home entertainment system.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the second system comprises at least one of the following:

a set-top box;

a PC;

a telephone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer is enabled to interact with the application via speech input.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the consumer is enabled to specify the preference to a human operator who interacts with the application based on the user'"'"'s input.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the consumer interacts with the server through the second system from a location remote from the first system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein consumer requests the server to establish contact with the first system and the server establishes the contact in response to the consumer'"'"'s request.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the server has a data base with information relating to the consumer and acquired prior to the interaction; and

the generation of the control data takes into account the information in the data base.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first system comprises a PTV and the second system comprises a set-top box.

13. An electronic apparatus (300) for being configured by a consumer, the apparatus comprises a combination of a first consumer electronics system (102) and a second system (104), wherein:

the first system is programmable for operation according to a consumer'"'"'s preference;

the second system is network-enabled for user-interaction via a data network (112) with an application server (110), the application server generating control data based on the consumer'"'"'s preference for configuring the first system; and

the second system configures the first system based on the control data received from the server.

15. For use in a consumer electronics system, control data generated by an application server for configuring the system based on a preference specified by the consumer.