Method and apparatus for adaptively storing program guide data

• US 20030051245A1
• Filed: 03/06/2002
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Klopfenstein, Scott Edward
• Application Number:
  US10/092,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20030051245A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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

Abstract

Method and apparatus suitable for use within a receiver for storing program guide information, wherein program guide data associated with non-preferred programming is reduced or deleted from a program guide database.

Claims

1. A method for adaptively storing in a memory program guide information for a plurality of programs, said method comprising:

determining whether a first program in said program guide is non-preferred by a user; and

reducing program guide information associated with said first program from said memory if said first program is non-preferred by said user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining comprises:

determining whether said first program was viewed by said user less than a threshold number of times; and

identifying said first program as non-preferred if said first program was viewed less than the threshold number of times.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining comprises:

determining whether said first program is of a same type as another program that was viewed by said user less than a threshold number of times; and

identifying said first program as non-preferred if said first program and said another program are of the same type.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said program guide information comprises basic program information and extended program information, said program guide information associated with said first program being reduced by deleting respective extended program information from memory.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said reducing comprises:

removing extended program information for said first program if said first program is non-preferred.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said reducing comprises:

removing at least a portion of extended program information for said first program if said first program is non-preferred.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether a second program in said program guide is of interest to the user; and

adding program guide information for said second program if said first program is of interest to the user.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of determining whether said second program comprises:

monitoring a viewing history of the user;

determining whether said second program was viewed more than a threshold number of times using said viewing history; and

identifying said second program as preferred if said second program was viewed more than the threshold number of times.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of determining whether said second program comprises:

monitoring a viewing history of the user;

determining whether said second program is of a same type as another program that was viewed more than a threshold number of times in said viewing history; and

identifying said second program as preferred if said second program and said another program are of the same type.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of programs is broadcast from one of a satellite and a terrestrial broadcasting center.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of programs comprises at least one of a television program, a live broadcast, and an advertisement.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said program guide information comprises Advanced Program Guide (APG) information.

13. An apparatus for providing a program guide listing a plurality of channels, a program schedule for each channel, and a plurality of programs for each channel, said apparatus comprising:

a tuner for tuning a video signal received via an antenna, where said video signal contains program guide information;

a demodulator for demodulating said tuned video signal;

a decoder for decoding said demodulated video signal;

a memory for storing said decoded programming guide information, and a memory allocation software; and

a processor, upon executing said memory allocation software, is configured to;

determine whether a first program in said program guide is non-preferred by a user; and

reduce program guide information associated with said first program from said memory if said first program is non-preferred by said user.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said program guide information comprises basic program information and extended program information.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein all of said extended program information is removed for said first program if said first program is of no interest to the user.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein a portion of said extended program information is removed for said first program if said first program is of little interest to the user.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein at least one of said plurality of programs is broadcast from one of a satellite and a terrestrial broadcasting center.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein each of said plurality of programs comprises at least one of a television program, a live broadcast, and an advertisement.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said program guide information comprises Advanced Program Guide (APG) information.

20. An apparatus for adaptively storing in a memory program guide information for a plurality of programs, said apparatus comprising:

means for determining whether a first program in said program guide is non-preferred by a user; and

means for reducing program guide information associated with said first program from said memory if said first program is non-preferred by said user.