Program recommendation method and system utilizing a viewing history of commercials

• US 20030066071A1
• Filed: 10/03/2001
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pace Micro Technology Ltd. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Lee, Mi-Suen, Gutta, Srinivas, Kurapati, Kaushal
• Application Number:
  US09/970,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20030066071A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A program commercial based recommendation system employing a program commercial detection module, a facial estimation module, and a program recommendation module for implementing method for developing a viewing history of a viewer is disclosed. The program commercial detection module detects commercials within a transmission signal. In response to a detection of a program commercial, the facial estimation module generates a facial estimation of a viewer to thereby determine if the viewer is watching or not watching the program commercial. In response to a generation of the facial estimation, the program recommendation module stores the program commercial within a viewing history database. The stored commercial either has a positive rating when the facial estimation indicates the viewer is watching the program commercial or a negative rating when the facial estimation indicates the viewer is not watching the program commercial.

Claims

1. A method for providing a program commercial based recommendation of a program, said method comprising:

detecting a program commercial within a transmission signal;

generating a facial estimation of the viewer of the transmission signal; and

storing the program commercial having a positive rating or a negative rating within a viewing history database in response to a generation of the facial estimation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating a profile of the viewer within a viewer profile database in response to a storage of the program commercial within the viewing history database.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a recommendation of the program from the profile of the viewer.

4. A computer system for providing a program commercial based recommendation of a program, said computer system comprising:

a program commercial detection module operable to detect a program commercial within a transmission signal;

a facial estimation module operable to generate a facial estimation of the viewer of the transmission signal; and

a program recommendation module operable to store the program commercial having a positive rating or a negative rating within a viewing history database in response to a generation of the facial estimation.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein:

said program recommendation module is further operable to update a profile of the viewer within a viewer profile database in response to a storage of the program commercial within the viewing history database.

6. The computer system of claim 4, wherein:

said program recommendation module is further operable to generate a recommendation of a program from the profile of the viewer.

7. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for providing a program commercial based recommendation of a program, said computer program product comprising:

computer readable code for detecting a program commercial within a transmission signal;

computer readable code for generating a facial estimation of the viewer of the transmission signal; and

computer readable code for storing the program commercial having a positive rating or a negative rating within a viewing history database in response to a generation of the facial estimation.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

computer readable code for updating a profile of the viewer within a viewer profile database in response to a storage of the program commercial within the viewing history database.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

computer readable code for generating a recommendation of a program from the profile of the viewer.

10. A computer system for providing a program commercial based recommendation of a program, said computer system comprising:

means for detecting a program commercial within a transmission signal,

means for generating a facial estimation of the viewer of the transmission signal; and

means for storing the program commercial having a positive rating or a negative rating within a viewing history database in response to a generation of the facial estimation.

11. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for updating a profile of the viewer within a viewer profile database in response to a storage of the program commercial within the viewing history database.

12. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for generating a recommendation of a program from the profile of the viewer.