Smart suggestions for upcoming TV programs

• US 20030126600A1
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• 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: Heuvelman, Jeroen
• Application Number:
  US10/029,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20030126600A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/35
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A content recommendation system generates recommendations for new or upcoming content for a user while he/she may still consume a previous content. The system may take a wide variety of factors into account for determining the content recommendation and the moment rendering the recommendation whereby at least the progress of one of the previous and new content are taken into consideration.

Claims

1. A method for making a recommendation for a second electronic content to a user, while the user is consuming a first electronic content, wherein the method comprises:

generating the recommendation for presenting the second content at a moment that depends on a progress of an evolution of at least the first or the second content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommendation further depends on data representative of at least one of:

a user profile;

an explicit user request; and

a recent history of consumed content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second content information in the recommendation comprises multiple content items and wherein the items are offered to the user in order of relevance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the progress is determined by at least one of:

meta-data of at least the first or the second content; and

from screening of at least the first or the second content.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising enabling the user, upon presentation of the recommendation, to:

request additional information on the second content;

consume the second content upon availability;

initiate a recording of the second content;

or

request another recommendation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the moment is chosen from at least one of the following:

in between two segments of the first content;

at or around the end of the first content;

a substantially short time before the second content is to become available; and

at or around a time of a trigger that is derived from the second content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting comprises rendering the recommendation or a notification thereof using a portable wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

generating an audible tune that is substantially representative of the second content.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

enabling the user to accept the recommendation and to consume the second content.

10. A consumer system that enables to make a recommendation for a second electronic content to a user, while the user is consuming a first electronic content, wherein the system comprises means for providing the recommendation for the second content at a moment that depends on a progress of evolution of at least the first or the second content.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a first part for preparing the recommendation, wherein the first part comprises means for processing data representative of at least one of:

a user profile;

an explicit user request; and

a recent history of consuming content.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a second part for determining the progress that comprises at least one of:

means for screening content; and

means for processing meta-data representative of content.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a third part that enables the user, upon presentation of the recommendation, to:

request additional information on the second content;

consume the second content upon availability;

initiate a recording of the second content;

or

request another recommendation.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a portable wireless device that can render the recommendation or notification thereof.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a fourth part for rendering the recommendation or a notification thereof that comprises at least one of:

a display comprising a picture in picture window capability;

a display comprising a ticker tape capability;

a generator for generating a graphical representation under control of the recommendation.

16. A recommendation for a second electronic content to a user, for being presented to the user while the user is consuming a first electronic content, and at a moment that depends on a progress of an evolution of at least the first or the second content.

17. An EPG comprising means for generating a recommendation for a second electronic content to a user, while the user is consuming a first electronic content, wherein the recommendation is presented to the user at a moment that depends on a progress of an evolution of at least the first or the second content.

18. A software application for controlling to make a recommendation for a second electronic content to a user, while the user is consuming a first electronic content, wherein the software comprises a first module for providing the recommendation for the second content at a moment that depends on a progress of evolution of at least the first or the second content.

19. A data service for generating a recommendation customized per subscriber for a second electronic content, the recommendation being rendered at the subscriber while the subscriber is consuming a first electronic content and at a moment that depends on a progress of evolution of at least the first or the second content.

20. The service of claim 19, using the Internet for supply of the recommendation.