Media content notification via communications network

• US 20030195797A1
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panalogin LLC (Acacia Research Corporation), Customer Communications Group
• Original Assignee: Registrar Systems LLC (Continental Communications Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Klug, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

The notification system identifies media content based on personal preferences of individual users and provides notification of identified media content to the users. In one embodiment, the system (100) includes a number of user nodes (102, 104, and 106) that communicate with a registration site (110) and a notification site (112) via the internet (108). The notification site (112) includes a media content database (120) and a processor (118) running contents election logic. The processor (118) accesses the media content database (120) in order to identify content that may be of interest to particular users of the user nodes (102,104 and 106). In this regard, content for a particular user may be identified by matching interest information obtained from the registration site (110) with the content information of the media content database (120).

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to provide information for use in identifying content of potential interest to one or more users, comprising:

a database operable for storing information related to at least one user, the information operable in identifying content of potential interest to the at least one user, the database further comprising;

at least one file containing information related to the at least one user and further comprising;

at least one first entry associating interest information with the user; and

at least one second entry identifying the user;

a

a processor, facilitating access to the database; and

a communications interface facilitating access to the database.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a registration site accessible via a network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications interface facilitates access to the database for the purpose of retransmitting information stored in the database through the network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is provided at at least one user node.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first entry and the second entry are adapted for communication to at least one other node or site on the network.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the database is communicated over the network to a second apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second apparatus is a notification site accessible via the Internet.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one second entry includes user demographic information.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one first entry includes at least one of program, author, artist, and content information of interest to the at least one user.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one file from the database is adaptable for communication to a node or site via a computer data signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one second file operable for identifying at least one content of potential interest to the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one second file includes a reference to at least one second database.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second database further comprises at least one third entry, wherein each third entry includes at least one identifier of content.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one identifier of content further comprises an indication of at least one of a program title, series title, episode identifier, presentation time, subject matter, target demographics, advertisers, and derived information.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the database and the second database are accessible via at least one user node.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the apparatus adapted to use the information to identify content of interest to the user utilizes second instructions provided on a computer readable medium, the second instructions facilitating the further identification of content of interest to the user by:

accessing at least one second database providing information related to available content;

identifying available content as being of interest to the user based upon the results of a matching of the information about the user and the information related to the available content;

whereupon completion of accessing the second database and identifying available content, the content is identified as being of potential interest to the user.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer readable medium includes both the instructions and the second instructions.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first database is accessed at a registration site and the second database is accessed at a notification site.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first database and the second database are collocated.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the information provided via the first database is generated based upon one of at least user responses, user usage history, and user monitoring.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein a second apparatus utilizes instructions to present the identified available content of interest to the user, by:

receiving a notification that content of interest to the user has been identified;

retrieving the content of interest; and

presenting the content of interest to the user.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the content of interest is retrieved from at least one content database.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the content database is collocated with the apparatus which utilizes the instructions to present the identified available content to the user.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the apparatus which utilizes the instructions to present the identified available content is at least one of a television, a radio, a computer device, an Internet compatible device, a wired telephone and a wireless telephone.

28. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the preference information is based upon user preference information obtained from a second database operable for providing demographic information associated with the at least one user.

29. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the processor, the first database and the second database are collocated.

30. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the first database includes at least one file of information providing at least one of title information, schedule information, content information, series information, episode information, target demographics of the content, advertisers associated with the content, and derived information.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the action of identifying whether any of the media content are of potential interest to the user is accomplished whenever new or revised information related to a media content or a user is obtained.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the action of identifying whether any of the media content are of potential interest to the user is accomplished upon the occurrence of a trigger event.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event comprises at least one of the announcement of a concert date, the announcement of a performance date, the release of a recording, a product release, a scheduled event, and an unscheduled event.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is generated as an electronic message.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is generated as a text message.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is generated as a voice message.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is transmitted to the user via regular mail.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein the action of obtaining preference information for the at least one user further comprises obtaining demographic information related to the at least one user.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein the action of obtaining preference information for the at least one user further comprises obtaining information associated with the at least one user and identifying at least one of a program, author, artist, hobby, periodical subscription, subject of interest, lifestyle, product interests, and psychographics.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein the content of interest is provided via a web page.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented using at least one site connectable to the Internet.

16. A computer readable medium containing instructions for receiving, storing and providing user information used to identify content of interest to a user, by:

accessing a first database adapted to provide information about an user, the first database including at least one first entry associating interest information with the user and at least one second entry identifying the user; and

providing the information received and stored in the first database to an apparatus adapted to use the information to identify content of interest to the user.

26. The computer readable medium of 1, wherein the notification is received via at least one of a computer device, a wired or wireless telephone, a pager, regular mail, and a communications network device.

27. A data processing system configured to identify content of interest to at least one user comprising:

a first database adapted to store at least one file of information regarding at least one media content; and

a processor operable for accessing the first database and receiving and processing preference information useful in identifying at least one media content of potential interest to at least one user;

whereupon receiving the preference information, the processor searches the first database and identifies at least one media content of interest to the at least one user.

31. A method for identifying media content of potential interest to a user, comprising:

obtaining preference information for at least one user;

obtaining information related to at least one media content;

identifying whether any of the at least one media content are of potential interest to the at least one user; and

generating a notification to the at least one user when at least one media content is identified as being of potential interest to the at least one user.

41. A method of providing information for use in identifying content of interest to a user, comprising:

obtaining first information useful in identifying media content of interest to the user;

obtaining second information useful in identifying demographics of the user; and

providing at least one portion of at least one of the first information and the second information to a notification program;

whereupon receipt of the first and the second information, the notification program identifies content of interest to the user and facilitates the communication to the user of a notification of the content of interest to the user.