Entering programming preferences while browsing an electronic programming guide

• US 20030226145A1
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Marsh, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,617,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• 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 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for entering user preference for particular program attribute values while a user is browsing an electronic programming guide (EPG). When a program description is highlighted on the EPG, a preference control invokes a preference entry page when activated. The preference entry page contains several program attribute values associated with the highlighted program. A user can enter new preference ratings or modify previously saved preference ratings for one or more program attribute values on the preference entry page. The user is thus provided with the convenience of entering programming preferences at a time when such preferences are fresh on the user'"'"'s mind.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying an electronic programming guide (EPG) with one or more program descriptions that identify and describe multimedia programs available for viewing;

upon selection of a program for viewing, enabling entry of a preference rating that corresponds to a program attribute value of the program, the preference rating indicating a degree of like or dislike for the program attribute value; and

storing the program attribute value and the preference rating.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the entering a preference rating further comprises selecting the program attribute value to indicate that the program attribute value is a preferred program attribute value.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the entering a preference rating further comprises entering a numerical value to be associated with the program attribute value, the numerical value indicating the degree of like or dislike of the program attribute value.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the entering a numerical value further comprises entering a numerical value in a preference rating block associated with the program attribute value.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising selecting the numerical value to be entered from a predefined list of numerical values.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the numerical value is a numerical value in a range from one to ten.

7. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the numerical value is a numerical value in a range from negative five to positive five.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the storing further comprises storing the program attribute value and the preference rating associated therewith in a user preference file (UPF) that contains one or more preferred program attribute values and corresponding preference ratings.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the entering is performed on a preference entry page that is displayed when the program description is selected.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein previously entered preference ratings for the program attribute value or one or more other program attribute values associated with the program are displayed when the program description is selected.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the program attribute value is a first program attribute value;

the preference rating is a first preference rating;

the entering further comprises entering a second preference rating for a second program attribute value; and

the storing further comprises storing the second program attribute value and the second preference rating.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the program attribute value and the preference rating are associated with each other when they are stored in such a way as they can be identified together at a later time.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selecting further comprises:

positioning a cursor proximally to the program description; and

triggering a mechanism configured to select the highlighted program description.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the program description further comprises a title of the program.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multimedia programs are television programs.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multimedia programs are audio programs.

17. A system, comprising:

an electronic programming guide (EPG) that displays partial program description of one or more multimedia programs available for user access;

a preference entry mechanism through which a user can enter an indication of like or dislike for one or more program attribute values associated with a program selected from the EPG; and

wherein the preference entry mechanism can be invoked from the EPG upon selection of a program for viewing.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the preference entry mechanism further comprises a preference entry page that includes one or more program attribute values associated with the selected program together with preference rating means to enter a preference rating for each program attribute value.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the preference entry means further comprises a selectable object that, when selected, indicates that a program attribute value associated with the selectable object is a preferred program attribute value.

20. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the preference entry means further comprises a preference entry block into which a numerical value can be entered to indicate a degree of like or dislike for a program attribute value associated with the preference entry block.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, further comprising a preference entry control that displays a list of predefined numerical values that may be entered into the preference entry block.

22. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the numerical value is a numerical value in a range from a first non-negative integer to a second non-negative integer.

23. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the numerical value is a numerical value in a range from a negative integer to a non-negative integer.

24. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the preference entry page further comprises a detailed description of the selected program.

25. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the preference entry page further comprises a genre block that includes one or more genre attribute values associated with the selected program.

26. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the preference entry page further comprises a content block that includes one or more content attribute values associated with the selected program.

27. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the preference entry page further comprises an intent block that includes one or more intent attribute values associated with the selected program.

28. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the preference entry page displays one or more previously saved preference ratings when the preference entry page is invoked.

29. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein one or more preference ratings may be entered for one or more respective program attribute values.

30. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the preference entry page further comprises a preference button that, when actuated, saves changed preference ratings to a user preference file.

31. The system as recited in claim 17, further comprising a highlighter module configured to highlight the partial program descriptions, and wherein the program selected from the EPG is selecting a program that corresponds to a highlighted program description.

32. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the partial program descriptions further comprise at least a portion of a title of the programs associated with the partial program descriptions.

33. A preference entry page stored on one or more computer-readable media, comprising:

at least one program attribute value associated with a program that a user desires to watch;

a preference rating area associated with each program attribute value through which a preference rating may be indicated, the preference rating indicating a user like or dislike for the program attribute value associated with the preference rating area; and

wherein the preference entry page associated with the program can be invoked from an electronic programming guide (EPG) when the user selects the program to watch.

34. The preference entry page as recited in claim 33, wherein the preference rating area further comprises a selectable object that, when selected, indicates that the program attribute value associated with the preference rating area is a preferred program attribute value.

35. The preference entry page as recited in claim 33, wherein the preference rating area further comprises a preference rating block into which a rating value is entered to indicate a degree of like or dislike for the program attribute value associated with the preference rating block.

36. The preference entry page as recited in claim 33, wherein each preference rating area further comprises a preference entry control that displays one or more preference ratings that may be entered into the preference rating area.

37. The preference entry page as recited in claim 33, wherein the preference rating further comprises a numerical value in a range from a first non-negative integer to a second non-negative integer.

38. The preference entry page as recited in claim 33, wherein the preference rating further comprises a numerical value in a range from a negative integer to a positive integer.

39. The preference entry page as recited in claim 33, further comprising a genre block that includes one or more genre attribute values associated with the program that can be preference rated.

40. The preference entry page as recited in claim 33, further comprising an intent block that includes one or more intent attribute values associated with the program that can be preference rated.

41. The preference entry page as recited in claim 33, further comprising a content block that includes one or more content attribute values associated with the program that can be preference rated.

42. One or more computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the following steps:

displaying an electronic programming guide (EPG);

receiving a selection of a program, the selection indicating that the program is a program desired for viewing;

displaying one or more program attribute values associated with the program;

displaying a preference rating object for each program attribute value;

receiving a preference rating from at least one or the preference rating objects; and

storing the received preference rating and the program attribute value associated with the preference rating object that is associated with the received preference rating in a user preference file (UPF).

43. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 42, wherein the displaying an EPG further comprises displaying at least a partial description for one or more programs that are available for user access.

44. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 42, wherein the displaying a preference rating object further comprises displaying a selectable preference rating object that, when selected, identifies the program attribute value associated with the preference rating object as a preferred program attribute value.

45. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 42, wherein the displaying a preference rating object further comprises displaying a preference rating block into which a preference rating may be entered, the preference rating indicating a degree of like or dislike for the program associated with the preference rating block.

46. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 42, further comprising displaying a preference rating control that displays one or more selectable preference ratings that may be selected for entry via the preference rating object.

47. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 42, further comprising displaying one or more previously saved preference ratings from the UPF.

48. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 42, wherein the preference rating is a numerical value between a first non-negative integer and a second non-negative integer.

49. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 42, wherein the preference rating is a numerical value between a negative integer and a positive integer.

50. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 42, wherein the program is a television program.

51. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 42, wherein the program is an audio program.

52. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 42, further comprising displaying a preference actuator and only performing the storing step if the preference actuator is actuated.

53. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 42, further comprising displaying an exit actuator, discarding the received preference rating and foregoing the storing step if the exit actuator is actuated.