Electronic program guide systems and methods for handling multiple users
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- registering multiple users with a client device having an electronic program guide system thereon; and
establishing a ranking of the multiple users, the electronic program guide system being configured to use the ranking as a reference for providing services to collections of users.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Various methods and systems can facilitate handing multiple users in the context of electronic program guide systems. Various described embodiments permit the users to be identified to or registered with the system. The system can then establish a ranking or pecking order for the users. The ranking provides a point of reference from which the system can provide services to the users. Various methods and systems can ascertain the particular mix of users or viewers at any one time, and can then provide one or more services as a function of the viewers who are present. Additionally, some embodiments can ascertain when the collection of users has changed and can then offer a modified mix of services that are tailored to the new user collection. Further, some embodiments make use of the concept of personas for individual users. Individual users can have multiple different personas each of which being associated with a different set of preferences for that user. The system can then make recommendations and provide other services for the user based on their current persona.
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Citations
116 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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registering multiple users with a client device having an electronic program guide system thereon; and
establishing a ranking of the multiple users, the electronic program guide system being configured to use the ranking as a reference for providing services to collections of users. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system comprising:
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one or more computer-readable media;
one or more processors;
computer-readable instructions on the one or more computer-readable media which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;
register multiple users with an electronic program guide system; and
establish a ranking of the multiple users, the electronic program guide system being configured to use the ranking as a reference for providing services to collections of users.. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A method comprising:
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registering multiple users with a client device having an electronic program guide system thereon;
establishing a ranking of the multiple users, the electronic program guide system being configured to use the ranking as a reference for providing services to collections of users;
ascertaining one or more users within a viewing area associated with the client device; and
providing one or more services via the electronic program guide system based on which users are ascertained to be in the viewing area. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method comprising:
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registering multiple users with a client device having an electronic program guide system thereon;
establishing a ranking of the multiple users, the electronic program guide system being configured to use the ranking as a reference for providing services to collections of users;
ascertaining one or more users within a viewing area associated with the client device; and
providing one or more services via the electronic program guide system as a function of the highest ranking user in the viewing area. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system comprising:
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one or more computer-readable media;
one or more processors; and
computer-readable instructions on the one or more computer-readable media which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;
register multiple users with an electronic program guide system thereon;
establish a ranking of the multiple users, the electronic program guide system being configured to use the ranking as a reference for providing services to collections of users;
ascertain one or more users within a viewing area associated with the electronic program guide system; and
provide one or more services via the electronic program guide system as a function of the highest ranking user in the viewing area. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A method comprising:
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ascertaining a collection of users within a viewing area associated with an electronic program guide system;
providing one or more services, via the electronic program guide system, as a function of the user collection;
determining whether a constituency of the user collection changes;
if the constituency of the user collection changes, determining whether any of the services that are being provided need to change as a result of the constituency changing; and
changing one or more of the services if, as a result of the constituency change, one or more of the services need to be changed. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A system comprising:
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one or more computer-readable media;
one or more processors; and
computer-readable instructions on the one or more computer-readable media which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;
ascertain a collection of users within a viewing area associated with an electronic program guide system;
provide one or more services, via the electronic program guide system, as a function of the user collection;
determine whether a constituency of the user collection changes;
if the constituency of the user collection changes, determine whether any of the services that are being provided need to change as a result of the constituency changing; and
change one or more of the services if, as a result of the constituency change, one or more of the services need to be changed. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method comprising:
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ascertaining, via one or more devices associated with a viewing system on which programs can be viewed, a collection of users within a viewing area associated with the viewing system; and
providing one or more services via the viewing system based on the collection of users in the viewing area. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A system comprising:
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a viewing system configured to provide program services to users;
one or more devices associated with the viewing system and configured to enable users within a viewing area of the viewing system to be identified to the viewing system; and
the viewing system being configured to provide one or more services based on a collection of users that are identified to be in the viewing area. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A method comprising:
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ascertaining, via a user-engagable, fingerprint reader device, a collection of users within a viewing area associated with a device embodying an electronic program guide system; and
providing one or more services via the electronic program guide system based on the collection of users in the viewing area. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. A method comprising:
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ascertaining a collection of users within a viewing area associated with a device embodying the electronic program guide system;
providing one or more services via the electronic program guide system based on the collection of users in the viewing area; and
visually indicating a collection of users that the electronic program guide system believes are in the viewing area. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A method comprising:
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ascertaining, via face recognition techniques, a collection of users within a viewing area associated with a device embodying an electronic program guide system; and
providing one or more services via the electronic program guide system based on the collection of users in the viewing area. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. A method comprising:
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capturing one or more images of a viewing area associated with an electronic program guide system;
identifying, from the one or more images, image portions that constitute a face;
processing at least the image portions to identify one or more users within the viewing area; and
providing one or more services via the electronic program guide system as a function of the collection of users that are identified within the viewing area. - View Dependent Claims (90, 91, 92, 93)
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94. A method comprising:
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providing one or more rules associated with different collections of users of an electronic program guide system;
identifying users within a viewing area associated with the electronic program guide system;
selecting one or more rules based on the collection of identified users; and
using the selected rules to control the electronic program guide system. - View Dependent Claims (95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101)
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102. A method comprising:
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associating multiple users of an electronic program guide system using one or more personas, a persona defining preferences associated with the multiple users;
identifying users within a viewing area associated with the electronic program guide system; and
providing one or more services via the electronic program guide system based on a persona that represents the users within the viewing area. - View Dependent Claims (103, 104, 105, 106, 107)
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108. A method comprising:
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associating multiple personas with a single user of an electronic program guide system, the personas defining preferences associated with the user; and
providing one or more services via the electronic program guide system based on a persona that represents the user. - View Dependent Claims (109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116)
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Specification