System and method for priority sponsorship of multimedia content

• US 20040003413A1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Boston, Stephen B., Hately, Andrew Douglas
• Application Number:
  US10/185,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20040003413A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/133
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method is provided to record programs on a user'"'"'s digital video recorder based upon sponsorship data. Sponsors, such as advertisers and other promoters, sponsor programs with a DVR service provider. The DVR service provider gathers the sponsors'"'"' requests and sends the sponsorship requests to the users'"'"' DVRs. The clients'"'"' DVRs receive the sponsorship data and edit schedules from the DVR service provider. The digital video recorder selects programs to record using user profile elements provided by the user. The sponsored programs are provided with increased rankings that are used to determine which program to record. The user'"'"'s DVR keeps track of programs that have been recorded and sends the information back to the DVR service provider. The DVR service provider creates reports for sponsors showing which programs were recorded by different groups of people.

Claims

1. A method for recording a program, said method comprising:

receiving, at a digital video recorder, a sponsored program listing over a network from a service provider;

retrieving one or more user assigned rankings corresponding to one or more scheduled programs;

locating a sponsor ranking in the sponsored program listing corresponding to one or more of the scheduled programs that have user assigned rankings;

increasing the user assigned ranking for one of the scheduled programs in response to the scheduled program matching the sponsored program listing;

selecting, based on the user assigned rankings and the sponsor ranking increase, one of the scheduled programs; and

recording the selected scheduled program onto a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the digital video recorder.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

storing the sponsored program listing in a nonvolatile memory area accessible by the digital video recorder.

3. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

determining that a time slot corresponding to the scheduled program is idle, wherein the recording is performed in response to the determination.

4. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

altering one or more recording settings prior to the recording, wherein at least one of the recording settings is selected from the group consisting of a start time, a stop time, and a recording quality.

5. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

storing selected program data corresponding to the sponsored program in response to the recording; and

transmitting the selected program data to a service provider over the network.

6. The method as described in claim 5 further comprising:

retrieving demographic data corresponding to a user of the digital video recorder;

creating one or more reports based on the selected program data and the demographic data; and

sending the reports to one or more third parties.

7. The method as described in claim 6 wherein one of the third parties is a sponsor of the sponsored program.

8. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a network interface connecting the information handling system to a computer network; and

a recording tool for recording sponsored programs, the recording tool including;

means for receiving, at a digital video recorder, a sponsored program listing over a network from a service provider;

means for retrieving one or more user assigned rankings corresponding to one or more scheduled programs;

means for locating a sponsor ranking in the sponsored program listing corresponding to one or more of the scheduled programs that have user assigned rankings;

means for increasing the user assigned ranking for one of the scheduled programs in response to the scheduled program matching the sponsored program listing;

means for selecting, based on the user assigned rankings and the sponsor ranking increase, one of the scheduled programs; and

means for recording the selected scheduled program onto a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the digital video recorder.

9. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for storing the sponsored program listing in a nonvolatile memory area accessible by the digital video recorder.

10. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for determining that a time slot corresponding to the scheduled program is idle, wherein the recording is performed in response to the determination.

11. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for altering one or more recording settings prior to the recording, wherein at least one of the recording settings is selected from the group consisting of a start time, a stop time, and a recording quality.

12. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for storing selected program data corresponding to the sponsored program in response to the recording; and

means for transmitting the selected program data to a service provider over the network.

13. The information handling system as described in claim 12 further comprising:

means for retrieving demographic data corresponding to a user of the digital video recorder;

means for creating one or more reports based on the selected program data and the demographic data; and

means for sending the reports to one or more third parties.

14. A computer program product stored in a computer operable media for recording a program, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving, at a digital video recorder, a sponsored program listing over a network from a service provider;

means for retrieving one or more user assigned rankings corresponding to one or more scheduled programs;

means for locating a sponsor ranking in the sponsored program listing corresponding to one or more of the scheduled programs that have user assigned rankings;

means for increasing the user assigned ranking for one of the scheduled programs in response to the scheduled program matching the sponsored program listing;

means for selecting, based on the user assigned rankings and the sponsor ranking increase, one of the scheduled programs; and

means for recording the selected scheduled program onto a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the digital video recorder.

15. The computer program product as described in claim 14 further comprising:

means for storing the sponsored program listing in a nonvolatile memory area accessible by the digital video recorder.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 14 further comprising:

means for determining that a time slot corresponding to the scheduled program is idle, wherein the recording is performed in response to the determination.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 14 further comprising:

means for altering one or more recording settings prior to the recording, wherein at least one of the recording settings is selected from the group consisting of a start time, a stop time, and a recording quality.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 14 further comprising:

means for storing selected program data corresponding to the sponsored program in response to the recording; and

means for transmitting the selected program data to a service provider over the network.

19. The computer program product as described in claim 18 further comprising:

means for retrieving demographic data corresponding to a user of the digital video recorder;

means for creating one or more reports based on the selected program data and the demographic data; and

means for sending the reports to one or more third parties.

20. The computer program product as described in claim 19 wherein one of the third parties is a sponsor of the sponsored program.