Technique for collecting data relating to activity of a user receiving entertainment programs through a communications network

• US 20040230994A1
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Urdang, Erik G., Bell, David G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/88
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In a broadband communications system, information is collected which relates to user-issued commands for accessing programming content and manipulating recorded programming content. The commands are monitored to determine when such content is accessed (i.e., requested, selected or played) and manipulated (i.e., rewound, fast-forwarded, paused, etc.) by a user. Data associated with a command to request, select or manipulate programming content is read from the user-issued command and forwarded to a processor for presentation of the programming content. The read data is stored and made available for analyzing user activity respecting programming content provided by the broadband communication system. Such analysis may relate to the popularity of specific programs, the frequency in which specific commercials are skipped or played, the most popular times that a specific program or type of program is accessed, and the like.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

a first server for presenting programming content;

a device for providing a data stream containing programming content over a communications network, the data stream being identified by an identifier;

a controller for communicating the identifier to a terminal for receiving the data stream; and

a second server for receiving from the terminal over the communications network commands relating to a presentation of the programming content, compiling data concerning the received commands, and forwarding the received commands to the first server responsive to the commands.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the data includes a terminal identifier.

3. The communications system of claim 2, wherein the terminal identifier relates to a location of the terminal.

4. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the data includes information relating to a type of command received by the first server.

5. The communications system of claim 4, wherein the type of command received by the first server is a selected one of request, select, fast-forward, rewind, pause, play and stop command types.

6. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the data includes an asset identifier for identifying the programming content to which the commands relate.

7. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the data includes current time information for identifying a time a command is received by the first server.

8. The communications system of claim 7, wherein the current time information indicates a date.

9. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the data includes lapsed play time information for identifying a point within the programming content when a command is received by the first server.

10. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first server is further configured for storing the compiled data.

11. Apparatus for use in a facility serving a plurality of terminals over a communications network, the facility including a device for providing a data stream containing programming content over the communications network, the data stream being identified by an identifier, the identifier being communicated to at least one of the terminals, the at least one terminal obtaining the programming content from the data stream identified by the identifier, the facility further including a server responsive to one or more commands from the at least one terminal relating to a presentation of the programming content, the apparatus comprising:

an interface for receiving the commands from the at least one terminal over the communications network, the commands being forwarded to the server;

a processor for compiling data concerning the received commands; and

storage for storing the compiled data.

12. The communications system of claim 11, wherein the data includes a terminal identifier.

13. The communications system of claim 12, wherein the terminal identifier relates to a location of the terminal.

14. The communications system of claim 11, wherein the data includes information relating to a type of command received by the first server.

15. The communications system of claim 14, wherein the type of command received by the first server is a selected one of request, select, fast-forward, rewind, pause, play and stop command types.

16. The communications system of claim 11, wherein the data includes an asset identifier for identifying the programming content to which the commands relate.

17. The communications system of claim 11, wherein the data includes current time information for identifying a time a command is received by the first server.

18. The communications system of claim 17, wherein the current time information indicates a date.

19. The communications system of claim 11, wherein the data includes lapsed play time information for identifying a point within the programming content when the command is received by the first server.

20. A method for collecting data in a communications system including a first server and a second server, the method comprising:

presenting by a first server programming content;

providing a data stream containing programming content over the communications network, the data stream being identified by an identifier;

communicating the identifier to a terminal for obtaining the programming content in the data stream;

receiving by a second server from the terminal commands relating to a presentation of the programming content;

compiling data concerning the received commands by the first server; and

forwarding the received commands by the first server to the second server responsive to the commands.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the data includes a terminal identifier.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the terminal identifier relates to a location of the terminal.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the data includes information relating to a type of command received by the first server.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the type of command received by the first server is a selected one of request, select, fast-forward, rewind, pause, play and stop command types.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the data includes an asset identifier for identifying the programming content to which the commands relate.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the data includes current time information for identifying a time a command is received by the first server.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the current time information indicates a date.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the data includes lapsed play time information for identifying a point within the programming content when the command is received by the first server.

29. The method of claim 20, further comprising storing the compiled data in storage.

30. A communications system, comprising:

a server for presenting programming content;

a device for providing a data stream containing the programming content over a communications network, the data stream being identified by an identifier;

a controller for communicating the identifier to a terminal for receiving the data stream;

a router for routing to the server commands relating to a presentation of the programming content which are received from the terminal over the communications network; and

a processing unit for reading at least a subset of the commands from the router while the commands are being routed through the router, and for compiling data concerning the read commands.

31. The communications system of claim 30, wherein the data includes a terminal identifier.

32. The communications system of claim 31, wherein the terminal identifier relates to a location of the terminal.

33. The communications system of claim 30, wherein the data includes information relating to a type of command received by the router.

34. The communications system of claim 33, wherein the type of command received by the router is a selected one of request, select, fast-forward, rewind, pause, play and stop command types.

35. The communications system of claim 30, wherein the data includes an asset identifier for identifying the programming content to which the commands relate.

36. The communications system of claim 30, wherein the data includes current time information for identifying a time a command is received by the processing unit.

37. The communications system of claim 36, wherein the current time information indicates a date.

38. The communications system of claim 30, wherein the data includes lapsed play time information for identifying a point within the programming content when the command is received by the router.

39. The communications system of claim 30, wherein the processing unit is further configured for storing the compiled data.

40. Apparatus for use in a facility serving a plurality of terminals over a communications network, the facility including a device for providing a data stream containing programming content over the communications network, the data stream being identified by an identifier, the identifier being communicated to at least one of the terminals, the at least one terminal obtaining the programming content from the data stream identified by the identifier, the facility further including a router for receiving the commands from the terminal over the communications network, the apparatus comprising:

an interface for reading at least a portion of the commands from the router;

a processor for compiling data concerning the read commands; and

storage for storing the compiled data.

41. The communications system of claim 40, wherein the data includes a terminal identifier.

42. The communications system of claim 41, wherein the terminal identifier relates to a location of the terminal.

43. The communications system of claim 40, wherein the data includes information relating to a type of command received by the router.

44. The communications system of claim 43, wherein the type of command received by the router is a selected one of request, select, fast-forward, rewind, pause, play and stop command types.

45. The communications system of claim 40, wherein the data includes an asset identifier for identifying the programming content to which the commands relate.

46. The communications system of claim 40, wherein the data includes current time information for identifying a time a command is read by the interface.

47. The communications system of claim 46, wherein the current time information indicates a date.

48. The communications system of claim 40, wherein the data includes lapsed play time information for identifying a point within the programming content when the command is received by the router.

49. A method for collecting data in a communications system including a server, a router and a processing unit, the method comprising:

presenting by the server programming content;

providing a data stream containing the programming content over the communications network, the data stream being identified by an identifier;

communicating the identifier to a terminal for receiving the data stream;

routing by a router to the server the commands relating to the presentation of the programming content received from the terminal over the communications network; and

allowing at least a subset of the commands to be read by the processing unit while the commands are being routed through the router; and

compiling data concerning the read commands.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the data includes a terminal identifier.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the terminal identifier relates to a location of the terminal.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein the data includes information relating to a type of command received by the router.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the type of command received by the router is a selected one of request, select, fast-forward, rewind, pause, play and stop command types.

54. The method of claim 49, wherein the data includes an asset identifier for identifying the programming content to which the commands relate.

55. The method of claim 49, wherein the data includes current time information for identifying a time a command is read by the processing unit.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the current time information indicates a date.

57. The method of claim 49, wherein the data includes lapsed play time information for identifying a point within the programming content when the command is received by the router.

58. The method of claim 49, further comprising storing the compiled data in storage.