Digital audio/video recorders with user specific predictive buffering

• US 20050138658A1
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bryan, David Alan
• Application Number:
  US10/845,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138658A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

A method and apparatus for predictive buffering in a media recorder, the method comprising the steps of predictively determining at least one program of interest to a user, and buffering a portion of the program. The program is selected using various criteria based on user profiles. User profiles are selected based on user behavior and direct information from the user.

Claims

1. A method for operating a media recorder, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a user profile based on intrinsic information obtained by monitoring user behavior and direct information received from the user; and

buffering or recording at least a portion of a program based on said profile.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining said profile is based on a list of channels most recently viewed by the user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining said profile is a predictive process based on a frequency measure of channels watched by a user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining said profile includes an identifying step for identifying the user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of identifying the user includes monitoring the physical characteristics of data entry by the user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining said profile is a predictive process based on the genre of channels being watched.

7. A method for predictive buffering of programs in a media recorder, the method comprising the steps of:

Recognizing a user based on user behavior;

Associating the user with a profile;

Selecting a signal containing a first set of television programs based on said profile; and

Buffering at least a portion of one program.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein selection of the at least one program from the first set of television programs is based on a predictive process.

9. A system for predictive buffering in a media recorder, the system comprising

a profile selection program adapted to select a profile based on both a user'"'"'s behavior and direct information provided by the user;

a predictive program selection subsystem, wherein the predictive program selection subsystem selects at least one program determined by the profile; and

a buffering subsystem that buffers a portion of said one program.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a subsystem that determines the identity of the user.

11. A system for recording programs comprising:

a profile selection program adapted to select a user profile from a plurality of user profiles associated with the system; and

a program selection subsystem that selects at least one program to be recorded at a predetermined time slot, said subsystem selecting the program in accordance with the profile of the user that uses the system most frequently at said preselected time.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said profile selection program monitors who uses the system and predictively identifies the users.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said program selection subsystem starts recording the program started during said predetermined time slot and continues recording said program if said program extends into a subsequent time slot independently of what user is identified as being the most frequent user during said subsequent time slot.

14. A system for predictive buffering in a media recorder, the system comprising:

a profile selection program adapted to select a user profile from a set of user profiles, wherein each user profile is determined from viewing habits of the user;

a predictive program selection subsystem, wherein the predictive program selection subsystem selects at least one program determined by the profile; and

a buffering subsystem that buffers a portion of said one program;

wherein said users are prioritized in an order determined by how often a particular user watches buffered program portions, and wherein said profile selection program selects the profile of the user who watches buffered portions most often.

15. A method for operating a radio recorder that records radio from the Internet, a satellite, and the like, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a user profile based on intrinsic information obtained by monitoring user behavior and direct information received from the user; and

buffering or recording at least a portion of a radio program based on said profile.