Method for monitoring television usage

• US 20060085812A1
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ahmad R. Shishegar, Jonathan D. Gershan, Michael Lazzaro
• Original Assignee: Ahmad R. Shishegar, Jonathan D. Gershan, Michael Lazzaro
• Inventors: Gershan, Jonathan D., Shishegar, Ahmad R., Lazzaro, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/966,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085812A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/19
• 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 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• 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 21/44222 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for monitoring usage of a programmable video recording device that records television program segments selected by on-screen graphics. In the method, an on-screen graphic associated with selecting a television program segment is intercepted. The selected television program segment is recognized using the intercepted on-screen graphic, and record usage information associated with the selected television program segment is generated. The record usage information may be included in a database for analysis. Other similar television usage may be monitored such as recorded program playback, game play, pay-per-view, and video-on-demand viewing.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring usage of a programmable video recording device that records a television program segment selected by at least one on-screen graphic, comprising:

intercepting the on-screen graphic(s) associated with selecting a television program segment; and

recognizing the selected television program segment using the intercepted on-screen graphic(s) and generating record usage information associated with the selected television program segment.

2. A method for monitoring usage of a programmable video recording device as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one on-screen graphic includes a menu having a television program name field.

3. A method for monitoring usage of a programmable video recording device as defined in claim 2, wherein recognizing the selected television program segment using the intercepted on-screen graphic(s) comprises performing character recognition on the television program name field to determine the selected television program segment.

4. A method for monitoring usage of a programmable video recording device as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one on-screen graphic includes a menu having a record start time field, a record stop time field, and a television channel number field.

5. A method for monitoring usage of a programmable video recording device as defined in claim 4, wherein recognizing the selected television program segment using the intercepted on-screen graphic(s) comprises performing character recognition on the record start time field, the record stop time field, and the television channel number field to determine the record start time, record stop time, and the television channel.

6. A method for monitoring usage of a programmable video recording device as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one on-screen graphic includes a menu having a record start time field, a record duration field, and a television channel number field.

7. A method for monitoring usage of a programmable video recording device as defined in claim 6, wherein recognizing the selected television program segment using the intercepted on-screen graphic(s) comprises performing character recognition on the record start time field, the record duration field, and the television channel number field to determine the record start time, record duration, and the television channel.

8. A method for monitoring usage of a programmable video recording device as defined in claim 1, further comprising including the record usage information associated with the selected television program segment in a database for analysis.

9. A method for monitoring usage of a programmable video recording device as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

intercepting the on-screen graphic(s) associated with playback of a recorded television program segment;

recognizing the playback of the recorded television program segment using the intercepted on-screen graphic(s) and generating playback usage information associated with the recorded television program segment.

10. A method for monitoring usage of a programmable video recording device that plays back a recorded television program segment, comprising:

intercepting on-screen graphic(s) associated with playback of a recorded television program segment;

recognizing the playback of the recorded television program segment using the intercepted on-screen graphic(s) and generating playback usage information associated with the recorded television program segment.

11. A method for monitoring usage of a programmable video recording device as defined in claim 10, further comprising including the playback usage information associated with the recorded television program segment in a database for analysis.

12. A method for monitoring requests for video-on-demand programming selected by at least one on-screen graphic, comprising:

intercepting the on-screen graphic(s) associated with selecting a video-on-demand television program; and

recognizing the video-on-demand television program using the intercepted on-screen graphic(s) and generating video-on-demand request information associated with the selected video-on-demand television program.

13. A method for monitoring requests for video-on-demand programming as defined in claim 12, further comprising including the video-on-demand request information in a database for analysis.

14. A method for monitoring requests for pay-per-view programming selected by at least one on-screen graphic, comprising:

intercepting the on-screen graphic(s) associated with selecting a pay-per-view television program; and

recognizing the pay-per-view television program using the intercepted on-screen graphic(s) and generating pay-per-view request information associated with the selected pay-per-view television program.

15. A method for monitoring requests for pay-per-view programming as defined in claim 14, further comprising including the pay-per-view request information in a database for analysis.

16. A method for monitoring usage of a video game, comprising:

intercepting at least one on-screen graphic associated with play of a video game; and

recognizing the video game using the intercepted on-screen graphic(s) and generating video game usage information.

17. A method for monitoring usage of a video game as defined in claim 16, further comprising including the video game usage information in a database for analysis.