Technique for identifying favorite program channels for receiving entertainment programming content over a communications network

• US 20060184967A1
• Filed: 02/14/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Maynard, Stephen L., Callahan, John W., Hassell, Joseph M., Shoykhet, Vitaly, Autruong, Tho T., Towne, Karla J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,509,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A favorites list of program channels which a cable TV user likely prefers is generated automatically, from which the user may select a program channel to watch. Each program channel in the favorites list is identified based on a measure of the duration in which the program channel is continuously tuned to. In an embodiment, this measure varies nonlinearly with such a duration. The favorites list may further comprise sublists of program channels which may correspond to different periods of a day, week, etc.

Claims

1. Apparatus for receiving programming content attributed to a plurality of program channels, comprising:

an interface for selecting at least one of the plurality of program channels to receive programming content attributed thereto;

a memory for storing data identifying at least one collection of program channels for selection thereof, the collection of program channels being a subset of the plurality of program channels; and

a processing unit configured to automatically update the data, a particular program channel being included in the collection based at least on a measure of at least one duration in which the particular program channel has been selected to receive continuously programming content attributed thereto, the measure being not directly proportional to the duration.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a set-top terminal.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measure varies with a series of time lengths made part of the duration.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least two of the time lengths in the series are not equal.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein after the series of time lengths made part of the duration has elapsed, the measure no longer varies with the duration.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the particular program channel is included in the collection also based on a manner in which the particular program channel is selected.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one collection includes a plurality of collections of program channels, the plurality of collections corresponding to respective ones of time periods.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the time periods comprise different time periods of a day.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the time periods comprise different time periods of a week.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a first apparatus, wherein the particular program channel is included in the collection also based on one or more measures generated by a second apparatus associated with the first apparatus.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first apparatus is located in the same user location as the second apparatus.

7. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the manner in which the particular program channel is selected includes selecting the particular program channel based on an identifier thereof.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the identifier of the particular program channel includes a number selectable using a device associated with the apparatus.

14. Apparatus for receiving programming content attributed to a plurality of program channels, comprising:

a memory for storing identifiers of a plurality of subsets of the program channels for selection to receive programming content, the plurality of subsets corresponding to respective ones of time periods;

an interface for receiving a request for a program channel selection; and

a processing unit configured to determine time of the request, one of the subsets which corresponds to a time period to which the time of the request belongs being selected, an identity of a program channel in the selected subset being retrieved for selection.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein make-ups of the program channels in the plurality of subsets are updated automatically.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein make-ups of the program channels in the plurality of subsets are updated independently.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a program channel is included in one of the subsets based at least on a measure of at least one duration in which the program channel has been selected to receive continuously programming content attributed thereto.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the measure is a nonlinear function of the duration.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the program channel is included in one of the subsets also based on a manner in which the program channel is selected.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the manner in which the program channel is selected includes selecting the program channel based on an identifier thereof.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the identifier of the program channel includes a number selectable using a device associated with the apparatus.

22. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the time periods comprise different time periods of a day.

23. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the time periods comprise different time periods of a week.

24. The apparatus according to claim 14 comprising a first apparatus, wherein the program channel is included in one of the subsets also based on one or more measures generated by a second apparatus associated with the first apparatus.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the first apparatus is located in the same user location as the second apparatus.

26. A method for use in an apparatus for receiving programming content attributed to a plurality of program channels, comprising:

providing an interface for selecting at least one of the plurality of program channels to receive programming content attributed thereto;

storing data identifying at least one collection of program channels for selection thereof, the collection of program channels being a subset of the plurality of program channels; and

automatically updating the data, a particular program channel being included in the collection based at least on a measure of at least one duration in which the particular program channel has been selected to receive continuously programming content attributed thereto, the measure being not directly proportional to the duration.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the measure varies with a series of time lengths made part of the duration.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein at least two of the time lengths in the series are not equal.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein after the series of time lengths made part of the duration has elapsed, the measure no longer varies with the duration.

30. The method according to claim 26, wherein the particular program channel is included in the collection also based on a manner in which the particular program channel is selected.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the manner in which the particular program channel is selected includes selecting the particular program channel based on an identifier thereof.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the identifier of the particular program channel includes a number selectable using a device associated with the apparatus.

33. The method according to claim 26, wherein the at least one collection includes a plurality of collections of program channels, the plurality of collections corresponding to respective ones of time periods.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the time periods comprise different time periods of a day.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein the time periods comprise different time periods of a week.

36. The method according to claim 26, wherein the apparatus comprising a first apparatus, the particular program channel being included in the collection also based on one or more measures generated by a second apparatus associated with the first apparatus.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the first apparatus is located in the same user location as the second apparatus.

38. A method for receiving programming content attributed to a plurality of program channels, comprising:

storing identities of a plurality of subsets of the program channels for selection to receive programming content, the plurality of subsets corresponding to respective ones of time periods;

receiving a request for a program channel selection;

determining time of the request;

selecting one of the subsets which corresponds to a time period to which the time of the request belongs; and

retrieving an identity of a program channel in the selected subset for selection.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein make-ups of the program channels in the plurality of subsets are updated automatically.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein make-ups of the program channels in the plurality of subsets are updated independently.

41. The method according to claim 38, wherein a program channel is included in one of the subsets based at least on a measure of at least one duration in which the program channel has been selected to receive continuously programming content attributed thereto.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein the measure is a nonlinear function of the duration.

43. The method according to claim 41, wherein the program channel is included in one of the subsets also based on a manner in which the program channel is selected.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the manner in which the program channel is selected includes selecting the program channel based on an identifier thereof.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein the identifier of the program channel includes a number selectable using a device associated with the apparatus.

46. The method according to claim 38, wherein the time periods comprise different time periods of a day.

47. The method according to claim 38, wherein the time periods comprise different time periods of a week.

48. The method according to claim 38, wherein the apparatus comprises a first apparatus, the program channel being included in one of the subsets also based on one or more measures generated by a second apparatus associated with the first apparatus.

49. The method according to claim 48, wherein the first apparatus is located in the same user location as the second apparatus.