System and method of providing television ratings information

• US 20070157221A1
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Ou, Canhui, Wong, Peter
• Application Number:
  US11/318,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20070157221A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system and method of providing television ratings information is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes determining aggregated audience data associated with a program carried over a channel. The aggregated audience data is collected from a number of set-top box devices associated with a multicast group of the channel. The method also includes receiving a request for real-time ratings information from a set-top box device and transmitting the real-time ratings information to the set-top box device. The real-time ratings information includes the aggregated audience data.

Claims

1. A method of providing television ratings information, the method comprising:

determining aggregated audience data associated with a program carried over a channel, wherein the aggregated audience data is collected from a number of set-top box devices associated with a multicast group of the channel;

receiving a request for real-time ratings information from a set-top box device; and

transmitting the real-time ratings information to the set-top box device, wherein the real-time ratings information includes the aggregated audience data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a join command from a new set-top box device to be added to the multicast group; and

determining revised audience data associated with the program, the revised audience data based on adding the new set-top box device to the multicast group.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a leave command from a set-top box device to be removed from the multicast group; and

determining revised audience data associated with the program, the revised audience data based on removing the set-top box device to be removed from the multicast group.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the set-top box device for an electronic program guide (EPG);

generating the EPG, wherein the EPG includes an indicator of a selectable option to receive the real-time ratings information; and

transmitting the EPG to the set-top box device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a command from the set-top box device, the command related to a selection of the indicator;

updating the EPG to include the real-time ratings information; and

transmitting the updated EPG to the set-top box device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving review data of the program from the set-top box device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the review data includes a number of stars.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining an average review of the program at least partially based on the review data, wherein the real-time ratings information includes the average review.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

comparing the aggregated audience data of the program to other aggregated audience data of each of a plurality of other programs; and

arranging the program and the plurality of other programs into a ranked list based on the aggregated audience data and the other aggregated audience data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a command from the set-top box device, the command related to a selection to receive the ranked list; and

transmitting the ranked list to the set-top box device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the ranked list includes at least one segment that includes programs of a program type.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the program type is sports, comedy, drama, action, news, documentary, educational, or movie.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the audience data includes a percentage of end user devices within a market area that are receiving the program.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the market area is a national area, a regional area, a state area, a metropolitan area, a neighborhood area, or any combination thereof.

15. A method of receiving television ratings information, the method comprising:

issuing a request for real-time ratings information from a set-top box device to a server, wherein the real-time ratings information includes aggregated audience data of a program carried over a channel;

wherein the aggregated audience data is determined based on a number of other set-top box devices associated with a multicast group of the channel; and

receiving the real-time ratings information at the set-top box device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a request to view a channel at the set-top box device;

issuing a join command to the server, wherein the join command is a command to add the set-top box to a multicast group of the channel; and

wherein revised audience data is calculated based on data provided by the set-top box device being added to the multicast group.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a selection at the set-top box device to view an electronic program guide (EPG);

issuing a request to the server for data related to the EPG;

receiving the data from the server; and

generating the EPG, wherein the EPG includes an indicator of a selectable option to receive the real-time ratings information.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting the EPG to a display device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the indicator at the set-top box device before issuing the request to receive the real-time ratings information;

receiving data related to the real-time ratings information from the server; and

generating an updated EPG that includes the real-time ratings information.

20. A system to provide television ratings information, the system comprising:

a server within an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system, the server having a processor and a memory device accessible to the processor;

wherein the memory device includes a ratings information module that is executable by the processor to determine aggregated audience data of a program carried over the channel, the aggregated audience data collected from a number of set-top box devices associated with the multicast group;

wherein the ratings information module is executable by the processor to transmit real-time ratings information to a set-top box device via an access network of the IPTV system, the real-time ratings information transmitted in response to a request to receive the ratings information; and

wherein the real-time ratings information includes the aggregated audience data.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the server is a multicast video content server.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the memory device includes an electronic program guide (EPG) module that is executable by the processor to generate an EPG that includes the real-time ratings information and to transmit the EPG to the set-top box device via the access network in response to a request from the set-top box device.

23. A system to receive television ratings information, comprising:

a set-top box having a processor and a memory device accessible to the processor;

wherein the memory device includes a command module that is executable by the processor to issue a join command to a server via an access network of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system, the join command including a command to add the set-top box to a multicast group of a channel;

wherein the memory device includes a ratings information module that is executable by the processor to issue a request to the server via the access network to receive real-time ratings information of a program carried over the channel; and

wherein the real-time ratings information includes audience data of the program determined based on data from a number of set-top box devices associated with the multicast group.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the command module is a channel change module that is executable by the processor to issue the join command in response to a channel change request from a user.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the memory device includes an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) module, wherein the processor issues a command to the IGMP module to issue the join command.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the memory device includes an electronic program guide (EPG) module that is executable by the processor to:

transmit an EPG to a display device coupled to the set-top box device, wherein the EPG includes an indicator of a selectable option to receive the ratings information;

receive a selection of the indicator from the user before issuing the request to receive ratings information; and

transmit an updated EPG that includes the ratings information to the display device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the EPG module is executable by the processor to generate the EPG and the updated EPG based on data received from the server.

28. A computer program embedded in a computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to determine aggregated audience data of a program carried over a channel, wherein the aggregated audience data is collected from a number of set-top box devices associated with a multicast group of the channel;

instructions to receive a request for real-time ratings information from a set-top box device, wherein the real-time ratings information includes the aggregated audience data; and

instructions to transmit the real-time ratings information to the set-top box device.

29. The computer program of claim 28, wherein the multicast group includes at least one set-top box device receiving multicast video content of the channel.

30. A computer program embedded in a computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to issue a request for real-time ratings information from a set-top box device to a server via an access network of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system, wherein the real-time ratings information includes aggregated audience data of a program carried over a channel;

wherein the aggregated audience data is determined based on data from a number of set-top box devices associated with a multicast group of the channel; and

instructions to communicate with the server via the access network to receive the real-time ratings information at the set-top box device.