Sports Broadcast Scheduler

• US 20070157246A1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sports TV Insider LLC
• Original Assignee: Sports TV Insider LLC
• Inventors: Phillips, Damon
• Application Number:
  US11/613,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20070157246A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/46 specially adapted for broadcast systems covered by groups H04H20/53-H04H20/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• 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 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• 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

Abstract

A customized sports broadcast schedule is generated. Rankings are assigned to teams based on performance, popularity, and/or season stage. A customer-specific psychographic profile is generated based on customer location and/or customer preferences. The customer-specific sports broadcast schedule is generated based on the customer-specific psychographic profile and assigned rankings.

Claims

1. A method of generating a customized sports broadcast schedule, comprising:

(a) assigning rankings to teams based on performance, popularity, or season stage, or combinations thereof;

(b) generating a customer-specific psychographic profile based on customer location or customer preferences or both; and

(c) generating a customer-specific sports broadcast schedule based on the customer-specific psychographic profile and assigned rankings.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising excluding teams with rankings below a certain threshold ranking, or prioritizing teams with ranking above a same or different threshold ranking, or both.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising excluding teams with broadcast ratings below a certain threshold rating or prioritizing teams with broadcast ratings above a same or different threshold rating, or both.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising dividing the customer-specific sports broadcast schedule into multiple time periods.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the customer-specific sports broadcast schedule comprises:

(i) generating a master schedule comprising substantially all or most available sports broadcast events, and

(ii) removing events from the master schedule that fail certain criteria or selecting events that pass certain criteria, or both.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the customer-specific sports broadcast schedule comprises generating both a local broadcast schedule which takes into account customer location, and a national broadcast schedule which does not take into account customer location, and wherein the generating of the customer-specific sports broadcast schedule comprises combining the local and national broadcast schedules.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the customer-specific psychographic profile is based at least in part on customer preferences.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the customer preferences include subjective criteria received from the customer other than or in addition to information relating to past viewing history.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the customer-specific psychographic profile is based at least in part on customer location, such that teams within a same geographic region as the customer receive enhanced prioritization.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the rankings are based at least in part on performance, which is based on win/loss record, Las Vegas odds, or another professional organization ranking, or combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the rankings are based at least in part on popularity, which is based on one or more polls, sales of merchandise, vote getting, away game attendance, or another professional organization ranking, or combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the rankings are based at least in part on season stage, wherein greater proximity to end of season is given an enhanced ranking.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising electronically or wirelessly distributing the customer-specific broadcast schedule to the customer, or both.

14. A customized sports broadcast schedule report which is distributed to a customer electronically or wirelessly, or both, includes a schedule of selected sports broadcast events generated based on a customer-specific psychographic profile and assigned team rankings, wherein the psychographic profile is based on customer location or customer preferences, or both, and the assigned team rankings are based on performance, popularity or season stage, or combinations thereof.

15. The report of claim 14, wherein teams with rankings below a certain threshold ranking are specifically excluded, or teams with ranking above a same or different threshold ranking are specifically prioritized, or both.

16. The report of claim 14, wherein teams with broadcast ratings below a certain threshold rating are specifically excluded, or teams with broadcast ratings above a same or different threshold rating are specifically prioritized, or both.

17. The report of claim 14, comprising multiple subsets of events categorized each by a different time period.

18. The report of claim 14, comprising a master schedule including substantially all or most available sports broadcast events, and an abridged schedule generated from the master schedule by removing events from the master schedule that fail certain criteria or selecting events that pass certain criteria, or both.

19. The report of claim 14, comprising a local broadcast schedule which takes into account customer location, and a national broadcast schedule which does not take into account customer location.

20. The report of claim 14, wherein the customer-specific psychographic profile is based at least in part on customer preferences.

21. The report of claim 20, wherein the customer preferences include subjective criteria received from the customer other than or in addition to information relating to past viewing history.

22. The report of claim 14, wherein the customer-specific psychographic profile is based at least in part on customer location, such that teams within a same geographic region as the customer receive enhanced prioritization.

23. The report of claim 14, wherein the rankings are based at least in part on performance, which is based on win/loss record, Las Vegas odds, or another professional organization ranking, or combinations thereof.

24. The report of claim 14, wherein the rankings are based at least in part on popularity, which is based on one or more polls, sales of merchandise, vote getting, away game attendance, or another professional organization ranking, or combinations thereof.

25. The report of claim 14, wherein the rankings are based at least in part on season stage, wherein greater proximity to end of season is given an enhanced ranking.

26. The report of claim 14, comprising an electronic report.

27. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied thereon, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method of generating a customized sports broadcast schedule, wherein the method comprises:

(a) assigning rankings to teams based on performance, popularity, or season stage, or combinations thereof;

(b) generating a customer-specific psychographic profile based on customer location or customer preferences or both; and

(c) generating a customer-specific sports broadcast schedule based on the customer-specific psychographic profile and assigned rankings.

28. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises excluding teams with rankings below a certain threshold ranking, or prioritizing teams with ranking above a same or different threshold ranking, or both.

29. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises excluding teams with broadcast ratings below a certain threshold rating or prioritizing teams with broadcast ratings above a same or different threshold rating, or both.

30. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises dividing the customer-specific sports broadcast schedule into multiple time periods.

31. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the generating of the customer-specific sports broadcast schedule comprises:

(i) generating a master schedule comprising substantially all or most available sports broadcast events, and

(ii) removing events from the master schedule that fail certain criteria or selecting events that pass certain criteria, or both.

32. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the generating of the customer-specific sports broadcast schedule comprises generating both a local broadcast schedule which takes into account customer location, and a national broadcast schedule which does not take into account customer location, and wherein the generating of the customer-specific sports broadcast schedule comprises combining the local and national broadcast schedules.

33. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the generating of the customer-specific psychographic profile is based at least in part on customer preferences.

34. The one or more storage devices of claim 33, wherein the customer preferences include subjective criteria received from the customer other than or in addition to information relating to past viewing history.

35. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the generating of the customer-specific psychographic profile is based at least in part on customer location, such that teams within a same geographic region as the customer receive enhanced prioritization.

36. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the rankings are based at least in part on performance, which is based on win/loss record, Las Vegas odds, or another professional organization ranking, or combinations thereof.

37. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the rankings are based at least in part on popularity, which is based on one or more polls, sales of merchandise, vote getting, away game attendance, or another professional organization ranking, or combinations thereof.

38. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the rankings are based at least in part on season stage, wherein greater proximity to end of season is given an enhanced ranking.

39. The one or more storage devices of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises electronically or wirelessly distributing the customer-specific broadcast schedule to the customer, or both.