CHANNEL SELECTION BASED ON PROGRAM CONTENT ATTRIBUTES

• US 20070288961A1
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Poag, Frank Dennis, Guldi, Richard L.
• Application Number:
  US11/423,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20070288961A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• 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 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• 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 7/0885 for the transmission of subtitles

Abstract

Methods and apparatus determine program content attribute(s) of channels or programs received by an audio/video receiver. Program content attributes are determined by extracting attribute tagging data transmitted on a channel, by looking up previously stored attributes for a channel in a program content attribute table, and/or by identifying content through automatic data processing of the received channel signals themselves. Attributes may include, for example, national language, conversation vs. music, type of conversation (sports, call-in talk show) or music (classical, jazz, rock '"'"'n roll), etc. The determined program content attributes are compared with program content attribute preferences specified for one or more users to develop matches for channel listening/viewing selection. Manual or automatic user identification may be implemented, along with storage of individual program content attribute preferences of different users. By comparing program content attribute(s) in use on a given channel, with program content attribute preferences of the current user, a list of preferred channels is automatically generated.

Claims

1. A method for aiding user selection of one or more channels from among multiple audio or video program channels based upon programming content of programs transmitted on the channels, comprising:

receiving, with a receiver, respective signals of programs transmitted on the multiple channels;

selecting, with a controller coupled to the receiver, one of the multiple channels for presentation of a program to a user; and

identifying, with electronics coupled to the receiver and controller, channels available for selection whose transmitted programs have program content attributes that match predesignated program content attributes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step further comprises analyzing the respective received program signals for identifying channels having the predesignated program content attributes, and generating a subset of channels available for selection by the controller.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifying step further comprises analyzing respective transmitted program audio signals using a digital signal processor for identifying the channels having the predesignated program content attributes.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifying step further comprises identifying channels having program content attributes associated with program broadcasts in a given national language.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifying step further comprises identifying channels having program content attributes associated with music or talk program broadcasts of a given type of music or talk.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing program content attribute preferences of one or more users;

and specifying the predesignated program content based on identification of a current user.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising sensing user characteristics, and identifying the current user based on a comparison of the sensed user characteristics with prestored user characteristics.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensed user characteristics comprise physical characteristics, including at one or more of weight, height, or fingerprint.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing listings of channels available for selection whose transmitted programs have program content attributes that match predesignated program content attribute preferences respectively associated with one or more users;

and specifying a listing of channels available for selection based on identification of a current user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step further comprises identifying channels having the predesignated program content attributes responsive to tagging data received with the respective signals and indicative of program content attributes of the transmitted programs.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step further comprises identifying channels having the predesignated program content attributes based on a table of program content attributes associated with respective ones of the channels.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a location with a GPS location identifying element;

and wherein the identifying step further comprises identifying channels having the predesignated program content attributes based on a table of program content attributes associated with respective ones of the channels for locations determined by the GPS location identification element.

13. Apparatus for aiding user selection of one or more channels from among multiple audio or video program channels based upon programming content of programs transmitted on the channels, comprising:

a receiver for receiving respective signals of programs transmitted on the multiple channels;

a controller coupled to the receiver for selecting one of the multiple channels for presentation of a program to a user; and

electronics coupled to the receiver and controller for identifying channels available for selection whose transmitted programs have program content attributes that match predesignated program content attributes.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electronics comprises a program attribute recognition subsystem adapted and configured for analyzing the respective received program signals, for identifying channels having the predesignated program content attributes, and for generating a subset of channels available for selection by the controller.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the program attribute recognition subsystem further comprises a digital signal processor adapted and configured for analyzing respective transmitted program audio signals for identifying the channels having the predesignated program content attributes.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the program attribute recognition subsystem is adapted and configured for identifying channels having program content attributes associated with program broadcasts in a given national language.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the program attribute recognition subsystem is adapted and configured for identifying channels having program content attributes associated with music or talk program broadcasts of a given type of music or talk.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a user identification and preference subsystem adapted and configured for storing program content attribute preferences of one or more users;

and for specifying the predesignated program content based on identification of a current user.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the user identification and preference subsystem further comprises one or more sensors for sensing user characteristics, and is further adapted and configured for identifying the current user based on a comparison of the sensed user characteristics with prestored user characteristics.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the user characteristics comprise physical characteristics, including at one or more of weight, height, or fingerprint.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a user identification and preference subsystem adapted and configured for storing listings of channels available for selection whose transmitted programs have program content attributes that match predesignated program content attribute preferences respectively associated with one or more users;

and for specifying a listing of channels available for selection based on identification of a current user.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the program attribute recognition subsystem is further adapted and configured for identifying channels having the predesignated program content attributes responsive to tagging data received with the respective signals and indicative of program content attributes of the transmitted programs.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the program attribute recognition subsystem is further adapted and configured for identifying channels having the predesignated program content attributes based on a table of program content attributes associated with respective ones of the channels.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a GPS location identification element and wherein the program attribute recognition subsystem is further adapted and configured for identifying channels having the predesignated program content attributes based on a table of program content attributes associated with respective ones of the channels for locations determined by the GPS location identification element.