INTERACTIVE MULTI MEDIA USER INTERFACE USING AFFINITY BASED CATEGORIZATION

• US 20080010659A1
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zenith, Steven
• Application Number:
  US11/860,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20080010659A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/087
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/437 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8541 involving branching, e.g. to different story endings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An affinity-based interface provides fictional and non-fictional characters that are enabled to interact with viewers. The fictional and non-fictional characters are each emblematic of a specific affinity group categorization, which a user personally identifies with and is drawn to. Selection of an affinity character also provides a filter for selecting internet and broadcast content associated with that character. Second level content is also associated with and mediated by each character. This provides e-commerce opportunities whereby sponsors can direct advertising content based upon factors such as the relative popularity of each character or the demographic group associated with each character.

Claims

1. A method for selecting and presenting information to a viewer through an affinity-based interface with one or more interface characters, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of interface characters that are displayed to a viewer and that are each emblematic of a corresponding affinity based categorization;

receiving input corresponding to a viewer selection of an interface character from the plurality of displayed interface characters, each of the displayed interface characters being associated with a particular corresponding set of affinity-based characteristics;

identifying content from a plurality of content sources;

scanning and filtering the identified content to generate filtered content according to the affinity-based characteristics that are associated with the selected interface character; and

using the interface character to present the filtered content to the viewer in a format that is associated with the interface character.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises broadcast media.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises Internet data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the interface characters is associated with a different format presentation style and such that the act of presenting the filtered content to the viewer includes presenting the filtered content to the viewer with the selected interface character in a unique format presentation style that is distinguished from presentation styles associated with other interface characters that were presented to the viewer for selection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes scanning and filtering secondary content to generate filtered secondary content according to the affinity-based characteristics that are associated with the selected interface character.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method further includes presenting the secondary content to the viewer during presentation of the identified content and in response to a request for additional information from the viewer.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the method further includes adorning the selected interface character with visual representations of products associated with the secondary content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes reformatting the content in accordance with the format that is associated with the selected interface character.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected interface character comprises an interactive interface character that responds to viewer input and that communicates with the viewer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected interface character interacts with the viewer by using both pre-scripted transcript dialogs as well as real-time chat dialogue.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected interface character automatically selects programming to be recorded for later playback based on the affinity-based characteristics that are associated with the selected interface character.

12. A computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for selecting and presenting information to a viewer through an affinity based interface with interface characters, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of interface characters that are displayed to a viewer and that are each emblematic of a corresponding affinity based categorization;

receiving input corresponding to a viewer selection of an interface character from the plurality of displayed interface characters, each of the displayed interface characters being associated with a particular corresponding set of affinity-based characteristics;

identifying content from a plurality of content sources;

scanning and filtering the identified content to generate filtered content according to the affinity-based characteristics that are associated with the selected interface character; and

using the interface character to present the filtered content to the viewer in a format that is associated with the interface character.

13. A method for advertising secondary content to a viewer through one or more affinity-based interface characters at a media system, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of affinity-based interface characters that are each associated with a different affinity-based categorization;

receiving input corresponding to a viewer selection of an interface character from the plurality of displayed interface characters;

identifying multimedia content comprising at least one of broadcast media and Internet content to be displayed at the media system;

identifying secondary content comprising advertising content to be displayed at the media system;

display the selected interface character to the viewer and use the selected interface character to present the secondary content.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected interface character presents the secondary content by being displayed with apparel that includes the secondary content.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the selected interface character presents the secondary content by being displayed with cosmetics that include the secondary content.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected interface character presents the secondary content by presenting information about the secondary content in a chat dialog the viewer.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further includes scanning and filtering the multimedia identified content to generate filtered multimedia content that is filtered according to affinity-based characteristics that are associated with the selected interface character.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further includes scanning and filtering the secondary content to generate filtered secondary content that is filtered according to affinity-based characteristics that are associated with the selected interface character.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further includes presenting the filtered multimedia content and the secondary content at the same time.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected interface character comprises an interactive interface character associated with unique presentation characteristics for interacting with the viewer and for engaging in dialog with the viewer.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected interface provides information about the secondary content to the viewer only after the viewer queries the selected interface character for information about the secondary content.