ADAPTIVE PATTERN RECOGNITION BASED CONTROLLER APPARATUS AND METHOD AND HUMAN-FACTORED INTERFACE THEREFORE

• US 20080040749A1
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1991
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hoffberg Family Trust 2, Blanding Hovenweep LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC), STEVEN M. HOFFBERG 2004-1 GRAT
• Original Assignee: STEVEN M. HOFFBERG 2004-1 GRAT
• Inventors: Hoffberg, Linda, Hoffberg, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,402,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23026 Recognise user input pattern and present possible intended program
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24162 Biometric sensor, fingerprint as user access password
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2613 Household appliance in general
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2615 Audio, video, tv, consumer electronics device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• 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 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 : Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 : Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 : for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• 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 21/4826 : using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/84 : using optical recording H04N5/80, H04N5/89, H04N5/91 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction

Abstract

The need for a more readily usable interface for programmable devices is widely recognized. The present invention relates to programmable sequencing devices, or, more particularly, the remote controls for consumer electronic devices. The present invention provides an enhanced interface for facilitating human input of a desired control sequence in a programmable device by employing specialized visual feedback. The present invention also relates to a new interface and method of interfacing with a programmable device, which is usable as an interface for a programmable video cassette recorder.

Claims

1-114. -114. (canceled)

115. A system, comprising:

a memory storing at least a portion of a user profile comprising information desirability characteristics with respect to a user, and an indication of information previously presented to the user;

an input adapted to receive descriptions a plurality of available information programs; and

a processor, accessing the memory, and being configured to receive the input, for processing the descriptions of a plurality of available information programs, in conjunction with the at least a portion of the user profile stored in memory, to at least one of generate a screen having a set of available choices for selection by a user, and automatically store in a memory at least a portion of at least one available information program.

116. The system according to claim 115, wherein the plurality of available information programs comprise digitally compressed video, and wherein the descriptions comprise human generated descriptors.

117. The system according to claim 115, wherein the descriptions comprise automatically generated descriptors.

118. The system according to claim 115, wherein the processor performs at least one optimization to indicate a best option from a set of acceptable options.

119. The system according to claim 115, wherein the user profile is derived at least in part from explicit user profile input information.

120. The system according to claim 115, wherein the user profile is derived, at least in part, implicitly from observation of user behavior.

121. The system according to claim 115, wherein the user profile further comprises user feedback relating to a desirability of information previously presented to the user.

122. A method, comprising:

providing at least a portion of a user profile comprising information desirability characteristics with respect to a user, and an indication of information previously presented to the user;

receiving descriptions a plurality of available information programs; and

processing the descriptions of a plurality of available information programs, in conjunction with the at least a portion of the user profile, to at least one of generate a screen having a set of available choices for selection by a user, and automatically store in a memory at least a portion of at least one available information program.

123. The method according to claim 122, wherein the plurality of available information programs comprise digitally compressed video, and wherein the descriptions comprise human generated descriptors.

124. The system according to claim 122, wherein the descriptions comprise automatically generated descriptors.

125. The system according to claim 122, wherein said processing comprises at least one optimization to indicate a best option from a set of acceptable options.

126. The system according to claim 122, wherein the user profile is derived at least in part from explicit user profile input information.

127. The system according to claim 122, wherein the user profile is derived, at least in part, implicitly from observation of user behavior.

128. The system according to claim 122, wherein the user profile further comprises user feedback relating to a desirability of information previously presented to the user.

129. A method, comprising:

providing user profile information representing a plurality of subjective desirability characteristics for a user, user demographic characteristics, an indication of programs previously presented to the user;

receiving information characterizing a plurality of available programs with respect to user subjective preferences and user demographic preferences; and

processing the information, in conjunction with the user profile, to determine a plurality of candidate programs and a relationship between the plurality of candidate programs;

presenting an identification of the programs to the user in accordance to their respective relationship; and

updating the user profile based on a user response to the presented identification of the programs.

130. The method according to claim 129, wherein said processing step employs artificial intelligence.

131. The method according to claim 129, wherein the information characterizing a plurality of available programs is received from an on-line database through a telecommunication system.

132. The method according to claim 129, wherein a common database of program choices is used for both explicit selection of a program choice by a user and for implicit selection of a program choice by an automated processor.

133. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving subscriber specific data;

receiving program control information; and

selecting at least one optimal program from a set comprising a plurality of acceptable programs which are not excluded from selection by any express selection criterion based on both the user subscriber specific information and the program control information.

134. The method according to claim 133, further comprising the step of outputting a plurality of selected optimal programs in a menu for selection by a user.

135. The method according to claim 133, further comprising the steps of interacting with a user through a graphic user interface, receiving at least one express selection criterion from the user through the graphic user interface, presenting the at least one optimal program selection to the user through the graphic user interface, and storing at least a portion of a selected program in a memory in response to a user selection thereof.

136. A method, comprising the steps of:

storing a program comprising content in a presentation-quality format;

storing, at least temporarily, at least a segment of the program in an analysis memory;

analyzing at least a portion of the program segment stored in the analysis memory to identify at least one commercial insertion within a stream of the content;

in dependence on the analyzing, controlling said storing of the program to alter a representation of the at least one commercial insertion.

137. The method according to claim 136, wherein said analyzing comprises performing a video pattern recognition analysis.

138. The method according to claim 136, wherein the program is received as a digitally compressed video stream.