Systems and methods for modifying an interactive media guidance application interface based on time of day

• US 20080092173A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Starkenburg, Michael Ross, Shannon, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 8,850,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/47
• 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 21/4355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages on a television screen optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/066; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatically displaying personalized interactive media guidance application screens based on the time of day are provided. The interactive media guidance application may monitor user interactions with the user equipment, and identify individual user profiles for different times of day. Using this information, the interactive media guidance application may partition the day into day parts, each associated with a user profile. The interactive media guidance application may also create or select a plurality of personalized interfaces or configurations for displaying media guidance information, where each interface or configuration reflects the interests of an identified user profile. When a user accesses the interactive media guidance application, the interactive media guidance application may identify the user profile associated with the current day part, and display the personalized interface or configuration associated with the identified user profile.

Claims

1. A method for rearranging the display of media guidance information in an interactive media guidance application, comprising:

identifying first user preferences associated with a first time of day;

displaying media guidance information using a first combination of modules associated with the identified first user preferences at the first time of day;

identifying second user preferences associated with a second time of day; and

displaying media guidance information using a second combination of modules associated with the identified second user preferences at the second time of day, wherein the first and the second combinations of modules are different.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first combination of modules is associated with a first user, and the second combination of modules is associated with a second user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the modules for each combination are selected based on the respective user'"'"'s preferences.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

monitoring user interactions with the interactive media guidance application; and

determining at least one of the first and second user preferences based on the monitored user interactions.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first time of day is associated with a first user, and wherein the second time of day is associated with a second user.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

identifying at least one time of day that each user uses the interactive media guidance application;

partitioning a day into day parts such that each day part is associated with a user that uses the interactive media guidance application during that day part;

determining each user'"'"'s preferences;

associating a combination of modules with each user'"'"'s preferences;

identifying the user that is associated with the current day part; and

displaying media guidance information using the combination of modules that is associated with the identified user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein associating a combination of modules with each user'"'"'s preferences comprises:

identifying the user profile that most resembles the user'"'"'s preferences;

identifying a combination of modules that is associated with the identified user profile; and

associating the identified combination of modules with the user'"'"'s preferences.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the day parts are repeated for a plurality of days of the week.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the day parts are repeated every day of the week.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying media guidance information using a combination of modules comprises dynamically generating each combination of modules based on the user preferences associated with the combination of modules.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying media guidance information using a combination of modules comprises selecting a pre-existing combination of modules from a library of pre-existing combinations based on the user preferences associated with the combination of modules.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive media guidance application is an interactive program guide.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the media guidance information displayed using the first combination of modules and the media guidance information displayed using the second combination of modules are television program information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each module of the first and second combinations of modules is selected from the group consisting of:

a recommendations module, a recorded programs module, an on-demand module, a listings module, a date and time module, a news module, a sports module, a weather module, a local module, a movie module, and an on-line module.

15. A system for rearranging the display of media guidance information in an interactive media guidance application, the system comprising control circuitry and a display device, the control circuitry configured to:

identify first user preferences associated with a first time of day;

direct the display device to display media guidance information using a first combination of modules associated with the identified first user preferences at the first time of day;

identify second user preferences associated with a second time of day; and

direct the display device to display media guidance information using a second combination of modules associated with the identified second user preferences at the second time of day, wherein the first and the second combinations of modules are different.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first combination of modules is associated with a first user, and the second combination of modules is associated with a second user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the control circuitry is configured to select the modules for each combination based on the respective user'"'"'s preferences.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

monitor user interactions with the interactive media guidance application; and

determine at least one of the first and second user preferences based on the monitored user interactions.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first time of day is associated with a first user, and wherein the second time of day is associated with a second user.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify at least one time of day that each user uses the interactive media guidance application;

partition a day into day parts such that each day part is associated with a user that uses the interactive media guidance application during that day part;

determine each user'"'"'s preferences;

associate a combination of modules with each user'"'"'s preferences;

identify the user that is associated with the current day part; and

direct the display device to display media guidance information using the combination of modules that is associated with the identified user.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify the user profile that most resembles the user'"'"'s preferences;

identify a combination of modules that is associated with the identified user profile; and

associate the identified combination of modules with the user'"'"'s preferences.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the day parts are repeated for a plurality of days of the week.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the day parts are repeated every day of the week.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein displaying media guidance information using a combination of modules comprises dynamically generating each combination of modules based on the user preferences associated with the combination of modules.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein displaying media guidance information using a combination of modules comprises selecting a pre-existing combination of modules from a library of pre-existing combinations based on the user preferences associated with the combination of modules.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the interactive media guidance application is an interactive program guide.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein the media guidance information displayed using the first combination of modules and the media guidance information displayed using the second combination of modules are television program information.

28. The system of claim 15, wherein each module of the first and second combinations of modules is selected from the group consisting of:

a recommendations module, a recorded programs module, an on-demand module, a listings module, a date and time module, a news module, a sports module, a weather module, a local module, a movie module, and an on-line module.