DYNAMIC CHANNEL SURFING GUIDE AND CUSTOMIZED TELEVISION HOME PAGE

• US 20080320513A1
• Filed: 06/22/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pritchett, Thaddeus C., Wong, Curtis G., Sather, Dale A., Reneris, Kenneth, Batrouny, Talal A.
• Application Number:
  US11/767,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20080320513A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/41 for identifying broadcast space, i.e. broadcast channels, broadcast stations or broadcast areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 21/4661 Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an enhanced system and methodology of navigating video sources to determine video content to potentially view. Available video sources, such as individual television channels, not currently being viewed are monitored and analyzed, such as to determine if an advertisement is currently being presented. As a result of the content analysis and user preferences, the user is provided with a recommended subset of video sources to potentially view. User preferences can be explicitly indicated or inferred, such as based on a user'"'"'s historical viewing habits. In addition, user preferences can be set for individual users or collective users, such as a combined mother and son “user.”

Claims

1. A dynamic video source surfing system, comprising:

a source evaluation component that monitors and analyzes content of each of at least a subset of available video sources not being viewed; and

a source surfing component that recommends a subset of sources not being viewed for surfing as a function of the content analysis and user preferences.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence component that infers at least some of the user preferences.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is a plurality of individual viewers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the available video sources are a plurality of video channels.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the available video sources is a local station not available on a primary input source, downloaded video content, or content from a video disk.

6. The system of claim 1, the source surfing component displays an indication of the subset of the recommended sources.

7. The system of claim 1, the source evaluation component analyzing each video source to determine if an advertisement is currently being presented on a video source and altering the recommended subset based on that determination.

8. A digital video recorder employing the system of claim 1.

9. A television employing the system of claim 1.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving an indication of the user; and

determining preferences of the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining of the preferences of the users includes receiving an indication from the user of one or more preferences.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining of the preferences of the user includes inferring one or more user preferences.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein inferring one or more user preferences includes inferring one or more user preference based on historical viewing patterns of the user.

10. A channel navigation method comprising:

monitoring and analyzing content of one or more channels not currently being viewed; and

providing a user with one or more recommended channels to currently view as a function of the content analysis and user preferences.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the providing a user with one or more recommended channels to currently view as a function of the content analysis and user preferences includes displaying a home page when a television is initially turned on.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the providing a user with one or more recommended channels to currently view as a function of the content analysis and user preferences includes dynamically arranging the order channels are surfed such that access to the recommended channels is optimized.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the monitoring and analyzing content of one or more channels not currently being viewed includes at least one of determining if the main content is currently being broadcast, determining a language of the content, determining if the content is a repeat or determining the video format of the content.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein monitoring and analyzing content of one or more channels not currently being viewed includes:

determining if the main content is currently being broadcast;

determining a language of the content;

determining if the content is a repeat; and

determining the video format of the content.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 10.

20. A dynamic video source navigation system, comprising:

means for analyzing content of each of at least a subset of available video sources not being viewed;

means for recommending a subset of sources not being viewed for potential current viewing as a function of the content analysis and user preferences; and

means for presenting the recommended subset of sources to the user.