Intelligent electronic program guide

• US 20090106787A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sered, Yishai, Tsuria, Yossef, Zviel, David, Eilat, Amir, Kranc, Moshe, Maissel, Jonathan, Atlow, Shabtai, Bar-On, Gershon
• Application Number:
  US12/317,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106787A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/44224 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17345 Control of the passage of the selected programme

Abstract

A subscriber unit for use in a television system including a television network and transmitting apparatus for transmitting program schedule information, the subscriber unit including a receiving unit for receiving the program schedule information from said television network, an icon-based guide generator for producing a program guide including an icon-based hierarchical program guide including the program schedule information, and display apparatus for displaying the program guide, the icon-based hierarchical program guide including a plurality of hierarchically-arranged screens each including at least one icon. Related apparatus and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for providing real-time audience information to a subscriber unit of a television system comprising a headend and a multiplicity of subscriber units, the method comprising:

collecting real-time viewing data from said multiplicity of subscriber units;

computing real-time audience information from the collected real-time viewing data, said real-time audience information comprising a real-time indication of a proportion of subscriber units currently tuned to a program; and

transmitting said real-time computed audience information to said subscriber unit.

2. A method of providing real-time audience information to a viewer of a television system, said television system comprising a headend and a plurality of subscriber units, said method comprising:

receiving, at one subscriber unit of said plurality of subscriber units, real-time computed audience information from said headend, said real-time computed audience information comprising an indication of a proportion of subscriber units currently tuned to a program; and

displaying said real-time computed audience information to the viewer.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said displaying comprises displaying said real-time computed audience information to the viewer as an on-screen alert.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein said displaying comprises displaying said real-time computed audience information to the viewer as a graph.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein said displaying comprises displaying said real-time computed audience information to the viewer throughout the viewing of a program by said viewer.

6. A method according to claim 2, wherein said displaying comprises displaying said real-time computed audience information to the viewer for a time when said viewer tunes to a program.

7. A method according to claim 2, wherein said displaying comprises displaying said real-time computed audience information to the viewer on demand from said viewer.

8. A method according to claim 2 and wherein said indication comprises an indication of a proportion of subscriber units currently tuned to a program which is the same as a program being viewed by said viewer.

9. A method according to claim 2 and wherein said indication comprises an indication of a proportion of subscriber units currently tuned to a program which is not the same as a program being viewed by said viewer.

10. A subscriber unit for use in a television system comprising a television network and transmitting apparatus for transmitting program schedule information, the subscriber unit comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving said program schedule information;

a profile storage unit for storing at least one viewer preference profile of at least one television viewer using said subscriber unit;

viewer preference profile loading apparatus for providing a recorded viewer preference profile of another viewer to the profile storage unit for storage;

an intelligent agent for customizing said program schedule information based, at least in part, on said viewer preference profile using said recorded viewer preference profile of another viewer, to produce a program guide comprising customized program schedule information; and

display apparatus for displaying the program guide.

11. A subscriber unit according to claim 10, wherein said intelligent agent comprises an intelligent agent customizing said program schedule information based, at least in part, on said viewer preference profile using said recorded viewer preference profile of another viewer as an anti-profile, to produce a program guide comprising customized program schedule information.

12. A subscriber unit according to claim 11, wherein said recorded viewer preference profile of another viewer is used as an anti-profile such that customizing said program schedule information is opposite to customizing said program schedule information using said recorded viewer preference profile of another viewer.

13. A subscriber unit according to claim 10, wherein a particular program preferred according to said recorded viewer preference profile of another viewer is deemphasized.

14. A subscriber unit according to claim 10, wherein said another viewer comprises a viewer who has used another subscriber unit.

15. A subscriber unit according to claim 10, wherein said viewer preference profile loading apparatus receives said recorded viewer preference profile via said television network.

16. A subscriber unit according to claim 10, wherein said customizing comprises one of the following:

emphasizing at least a portion of said customized program schedule information based, at least in part, on said viewer preference profile; and

deemphasizing at least a portion of said customized program schedule information based, at least in part, on said viewer preference profile.

17. A subscriber unit according to claim 10, wherein said another viewer comprises a well-known famous person.