Remote control unit for a personalized video programming system

• US 20090138907A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kustin Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kustin Corporation
• Inventors: Youssefmir, Michael, Wiser, Philip R., Pati, Yagyensh C.
• Application Number:
  US12/290,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138907A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• 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 21/44226 on social networks
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• 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 21/4755 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Systems and methods for a remote control for interacting with a video programming system are described. In some embodiments, a remote control unit for an intelligent video programming system having user-dedicated buttons, biometric identification systems, mechanical identification systems, electromechanical identification systems, or voice-activation identification systems on the remote control unit to allow a user to self-identify that user to the intelligent video programming system. Upon pressing this user-dedicated button or otherwise activating a self-identification system on the remote control unit, content personalized for that user is presented and the user'"'"'s navigational behavior is tracked to further the presentation of personalized content for that user. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. A method for displaying content, comprising:

at a receiver controller,

receiving user-identifying signals from a user-activated remote control device;

using the user-identifying signals to identify a specific user; and

causing personalized content specific to the identified user to be displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing personalized content specific to the identified user to be displayed includes

presenting the personalized content in a list on a display device;

and

selecting the personalized content from the presented list using the user-activated remote control device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the list of personalized content is displayed as an overlay to at least a portion of content being displayed by the display device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising

tracking actions, including at least one content selection action made using the user-activated remote control device;

and

using the tracked actions to select the personalized content specific to the identified user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the causing personalized content specific to the identified user to be displayed includes displaying targeted advertising specific to the identified user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the targeted advertising is inserted into the personalized content for presentation.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the targeted advertising is displayed during content fast forward, rewind, and pause operations initiated using the user-activated remote control.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying information about at least one previously displayed content in response to a signal from the remote control device, the displayed information at least partially overlaying content being displayed by the display device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized content is selected based, at least in part, on personal information of the identified user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the personal information was entered using the user-activated remote control device.

11. A method for displaying content, comprising:

at a receiver controller,

receiving user-identifying signals from a user-activated remote control device;

using the user-identifying signals to identify a specific user;

tracking viewing behavior of the identified user in response to viewing commands received from the user-activated remote control device;

selecting personalized content specific to the identified user based on the tracked behavior; and

causing the selected personalized content to be displayed.

12. A content display system, comprising:

a receiver controller configured to couple to a display device;

the receiver controller being configured to;

receive user-identifying signals for identifying a specific user,

identify the specific user in response to the user-identifying signals, and

cause presentation of personalized content specific to the identified user on the display device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is configured to present the personalized content in a list on the display device and to select programming content from the list using the user-activated remote control device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is configured to display the list of personalized content as an overlay to at least a portion of content being displayed by the display device in response to a signal from the user-activated remote control device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is configured to track programming content selected by an identified user and to use the tracked programming content selections to select the personalized content specific to the identified user.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is configured to present targeted advertising specific to the identified user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the system is configured to insert the targeted advertising into the personalized content for presentation by the system.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is configured to display information about at least one previously displayed content and the displayed information is partially overlaying content being displayed by the display device.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is configured to select the personalized content based, at least in part, on personal information of the identified user.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the personal information was entered using the user-activated remote control device.

21. A content display system, comprising:

a receiver controller configured to couple to a display device;

the receiver controller being configured to;

receive user-identifying signals for identifying a specific user,

identify the specific user in response to the user-identifying signals,

cause tracking of viewing behavior of the identified user,

select personalized content for the identified user based on the tracked viewing behavior, and

cause presentation of the selected personalized content for the identified user on the display device.

22. A method for displaying content, comprising

at a receiver controller,

receiving user-identifying signals from a user-activated remote control device;

and

causing targeted advertising, specific to a user identified by the user-identifying signals, to be presented on a display device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the targeted advertising is inserted into personalized content specific to the identified user for presentation.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the targeted advertising is displayed during content fast forward, rewind, and pause operations initiated by the user-activated remote control device.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

selecting personalized content specific to the identified user;

presenting a list of selected personalized content on a display device; and

using the user-activated remote control device to select content from the presented list of the selected personalized content for viewing.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising

tracking actions, including at least one content selection action made using the user-activated remote control device;

and

using the tracked actions to select the personalized content specific to the identified user for display.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the list of personalized content is displayed as an overlay to at least a portion of content being displayed by the display device.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising displaying information about at least one previously displayed content in response to a signal from the user-activated remote control device, the displayed information at least partially overlaying content being displayed by the display device.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the personalized content is selected based, at least in part, on personal information of the identified user.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the personal information was entered using the user-activated remote control device.

31. A content displaying system, comprising:

a receiver controller configured to couple to a display device;

the receiver controller being configured to;

receive user-identifying signals for identifying a specific user,

cause presentation of targeted advertising specific to the identified user on the display device.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the system is configured to insert targeted advertising into personalized content specific to the identified user for presentation.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the system is configured to present targeted advertising during content fast forward, rewind, and pause operations initiated using the user-activated remote control device.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the system is configured to select personalized content specific to the identified user, to present a list of the selected personalized content on the display device, and to respond to commands from the user-activated remote control device for choosing personalized content from the presented list for viewing.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the system is configured to display the list of personalized content as an overlay to at least a portion of content being displayed by the display device in response to a signal from the user-activated remote control device.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the system is configured to display information about at least one previously displayed content and the displayed information is partially overlaying content being displayed by the display device.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the system is configured to select personalized content based, at least in part, on personal information of the identified user.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the personal information was entered using the user-activated remote control device.

39. A remote control unit, comprising:

a housing; and

a plurality of buttons supported by the housing, including;

a user button being assignable to a specific user such that selection of the user button causes generation of user identification signals to identify the specific user, and

a group button, in communication with the control circuitry, to allow association with a group such that selection of the group personalizable button causes the remote control device to transmit a signal to cause display of content specific to the group.

40. The remote control unit of claim 39, wherein the user button is configured to cause the remote control to generate at least one signal to turn on the power for the video display device.

41. The remote control unit of claim 39, further comprising a scroll wheel on the body for causing signals to be generated to allow a user to navigate menus for selecting content for display by the video display device.

42. The remote control unit of claim 41, wherein the scroll wheel has disposed about its outer circumference a plurality of content display control keys for controlling subsequent display of content being displayed by the video device at a first display rate, the keys being selected from the group consisting of:

a skip forward key that, if selected, causes generation of signals that cause the displayed content to skip forward by a predetermined time interval.

a fast forward key that, if selected, causes generation of signals that cause the displayed content to be displayed at a rate faster than the first display rate;

a skip back key that, if selected, causes generation of signals that cause the displayed content to skip back by a predetermined time interval; and

a rewind key that, if selected, causes generation of signals that cause the displayed content to be displayed in reverse.

43. A remote control unit, comprising:

a plurality of keys configured to generate signals to communicate with a receiver controller, including;

a first key configured to cause transmission of user-identifying signals for identifying a specific user corresponding to the receiver controller, and

a second key configured to cause transmission of a group-identifying signal for identifying a specific group of users to the receiver controller and to cause programming content associated with the specific group of users to be displayed on a display device.

45. The remote control unit of claim 43, wherein the control pad includes a sensory pad configured to detect human touch movement to cause generation of signals for controlling image display on the video display device.

46. The remote control unit of claim 45, wherein the sensory pad is circular and has disposed about its outer circumference a plurality of content display control keys for controlling subsequent display of content being displayed by the video device at a first display rate, the keys being selected from the group consisting of:

a skip forward key that, if selected, causes generation of signals that cause the displayed content to skip forward by a predetermined time interval.

a fast forward key that, if selected, causes generation of signals that cause the displayed content to be displayed at a rate faster than the first display rate;

a skip back key that, if selected, causes generation of signals that cause the displayed content to skip back by a predetermined time interval; and

a rewind key that, if selected, causes generation of signals that cause the displayed content to be displayed in reverse.

47. The remote control unit of claim 45, wherein the user buttons include a group button, in communication with the control circuitry to allow association with a group such that selection of the group personalizable button causes the remote control device to transmit a signals to cause display of content specific to that specific group.

48. The remote control unit of claim 43, wherein the user buttons are configured to cause the remote control to generate at least one signal to turn on the power for the video display device.

44. A remote control device, comprising:

circuitry configured to generate control signals for use in communicating user inputs to a video device;

a transmitter configured to transmit the control signals to cause the video device to display content;

a plurality of control keys each in communication with the control circuitry and respectively adapted to receive a selection of at least one of an associated function from the group of functions consisting of causing display of a home page, causing display of a personalized list of content sources, and causing display of a general list of content sources;

a plurality of user buttons, each in communication with the control circuitry to allow one-to-one association between a specific user and a specific one of the plurality of user buttons such that, once the association has been made, selection of a personalizable button causes the remote control device to transmit user identifying signals to cause display of content personalized for the associated user; and

a user-activated control pad configured for scroll through and selection of content displayed on the video device.

49. A remote control device, comprising:

circuitry configured to generate control signals for use in communicating user inputs to a video device;

transmission means for transmitting the control signals to cause the video device to display content;

a plurality of control key means each in communication with the control circuitry and respectively for receiving a selection of at least one of an associated function from the group of functions consisting of causing display of a home page, causing display of a personalized list of content sources, and causing display of a general list of content sources;

a plurality of user button means, each in communication with the control circuitry and for allowing one-to-one association between a specific user and a specific one of the plurality of user buttons such that, once the association has been made, selection of a personalizable button causes the remote control device to transmit user identifying signals to cause display of content personalized for the associated user; and

a control means for allowing scroll through and selection of content displayed on the video device.