METHODS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR REPORTING INTERNET PROTOCOL TELEVISION RELATED DATA COLLECTED FROM APPLICATION AND DEVICE DATA

• US 20090293078A1
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pirani, Akbar, Branam, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,261,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

Methods and computer program products for reporting application and device data retrieved from within an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network environment are provided. IPTV system usage data is retrieved from at least one IPTV device and normalized into a predetermined data format. The IPTV system usage data is parsed according to predetermined criteria. The parsed IPTV system usage data is delivered to a dedicated data mart for storage, the IPTV system usage data that is stored within at least one dedicated data mart is accessed, and the IPTV system usage data that is stored at the at least one dedicated data mart is used to generate a report.

Claims

1. A method for reporting application and device data retrieved from within an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network environment, the method comprising:

retrieving IPTV system usage data from at least one IPTV networked device;

normalizing the retrieved IPTV system usage data into a predetermined data format;

parsing the IPTV system usage data according to predetermined criteria;

delivering the parsed IPTV system usage data to a dedicated data mart for storage;

accessing the IPTV system usage data that is stored within at least one dedicated data mart; and

utilizing the IPTV system usage data that is stored at the at least one dedicated data mart to generate a report.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieval of IPTV system usage data further comprises retrieving the identity of an IPTV networked device that is accessing the IPTV system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieval of IPTV system usage data further comprises the retrieval of IPTV account sign-on information that is associated with an IPTV account.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising identifying an account user that is associated with the IPTV account.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising retrieving IPTV system preference information that has been associated with the IPTV account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieval of IPTV system usage data further comprises retrieving information in regard to an activity event type that is initiated at an IPTV networked device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining if an activity event has been initiated within a core application or a secondary application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein if it is determined that the activity event has been initiated within a secondary application, then user preferences for the secondary application are retrieved.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising retrieving information that is generated by the activity event.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one IPTV networked device is periodically polled for IPTV system usage data generated by an IPTV system user.

11. A method for retrieving application and device error data from an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network environment, the method comprising:

retrieving IPTV system usage data from at least one IPTV networked device;

normalizing the retrieved IPTV system usage data into a predetermined data format;

determining if the retrieved IPTV system usage data comprises at least one error occurrence;

analyzing any determined IPTV system usage error data;

parsing the IPTV system usage error data according to predetermined criteria;

creating an error log notating the occurrences of determined IPTV system usage error; and

determining if the occurrences of accumulated IPTV system usage error data are greater than a predetermined threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the IPTV system usage error data is analyzed to identify the type and frequency of respective error occurrences.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the retrieval of IPTV system usage data further comprises retrieving the identity of an IPTV networked device that is accessing the IPTV system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the retrieval of IPTV system usage data further comprises the retrieval of IPTV account sign-on information that is associated with an IPTV account.

15. The method of claim 14, where in the event that the occurrences of IPTV system usage error data is greater than a predetermined threshold, then an error report is generated and delivered to a system administrator.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the retrieval of IPTV system usage data further comprises identifying an account user that is signed-on to the IPTV account.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the retrieval of IPTV system usage data further comprises identifying and retrieving error information that is associated with an activity event type that is initiated at an IPTV networked device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining if identified error information that is associated with an activity event type originated within a core application or a secondary application executed at an IPTV networked device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising identifying and retrieving error information that is generated by the activity event.

20. A method for delivering targeted content based upon Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system user data, the method comprising:

retrieving IPTV system usage data from at least one IPTV networked device that is associated with an IPTV account;

parsing the IPTV system usage data according to predetermined criteria;

matching target user content to the predetermined criteria;

associating the parsed IPTV system usage data with target user content that matches the predetermined criteria; and

delivering the target user content to the at least one IPTV networked device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the retrieval of IPTV system usage data further comprises identifying an IPTV device networked user that is associated with the IPTV account.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the retrieval of IPTV system usage data further comprises retrieving IPTV system preference information that has been associated with the IPTV account.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the retrieval of IPTV system usage data further comprises retrieving the identity of the IPTV networked device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the retrieval of IPTV system usage data further comprises retrieving information in regard to an activity event type that is initiated at the IPTV networked device.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising retrieving information that is generated by the activity event.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the activity event information comprises the time the activity event was initiated, the duration of the activity event, and content that has been accessed within the activity event.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the target user content comprises at least one of a specific media content, an advertisement, a notice, webpage content, a news alert, or an offer.