METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTENT SCHEDULING ACROSS MULTIPLE DEVICES

• US 20100333137A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Strader, Christopher, Shimy, Camron, Hamano, Royce
• Granted Patent: US 9,445,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40013 Details regarding a bus controller
• 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods and systems for scheduling media content presentation across multiple devices are disclosed. A media planner application generates media event presentation schedules for one or more users based on user-scheduled media events and automatic media event recommendations. Media events can be scheduled for presentation on multiple user devices, including portable devices. Media event recommendations can be generated based at least in part on user preferences and habits, such as user media preferences, device availability, device usage, device connectivity, and user mood.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling media content presentation across multiple user devices, comprising:

accessing stored user profile information in a memory, wherein the stored user profile information identifies a first user device and a second user device different than the first user device;

scheduling a first media content event to be presented on the first user device during a first timeslot based at least in part on the user profile information;

scheduling a second media content event to be presented on the second user device during a second timeslot based at least in part on the user profile information;

presenting the first media content event on the first user device during the first timeslot; and

presenting the second media content event on the second user device during the second timeslot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second user devices are portable media players.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing stored user profile information comprises accessing automatically generated user profile information.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the automatically generated user profile information is based, at least in part, on monitoring interactions of a user with at least one of the first user device and the second user device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile information includes at least one of a device availability sub-profile, a device connectivity sub-profile, and a device usage sub-profile.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing media content event recommendations based on at least one of the device availability sub-profile, the device connectivity sub-profile, and the device usage sub-profile.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when the first user device will be connected; and

scheduling the delivery of the first media content event to the first user device based at least in part on the determining.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a media content event recommendations list based at least in part on at least one media source external to the first user device and the second user device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one media source comprises at least one of web logs, online forums, news websites, review websites, and social networking websites.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media content event is a video media content event and the second media content event is a non-video media content event.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting advertisements on at least one of the first user device and the second user device based on the user profile information.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the stored user profile information based on user interactions with one of the first and second user devices.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the stored user profile information based on automatically monitored user habits, preferences, or interactions.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one media content format supported by the first user device;

determining if the first media content associated with the first media content event is in the at least one supported media content format;

in response to determining that the first media content is not in the at least one supported media content format, searching for an alternate version of the first media content in the at least one supported media content format; and

in response to determining that no alternate version of the first media content can be found, transcoding the first media content into one of the at least one supported media content format.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, via a display, a list of scheduled media events including at least one user-scheduled event and at least one system-scheduled event; and

receiving user input to change schedule information associated with at least one of the at least one user-scheduled event and the at least one system-scheduled event.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the list of scheduled media events is interactive.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving user input to change schedule information comprises changing a user device associated with at least one of the at least one user-scheduled event and the at least one system-scheduled event to a different user device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving user input to change schedule information comprises changing the format of media content associated with at least one of the at least one user-scheduled event and the at least one system-scheduled event.

19. A system for scheduling media content presentation across multiple user devices, comprising:

a memory; and

processing circuitry configured to;

access stored user profile information in the memory, wherein the stored user profile information identifies a first user device and a second user device different than the first user device;

schedule a first media content event to be presented on the first user device during a first timeslot based at least in part on the user profile information;

schedule a second media content event to be presented on the second user device during a second timeslot based at least in part on the user profile information;

present the first media content event on the first user device during the first timeslot; and

present the second media content event on the second user device during the second timeslot.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first and second user devices are portable media players.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein accessing stored user profile information comprises accessing automatically generated user profile information.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the automatically generated user profile information is based, at least in part, on monitoring interactions of a user with at least one of the first user device and the second user device.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the user profile information includes at least one of a device availability sub-profile, a device connectivity sub-profile, and a device usage sub-profile.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to provide media content event recommendations based on at least one of the device availability sub-profile, the device connectivity sub-profile, and the device usage sub-profile.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine when the first user device will be connected; and

schedule the delivery of the first media content event to the first user device based at least in part on the determining.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate a media content event recommendations list based at least in part on at least one media source external to the first user device and the second user device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one media source comprises at least one of web logs, online forums, news websites, review websites, and social networking websites.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the first media content event is a video media content event and the second media content event is a non-video media content event.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to present advertisements on at least one of the first user device and the second user device based on the user profile information.

30. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to update the stored user profile information based on user interactions with one of the first and second user devices.

31. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to update the stored user profile information based on automatically monitoring user habits, preferences, or interactions.

32. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine at least one media content format supported by the first user device;

determine if the first media content associated with the first media content event is in the at least one supported media content format;

in response to determining that the first media content is not in the at least one supported media content format, search for an alternate version of the first media content in the at least one supported media content format; and

in response to determining that no alternate version of the first media content can be found, transcode the first media content into one of the at least one supported media content format.

33. The system of claim 19, further comprising a user input device, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

display, via a display, a list of scheduled media events including at least one user-scheduled event and at least one system-scheduled event; and

receive user input via the user input device to change schedule information associated with at least one of the at least one user-scheduled event and the at least one system-scheduled event.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the list of scheduled media events is interactive.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein receiving user input to change schedule information comprises changing a user device associated with at least one of the at least one user-scheduled event and the at least one system-scheduled event to a different user device.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein receiving user input to change schedule information comprises changing the format of media content associated with at least one of the at least one user-scheduled event and the at least one system-scheduled event.

37-54. -54. (canceled)