SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING VIEWER-RELATED INFORMATION ON A DISPLAY BASED UPON WIRELESS IDENTIFICATION OF A PARTICULAR VIEWER

• US 20110271301A1
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Network LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dish Network LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: KENNEDY, John T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,299,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• 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 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• 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 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for presenting viewer-related programming to a particular viewer. In at least one embodiment, a wireless reader is configured to receive at least one identifier when the particular viewer is in proximity to the reader. A controller is configured to receive the identifier from the wireless reader and to associate the identifier with the particular viewer, and, upon successfully associating the wireless identifier with the particular viewer, to present the viewer-related programming associated with the particular viewer via the display or other presentation device located in proximity to the wireless reader. Viewer-related programming may including placeshifted content, viewing preferences, settings or other information as desired.

Claims

1. A system for presenting viewer-related programming comprising:

a wireless reader configured to receive an identifier when a particular viewer is in proximity to the reader; and

a controller configured to receive the identifier from the wireless reader and to associate the identifier with the particular viewer, and, upon successfully associating the wireless identifier with the particular viewer, to present the viewer-related programming via a presentation device located within a proximity of the wireless reader.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless reader is an RFID reader and the identifier is an RFID code received from an RFID tag located in physical proximity to the particular viewer.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a storage interface to a digital storage device, and wherein the controller is further configured to obtain the viewer-related programming associated with the particular viewer from the storage interface.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a network interface configured to be coupled to a network that provides communication between the system and a remote server having a database, and wherein the controller is further configured to obtain the viewer-related programming associated with the particular viewer from the database via the network.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the viewer-related programming comprises place shifted content obtained via the remote server.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the viewer-related programming comprises a list of programming preferences associated with the particular viewer.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the viewer-related programming comprises settings preferences associated with the particular viewer for adjusting the settings of the system.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to automatically apply the settings preferences associated with the particular viewer when the particular viewer is in physical proximity to the reader.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to receive a second identifier when the particular viewer is in proximity to the reader, and wherein the controller is further configured to provide the viewer-related programming only after associating both the identifier and the second identifier with the particular viewer.

10. A method of providing access in a television viewing device to viewer information associated with a particular viewer, the method comprising:

receiving a wireless signal comprising a wireless identifier when the particular viewer is in proximity to the television viewing device;

associating the wireless identifier with the particular viewer; and

upon successfully associating the wireless identifier with the particular viewer, providing access on the television viewing device to the viewer information associated with the particular viewer.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the wireless identifier comprises the presence of a Bluetooth device.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising compiling data related to the viewer information at the television viewing device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the compiling comprises updating the viewer information based upon actions of the particular viewer with respect to the television viewing device.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising obtaining the viewer information from a database at the television viewing device.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising obtaining the viewer information from a database at a remote server.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising transmitting updated viewer information based upon actions of the particular viewer with respect to the television viewing device to the remote server.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the viewer information comprises a listing of place-shifted content available via the remote server.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the viewer information comprises a viewing preference determined based upon a prior viewing history of the particular viewer.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein the viewer-related information comprises an identification of a currently-viewed program, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting the identification of the currently-viewed program to a second television viewing device when the particular viewer is in proximity to the second television viewing device to thereby allow the second television viewing device to automatically tune to the currently-viewed program.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising verifying a content rule prior to automatically tuning the second television viewing device to the currently-viewed program.