METHOD OF PROVIDING PROGRAM MONITORING INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SYSTEM USING THE SAME

• US 20140068647A1
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altimedia Corp. (Alticast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alticast Corporation
• Inventors: Nam, Sung Woo
• Granted Patent: US 10,116,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score

Abstract

A method of providing program monitoring information and a broadcasting system using the same are provided, which can inform a viewer of program change circumstances made by other people. A user terminal of the broadcasting system may include a display unit configured to display a particular program; and a monitoring information manager unit configured to display program monitoring information through the display unit. Here, the program monitoring information includes the program change information of at least one other terminal different from the user terminal.

Claims

1. A user terminal comprising:

a display unit configured to display a particular program; and

a monitoring information manager unit configured to display program monitoring information through the display unit,

wherein the program monitoring information includes program change information of at least one other terminal different from the user terminal.

2. The user terminal of claim 1, wherein the user terminal and the other terminals display a program of a first channel simultaneously, and the program monitoring information includes information on a channel-changing circumstance when the other terminals move from the program of the first channel to a program of a second channel.

3. The user terminal of claim 2, wherein the program monitoring information includes at least one of a currently viewed channel object, a movement indication object, a channel change rate object, a changed channel object, a changed-channel image object, a program name object, and a user profile of the other terminal.

4. The user terminal of claim 3, wherein a size or a color of the movement indication object or the channel change rate object varies according to a channel change rate.

5. The user terminal of claim 3, wherein, if the changed channel object, the changed-channel image object, or the program name object is selected, a screen of the user terminal automatically switches to a corresponding channel according to the selection.

6. The user terminal of claim 1, wherein the particular program and the program monitoring information are displayed in different areas on the display unit.

7. The user terminal of claim 1, wherein the other terminals are broadcast terminals randomly chosen by a headend.

8. The user terminal of claim 1, wherein the other terminals are terminals of viewers of a group to which a user of the user terminal belongs, and the user terminal further comprises:

a collector unit configured to collect program viewing information from the other terminals; and

an information unit configured to generate the program monitoring information based on the collected program viewing information.

9. A method of controlling an operation of a remote controller device connected with a user terminal, the method comprising:

receiving program monitoring information; and

displaying the received program monitoring information on a display unit of the remote controller device,

wherein the program monitoring information includes information on a program-changing circumstance when at least one other terminal different from the user terminal moves from a first program to a second program.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the monitoring information includes at least one of a currently viewed channel object, a movement indication object, a channel change rate object, a changed channel object, a changed-channel image object, a program name object, and a user profile of the other terminal, and

a size or a color of the movement indication object or the channel change rate object varies according to a channel change rate.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, if the changed channel object, the changed-channel image object, or the program name object is selected, a screen of the user terminal automatically switches to a corresponding channel according to the selection.

12. A server connected with a first terminal and at least one second terminal, the server comprising:

a collector unit configured to collect program viewing information from the second terminal; and

an information unit configured to transmit program monitoring information based on the collected program viewing information to the first terminal,

wherein the program monitoring information includes program change information of the second terminal.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the program monitoring information includes at least one of a currently viewed channel object, a movement indication object, a channel change rate object, a changed channel object, a changed-channel image object, a program name object, and a user profile of the second terminals, and

a size or a color of the movement indication object or the channel change rate object varies according to a channel change rate.

14. The server of claim 12, wherein the server generates the program monitoring information in consideration of its own program viewing information together with program viewing information collected from the second terminals, and transmits the generated program monitoring information to the first terminal.

15. A method of providing program monitoring information, the method comprising:

showing a first program on a first terminal; and

showing program monitoring information based on program viewing information of second terminals different from the first terminal on the first terminal together with the first program.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first terminal and the second terminals display the first program simultaneously, and the program monitoring information includes information on a channel-changing circumstance when second other terminal moves from the first program to a program of another channel.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the program monitoring information includes at least one of a currently viewed channel object, a movement indication object, a channel change rate object, a changed channel object, a changed-channel image object, a program name object, and a user profile of the second terminals, and

a size or a color of the movement indication object or the channel change rate object varies according to a channel change rate.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, if the changed channel object, the changed-channel image object, or the program name object is selected, a screen of the first terminal automatically switches to a corresponding channel according to the selection.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

collecting the program viewing information; and

generating the program monitoring information based on the collected program viewing information,

wherein the collecting and the generating are performed at a server or at one of the second terminals.