Method and apparatus for automatically determining and dynamically updating user preferences in an entertainment system

• US 5,945,988 A
• Filed: 05/30/1997
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Hackson, David N., Moore, Kenneth Alan, Williams, Christopher D., Goldschmidt Iki, Jean M., Shah-Nazaroff, Anthony A., Watts, Earl Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): GRANT, CHRISTOPHER C
• Application Number:
  US08/866,707
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 348/2, 348/1, 348/3, 348/4, 348/5, 348/6, 348/7, 348/12, 348/13, 348/10, 455/4.5, 455/5.1, 455/2, 455/6.2, 455/6.3
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/04 for receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically determining and dynamically updating user preferences in an entertainment system is provided. In a first embodiment, an apparatus comprises a storage medium to store user preference information corresponding to at least a subset of a plurality of entertainment system users and a processor agent. The processor agent, communicatively coupled to the storage medium, is operative to monitor user interaction with the entertainment system and to automatically detect which user of the plurality of entertainment system users is currently using the entertainment system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in an entertainment system, the apparatus comprising:

a storage medium having a plurality of storage locations to store user preference information for up to a corresponding plurality of entertainment system users, wherein individual storage locations are dedicated to store the user preferences for an individual system user; and

a processor agent, communicatively coupled to the storage medium, to monitor user interaction with the entertainment system, and to automatically detect which user of the plurality of entertainment system users is currently using the entertainment system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor agent automatically detects which user of the plurality of entertainment system users is currently using the entertainment system based on user interaction with the entertainment system and the user preference information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor agent determines which of the plurality of entertainment system users is currently using the entertainment system by monitoring user input and current entertainment system settings and comparing the user input and current entertainment system settings to the user profile information for each of the plurality of entertainment system users.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the user input includes information associated with television program selection, web page selection, volume settings, and/or supplementary program information.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a programming storage medium, communicatively coupled to the processor agent, to store programming information, and wherein the processor agent dynamically configures the entertainment system in accordance with the user preference information corresponding to the detected user.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the dynamic configuration includes providing an updated list of web sites which correspond to user preferences and available programming information.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the dynamic configuration includes providing the user with supplemental program information.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor agent suggests program options to the user corresponding to the program information and the user preference information for the detected user.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor agent continuously updates a user profile associated with the detected user in response to user interaction with the entertainment system.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user profile is stored locally within the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the user profile is stored remotely.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the user profile includes television programming preferences.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the user profile includes Internet preferences.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the Internet preferences include preferred web sites.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the Internet preferences include web site genre information corresponding to the content type of information preferred by the user, wherein the processor agent uses the web site genre information to facilitate an active search of the Internet to provide the user with a list of new web sites, not previously accessed by the user, which match the user profile.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor agent prompts the user with the option of recording a program when the user has selected another program option, and to communicate with an entertainment system component to record the program.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor agent provides a user interface through which the user can manipulate a user profile of the user.

18. An entertainment system, the entertainment system comprising:

at least one entertainment system component providing programming received via at least one input;

a storage medium having a plurality of storage locations to store user preference information for up to a corresponding plurality of entertainment system users, wherein a storage location is dedicated to store the user preference information for a corresponding system user; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the at least one entertainment system component and the storage medium, to monitor user interaction with the entertainment system, automatically detect which user of the plurality of entertainment system users is currently using the entertainment system, and dynamically adjust operating parameters for the entertainment system in response to retrieved user preference information associated with the detected user.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the user preference information is obtained from at least one user profile.

20. The entertainment system of claim 19, wherein there exists a user profile for each of the plurality of entertainment system users.

21. The entertainment system of claim 19, wherein the processor agent updates the user profile of the current entertainment system user with information obtained while monitoring user'"'"'s interaction with the entertainment system.

22. A method for automatically detecting which user of a plurality of users is currently using an entertainment system, the method comprising:

(a) monitoring the user'"'"'s interaction with the entertainment system;

(b) comparing the user'"'"'s interaction with the entertainment system against stored user preferences for a plurality of known entertainment system users; and

(c) selecting a user profile which most closely matches the user'"'"'s interaction, based on the result of said step of comparing.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of monitoring comprises passively logging user definable settings to a temporary log.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the user definable settings include channel and station information, volume information and supplementary programming information.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of selecting comprises calculating a metric of the likelihood that the information contained in the temporary log matches that of one of the plurality of system users for which preference information is available.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

(d) configuring the entertainment system in accordance with the selected user profile.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of configuring comprises the steps of:

(d.1) accessing a database containing user preferences; and

(d.2) adjusting operating parameters of the entertainment system in accordance with the user preferences selected user profile.

28. In an entertainment system including a system controller, a television/monitor, an audio input device and a video input device, a method for automatically configuring the entertainment system for an identified user of a plurality of system users, the method comprising:

(a) determining which user from the plurality of system users is currently using the entertainment system;

(b) retrieving user preference information corresponding to the determined user;

(c) scanning programming information for available programming which matches one or more of the user preference information; and

(d) adjusting the entertainment system in accordance with the user preference information and available programming.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of determining comprises the steps of:

(a.1) prompting the user to speak into the audio input device, wherein the speech is recorded by the system controller;

(a.2) comparing the speech input with a stored audio clip of each of the plurality of system users; and

(a.3) identifying the user from the plurality of system users based on the comparison of recorded speech and audio clips.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of determining comprises the steps of:

(a.1) prompting the user to pose for the video input device, wherein an image of the user is recorded by the system controller;

(a.2) comparing the recorded video image with a stored video image of each of the plurality of system users; and

(a.3) identifying the user from the plurality of system users based on the comparison of recorded video image with the plurality of stored video images.