Method of analyzing/searching user's viewing habit regarding aerial broadcasting

• US 6,490,724 B1
• Filed: 02/26/1999
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Dong-Hyeon, Ha, Young-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Salce, Jason
• Application Number:
  US09/258,353
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 725/13, 725/14, 725/9, 725/45, 725/46, 348/734, 348/565, 348/553, 348/731
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• 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 21/4532 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A method of analyzing/searching a user'"'"'s viewing habit regarding aerial broadcasting includes the steps of comparing a present time and channel with a habit database per predetermined time period, checking whether a present habit channel is viewed in case the present time is a time corresponding to the habit, terminating the operation when the habit channel is viewed and showing channel information corresponding to the habit by a PIP screen, displaying a message asking whether it is converted to the habit channel after showing the channel information, converting the channel to a channel by a user'"'"'s selection, checking a habit function key input when the habit channel is viewed, adjusting the presently viewed channel or other channels and channel conversion time in accordance with the user'"'"'s selection when the habit function key is inputted and reserving the result in the habit database. The method enables a TV set to provide a user with his or her habit information by analyzing/comparing habit data, present time and viewing channel per a predetermined time period, thereby maximizing the user'"'"'s convenience.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing/searching a user'"'"'s viewing habit regarding broadcasting, comprising:

a first step for comparing a present time and channel with a habit database per predetermined time period by comparing between a channel conversion time of a habit channel and a channel conversion time of a present channel;

a second step for checking whether a present habit channel is viewed in case the present time at the first step is a time corresponding to the habit;

a third step for terminating a search algorithm for determining the user'"'"'s viewing habits when the habit channel is viewed and showing channel information corresponding to the habit by a PIP screen when the habit channel is not viewed in the second step;

a fourth step for displaying a message asking whether the display used to view a habit channel is converted to the habit channel after showing the channel information at the third step;

a fifth step for converting the channel at the fourth step to a channel by a user'"'"'s selection;

a sixth step for checking a habit function key input when the habit channel is viewed in the second step; and

a seventh step for adjusting the presently viewed channel or other channels and channel conversion time in accordance with the user'"'"'s selection when the habit function key is inputted and reserving the result in the habit database;

wherein the first step further includes;

a step for determining that the present channel is the same as the habit channel in case that the channel conversion time of the present channel is faster than the channel conversion time of the habit channel; and

a step for increasing a viewing frequency number by one when the present channel is the same as the habit channel and for decreasing the viewing frequency number by one when the present channel is different from the habit channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fourth step further comprises a step for eliminating all the messages on the screen and maintaining a present habit channel on the display when there is no user input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step for reserving a channel or a channel conversion time in the habit database by adjusting the channel conversion time with the channel or another channel being presently viewed in accordance with the user'"'"'s selection when a habit function key is inputted during the viewing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first step further includes:

a step for determining that the present channel is the same as the habit channel in case that the channel conversion time of the present channel is later than the channel conversion time of the habit channel; and

a step for increasing a viewing frequency number by one when the present channel is the same as the habit channel and for decreasing the viewing frequency number by one when the present channel is different from the habit channel.

5. A method of analyzing/searching a user'"'"'s viewing habit regarding broadcasting, comprising:

a first step for comparing a present time and channel with a habit database per predetermined time period by comparing between a channel conversion time of a habit channel and a channel conversion time of a present channel;

a second step for checking whether a present habit channel is viewed in case the present time at the first step is a time corresponding to the habit;

a third step for terminating a search algorithm for determining the user'"'"'s viewing habits when the habit channel is viewed and showing channel information corresponding to the habit by a PIP screen when the habit channel is not viewed in the second step;

a fourth step for displaying a message asking whether the display used to view a habit channel is converted to the habit channel after showing the channel information at the third step;

a fifth step for converting the channel at the fourth step to a channel by a user'"'"'s selection;

a sixth step for checking a habit function key input when the habit channel is viewed in the second step; and

a seventh step for adjusting the presently viewed channel or other channels and channel conversion time in accordance with the user'"'"'s selection when the habit function key is inputted and reserving the result in the habit database;

wherein the first step further includes;

a step for determining that the present channel is the same as the habit channel in case that the channel conversion time of the present channel is faster than the channel conversion time of the habit channel; and

a step for increasing a viewing frequency number by one when the present channel is the same as the habit channel and for decreasing the viewing frequency number by one when the present channel is different from the habit channel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the fourth step further comprises a step for eliminating all the messages on the screen and maintaining a present habit channel on the display when there is no user input.