Storing and using personal profile from the remote

• US 6,813,619 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Devara, Kavitha Vallari
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Application Number:
  US09/822,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/104.1, 345/327, 359/143, 700/28, 455/556, 348/734
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of and system for storing the personal information or profile of a user/customer on the remote instead of a digital television receiver/set top box. The information that is stored is personal information, such as name, address, etc., as well as commerce-related information, such as a credit card number. This information is then used to personalize the use of some electronic device and allow for faster, portable, more effective and more convenient e-commerce.

Claims

1. A method of selectively operating an electronic device to provide preferences of a user, said method comprising:

transmitting personal profile information that includes said preferences from a mobile control device to a digital receiver device including at least one of a digital television receiver, a set top box, and an Internet access device, such that said digital receiver device can selectively control the operation of the electronic device to provide said preferences thereby removing a need to manually enter said preferences.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said mobile control device stores said personal profile information in a database located within said mobile control device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said mobile control device is a personal digital assistant (PDA), wherein said PDA includes a hand-held, palm-top computer device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein input of said personal profile information is via a keypad/display combination on said mobile control device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein input of said personal profile information is via a keypad on said mobile control device and a display controlled by said digital receiver device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said personal profile information includes one or more of a user'"'"'s name, address, telephone number, credit card number, personal identification number, other charge account information, e-commerce account information, age, sex, profession, favorite television programs, favorite personal television settings, or favorite Internet world-wide-web sites.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said method includes updating of said personal profile information from said digital receiver device to include current user viewing habits from a set of electronic programming guide data available to said digital receiver device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said method includes establishing an Internet connection and engaging in e-commerce.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending or receiving of an e-coupon for use in e-commerce or at a store.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said method includes input of physical coupon information into said mobile control device for use in e-commerce or at the store.

11. A system for storing and using personal profile information of a user, comprising:

a digital receiver device including at least one of a digital television receiver, a set top box, and an Internet access device, operatively coupled to an electronic device to be controlled or a vendor to be accessed; and

a mobile control device;

said mobile control device being configured to;

accept input of said personal profile information into said mobile control device;

store said personal profile information on said mobile control device; and

send said stored personal profile information to said digital receiver device to provide personal preferences of the user to said electronic device, thereby removing a need to manually re-enter said personal profile information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said mobile control device includes a computer-accessible memory operatively coupled to a microprocessor, said microprocessor being configured to operate a database to store said user personal profile information.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said digital receiver device is operatively coupled to a communication channel providing Internet access, in which said digital receiver device includes:

a computer-accessible memory; and

a microprocessor operatively coupled to said computer-accessible memory and said communication channel, said microprocessor being configured to function as an Internet browser.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said mobile control device includes a personal digital assistant.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said personal digital assistant includes:

a computer-accessible memory; and

a microprocessor operatively coupled to said computer-accessible memory and configured to function as an Internet browser.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said mobile control device includes a cellular telephone.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said cellular telephone includes:

a computer-accessible memory; and

a microprocessor operatively coupled to said computer memory and configured to function as an Internet browser.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein said mobile control device is configured to accept said user personal profile information from a source external to the mobile control device and the user.