TV program selection support system

• US 7,096,486 B1
• Filed: 06/22/1999
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ukai, Hiromi, Azuma, Yoshiyuki, Nishijima, Hideo, Yagawa, Yuichi, Owashi, Hitoaki, Abe, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Salace, Jason P.
• Application Number:
  US09/337,530
• Time in Patent Office: 2,618 Days
• Field of Search: 725/14, 725/20, 725/45, 725/46, 725/50, 725/68, 725/131, 725/139, 725/151, 386/86
• US Class Current: 725/58
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A TV program selection support system selects only programs suiting viewer'"'"'s preference or necessary for a viewer from a large number of programs to be broadcast and proposes the selected programs to the viewer. The TV program selection support system comprises a program receiver for receiving broadcast TV programs, an EPG receiver for receiving an electronic program table listing TV programs, an EPG storage device for storing an EPG received by the EPG receiver, an operating means to be operated by the viewer to select a program from the stored electronic program table, a program selection support program for determining viewer'"'"'s view tendency by analyzing the operation made by the viewer, creating an electronic program table on the basis of the view tendency and displaying the created electronic program table.

Claims

1. An apparatus for presetting a program, and for recording the preset program, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a program;

a receiver for receiving an electronic program guide for said program;

an input module for inputting a first program information indicated by a user to record and for inputting at least one of a genre, a program name, a keyword, and person'"'"'s name, which are indicated by said user;

a retrieving module for retrieving based on the electronic program guide, second program information which matches at least one of said genre, program name, keyword and person'"'"'s name;

a presetting module for presetting said first program information and said second program information;

a recording module for recording on a recording medium, a program received by said receiver in accordance with a result of the presetting performed by said presetting module;

a deleting module for deleting said program from said recording medium;

wherein, when a plurality of programs overlap to record at the same time, said recording module preferentially records the program of said first program information, rather than said second program information;

the presetting module limits recording capacity of said recording medium by at least one input item of said genre, program name, keyword and person'"'"'s name; and

the deleting module deletes the program of said older second program information from said recording medium in said limited recording capacity;

a monitoring module for monitoring a view time period of a program which said viewer has viewed;

a storage device for storing the viewing history information which includes a view score obtained by dividing a view time period by a program time period of said user, and at least one analysis information of a total view score of view elements and a specific view score obtained by dividing the total view score by the number of programs corresponding to the view elements; and

an analyzing module for analyzing preference of said user to each program which is represented by said specific view score that includes a weighted program view measure obtained by multiplying a program view measure by its weight, the preference being calculated according to said viewing history information and said analysis information;

wherein said retrieving module retrieves a third program information which matches said program which said user prefers as a result of the analysis performed by said analyzing module, in accordance with said electronic program guide; and

when a plurality of programs overlap to record at the same time, the recording module preferentially records the program of said first program information, rather than said second and said third program information.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a plurality of programs overlap at the same time, said presetting module presets said second program information, except the time period of said first program information.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said deleting module preferentially deletes a program which said viewer viewed at least once, rather than other programs, among the programs recorded on said recording medium.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said deleting module deletes a program recorded on said recording medium, when the time length of the preset program preset by said presetting module, is longer than the recordable time length of said recording medium, upon comparison between said recordable time length of said recording medium and said time length of the program preset by the presetting module.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said deleting module preferentially deletes the program of said third program information rather than other programs, among the programs recorded on said recording medium.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said view element includes a genre or sub genre, a time, a time period, a day, a person'"'"'s name, a sound and language, a serial number, a keyword hit point, a price and a channel.

7. An apparatus for presetting a program, and for recording said preset program, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a program;

a receiver for receiving an electronic program guide for said program;

an input module for inputting a first program information indicated by a user to record;

a monitoring module for monitoring a view time period of a program which said user has viewed;

a storage device for storing the viewing history information, which includes a view score obtained by dividing a view time period by a program time period of said user and at least one analysis information of a total view score of view elements and a specific view score obtained by dividing the total view score by the number of programs corresponding to the view elements;

an analyzing module for analyzing preference of said user to each program which is represented by said specific view score that includes a weighted program view measure obtained by multiplying a program view measure by its weight, the preference being calculated according to said viewing history information and said analysis information;

a retrieving module for retrieving a second program information which matches the preference of said user as a result of the analysis performed by said analyzing module, in accordance with said electronic program guide;

a presetting module for presetting said first program information, and said second program information;

a recording module for recording on a recording medium, a program received by said receiver, in accordance with the result of the presetting performed by said presetting module; and

a deleting module for deleting, from said recording medium, a program that has been recorded on said recording medium if the preference of the user to a program that has already been recorded on said recording medium is lower than the preference of said user to a program that is going to be preset by said presetting module, upon comparison between the preference of said user to the program that has been recorded on said recording medium and the preference of said user to the program that is going to be preset by said presetting module;

wherein, said presetting module cancels the preset of the program that is going to be preset by said presetting module if the preference of said user to the program that is going to be preset by said presetting module is lower than the preference of said user to the program that has already been recorded on said recording medium.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said deleting module preferentially deletes a program which said user viewed at least once, rather than other programs, among the programs recorded on said recording medium.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said deleting module deletes a program already recorded on said recording medium, when the time length of the program preset by said presetting module, is longer than the recordable time length of said recording medium, upon comparison between the recordable time length of said recording medium and said time length of said program preset by said presetting module.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7, comprising:

said input module further for inputting at least one of a genre, a program name, a keyword, and a person'"'"'s name, which are indicated by said user;

wherein, said retrieving module retrieves a third program information that matches at least one of said genre, program name, keyword and a person'"'"'s name, in accordance with said electronic program guide; and

when a plurality of programs overlap to record at the same time, the recording module preferentially records the program of said first program information, rather than said second and said third program information.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said deleting module preferentially deletes a program of said third program information, rather than other programs, among the programs already recorded on said recording medium.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when a plurality of programs overlap at the same time, said recording module preferentially presets the programs of the first program information rather than the program of said second program information.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, when a plurality of programs overlap at the same time, the presetting module presets said second program information, except the time period of said first program information.

14. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said deleting module deletes a program that has not been viewed by the user for a predetermined time or longer from the recording medium.

15. An apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein said viewing history includes viewing time of each program by said user;

and

said analyzing module calculates values by dividing said viewing time by the time of a program and analyzes the preference of said user based on the value calculated by dividing said viewing time by the time of the program.

16. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said view element includes a genre or sub genre, a time, a time period, a day, a person'"'"'s name, a sound and language, a serial number, a keyword hit point, a price and a channel.

17. An apparatus for recording a program, and for displaying said program, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a program;

a receiver for receiving an electronic program guide for said program;

an input module for inputting a first program information indicated by a user to record;

a display device for displaying a program received by said program receiver;

a monitoring module for monitoring a view time period of a program which said user has viewed;

a storing device for storing the viewing history information, which includes a view score obtained by dividing a view time period by a program time period of said user and at least one analysis information of a total view score of view elements and a specific view score obtained by dividing the total view score by the number of programs corresponding to the view elements;

an analyzing module for analyzing preference of said user to each program which is represented by said specific view score that includes a weighted program view measure obtained by multiplying a program view measure by its weight, the preference being calculated according to said viewing history information and said analysis information;

a retrieving module for retrieving a second program information which matches said program which said user prefers as a result of the analysis performed by said analyzing module, in accordance with the electronic program guide;

a presetting module for presetting said first program information, and said second program information;

a recording module for recording on a recording medium, a program received by said receiver, in accordance with the result of the presetting performed by said presetting module; and

a deleting module for deleting, from said recording medium, a program that has been recorded on said recording medium if the preference of the user to a program that has already been recorded on said recording medium is lower than the preference of said user to a program that is going to be preset by said presetting module, upon comparison between the preference of said user to the program that has been recorded on said recording medium and the preference of said user to the program that is going to be preset by said presetting module;

wherein, the display device displays said program recorded on said recording medium in accordance with an indication of the user; and

the presetting module cancels the preset of the program that is going to be preset by said presetting module if the preference of said user to the program that is going to be preset by said presetting module is lower than the preference of said user to the program that has already been recorded on said recording medium.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said view element includes a genre or sub genre, a time, a time period, a day, a person'"'"'s name, a sound and language, a serial number, a keyword hit point, a price and a channel.

19. An apparatus for presetting, and for recording said preset program, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a program;

a receiver for receiving an electronic program guide for said program;

an input module for inputting a first program information indicated by a user to record;

a monitoring module for monitoring a view time period of a program which said user has viewed;

a storage device for storing the viewing history information, which includes a view score obtained by dividing a view time period by a program time period of said user and at least one analysis information of a total view score of view elements and a specific view score obtained by dividing the total view score by the number of programs corresponding to the view elements;

an analyzing module for analyzing preference of said user to each program which is represented by said specific view score that includes a weighted program view measure obtained by multiplying a program view measure by its weight, the preference being calculated according to said viewing history information and said analysis information;

a retrieving module for retrieving a second program information which matches the preference of said user as a result of the analysis performed by said analyzing module, in accordance with said electronic program guide;

a presetting module for presetting said first program information, and said second program information; and

a recording module for recording on a recording medium, a program received by said receiver, in accordance with the result of the presetting performed by said presetting module;

wherein, said presetting module presets said first program information and said second program information in first and second presetting groups respectively;

said presetting module changes said second program information from said second presetting group to said first presetting group corresponding to an indication for a change by said user; and

when a plurality of programs overlap at the same time, said recording module preferentially presets the program of said first program information rather than the program of said second program information.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said view element includes a genre or sub genre, a time, a time period, a day, a person'"'"'s name, a sound and language, a serial number, a keyword hit point, a price and a channel.

21. An apparatus for presetting a program, and for recording said preset program, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a program;

a display device for displaying said program received by said receiver;

a receiver said receiving an electronic program guide for said program;

an input module for inputting a first program information indicated by a user to record;

a monitoring module for monitoring a view time period of a program which said user has viewed;

a storage device for storing the viewing history information including a view score obtained by dividing a view time period by a program time period of said user and at least one analysis information of a total view score of view elements and a specific view score obtained by dividing the total view score by the number of programs corresponding the view elements;

an analyzing module for analyzing preference of said user to each program which is represented by said specific view score and a weighted program view measure obtained by multiplying a program view measure by its weight, according to said viewing history information and said analysis information;

a retrieving module for retrieving a second program information which matches the preference of said user as a result of the analysis performed by said analyzing module, in accordance with said electronic program guide;

a presetting module for presetting said first program information, and said second program information; and

a recording module for recording on a recording medium, a program received by said receiver, in accordance with the result of the presetting performed by said presetting module;

wherein, said display device displays the program recorded on said recording medium in accordance with an indication of said user;

said display device displays the results of presetting by said presetting module;

said presetting module presets said first program information and said second program information in first and second presetting groups respectively;

said presetting module changes said second program information from said second presetting group to said first presetting group corresponding to an indication for a change by the user; and

when a plurality of programs overlap at the same time, said recording module preferentially presets the program of said first program information rather than the program of said second program information.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said view element includes a genre or sub genre, a time, a time period, a day, a person'"'"'s name, a sound and language, a serial number, a keyword hit point, a price and a channel.