Interactive multi media user interface using affinity based categorization

• US 7,284,202 B1
• Filed: 02/14/2000
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zenith, Steven Ericsson
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl; Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US09/504,327
• Time in Patent Office: 2,801 Days
• Field of Search: 345/744, 345/717, 345/721, 345/706, 345/839, 345/846, 345/962, 345/745, 345/747, 345/719, 345/720, 707/512, 707/500.1, 707/501.1, 707/104.1, 725/44, 725/45, 725/46, 725/47, 725/34, 725/39, 725/61, 705/14, 715/744, 715/717, 715/721, 715/706, 715/839, 715/846, 715/962, 715/745, 715/747, 715/719, 715/720, 715/512, 715/500.1, 715/501.1
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/437 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8541 involving branching, e.g. to different story endings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Computing devices capable of internetworking and receiving, storing and viewing programmed (scheduled) television and multimedia content provide a platform for access to a combination of Internet and Television content and services. On this platform, a mix of pre-scripted and live interactive dialog (chat with offered responses) are broadcast by a connected server or servers to provide supplemental entertainment, information regarding programmed content, enhancements to scheduled television advertising, a community experience, and an interface to Internet applications and services. The dialog provides a “Social Interface” allowing fictional and non-fictional characters to interact with viewers. The fictional and non-fictional characters are each emblematic of a specific affinity group categorization, which a user personally identifies with and is drawn to. Selection of an affinity character also provides a filter for selecting internet and broadcast content associated with that character. Second level content is also associated with and mediated by each character. This provides e-commerce opportunities whereby sponsors can direct advertising content based upon factors such as the relative popularity of each character or the demographic group associated with each character.

Claims

1. A method for selecting and presenting information to a user through an affinity based interface with one or more interactive interface characters, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of interface characters that are displayed to a viewer and that are each emblematic of a corresponding affinity based categorization, the interface characters comprising interactive interface characters associated with presentation characteristics for interacting with the viewer and for engaging in dialog with the viewer;

receiving input corresponding to a viewer selection of an interface character from the plurality of displayed interface characters;

identifying content from a plurality of content sources;

scanning and filtering the identified content to generate filtered content according to affinity based characteristics that are associated with the selected interface character; and

using the interface character to present the filtered content to the viewer.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface character has a unique presentation style.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the presentation style of the interface character corresponds to a unique style of speech.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface character comprises selectable and distinct features that, when selected, initiate an interactive dialog between the interface character and the viewer.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the dialog presented to the viewer corresponds specifically to content displayed to the viewer.

6. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the dialog presented to the viewer corresponds specifically to questions asked by the viewer to the interface character.

7. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the identified content is filtered at least in part according to interactions between the interface character and the viewer, and wherein the interactions include dialogs communicated between the viewer and the interface character.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the dialog presented to the viewer includes a combination of pre-scripted and live chat dialog.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the chat dialog is contextually related to the identified content.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface character is displayed simultaneously along with a display of the filtered content to the viewer.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identified content includes at least one of broadcast content or Internet content.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

providing notifications to the viewer through the interface character.

13. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable software instructions which, when executed by a computing processor, implement the method recited in claim 1.

14. A method for selecting and presenting information to a user through an affinity based interface, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of interface character personas that are displayed to a viewer, wherein each of the interface character personas is associated with a respective domain of preselected broadcast content;

receiving input corresponding to a viewer selection of an interface character persona from the plurality of displayed interface character personas; and

presenting the broadcast content associated with the selected interface character persona to the viewer, wherein the selected interface character persona comprises an interactive character persona that is associated with a chat mechanism that enables the interactive character persona to participate in an interactive chat dialog with the viewer.

15. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable software instructions which, when executed by a computing processor, implement the method recited in claim 14.