Multiple item user preference information data structure and method for providing multi-media information

• US 7,296,285 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2000
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoon, Kyoung Ro, Jun, Sung Bae
• Primary Examiner(s): Koenig; Andrew Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoye; Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US09/665,941
• Time in Patent Office: 2,609 Days
• Field of Search: 725/9, 725/13, 725/16, 725/24, 725/46
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 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 21/84 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A user preference information data structure which is capable of classifying and setting user'"'"'s preference information regarding multimedia contents with multiple items to thereby provide users with user'"'"'s request-based whole or partial multi-media information, and a method for providing multi-media information by using the user preference information data structure. The multiple item user preference information data structure for multi-media contents comprising: single item user preference information for single items related to the multi-media information; and multiple items user preference information for multiple items formed by combining the single items.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a data processing apparatus for describing user preferences, the method comprising:

storing a multiple level hierarchical data structure for describing user preferences related to filtering and searching multimedia content, the hierarchical data structure having a tree structure in which a top container includes first and second parent preference objects at a first level in the tree structure, wherein the first parent preference object is a container having a plurality of child preference objects and the second parent preference object is a container having a single child preference object, the single child preference object and each child preference object in the plurality of child preference objects being located below the first level in the tree structure of the hierarchical data structure and representing one content description element describing multimedia content;

assigning a first preference value to the first parent preference object to characterize user preference for the particular combination of the content description elements represented by the plurality of child preference objects;

assigning a second preference value to the second parent preference object to characterize user preference for the content description element represented by the single child preference object;

storing the first and second preference values in the first and second parent preference objects, respectively, in the hierarchical data structure for describing user preferences related to filtering and searching multimedia content;

receiving content description information including a set of content description elements for a multimedia content stream, wherein the content description elements represented by the plurality of child preference objects of the first parent preference object form a subset of the set of content description elements for the multimedia content stream; and

using the content description information and the hierarchical data structure with the first preference value to evaluate the multimedia content stream for searching and filtering.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the content description elements identify a genre, a director or an actor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the first and second preference values to the first and second parent preference objects, respectively, includes assigning the first or second preference value based on a user'"'"'s access pattern to multimedia content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the first and second preference values to the first and second parent preference objects, respectively, includes assigning the first or second preference value based on user input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the hierarchical data structure includes generating a user profile that includes the hierarchical data structure and specifies the first and second preference values for the first and second parent preference objects, respectively.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the user profile includes designating the hierarchical data structure to be used in searching or filtering multimedia content.

7. A software product, tangibly embodied in a machine readable storage medium, for describing user preferences, the software product comprising instructions to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

storing a multiple level hierarchical data structure for describing user preferences related to filtering and searching multimedia content, the hierarchical data structure having a tree structure in which a top container includes first and second parent preference objects at a first level in the tree structure, wherein the first parent preference object is a container having a plurality of child preference objects and the second parent preference object is a container having a single child preference object, the single child preference object and each child preference object in the plurality of child preference objects being located below the first level in the tree structure of the hierarchical data structure and representing one content description element describing multimedia content;

assigning a first preference value to the first parent preference object to characterize user preference for the particular combination of the content description elements represented by the plurality of child preference objects;

assigning a second preference value to the second parent preference object to characterize user preference for the content description element represented by the single child preference object;

storing the first and second preference values in the first and second parent preference objects respectively, in the hierarchical data structure for describing user preferences related to filtering and searching multimedia content;

receiving content description information including a set of content description elements for a multimedia content stream, wherein the content description elements represented by the plurality of child preference objects of the first parent preference object form a subset of the set of content description elements for the multimedia content stream; and

using the content description information and the hierarchical data structure with the first preference value to evaluate the multimedia content stream for searching and filtering.

8. The software product of claim 7, wherein one or more of the content description elements identify a genre, a director or an actor.

9. The software product of claim 7, wherein assigning the first and second preference values to the first and second parent preference objects, respectively, includes assigning the first or second preference value based on a user'"'"'s access pattern to multimedia content.

10. The software product of claim 7, wherein assigning the first and second preference values to the first and second parent preference objects, respectively, includes assigning the first or second preference value based on user input.

11. The software product of claim 7, wherein storing the hierarchical data structure includes generating a user profile that includes the hierarchical data structure and specifies the first and second preference values for the first and second parent preference objects, respectively.

12. The software product of claim 11, wherein generating the user profile includes designating the hierarchical data structure to be used in searching or filtering multimedia content.

13. A method implemented by a data processing apparatus for processing user preferences, the method comprising:

generating a user profile that includes a hierarchical data structure for describing user preferences related to filtering and searching multimedia content, the hierarchical data structure having a tree structure that includes a parent preference object and a plurality of child preference objects, wherein the parent preference object is a container for a subset of the child preference objects in the tree structure of the hierarchical data structure, and each child preference object represents a single content description element describing multimedia content;

assigning a first preference value to the parent preference object to characterize user preference for the particular combination of the content description elements represented by the subset of child preference objects;

assigning a respective preference value to each of two or more in the plurality of child preference objects to characterize user preference for the single content description element represented by that child preference object;

receiving content description information including a set of content description elements for a multimedia content stream, wherein the content description elements represented by the subset of child preference objects form a subset of the set of content description elements for the multimedia content stream; and

using the content description information and the hierarchical data structure with the first preference value to evaluate the multimedia content stream for searching and filtering.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing the user profile with the assigned preference values.

15. A software product, tangibly embodied in a machine readable storage medium, for describing user preferences, the software product comprising instructions to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

generating a user profile that includes a hierarchical data structure for describing user preferences related to filtering and searching multimedia content, the hierarchical data structure having a tree structure that includes a parent preference object and a plurality of child preference objects, wherein the parent preference object is a container for a subset of the child preference objects in the tree structure of the hierarchical data structure, and each child preference object represents a single content description element describing multimedia content;

assigning a first preference value to the parent preference object to characterize user preference for the particular combination of the content description elements represented by the subset of child preference objects;

assigning a respective preference value to each of two or more in the plurality of child preference objects to characterize user preference for the single content description element represented by that child preference object;

receiving content description information including a set of content description elements for a multimedia content stream, wherein the content description elements represented by the subset of child preference objects form a subset of the set of content description elements for the multimedia content stream; and

using the content description information and the hierarchical data structure with the first preference value to evaluate the multimedia content stream for searching and filtering.

16. The software product of claim 15, further comprising instructions to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

storing the user profile with the assigned preference values.