Method and system for inserting a new channel into a list of preferred channels

• US 7,389,523 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2001
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US10/029,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20020083452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,433 Days
• Field of Search: 725/46, 725/49, 725/131, 725/139, 725/151
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• 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 21/4532 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 21/4755 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A first set of channels is provided. The first set of channels is selected based on a predetermined criteria related to a viewing preference of a viewer. A first channel not selected based on the predetermined criteria related to the viewing preference of the viewer is inserted into the first set of channels. In one embodiment, a system operator inserts the first channel into the first set of channels. In one embodiment, insertion is disallowed if a number of channels not selected based on the predetermined criteria related to the viewing preference of the viewer that have been inserted into the first set of channels is greater than a predetermined number.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving input at a television recipient device corresponding to a plurality of user-preferred television channels;

storing said plurality of user-preferred television channels in a favorite channels list at the television recipient device;

receiving, via a television programming provider, data corresponding to an additional television channel not in the plurality of user-preferred television channels; and

inserting the additional television channel into the favorite channels list stored at the television recipient device, such that the additional television channel will be available to users of the television recipient device by accessing the favorite channels list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional television channel is selected by a system operator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting the additional television channel into the favorite channels list comprises verifying that a number of television channels in the favorite channels list that are not in the plurality of user-preferred television channels is less than a predetermined number.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the verifying comprises verifying that the percentage of television channels in the favorite channels list that are not in the plurality of user-preferred television channels does not exceed a predetermined percentage.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting an expiration time for the additional television channel in the favorite channels list, such that the additional television channel will be removed from the favorite channels list once the expiration time has been reached.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional television channel inserted into the favorite channels list comprises a television channel selected from a set of television channels having at least a predetermined frequency in channels lists of other television recipient devices in the same geographic region as the television recipient device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional television channel inserted into the favorite channels list comprises a television channel selected based on a predetermined subject matter.

8. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

receiving input at a television recipient device corresponding to a plurality of user-preferred television channels;

storing said plurality of user-preferred television channels in a favorite channels list at the television recipient device;

receiving, via a television programming provider, data corresponding to an additional television channel not in the plurality of user-preferred television channels; and

inserting the additional television channel into the favorite channels list stored at the television recipient device, such that the additional television channel will be available to users of the television recipient device by accessing the favorite channels list.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the additional television channel is selected by a system operator.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein inserting the additional television channel into the favorite channels list comprises verifying that a number of television channels in the favorite channels list that are not in the plurality of user-preferred television channels is less than a predetermined number.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, the method further comprising setting an expiration time for the additional television channel in the favorite channels list, such that the additional television channel will be removed from the favorite channels list once the expiration time has been reached.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the additional television channel inserted into the favorite channels list comprises a television channel selected from a set of television channels having at least a predetermined frequency in channels lists of other television recipient devices in the same geographic region as the television recipient device.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the additional television channel inserted into the favorite channels list comprises a television channel selected based on a predetermined subject matter.

14. A system comprising:

a television recipient device configured to;

receive input corresponding to a plurality of user-preferred television channels;

store said plurality of user-preferred television channels in a favorite channels list;

receive, via a television programming provider, data corresponding to an additional television channel not in the plurality of user-preferred television channels; and

insert the additional television channel into the favorite channels list, such that the additional television channel will be available to users of the television recipient device by accessing the favorite channels list.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the additional television channel is selected by a system operator.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the television recipient device is further configured to verify that a number of television channels in the favorite channels list that are not in the plurality of user-preferred television channels is less than a predetermined number.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the television recipient device is further configured to verify that the percentage of television channels in the favorite channels list that are not in the plurality of user-preferred television channels does not exceed a predetermined percentage.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the television recipient device is further configured to set an expiration time for the additional television channel in the favorite channels list, such that the additional television channel will be removed from the favorite channels list once the expiration time has been reached.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the additional television channel is selected from a set of television channels having at least a predetermined frequency in channels lists of other television recipient devices in the same geographic region as the television recipient device.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the additional television channel is selected based on a predetermined subject matter.