Method and apparatus for generation of a preferred broadcasted programs list

• US 7,509,662 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2001
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Kamen, Yakov
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava; Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENG, HSIUNGFEI
• Application Number:
  US10/029,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20020085090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,713 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/46, 725/47
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• 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 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score

Abstract

A second set of broadcasted programs is added to a first set of broadcasted programs. The second set of broadcasted programs includes broadcasted programs viewed by a viewer for a period of time at least equal to a first threshold. A third set of broadcasted programs is removed from the first set of broadcasted programs. The third set of broadcasted programs includes broadcasted programs not viewed by a viewer for a period of time at least equal to a second threshold. In one embodiment, a fourth set of broadcasted programs selected by the viewer is added to the first set of broadcasted programs. In one embodiment, the first threshold and the second threshold are updated upon the viewer indicating dissatisfaction. In one embodiment, the first threshold and the second threshold are updated upon the viewer returning to a schedule list more than a predetermined number of times. In one embodiment, the first threshold is set to be a first percentage of a period of time that a channel was viewed, and the second threshold is set to be a second percentage of the period of time that the channel was viewed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

adding to a first set of preferred broadcasted programs a second set of broadcasted programs, wherein each of the second set of broadcasted programs has an associated viewing value greater than or equal to a first viewing threshold;

removing from the first set of preferred broadcasted programs a third set of broadcasted programs, wherein each of the third set of broadcasted programs has an associated viewing value less than or equal to a second viewing threshold, wherein the second viewing threshold is less than the first viewing threshold;

displaying the first set of preferred broadcasted programs on a display device;

receiving an indication of a level of user satisfaction with the displayed first set of preferred broadcast programs; and

updating at least one of the first viewing threshold and the second viewing threshold automatically based on the received indication of the level of user satisfaction with the displayed first set of preferred broadcast programs.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding to the first set of preferred broadcasted programs a fourth set of broadcasted programs manually selected by a viewer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication of the level of user satisfaction comprises determining that a viewer returned to a complete schedule of programs more than a predetermined number of times.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are calculated as different percentages of a maximum time that a channel was viewed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication corresponds to a level of user dissatisfaction and wherein the updating comprises:

determining that the number of broadcast programs in the first set exceeds a program number threshold;

raising at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold; and

determining that the raising will decrease the number of broadcast programs in the first set to below the program number threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication corresponds to a level of user dissatisfaction and wherein the updating comprises:

determining that the number of broadcast programs in the first set is lower than a program number threshold;

lowering at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold; and

determining that the lowering will increase the number of broadcast programs in the first set to more than the program number threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first viewing threshold and the second viewing threshold correspond to either a number of times a broadcast program was tuned to or an accumulated viewing time for a broadcast program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the received indication of the level of user satisfaction is based on a boolean user input corresponding to satisfaction with the displayed first set of preferred broadcast programs.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating and storing a number of times that a user returned to a complete schedule of programs;

comparing the number of times that the user returned to the complete schedule of programs to a first predetermined value;

lowering at least one of the first viewing threshold or the second viewing threshold only if the number of times that the user returned to the complete schedule of programs is greater than the first predetermined value;

comparing the number of times that the user returned to the complete schedule of programs to a second predetermined value; and

raising at least one of the first viewing threshold or the second viewing threshold only if the number of times that the user returned to the complete schedule of programs is less than the first predetermined value.

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

adding to a first set of preferred broadcasted programs a second set of broadcasted programs, wherein each of the second set of broadcasted programs has an associated viewing value greater than or equal to a first viewing threshold;

removing from the first set of preferred broadcasted programs a third set of broadcasted programs, wherein each of the third set of broadcasted programs has an associated viewing value less than or equal to a second viewing threshold, wherein the second viewing threshold is less than the first viewing threshold;

displaying the first set of preferred broadcasted programs on a display device;

receiving an indication of a level of user satisfaction with the displayed first set of preferred broadcast programs; and

updating at least one of the first viewing threshold and the second viewing threshold automatically based on the received indication of the level of user satisfaction with the displayed first set of preferred broadcast programs.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise adding to the first set of preferred broadcasted programs a fourth set of broadcasted programs manually selected by a viewer.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the indication corresponds to a level of user dissatisfaction, and wherein the updating comprises determining new values for at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold such that the new values will change the number of broadcast programs in the first set to correspond to a preferred range for the number of broadcast programs to display.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein receiving the indication of the level of user satisfaction comprises determining that a viewer returned to a complete schedule of programs more than a predetermined number of times.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are calculated as different percentages of a maximum time that a channel was viewed.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to control at least some operations of the apparatus;

a memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to;

add to a first set of preferred broadcasted programs a second set of broadcasted programs, wherein each of the second set of broadcasted programs has an associated viewing value greater than or equal to a first viewing threshold;

remove from the first set of preferred broadcasted programs a third set of broadcasted programs, wherein each of the third set of broadcasted programs has an associated viewing value less than or equal to a second viewing threshold, wherein the second viewing threshold is less than the first viewing threshold;

display the first set of preferred broadcasted programs on a display device connected to the apparatus;

receive, via a user input device connected to the apparatus, an indication of a level of user satisfaction with the displayed first set of preferred broadcast programs; and

update at least one of the first viewing threshold and the second viewing threshold automatically based on the received indication of the level of user satisfaction with the displayed first set of preferred broadcast programs.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the indication corresponds to a level of user dissatisfaction, and wherein the updating comprises determining new values for at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold such that the new values will change the number of broadcast programs in the first set to correspond to a preferred range for the number of broadcast programs to display.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein receiving the indication of the level of user satisfaction comprises determining that a viewer returned to a complete schedule of programs more than a predetermined number of times.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are calculated as different percentages of a maximum time that a channel was viewed.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the indication corresponds to a level of user dissatisfaction and wherein the updating comprises:

determining that the number of broadcast programs in the first set exceeds a program number threshold;

raising at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold; and

determining that the raising will decrease the number of broadcast programs in the first set to below the program number threshold.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the indication corresponds to a level of user dissatisfaction and wherein the updating comprises:

determining that the number of broadcast programs in the first set is lower than a program number threshold;

lowering at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold; and

determining that the lowering will increase the number of broadcast programs in the first set to more than the program number threshold.