Interactive job channel

• US 7,681,219 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Arora, Gagan, Conradt, Jonathan I
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli; Dominic D
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHNURR, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US11/303,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 725 1-153
• US Class Current: 725/86
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Interactive job channel is described. In an embodiment, a viewer having a television-based client device can register an employment profile with a content provider. Employment-related media content can then be associated with the viewer according to the employment profile registered by the viewer, and when an interactive job channel is selected for viewing at the television-based client device, the employment-related media content associated with the viewer is provided by the content provider for viewing on the interactive job channel.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a website provided by a content provider for a viewer to register an employment profile, wherein the content provider obtains an identifier of the viewer from the employment profile;

an application programmed to identify employment-related media content received from one or more employers that corresponds with the employment profile registered by the viewer at the website, the application being executed at least in part by one or more servers at the content provider,

wherein, in response to the viewer registering the employment profile at the website, the application is configured to obtain the identifier from the employment profile of the viewer, and correlate the identifier to a television-based client device located at a location of the viewer for receiving content from the content provider for matching the television-based client device with the employment profile of the viewer at the website; and

an interactive job channel provided by the content provider that is selectable by the viewer at the television-based client device to view employment-related media content delivered to the television-based client device,

wherein, following correlation of the identifier obtained from the employment profile registered at the website with the television-based client device, targeted employment-related media content associated with the employment profile is delivered to the television-based client device as a result of the viewer tuning the television-based client device to the interactive job channel, wherein the targeted employment-related media content delivered to the television-based client device is previously determined to correspond to the employment profile registered by the viewer at the website,

wherein the employment-related media content corresponding to the employment profile registered by the viewer includes a ticker display of job listings that are available employment positions targeted to the viewer based on the employment profile registered by the viewer,

wherein the application is configured to receive a viewer selectable input via the television-based client device to select a job listing displayed on the interactive job channel.

2. A system as recited in claim 1,

wherein the application is further configured to identify the job listing at the website of the content provider, and

wherein, as a result of the viewer selecting the job listing via the television-based client device, the job listing is distinguished to the viewer when the viewer accesses the website.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising additional employment-related media content provided by the content provider for viewing via the interactive job channel, the additional employment-related media content targeted to viewers within a designated region based on a location of a television-based client device registered to each of the viewers.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the application is further configured to record an audio message or video message received from the viewer through the television-based client device recorded using video conferencing components at the television-based client device, and communicate the audio or video message directly to an employer associated with the selected job listing for indicating to the employer that the viewer is interested in the selected job listing.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the employment-related media content further includes video on-demand assets from an employer seeking to employ the viewer.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the employment-related media content includes any one or combination of employment information about an employer, advertisements to attract prospective employees, instructional videos for the prospective employees, and job listings of available employment positions.

7. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein, as a result of receiving the viewer selectable input selecting the job listing via the television-based client device, the application communicates the employment profile obtained from the website to an employer corresponding to the job listing without requiring additional input from the viewer.

8. A system as recited in claim 7, wherein a job listing of an available employment position is selectable to initiate displaying a list of viewer selectable options at the television based client device, the list of viewer selectable options including at least one of:

communicate the employment profile of the viewer to an employer associated with the job listing;

distinguish the job listing at a website of the content provider for additional viewer input;

record an audio message from the viewer for communication to the employer associated with the job listing;

or

record a video message from the viewer for communication to the employer associated with the job listing.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein, when a different viewer having a different television-based client device viewing the interactive job channel has not registered at the website of the content provider, the application is programmed to initiate displaying of advertisements to encourage the different viewer to register an employment profile at the website of the content provider.

10. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein some portions of the application are stored and executed at the content provider and other portions of the application are stored and executed at the television-based client device.

11. A method, comprising:

registering an employment profile of a viewer at a website provided by a server of a content provider, wherein the content provider also provides employment-related media content via a television-based system;

as a result of receiving the employment profile at the website, correlating, by the content provider, an identifier of the viewer obtained from the website from the employment profile with a television-based client device located at a location of the viewer;

associating employment-related media content with the viewer in response to receiving the employment profile of the viewer entered at the website;

providing an interactive job channel tunable by the television-based client device to view the employment-related media content delivered to the television-based client device;

as a result of the viewer tuning the television-based client device to the interactive job channel, providing the employment-related media content that is associated with the viewer to the television-based client device correlated with the identifier of the viewer obtained from the website, the employment-related media content provided for viewing on the interactive job channel having been selected for viewing by the viewer based on the employment profile obtained from the website, wherein the employment-related media content is provided to include a ticker display of job listings that are available employment positions targeted to the viewer based on the employment profile registered by the viewer; and

receiving a viewer selectable input via the television-based client device to select a job listing displayed on the interactive job channel.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

identifying the job listing at the website of the content provider; and

as a result of receiving the viewer selectable input via the television-based client device, distinguishing the job listing to the viewer when the viewer accesses the website.

13. A method as recited in claim 11, as a result of receiving the viewer selectable input selecting the job listing via the television-based client device, communicating the employment profile to an employer corresponding to the job listing without requiring additional input from the viewer.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

initiating a displaying of advertisements for encouraging a different viewer to register an employment profile at the website of the content provider when the different viewer having a different television-based client device viewing the interactive job channel has not registered at the website of the content provider.

15. A method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

recording an audio message or video message from the viewer using video conferencing components at the television-based client device; and

communicating the audio or video message received from the television-based client device directly to an employer associated with the selected job listing for indicating to the employer that the viewer is interested in the selected job listing.

16. A system, comprising:

a website provided by a content provider for enabling a viewer to register an employment profile, wherein the content provider obtains an identifier of the viewer from the employment profile;

an application programmed to identify employment-related media content received from one or more employers that corresponds with the employment profile registered by the viewer at the website,

wherein at least a portion of the application is executed by one or more servers at the content provider, the one or more servers being in communication with a television-based client device via a network, wherein the television-based client device is located at a location of the viewer, wherein the television-based client device is tunable to an interactive job channel provided by the content provider that is selectable by the viewer at the television-based client device to view employment-related media content provided by the content provider,

wherein, as a result of receiving the employment profile of the viewer at the website, the application is configured to correlate the identifier obtained at the website from the employment profile of the viewer with the television-based client device for matching the television-based client device with the employment profile of the viewer registered at the website,

wherein, following correlation of the identifier of the viewer with the television-based client device, the application is configured to deliver the identified employment-related media content that corresponds with the employment profile registered by the viewer at the website to the television-based client device as a result of the television-based client device being tuned to the interactive job channel, wherein the employment-related media content corresponding to the employment profile of the viewer is provided to the viewer for viewing via the television-based client device,

wherein the employment-related media content that corresponds with the employment profile registered by the viewer includes a ticker display of job listings that are available employment positions targeted to the viewer based on the employment profile registered by the viewer,

wherein the application is configured to receive a viewer selectable input via the television-based client device when the viewer selects a job listing displayed on the interactive job channel,

wherein, as a result of receiving the viewer selectable input selecting the job listing via the television-based client device, the application communicates the employment profile obtained from the website to an employer corresponding to the job listing without requiring additional input from the viewer,

wherein the application is configured to identify the job listing at the website of the content provider as result of receiving the selection via the television-based client device, and

wherein, as a result of the viewer selecting the job listing via the television-based client device, the application is configured to distinguish the job listing to the viewer when the viewer accesses the website.

17. A system as recited in claim 16, wherein, when the application receives the viewer selectable input to select a job listing displayed on the interactive job channel, the application is further configured to record an audio message or video message from the viewer via the television-based client device using video conferencing components at the television-based client device, and communicate the audio or video message directly to an employer associated with the selected job listing for indicating to the employer that the viewer is interested in the selected job listing.

18. A system as recited in claim 16, wherein when a different viewer having a different television-based client device viewing the interactive job channel has not registered at the website of the content provider, the application is programmed to initiate displaying of advertisements for the different viewer to encourage the different viewer to register an employment profile at the website of the content provider.