Method, system, and apparatus for receiving, processing and rendering content responsive to user and device parameters

• US 7,805,453 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warner Bros Home Entertainment Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Warner Bros Home Entertainment Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ostrover, Lewis S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu; Kuen S
• Application Number:
  US10/977,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20060095396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: 707/194.1, 707/104.1, 707/758
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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

Content is received by a device through a port and is analyzed based on a set of predetermined criteria to determine if it matches the characteristics of the device and/or the preferences of a user. The content characteristics are recognized by analyzing the content itself or from tags attached to, associated with or embedded into the content. Acceptable content is then rendered to the user.

Claims

1. A receiver device comprising:

a port receiving a plurality of received program files of different formats;

an output member presenting output program files to a user in a predetermined format;

a gate; and

a program selector controlling the operation of said gate, wherein said program selector and said gate cooperate to select as said output program files from said received program files only those received program files that have said predetermined format;

wherein said program selector includes a user interface for receiving user preferences; and

wherein said output member has some output member characteristics, said receiver further including a memory that holds rules that are dependent on said characteristics and user preferences, said rules being used by one of said gate and said program selector to select said output program files.

2. The receiver of claim 1 further comprising a memory holding rules, said rules being used by at least one of said gate and said program selector to determine which received program files are selected for presentation as said output program files by said output member.

3. The receiver of claim 1 wherein said output member includes a screen that displays moving and still images.

4. The receiver of claim 3 wherein said screen displays low-to-enhanced definition images having a resolution of less than or equal to 480 progressive lines.

5. The receiver of claim 3 wherein said screen displays high definition images having a resolution of at least 720 progressive or 1080 interlaced lines.

6. The receiver of claim 3 wherein said screen displays text.

7. The receiver of claim 6 wherein said screen displays text only.

8. The receiver of claim 1 wherein said output member includes a speaker adapted to generate low fidelity sounds.

9. The receiver of claim 1 wherein said output member includes speakers adapted to generate high fidelity sounds.

10. The receiver of claim 1 wherein said output member includes of speakers adapted to generate multi-channel sound.

11. The receiver of claim 1 wherein said port is adapted to receive signals broadcast from at least one of the following sources:

AM radio, FM radio, XM radio, standard television, satellite transmissions, WiFi networks as program files.

12. The receiver of claim 1 wherein said port is adapted to receive program files from a distributed computer network.

13. The receiver of claim 12 wherein said port is adapted to receive program files through pathways including wired connections and wireless connections.

14. The receiver of claim 1 wherein said program file includes an acceptable component and a non-useable component, further comprising a sparsing member that sparses said acceptable component from said non-useable component for presentation.

15. The receiver of claim 1 wherein said rules define what program files are selected based on the current time.

16. An audio visual program receiver comprising:

a user interface receiving a request for programs from a user;

a program presenter having presenter characteristics and being adapted to present programs to the user;

a program receiving port receiving incoming programs in response to said request, said incoming programs being in many formats, including matching program having formats matching the presenter characteristics;

a program selector selecting from said incoming programs only said matching programs, the selected programs being provided to said program presenter, said program selector rejecting incoming programs that do not have formats that match said characteristics;

wherein said program receiver further receives an input from a user indicating preferred program formats,

wherein said program selector further receives said user preference and further selects for presentation to the user only the matching programs that have formats that also match said user preferred formats; and

wherein said program receiver rejects any incoming programs that have a format that require any substantial transformation to make the respective incoming program compatible with one of the presenter characteristics and a user request.