Client-server electronic program guide

• US 8,087,050 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TV Guide Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Lemmons, Thomas R., Thomas, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sumaiya A
• Application Number:
  US11/894,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20080115169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 725/46, 725/39, 725/42, 725/56, 725/58, 725/40
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/73 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/735 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• 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 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• 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 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/466 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• 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 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 : using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 : using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 21/858 : Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A client-server interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide client is implemented on user television equipment. The interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to define expressions that are processed by the program guide server. The program guide server may provide program guide data, schedules reminders, schedules program recordings, and parentally locks programs based on the expressions. Users'"'"' viewing histories may be tracked. The program guide server may analyze the viewing histories and generates viewing recommendations, targets advertising, and collects program ratings information based on the viewing histories.

Claims

1. A method for using an interactive program guide, comprising:

storing a viewing history with control circuitry, the viewing history comprising monitored interactions with the interactive program guide for at least one user;

identifying, with the control circuitry, programming the at least one user has not watched based on the viewing history;

generating, with the control circuitry, a program guide screen comprising at least one user-navigable program listing for display on a display device, wherein the program guide screen is generated based on the identified programming the at least one user has not watched; and

indicating on the program guide screen whether programming associated with each respective at least one program listing has not been watched by the at least one user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one user-navigable program listing comprises a listing of recommended programming.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the listing of recommended programming comprises a listing of programming that meets a user preference profile of the at least one user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the listing of recommended programming comprises a listing of programming that is consistent with a viewing history of the at least one user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising visually identifying each respective at least one program listing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each respective at least one program listing is visually identified by displaying a suitable icon or changing a display characteristic of the respective at least one program listing.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one user-navigable program listing is a listing of at least one episode in a series the at least one user has not watched.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a program listings database to determine whether the at least one user has watched programming associated with each respective at least one program listing.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewing history is stored in a database.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored interactions comprise interactions with programming the at least one user has watched, ordered, scheduled for recording, scheduled reminders for, or searched, or the length of time the at least one user interacts with a program.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying, with the control circuitry, programming the at least one user has not watched comprises comparing the viewing history with a plurality of program listings.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the viewing history comprises programming the at least one user has watched for longer than a predefined time period, and

the programming the at least one user has not watched is identified based at least in part on the programming the user has watched for longer than the predefined time period.

13. A system that uses an interactive program guide, comprising:

control circuitry operative to;

store a viewing history, the viewing history comprising monitored interactions with the interactive program guide for at least one user;

identify programming the at least one user has not watched based on the viewing history;

generate a program guide screen comprising at least one user-navigable program listing for display on a display device, wherein the program guide screen is generated based on the identified programming the at least one user has not watched; and

indicate on the program guide screen whether programming associated with each respective at least one program listing has not been watched by the at least one user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one user-navigable program listing comprises a listing of recommended programming.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the listing of recommended programming comprises a listing of programming that meets a user preference profile of the at least one user.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the listing of recommended programming comprises a listing of programming that is consistent with a viewing history of the at least one user.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the user equipment is further operative to visually identify each respective at least one program listing.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the user equipment is further operative to visually identify each respective at least one program listing by displaying a suitable icon or changing a display characteristic of the respective at least one program listing.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one user-navigable program listing is a listing of at least one episode in a series the at least one user has not yet watched.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising a program listings database, wherein the user equipment is operative to access the database to determine whether the at least one user has watched programming associated with each respective at least one program listing.

21. The system of claim 13, further comprising a database, wherein the viewing history is stored in the database.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the monitored interactions comprise interactions with programming the at least one user has watched, ordered, scheduled for recording, scheduled reminders for, or searched, or the length of time the at least one user interacts with a program.