Enhanced electronic program guides

• US 8,181,201 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goldenberg, Miriam, Seldin, Yevgeny, Sterkin, Asher
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli, Dominic D
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUNG, JASON
• Application Number:
  US11/989,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20090178081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,086 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/64 for providing detail information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• 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: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A method and system for rating programs, the method including, receiving a sample of viewing logs from a plurality of set top boxes (STBs), determining, from the sample of viewing logs, at least groups of viewers sharing similar interests, and groups of programs sharing similar audience, computing time dynamics of rating distribution for the groups of viewers and the groups of programs, and incorporating at least one of the following into broadcast metadata the time dynamics of rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs, rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs marginalized by time, rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each program marginalized by time, relative sizes of each group of viewers, and a mapping of each program to groups of programs, thereby making the broadcast metadata available to the plurality of STBs for use in computing ratings. Related systems and methods are described.

Claims

1. A method for rating programs at a broadcast headend, the method comprising:

receiving a sample of viewing logs from a plurality of set top boxes (STBs), the viewing logs comprising;

implicit ratings comprising a fraction of time one program was watched by at least one viewer associated with a viewing log compared to the total length of the one program;

explicit ratings comprising a rating provided directly by the at least one viewer associated with the viewing log; and

confidence parameters comprising a weighting factor applied to the implicit rating, said confidence parameters comprising;

assigning a level of confidence in viewer presence to be 100% each time any type of signaling activity directed to the set top box is detected; and

smoothly decreasing the level of confidence in viewer presence over time;

determining, at the broadcast headend from the sample of viewing logs, at least;

groups of viewers sharing similar interests; and

groups of programs sharing similar audience;

computing time dynamics of rating distribution for the groups of viewers and the groups of programs; and

incorporating at least one of the following into broadcast metadata;

the time dynamics of rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs;

rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs marginalized by time;

rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each program marginalized by time;

relative sizes of each group of viewers; and

a mapping of each program to groups of programs,

thereby making the broadcast metadata available to the plurality of STBs for use in computing ratings.

2. The method according to claim 1 and wherein a result of the computing is broadcast to the plurality of STBs.

3. The method according to claim 1 and wherein a result of the incorporating the time dynamics of rating distributions is broadcast to the plurality of STBs.

4. The method according to claim 1 and wherein a result of the incorporating the marginal distributions is broadcast to the plurality of STBs.

5. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the groups of viewers and groups of programs are determined using a bi-clustering method.

6. A system for rating programs, the system comprising:

a viewing log receiver operative to receive a sample of viewing logs from a plurality of set top boxes (STBs), the viewing logs comprising;

implicit ratings comprising a fraction of time one program was watched by at least one viewer associated with a viewing log compared to the total length of the one program;

explicit ratings comprising a rating provided directly by the at least one viewer associated with the viewing log; and

confidence parameters comprising a weighting factor applied to the implicit rating, said confidence parameters comprising;

assigning a level of confidence in viewer presence to be 100% each time any type of signaling activity directed to the set top box is detected; and

smoothly decreasing the level of confidence in viewer presence over time;

a determining apparatus which determines, from the sample of viewing logs, at least;

groups of viewers sharing similar interests; and

groups of programs sharing similar audience;

a processor operative to compute time dynamics of rating distribution for the groups of viewers and the groups of programs; and

a broadcast metadata providing unit operative to incorporate at least one of the following into broadcast metadata;

the time dynamics of rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs;

rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs marginalized by time;

rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each program marginalized by time;

relative sizes of each group of viewers; and

a mapping of each program to groups of programs,

thereby making the broadcast metadata available to the plurality of STBs for use in computing ratings.

7. A system for rating programs, the system comprising:

viewing log receiving means operative to receive a sample of viewing logs from a plurality of set top boxes (STBs), the viewing logs comprising;

implicit ratings comprising a fraction of time one program was watched by at least one viewer associated with a viewing log compared to the total length of the one program;

explicit ratings comprising a rating provided directly by the at least one viewer associated with the viewing log; and

confidence parameters comprising a weighting factor applied to the implicit rating, said confidence parameters comprising;

assigning a level of confidence in viewer presence to be 100% each time any type of signaling activity directed to the set top box is detected; and

smoothly decreasing the level of confidence in viewer presence over time;

determining means for determining, from the sample of viewing logs, at least;

groups of viewers sharing similar interests; and

groups of programs sharing similar audience;

processing means for computing time dynamics of rating distribution for the groups of viewers and the groups of programs; and

broadcast metadata providing means for incorporating at least one of the following into broadcast metadata;

the time dynamics of rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs;

rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs marginalized by time;

rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each program marginalized by time;

relative sizes of each group of viewers; and

a mapping of each program to groups of programs,

thereby making the broadcast metadata available to the plurality of STBs for use in computing ratings.