Method and system to automatically select data network videos as television shows based on a persona

• US 8,387,094 B1
• Filed: 04/09/2009
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Chi Fai, Chiu, Shin Cheung Simon, Chung, Bok Knun Randolph
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheleheda, James R
• Application Number:
  US12/421,432
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 725/44, 725/46, 725/51, 725/105
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/274 Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4666 using neural networks, e.g. processing the feedback provided by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• 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

Abstract

A system includes a television set for displaying a video for a viewer. The television set connects to a persona television system over a data network and sends a request for a television show for a persona to the persona television system. A “persona” includes a character representation of a person other than the viewer, an event, or a group. The persona television system selects a television show based on the persona. The persona television system sends to the television set a show description of the television show. The show description includes video source information about video source such that the television set can obtain television show from video source. In this manner, a data network video is automatically selected as a television show based on a persona and provided to the television set, increasing the ease with which the viewer can identify video choices of interest.

Claims

1. A method for automatically selecting a television show, comprising:

(a) receiving a request for the television show from a television set via a data network, wherein the request comprises a persona name;

(b) comparing the persona name in the request against a plurality of persona names in a plurality of personas in a persona database, wherein each persona represents a fictional person and comprises demographic information for the fictional person, wherein each persona has changed over time based on interaction with one or more other personas in the persona database;

(c) selecting at least one persona from the persona database matching the persona name in the request;

(d) comparing the demographic information for the fictional person in the selected persona with show attributes in one or more show descriptions in a television show library, wherein each show description in the television show library comprises information for a television show;

(e) selecting at least one show description in the television show library with show attributes matching the demographic information for the fictional person in the selected persona without considering information on a viewer of the television set; and

(f) sending the selected show description to the television set, wherein the selected show description comprises information for the television show.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected persona comprises at least one persona attribute comprising the demographic information for the fictional person, wherein at least one show attribute of a given show description in the television show library is associated with a description in a dictionary, wherein the comparing (d) and the selecting (e) comprise:

(d1) comparing the persona attribute in the selected persona with the description in the dictionary associated with the show attribute of the given show description without considering information on the viewer of the television set; and

(e1) selecting the given show description if the persona attribute in the selected persona matches the description in the dictionary.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information for the television show comprises a video source for the television show, wherein the television set connects with the video source via the data network and obtains the television show from the video source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting (e) and sending (f) comprise:

(e1) selecting a plurality of show descriptions from the show library based on the selected persona without considering information on the viewer of the television set; and

(f1) sending the plurality of selected show descriptions to the television set, wherein each of the selected show descriptions comprises information for a corresponding television show.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selecting (e1) further comprises:

(e1i) determining a relevance for each of the selected show descriptions based upon a metric; and

(e1ii) selecting the show description from the plurality of selected show descriptions that has the most relevance.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the selecting (e) and the sending (f) further comprise:

(e1) determining a relevance for each of the selected show descriptions based upon a metric; and

(f1) sending to the television set the plurality of selected show descriptions and the relevance corresponding to the plurality of selected show descriptions.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the television set obtains a plurality of television shows using information in the plurality of selected show descriptions, wherein the television set plays the plurality of television shows in an order based on the relevances of the plurality of selected show descriptions.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the sending (f1) comprises:

(f1i) sending the plurality of selected show descriptions and a television script to the television set, wherein each of the selected show descriptions comprises the information for the corresponding television show, wherein the television script comprises instructions for playing the corresponding television shows.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the television show library further comprises a promotion, wherein the selecting (e) comprises:

(e1) selecting the show description from the television show library further based on the promotion.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting (e) comprises:

(e1) presenting the selected show description to a human operator other than the viewer of the television set;

(e2) receiving input from the human operator via an input interactive means of the persona television system; and

(e3) determining whether or not to send the selected show description to the television set based on the input from the human operator.

11. The method for claim 1, further comprising:

(g) receiving the selected show description response to the request by the television set; and

(h) obtaining the television show via the data network using the information for the television show in the received show description by the television set.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information for the television show comprises a video source for the television show, wherein the method further comprises:

(i) connecting the television set with the video source via the data network; and

(j) obtaining the television show from the video source by the television set.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving (g) comprises:

(g1) receiving a plurality of show descriptions and relevances corresponding to the plurality of show descriptions from the persona television system in response to the request, wherein the plurality of show descriptions each comprise information for the corresponding television show,

wherein the obtaining (h) comprises;

(h1) obtaining the corresponding television shows via the data network using the information for the television show in the plurality of show descriptions, and

wherein the method further comprises;

(i) playing the corresponding television shows in an order based on the relevances of the plurality of show descriptions by the television set.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving (g) comprises:

(g1) receiving a plurality of show descriptions and a television script in response to the request, wherein each of the show descriptions comprises information for the corresponding television show, wherein the television script comprises instructions for playing the corresponding television shows,

wherein the obtaining (h) comprises;

(h1) obtaining the corresponding television shows via the data network using the information for the television show in the plurality of show descriptions, and

wherein the method further comprises;

(i) playing the corresponding television shows according to the television script by the television set.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the show attributes comprise a target demographic age group, wherein the comparing (d) and the selecting (e) comprises:

(d1) comparing the demographic information for the fictional person with the target demographic age group; and

(e1) selecting the at least one show description in the television show library with the target demographic age group matching the demographic information for the fictional person in the selected persona without considering information on the viewer of the television set.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein each persona further comprises one or more persona attributes for the fictional person, wherein the personal attributes comprise one or more of the following:

a culture related to the fictional person,

an academic background of the fictional person,

favorite subjects of the fictional person,

favorite books of the fictional person,

hobbies of the fictional person, and

political views of the fictional person,

wherein the comparing (d) and the selecting (e) comprises;

(d1) comparing the one or more persona attributes for the fictional person with the show attributes; and

(e1) selecting the at least one show description in the television show library with the show attributes matching the one or more personal attributes for the fictional person without considering information on the viewer of the television set.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable storage medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

(a) receive a request for a television show from a television set via a data network, wherein the request comprises a persona name;

(b) compare the persona name in the request against a plurality of persona names in a plurality of personas in a persona database, wherein each persona represents a fictional person and comprises demographic information for the fictional person, wherein each persona has changed over time based on interaction with one or more other personas in the persona database;

(c) select at least one persona from the persona database matching the persona name in the request;

(d) compare the demographic information for the fictional person in the selected persona with show attributes in one or more show descriptions in a television show library, wherein each show description in the television show library comprises information for a television show;

(e) select at least one show description in the television show library with show attributes matching the demographic information for the fictional person in the selected persona without considering information on a viewer of the television set; and

(f) send the selected show description to the television set, wherein the selected show description comprises information for the television show.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

(g) receive the selected show description in response to the request; and

(h) obtain the television show via the data network using the information for the television show in the received show description.

19. A system, comprising:

a television set coupled to a data network; and

a persona television system coupled to the data network, comprising a computer and a computer useable storage medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to;

receive a request for a television show from the television set via the data network, wherein the request comprises a persona name;

compare the persona name in the request against a plurality of persona names in a plurality of personas in a persona database, wherein each persona represents a fictional person and comprises demographic information for the fictional person, wherein each persona has changed over time based on interaction with one or more other personas in the persona database;

select at least one persona from the persona database coupled to the persona television system matching the persona name in the request;

compare the demographic information for the fictional person in the selected persona with show attributes in one or more show descriptions in a television show library, wherein each show description in the television show library comprises information for a television show; and

select at least one show description in the television show library with show attributes matching the demographic information for the fictional person in the selected persona without considering information on a viewer of the television set; and

send the selected show description to the television set via the data network, wherein the selected show description comprises information for the television show.