Distributed storage and processing of viewing usage data

• US 8,561,096 B1
• Filed: 01/08/2003
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dulac, Stephen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHANG, ANNAN Q
• Application Number:
  US10/339,002
• Time in Patent Office: 3,933 Days
• Field of Search: 725 9- 20, 725131-134, 725193-142, 725151-153, 709217-232
• US Class Current: 725/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• 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 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• 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

Abstract

One or more embodiments of the invention provide a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for processing viewing usage data in a set-top box. A set-top box (STB) receives, via broadcast, distinct programmable instructions for data collection, data manipulation, and data reporting for viewing usage data. The STB then obtains/collects raw viewing usage data in accordance with the instructions for data collection. Once collected, the STB manipulates the raw viewing usage data to create a report in accordance with the instructions for data manipulation. The report is then transmitted from the set-top box to a centralized data mining system in accordance with the instructions for data reporting.

Claims

1. A method of processing viewing usage data in a set-top box comprising:

receiving, in a set-top box, via broadcast, distinct programmable instructions for data collection, data manipulation, and data reporting for viewing usage data;

collecting and persistently storing, in the set-top box, raw viewing usage data in accordance with the instructions for data collection;

manipulating, in the set-top box, the raw viewing usage data to create a report in accordance with the instructions for data manipulation, wherein the report is stored persistently in the set-top box; and

transmitting the report from the set-top box to a centralized data mining system in accordance with the instructions for data reporting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the distinct programmable instructions are addressed to one or more individual set-top boxes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the distinct programmable instructions are addressed to a subset of set-top boxes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the raw viewing usage data includes any data that the set-top box can collect.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the programmable instructions are received from a distributed data mining control system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the raw viewing usage data remains resident in the set-top box subsequent to the transmitting.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the raw viewing usage data, from the set-top box to the centralized data mining system in accordance with the instructions for data reporting.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, in the set-top box, interesting programming and advertisements based on the report.

9. A set-top box comprising:

(a) a memory;

(b) instructions, received via broadcast, that are stored in the memory, wherein the instructions comprise distinct programmable instructions for data collection, data manipulation, and data reporting for viewing usage data;

(c) a microprocessor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the microprocessor is configured to;

(i) collect and persistently store raw viewing usage data in accordance with the instructions for data collection;

(ii) manipulate the raw viewing usage data to create a report in accordance with the instructions for data manipulation, wherein the report is stored persistently in the set-top box; and

(iii) transmit the report from the set-top box to a centralized data mining system in accordance with the instructions for data reporting.

10. The set-top box of claim 9, wherein the distinct programmable instructions are addressed to one or more individual set-top boxes.

11. The set-top box of claim 9, wherein the distinct programmable instructions are addressed to a subset of set-top boxes.

12. The set-top box of claim 9, wherein the raw viewing usage data includes any data that the set-top box can collect.

13. The set-top box of claim 9, wherein the programmable instructions are received from a distributed data mining control system.

14. The set-top box of claim 9, wherein the raw viewing usage data remains resident in the set-top box subsequent to the transmitting.

15. The set-top box of claim 9, wherein the microprocessor is further configured to transmit the raw viewing usage data, from the set-top box to the centralized data mining system in accordance with the instructions for data reporting.

16. The set-top box of claim 9, wherein the microprocessor is further configured to receive interesting programming and advertisements based on the report.

17. An article of manufacture for processing viewing usage data in a set-top box comprising:

means for receiving, in a set-top box, via broadcast, distinct programmable instructions for data collection, data manipulation, and data reporting for viewing usage data;

means for collecting and persistently storing, in the set-top box, raw viewing usage data in accordance with the instructions for data collection;

means for manipulating, in the set-top box, the raw viewing usage data to create a report in accordance with the instructions for data manipulation, wherein the report is stored persistently in the set-top box; and

means for transmitting the report from the set-top box to a centralized data mining system in accordance with the instructions for data reporting.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the distinct programmable instructions are addressed to one or more individual set-top boxes.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the distinct programmable instructions are addressed to a subset of set-top boxes.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the raw viewing usage data includes any data that the set-top box can collect.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the programmable instructions are received from a distributed data mining control system.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the raw viewing usage data remains resident in the set-top box subsequent to the transmitting.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising means for transmitting the raw viewing usage data, from the set-top box to the centralized data mining system in accordance with the instructions for data reporting.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising means for receiving, in the set-top box, interesting programming and advertisements based on the report.