Apparatus and method for automatically recording content, and recording medium and program thereof

• US 8,584,168 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kimura, Hitoshi, Ohnuma, Kensuke, Ichioka, Hidetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): HASAN, SYED Y
• Application Number:
  US12/549,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20090328107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 386/E5.001, 386/E5.043, 348/E5.006, 348/E7.024, 348/E7.034, 348/E7.036, 348/E7.061, 348/E7.069, 707/3, 707/4, 707/10, 707/E17.009, 725/9, 725/34, 725/36, 725/39, 725/47, 725/48, 725/50
• US Class Current: 725/46
• 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 21/4662 characterized by learning algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• 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 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

An apparatus automatically recommends content. A preference operation history managing unit generates history information of an operation relating to a preference for a content according to a plurality of operations relating to a preference for the content and explanation information relating to the content and using preference value parameters for each kind of these operations. A preference information managing unit generates and renews preference information including preference values in which a given preference value is based on a combination of a given keyword and a preference value for that keyword. A content recommending unit calculates a preference degree for the content according to the preference information and the explanation information with respect to the content and recommends at least a portion of the content according to the preference degree.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatic recommending of content, the apparatus comprising:

preference operation history managing means for generating preference operation history information from a plurality of operations performed on particular content and that relates to preferences for the content and from a plurality of explanation information relating to the content, the preference operation history information being generated using a plurality of operation preference value parameters that correspond to a plurality of kinds of operations associated with the plurality of operations;

preference information managing means for generating and renewing preference information that includes a plurality of preference values associated with a plurality of keywords such that a given one of the plurality of preference values is based on a combination of a given one of the plurality of keywords and a preference value for that keyword, the plurality of preference values being determined based on the preference operation history information; and

content recommending means for calculating a preference degree relating to the content using the generated and renewed preference information and the plurality of explanation information relating to the content, and for recommending at least a portion of the content based on the preference degree.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of operations include a record reservation operation for the content, an erase protecting operation for the content, and a keyword registering operation for searching the content.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the preference operation history managing means picks up a specific one of the plurality of keywords from the explanation information using a keyword dictionary and includes the picked up keyword in the history information when an operation other than the keyword registering operation is performed.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preference information managing means generates and renews the preference information by using a coefficient parameter for each of the plurality of elements.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of elements include a keyword, a genre, a content distribution time zone and a content distributing agency.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a number of keywords included in the plurality of elements has a limitation and when the limitation is exceeded, at least one keyword having a preference value equal to or less than a predetermined value is deleted from the plurality of elements.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preference information managing means equally compresses all of the preference values relating to the elements included in the plurality of elements, including preference values which exceed a predetermined upper-limit value.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content recommending means makes a content record reservation for contents based on a size of vacant regions of a recording apparatus and a size of the preference degree for each of the contents.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content recommending means includes means for scheduling a content record reservation for the recommended portion of the content, the recommended portion of the content being recorded according to the content record reservation.

10. An automatic content recommending method, comprising:

using a processor to carry out the following;

generating preference operation history information from a plurality of operations performed on particular content and that relates to preferences for the content and from a plurality of explanation information relating to the content, the preference operation history information being generated using a plurality of operation preference value parameters that correspond to a plurality of kinds of operations associated with the plurality of operations,

generating and renewing preference information that includes a plurality of preference values associated with a plurality of keywords such that a given one of the plurality of preference values is based on a combination of a given one of the plurality of keywords and a preference value for that keyword, the plurality of preference values being determined based on the preference operation history information, and

calculating a preference degree relating to the content using the generated and renewed preference information and the plurality of explanation information relating to the content, and recommending at least a portion of the content based on the preference degree.

11. A non-transitory recording medium recorded with a computer program for executing a process for automatically recommending content, the process comprising:

generating preference operation history information from a plurality of operations performed on particular content and that relates to preferences for the content and from a plurality of explanation information relating to the content, the preference operation history information being generated using a plurality of operation preference value parameters that correspond to a plurality of kinds of operations associated with the plurality of operations;

generating and renewing preference information that includes a plurality of preference values associated with a plurality of keywords such that a given one of the plurality of preference values is based on a combination of a given one of the plurality of keywords and a preference value for that keyword, the plurality of preference values being determined based on the preference operation history information; and

calculating a preference degree relating to the content using the generated and renewed preference information and the plurality of explanation information relating to the content, and recommending at least a portion of the content based on the preference degree.

12. A system, comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions for executing a process for automatically recommending content, the process including;

generating preference operation history information from a plurality of operations performed on particular content and that relates to preferences for the content and from a plurality of explanation information relating to the content, the preference operation history information being generated using a plurality of operation preference value parameters that correspond to a plurality of kinds of operations associated with the plurality of operations,

generating and renewing preference information that includes a plurality of preference values associated with a plurality of keywords such that a given one of the plurality of preference values is based on a combination of a given one of the plurality of keywords and a preference value of that keyword, the plurality of preference values being determined based on the preference operation history information, and

calculating a preference degree relating to the content using the generated and renewed preference information and the plurality of explanation information relating to the content, and recommending at least a portion of the content based on the preference degree.

13. An automatic content recommending apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a preference operation history managing section operable to generate preference operation history information from a plurality of operations performed on particular content and that relates to preferences for the content and from a plurality of explanation information relating to the content, the preference operation history information being generated using a plurality of operation preference value parameters that correspond to a plurality of kinds of operations associated with the plurality of operations;

a preference information managing section operable to generate and renew preference information that includes a plurality of preference values associated with a plurality of keywords such that a given one of the plurality of preference values is based on a combination of a given one of the plurality of keywords and a preference value for that keyword, the plurality of preference values being determined based on the preference operation history information; and

a content recommending section operable to calculate a preference degree relating to the content using the generated and renewed preference information and the plurality of explanation information relating to the content, and to recommend at least a portion of the content based on the preference degree.

14. A system, comprising:

an apparatus for automatic recommending of content; and

a remote controller in communication with the apparatus for automatic recommending of content and that carries out operations on the content;

the apparatus for automatic recommending of content including;

preference operation history managing means for generating preference operation history information from a plurality of the operations performed by the remote controller on the content and that relates to preferences for the content and from a plurality of explanation information relating to the content, the preference operation history information being generated using a plurality of operation preference value parameters that correspond to a plurality of kinds of operations associated with the plurality of operations performed by the remote controller,

preference information managing means for generating and renewing preference information that includes a plurality of preference values associated with a plurality of keywords such that a given one of the plurality of preference values is based on a combination of a given one of the plurality of keywords and a preference value for that keyword, the plurality of preference values being determined based on the preference operation history information, and

content recommending means for calculating a preference degree relating to the content using the generated and renewed preference information and the plurality of explanation information relating to the content, and for recommending at least a portion of the content based on the preference degree.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of operations performed by the remote controller includes at least one of a record reservation operation for the content, an erase protecting operation for the content, or a keyword registering operation for searching the content.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the preference operation history managing means picks up a specific one of the plurality of keywords from the explanation information using a keyword dictionary and includes the picked up keyword in the history information when an operation other than the keyword registering operation is performed.

17. A system according to claim 14, wherein the preference information managing means generates and renews the preference information by using a coefficient parameter for each of the plurality of elements.

18. A system according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of elements include a keyword, a genre, a content distribution time zone and a content distributing agency.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein a number of keywords included in the plurality of elements has a limitation and when the limitation is exceeded, at least one keyword having a preference value equal to or less than a predetermined value is deleted from the plurality of elements.

20. A system according to claim 14, wherein the preference information managing means equally compresses all of the preference values relating to the elements included in the plurality of elements, including preference values which exceed a predetermined upper-limit value.

21. A system according to claim 14, wherein the content recommending means makes a content record reservation for contents based on a size of vacant regions of a recording apparatus and a size of the preference degree for each of the contents.

22. A system according to claim 14, wherein the content recommending means includes means for scheduling a content record reservation for the recommended portion of the content, the recommended portion of the content being recorded according to the content record reservation.

23. An automatic content recommending method, comprising:

using a remote controller in communication with an automatic content recommending apparatus to carry out a plurality of operations on content, whereby the automatic content recommending apparatus generates preference operation history information from the plurality of operations performed by the remote controller on the content and that relates to preferences for the content and from a plurality of explanation information relating to the content, the preference operation history information being generated using a plurality of operation preference value parameters that correspond to a plurality of kinds of operations associated with the plurality of operations performed by the remote controller, generates and renews preference information that includes a plurality of preference values associated with a plurality of keywords such that a given one of the plurality of preference values is based on a combination of a given one of the plurality of keywords and a preference value for that keyword, the plurality of preference values being determined based on the preference operation history information, calculates a preference degree relating to the content using the generated and renewed preference information and the plurality of explanation information relating to the content, and recommends at least a portion of the content based on the preference degree.

24. A system, comprising:

an automatic content recommending apparatus; and

a remote controller in communication with the automatic content recommending apparatus and operable to carry out operations on the content;

the automatic content recommending apparatus including;

a preference operation history managing section operable to generate preference operation history information from a plurality of the operations performed by the remote controller on the content and that relates to preferences for the content and from a plurality of explanation information relating to the content, the preference operation history information being generated using a plurality of operation preference value parameters that correspond to a plurality of kinds of operations associated with the plurality of operations performed by the remote controller,

a preference information managing section operable to generate and renew preference information that includes a plurality of preference values associated with a plurality of keywords such that a given one of the plurality of preference values is based on a combination of a given one of the plurality of keywords and a preference value for that keyword, the plurality of preference values being determined based on the preference operation history information, and

a content recommending section operable to calculate a preference degree relating to the content using the generated and renewed preference information and the plurality of explanation information relating to the content, and to recommend at least a portion of the content based on the preference degree.