Method and apparatus for logging and reporting television viewing

• US 8,776,100 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clearplay Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Clearplay Incorporated
• Inventors: Jarman, Matthew T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhong, Jun Fei
• Application Number:
  US12/841,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20100293568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 725 25- 31, 725/9, 725/11, 725/14
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• 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 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A multimedia logging and reporting system and method involves first obtaining some viewing information about a multimedia presentation such as a television program. The viewing information may be a name of the program and the time it was being watched on the television or may include other information depending on the multimedia, the device used for viewing the multimedia as well as other factors. The viewing information is recorded and then used to generate a viewing report, an example being a display on a television screen that lists a particular user, the time and name of the programs watched on any given day.

Claims

1. A method of logging and reporting multimedia viewing information comprising:

in a multimedia computing system comprising at least one processor in communication with at least one computer readable storage media, the computer readable storage media including computer executable instructions configured to perform the following operations;

registering a first user to the multimedia computing system;

registering a second user to the same multimedia computing system;

providing the first registered user access to the multimedia computing system;

obtaining viewing information about a multimedia presentation accessed by the first user, the viewing information including an indicia of a content of the multimedia presentation, the multimedia presentation accessed through an Internet address;

recording the viewing information including the Internet address; and

providing for generation of a viewing report as a function of the viewing information, the viewing report accessible by the second user of the multimedia computing system upon registering to the multimedia computing system and providing information concerning the multimedia presentation accessed by the first user and information concerning the content of the multimedia presentation based on the indicia of the content of the multimedia presentation, the viewing report including a selectable link to the Internet address for accessing the viewed multimedia presentation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the operation of recording the viewing information comprises:

receiving a selection of the multimedia presentation; and

recording viewing information about the multimedia presentation, the viewing information including an indicia of the selection of the multimedia presentation.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the operation of receiving a selection of the multimedia video signal comprises receiving a selection of the multimedia presentation initiated from a remote control device;

the multimedia presentation comprises a television program received from one of a plurality of channels; and

further comprising;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of channels; and

the viewing information comprises a time of selection and an indicia of the selected program.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a signal providing data for the multimedia presentation;

analyzing the data to extract the viewing information, the viewing information includes a source of the signal, the source comprises at least one of a DVD player, a digital video recorder device, a satellite set top box, a cable set top box, a video game counsel, a VHS player, and a television broadcast; and

recording an indicia of the source of the signal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the operation of obtaining viewing information comprises:

obtaining programming guide information; and

wherein the viewing report includes at least one of a viewing start time, a viewing end time, a viewing date, a channel, a program title, a program duration, and a parental rating.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

at a server, receiving a request for the viewing report from a client device; and

transmitting the viewing report to the client device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting the viewing information to a remote storage device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the multimedia presentation comprises a television program, and further comprising:

providing for selecting the television program presented on a channel selected from a plurality of channels; and

receiving additional programming information concerning the selected television program.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing for customizing the generation of the viewing report as a function of providing the first registered user access to the multimedia computing system.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting the viewing report to a remote device for display.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the remote device is a wireless communication device.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a signal to block presentation of the multimedia presentation.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving a signal by way of a wireless network from a wireless device distinct from the multimedia computing system to block presentation of the multimedia presentation.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

processing log-in information from a first user and subsequently obtaining viewing information indicative of a multimedia selection by the first user; and

in response to the log-in and multimedia selection, automatically sending an electronic communication to an electronic communication address for a second user, the electronic communication including information indicative of the first user and the multimedia content selection.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the electronic communication further includes an indicia of a content rating of the multimedia selection.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicia of the content of the multimedia information includes a link to a network site providing information concerning the content of the multimedia presentation.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the first user has a first password for accessing the multimedia computing system and the second user has a second password for accessing the multimedia computing system, the second password being distinct from the first password, and the method further comprising:

generating an electronic communication to the second user if the second password is changed.

18. A system for logging and reporting multimedia viewing comprising:

a multimedia computing system comprising at least one processor in communication with at least one computer readable storage media, the computer readable storage media including computer executable instructions configured to implement;

a registration module configured to register a first user and a second user with a multimedia computing system;

an input logging module configured to obtain viewing information about a multimedia presentation selected by the first user, the multimedia presentation accessed through an Internet address;

an input log storage module configured to store viewing information about the selected multimedia presentation including the Internet address; and

a report generation module for generating a viewing report as a function of the stored viewing information, the viewing report accessible by the second user of the multimedia computing system upon registering to the multimedia computing system and providing information concerning the multimedia presentation accessed by the first user and information concerning content of the multimedia presentation, the viewing report further including a selectable link to the Internet address for accessing the viewed multimedia presentation.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein:

the input logging module is further configured to receive a transmission of a selection of the multimedia presentation; and

the viewing information includes an indicia of the selection of the multimedia presentation;

the selected multimedia presentation comprises a television channel selected with a remote control device.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein:

the selected multimedia presentation comprises a television program received from one of a plurality of channels; and

the viewing information comprises a time of selection and an indicia of the selected television program.

21. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a signal providing data for the multimedia presentation; and

the input logging module configured to analyze the data to extract the viewing information.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein:

the viewing information includes a source of the signal, the source comprises at least one of a DVD player, a digital video recorder device, a satellite set top box, a cable set top box, a video game counsel, a VHS player, and a television broadcast; and

the input log storage module is configured to store an indicia of the source of the signal.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein:

the viewing information comprises programming guide information; and

the report includes at least one of a viewing start time, a viewing end time, a viewing date, a channel, a program title, a program duration, and a parental rating.

24. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a server including the input log storage module and configured to receive a request for viewing the report from a client device, the server further including the report generation module configured to transmit the viewing report to the client device.

25. The system of claim 18 wherein the multimedia presentation comprises a television program, and further comprising:

a tuner configured to provide for selecting the television program presented on a channel selected from a plurality of channels; and

the input logger configured to receive additional programming information concerning the selected television program.

26. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a module configured to receive an indicia of a user; and

the report generation module configured to provide a customized viewing report as a function of the user indicia.

27. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a blocking application configured to receive a signal to block presentation of the multimedia presentation, the blocking application further configured to block presentation of the multimedia presentation.

28. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a first module that processes log-in information from a first user and subsequently obtains viewing information indicative of a multimedia selection by the first user; and

a second module that, in response to the log-in and multimedia selection, automatically sends an electronic communication to an electronic communication address for the second user, the electronic communication including information indicative of the first user and the multimedia content selection.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the viewing report further comprises a link to a network site providing information concerning the content of the multimedia presentation.

30. The system of claim 18 wherein the first user has a first password for accessing the multimedia computing system and the second user has a second password for accessing the multimedia computing system, the second password being distinct from the first password, and the system further comprising;

a third module that generates an electronic communication to the second user if the second password is changed.