Personalizing TV content

• US 8,832,749 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pickelsimer, Lisa A., Nijim, Yousef Wasef, Patil, Anant, Lam, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malangone, Carmine
• Application Number:
  US12/959,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 725/48, 725/80
• US Class Current: 725/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program

Abstract

Storing information associated with content may be provided. First, information associated with available content may be presented to a user via a user device. Next, a user selection for an item of content may be received. In a dedicated memory location for the user, identifying information for the selected item of content may then be stored.

Claims

1. A method for storing information associated with content, the method comprising;

presenting, to a user via a user device, information associated with available content;

receiving a user selection for an item of content;

storing, in a dedicated memory location for the user, identifying information for the selected item of content, the stored identifying information being synchronized across a plurality of platforms comprising one or more of;

a set top box, a mobile device, and a computer;

receiving a request from the user to view the stored identifying information;

identifying one of the plurality of platforms from which the request from the user is received; and

presenting the stored identifying information on the identified one of the plurality of platforms, wherein presenting the stored identifying information comprises displaying, along with the stored identifying information, an icon corresponding to each of the plurality of platforms, and wherein displaying the stored identifying information along with the icon corresponding to each of the plurality of platforms comprises;

greying a presentation of the stored identifying information when the item of content is not available for viewing on the identified one of the plurality of platforms, and

greying the icon corresponding to at least one of the plurality of platforms when the item of content is not available for viewing on the at least one of the plurality of platforms.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the identifying information in the dedicated memory location comprises storing the identifying information in a My Favorites folder associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the stored identifying information on the identified one of the plurality of platforms comprises presenting the stored identifying information on the identified one of the plurality of platforms comprising one of the following:

the set top box, the mobile device, and the personal computer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the stored identifying information for the selected item to the user based upon a user navigation to the dedicated memory location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein presenting the stored identifying information to the user comprises presenting the stored identifying information via a device different from the user device.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the stored identifying information; and

presenting, to the user, content corresponding to the selected stored identifying information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating a purchase of the selected item of content by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding the selected item of content to a play list associated with the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying at least one type of device that may be utilized to present the selected item of content to the user; and

storing, in the dedicated memory location, information associated with the identified at least one type of device.

10. A computer-readable storage device that stores a set of instructions which when executed perform a method for storing information associated with content, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

presenting, to a user via a user device, information associated with available content;

receiving a user selection for an item of content;

storing, in a dedicated memory location for the user, identifying information for the selected item of content, the identifying information being synchronized across a plurality of platforms;

receiving a request from the user to view the stored identifying information;

identifying one of the plurality of platforms from which the request from the user is received; and

presenting the stored identifying information on the identified one of the plurality of platforms, wherein presenting the stored identifying information comprises displaying, along with the stored identifying information, an icon corresponding to each of the plurality of platforms, and wherein displaying the stored identifying information along with the icon corresponding to each of the plurality of platforms comprises;

greying a presentation of the stored identifying information when the item of content is not available for viewing on the identified one of the plurality of platforms, and

greying the icon corresponding to at least one of the plurality of platforms when the item of content is not available for viewing on the at least one of the plurality of platforms.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, further comprising presenting the stored identifying information for the selected item to the user based upon a user navigation to the dedicated memory location.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein presenting the stored identifying information to the user comprises presenting the stored identifying information via a device different from the user device.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the stored identifying information; and

presenting, to the user, content corresponding to the selected stored identifying information.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein presenting, to the user, the content corresponding to the selected stored identifying information further comprises presenting a demographically targeted advertisement.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein presenting, to the user, the content corresponding to the selected stored identifying information further comprises presenting an advertisement having a duration based upon a user device type the content is presented to.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein presenting, to the user via the user device, the information associated with available content comprises presenting the information associated with available content including an advertisement.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, further comprising facilitating a purchase of the selected item of content by the user.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, further comprising adding the selected item of content to a play list associated with the user.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying at least one type of device that may be utilized to present the selected item of content to the user; and

storing, in the dedicated memory location, information associated with the identified at least one type of device.

20. A system for storing information associated with content, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is configured to;

present, to a user via a user device, information associated with available content;

receive a user selection for an item of content;

store, in a dedicated memory location for the user, identifying information for the selected item of content wherein the processing unit being operative to store the identifying information in the dedicated memory location comprises the processing unit being operative to store the identifying information in a My Favorites folder associated with the user; and

present the stored identifying information for the selected item to the user based upon a user navigation to the dedicated memory location, wherein presenting the stored identifying information comprises displaying along with the stored identifying information, an icon corresponding to each of the plurality of platforms, and wherein displaying the stored identifying information along with the icon corresponding to each of the plurality of platforms comprises;

greying a presentation of the identifying information when the item of content is not available for viewing on the identified one of the plurality of platforms, and

greying the icon corresponding to at least one of the plurality of platforms when the item of content is not available for viewing on the at least one of the plurality of platforms.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing unit being operative to present the stored identifying information to the user comprises the processing unit being operative to present the stored identifying information via a device different from the user device.