Interactive television program guide system and method with niche hubs

• US 9,071,879 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Knudson, Edward B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDRAMUNO, FRANKLIN S
• Application Number:
  US13/933,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20140040942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 725/30, 725/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system for providing interactive program guide features and other features and information related to a specific user interest or programming category in niche hubs is provided. For example, a movie lovers niche hub may provide programming features such as television program listings for movies, video-on-demand listings for movies, pay-per-view listings for movies, web site links related to movies, movie-related merchandise, movie news groups, movie chat groups, movie e-mail clubs, movie contests, movie trivia questions, movie actor interviews, movie reviews, movie channel package ordering, etc.

Claims

1. A method for personalizing an interactive media guide, the method comprising:

receiving a first user input selecting a profile graphic generated for display on a display screen;

in response to the first user input, retrieving a personal profile associated with a plurality of niche hubs, wherein each niche hub of the plurality of niche hubs is associated with a user interest;

generating for display, on the display screen, a plurality of hub graphics associated with the personal profile, wherein each of the plurality of hub graphics is associated with one of the plurality of niche hubs;

receiving a second user input adding a user-selected first media listing to a user-selected first niche hub of the plurality of niche hubs;

in response to the second user input, updating the first niche hub to include the first media listing;

receiving a third user input adding a user-selected second media listing to a user-selected second niche hub of the plurality of niche hubs;

in response to the third user input, updating the second niche hub to include the second media listing;

receiving a fourth user input selecting either the first niche hub or the second niche hub; and

in response to the fourth user input selecting either the first niche hub or the second niche hub, generating for display, on the display screen, media listings in the selected niche hub.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first user input further includes:

receiving a user profile name; and

receiving a user password.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a graphical representation of the media listings in the selected niche hub.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the interactive media guide via the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a presentation of one of the media listings in the selected niche hub in response to a fifth user input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the media listings in the selected niche hub are stored on a remote server and transmitted, via the Internet, to a user for presentation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a presentation of additional information about one of the media listings in the selected niche hub in response to a fifth user input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal profile is associated with a user account of a content provider associated with a user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user input comprises rating the first media listing.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second niche hub is associated with a category of media listings that a user wishes to view at a later date.

11. A system for personalizing an interactive media guide, the system comprising control circuitry configured to:

receive a first user input selecting a profile graphic generated for display on a display screen;

in response to the first user input, retrieve a personal profile associated with a plurality of niche hubs, wherein each niche hub of the plurality of niche hubs is associated with a user interest;

generate for display, on the display screen, a plurality of hub graphics associated with the personal profile, wherein each of the plurality of hub graphics is associated with one of the plurality of niche hubs;

receive a second user input adding a user-selected first media listing to a user-selected first niche hub of the plurality of niche hubs;

in response to the second user input, update the first niche hub to include the first media listing;

receive a third user input adding a user-selected second media listing to a user-selected second niche hub of the plurality of niche hubs;

in response to the third user input, update the second niche hub to include the second media listing;

receive a fourth user input selecting either the first niche hub or the second niche hub; and

in response to the fourth user input selecting either the first niche hub or the second niche hub, generate for display, on the display screen, media listings in the selected niche hub.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive a user profile name and a user password in the first user input.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate a graphical representation of the media listings in the selected niche hub.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to access the interactive media guide via the Internet.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate a presentation of one of the media listings in the selected niche hub in response to a fifth user input.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the media listings in the selected niche hub are stored on a remote server and transmitted, via the Internet, to a user for presentation.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate a presentation of additional information about one of the media listings in the selected niche hub in response to a fifth user input.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the personal profile is associated with a user account of a content provider associated with a user.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the second user input comprises rating the first media listing.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the second niche hub is associated with a category of media listings that a user wishes to view at a later date.