Method of operating a channel recommendation system

• US 9,172,915 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2007
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dizpersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Dizpersion Corporation
• Inventors: Nicholas, Frank C., Carswell, Ian B.
• Primary Examiner(s): DURAN, ARTHUR D
• Application Number:
  US11/744,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20070204308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,099 Days
• Field of Search: 705 141- 1473
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• 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 21/44226 on social networks
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The invention provides a method of operating a channel recommendation system, including, providing a channel recommendation bid interface, receiving a bid request on the interface, and displaying a recommendation link to the channel on at least one user recommendation display device based on the bid request. Real time viewership information may also be used in the operation of the channel recommendation system.

The invention further provides a method of operating a shared information system, including, receiving a recorded clip recommendation request, determining a recipient based on the recommendation request, wherein the recipient is a user different from the recommendation source, determining a recorded video clip based on the recommendation request, determining an ad based on a profile associated with the recipient, and associating the determined clip and the determined ad with the recipient. Real time viewership information may also be used in the operation of the shared information system.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of operating a shared information system, the method comprising:

determining at a service provider server of a television service at least a first subscriber and the first subscriber'"'"'s related group profile or individual profile;

determining at the service provider server at least one video clip based on the determined profile and on real time viewership information of the television service, wherein the real time viewership information comprises real time interaction information from at least a second subscriber distinct from the first subscriber,

wherein the second subscriber has a relationship with the first subscriber in a social network,

wherein the social network comprises relationships between user accounts stored on a social network server, and

wherein establishing a relationship between user accounts on the social network requires

a request from a first user account to connect to a second user account;

associating at the service provider server the determined video clip with the determined first subscriber; and

providing from the service provider server to a subscriber display device of the first subscriber a recommendation link to the determined video clip.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an ad based on a geographic location of the first subscriber;

associating the ad with the associated video clip.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an ad based on the determined group profile or individual profile of the first subscriber;

associating the ad with the associated video clip.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing at least a portion of the real time viewership information to the first subscriber.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the real time viewership information comprises real time interaction information from a plurality of subscribers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the video clip is based on a plurality of social network relationships of the first subscriber.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a channel recommendation bid request, wherein providing the recommendation link is based on the channel recommendation bid request.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the real time viewership information comprises interaction by the first subscriber.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a reporting opt out request from the second subscriber, wherein the real time viewership information does not incorporate interaction by the second subscriber based on the reporting opt out request.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the real time viewership information is selected from the group consisting of television turning on, television turning off, on-demand content browsing, channel selection, channel change, channel viewing duration, fast forward occurrence, and rewind occurrence.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving at the service provider server a recorded clip recommendation request from a recommendation source, wherein the video clip is determined based on the recorded clip recommendation request.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommendation source is the second subscriber.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the real time viewership information comprises channel selection.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the social network server is provided by a separate, independent and distinct service provider from the service provider server.

15. A computer program product for providing video clip recommendations over a network, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer program code for:

determining at a service provider server of a television service at least a first subscriber and the first subscriber'"'"'s related group profile or individual profile;

determining at the service provider server at least one video clip based on the determined profile and on real time viewership information of the television service, wherein the real time viewership information comprises real time interaction information from at least a second subscriber distinct from the first subscriber,

wherein the second subscriber has a relationship with the first subscriber in a social network,

wherein the social network comprises relationships between user accounts stored on a social network server, and

wherein establishing a relationship between user accounts on the social network requires

a request from a first user account to connect to a second user account;

associating at the service provider server the determined video clip with the determined first subscriber; and

providing from the service provider server to a subscriber display device of the first subscriber a recommendation link to the determined video clip.

16. The product of claim 15 wherein the computer-readable storage medium further contains computer program code for:

receiving a channel recommendation bid request, wherein providing the recommendation link is based on the channel recommendation bid request.

17. The product of claim 15 wherein the computer-readable storage medium further contains computer program code for:

receiving at the service provider server a recorded clip recommendation request from the second subscriber, wherein the video clip is determined based on the recorded clip recommendation request.

18. A system for providing video clip recommendations over a network, the system comprising:

a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory containing programming code to;

determine at a service provider server of a television service at least a first subscriber and the first subscriber'"'"'s related group profile or individual profile;

determine at the service provider server at least one video clip based on the determined profile and on real time viewership information of the television service, wherein the real time viewership information comprises real time interaction information from at least a second subscriber distinct from the first subscriber,

wherein the second subscriber has a relationship with the first subscriber in a social network,

wherein the social network comprises relationships between user accounts stored on a social network server, and

wherein establishing a relationship between user accounts on the social network requires

a request from a first user account to connect to a second user account;

associate at the service provider server the determined video clip with the determined first subscriber; and

provide from the service provider server to a subscriber display device of the first subscriber a recommendation link to the determined video clip.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the memory further contains programming code to receive a channel recommendation bid request, wherein providing the recommendation link is based on the channel recommendation bid request.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the memory further contains programming code to receive at the service provider server a recorded clip recommendation request from the second subscriber, wherein the video clip is determined based on the recorded clip recommendation request.