Method and system to automatically select data network videos as television shows based on a persona

• US 9,282,372 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Chiu, Shin Cheung Simon, Chung, Bok Knun Randolph, Ho, Chi Fai
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheleheda, James R
• Application Number:
  US13/747,473
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 725/46, 725/51, 725/105
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/274 Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4666 using neural networks, e.g. processing the feedback provided by the user
• 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• 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

Abstract

A system includes a television set for displaying a video for a viewer. The television set connects to a persona television system over a data network and sends a request for a television show for a persona to the persona television system. A “persona” includes a character representation of a person other than the viewer, an event, or a group. The persona television system selects a television show based on the persona. The persona television system sends to the television set a show description of the television show. The show description includes video source information about video source such that the television set can obtain television show from video source. In this manner, a data network video is automatically selected as a television show based on a persona and provided to the television set, increasing the ease with which the viewer can identify video choices of interest.

Claims

1. A method for automatically selecting a television show, comprising:

(a) comparing a persona name in a request for a television show against a plurality of persona names in a plurality of personas in a persona database, wherein each persona represents a fictional character of a fictional story, wherein each persona changes over time based on interaction with one or more other personas in the persona database;

(b) selecting at least one persona from the persona database based on the persona name in the request, the selected persona comprising one or more persona attributes, the one or more persona attributes comprising a first image based on the fictional story;

(c) comparing the selected persona with one or more show descriptions in a television show library, the one or more show descriptions comprising one or more show attributes, the one or more show attributes comprising a second image of a corresponding television show, wherein the comparing comprises comparing the first image with the second image; and

(d) selecting at least one of the show descriptions comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected persona further comprises one or more persona attributes for the fictional character, wherein the comparing (c) and selecting (d) further comprises:

(c1) comparing the one or more persona attributes for the fictional character in the selected persona with the one or more show attributes in the one or more show descriptions; and

(d1) selecting at least one of the show descriptions comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image and that matches the one or more persona attributes for the fictional character in the selected persona.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected show description comprises information for a television show, wherein the method further comprises:

(e) sending the information for the television show in the selected show description to a television set.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request further comprises one or more promotions, wherein the selecting (d) comprises:

(d1) selecting the at least one of the show descriptions comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image and that matches one or more of the promotions in the request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each show description in the television show library corresponds to one or more of the following:

an online video;

a broadcast television show;

or a promotional video.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the personas in the persona database represents the fictional character created for a video game, wherein the fictional character created for the video game changes based on interaction with one or more other fictional characters of the video game according to a plot of the video game.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the personas in the persona database represents the fictional character of a video, wherein the fictional character of the video changes based on interaction with one or more other fictional characters of the video according to a plot of the video game.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more show descriptions further comprises a plot of a corresponding television show of a series of shows, wherein the comparing (c) and the selecting (d) further comprise:

(c1) comparing the selected persona with the plot of the corresponding television show of the series of shows of the one or more show descriptions in the television show library; and

(d1) selecting at least one show description of the one or more show descriptions comprising the plot of the corresponding television show of the series of shows matching the selected persona and comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more show descriptions further comprises a plot of a corresponding episode of a television series, wherein the comparing (c) and the selecting (d) comprise:

(c1) comparing the selected persona with the plot of the corresponding episode of the television series of the one or more show descriptions in the television show library; and

(d1) selecting at least one show description of the one or more show descriptions comprising the plot of the corresponding episode of the television series matching the selected persona and comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code configured to:

(a) compare a persona name in a request for a television show against a plurality of persona names in a plurality of personas in a persona database, wherein each persona represents a fictional character of a fictional story, wherein each persona changes over time based on interaction with one or more other personas in the persona database;

(b) select at least one persona from the persona database based the persona name in the request, the selected persona comprising one or more persona attributes, the one or more persona attributes comprising a first image based on the fictional story;

(c) compare the selected persona with one or more show descriptions in a television show library, the one or more show descriptions comprising one or more show attributes, the one or more show attributes comprising a second image of a corresponding television show, wherein the compare comprises a compare of the first image with the second image; and

(d) select at least one of the show descriptions comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the selected persona further comprises one or more persona attributes for the fictional character, wherein the computer readable program code configured to compare (c) and select (d) are further configured to:

(c1) compare the one or more persona attributes for the fictional character in the selected persona with the one or more show attributes in the one or more show descriptions; and

(d1) select at least one of the show descriptions comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image and that matches the one or more persona attributes for the fictional character in the selected persona.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein the selected show description comprises information for a television show, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:

(e) send the information for the television show in the selected show description to a television set.

11. The medium of claim 8, wherein the request further comprises one or more promotions, wherein the computer readable program code configured to select (d) is further configured to:

(d1) select the at least one of the show descriptions comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image and that matches one or more of the promotions in the request.

12. The medium of claim 8, wherein each show description in the television show library corresponds to one or more of the following:

an online video;

a broadcast television show;

or a promotional video.

13. The medium of claim 8, wherein one or more of the personas in the persona database represents the fictional character created for a video game, wherein the fictional character created for the video game changes based on interaction with one or more other fictional characters of the video game according to a plot of the video game.

14. The medium of claim 8, wherein one or more of the personas in the persona database represents the fictional character of a video, wherein the fictional character of the video changes based on interaction with one or more other fictional characters of the video according to a plot of the video.

15. The medium of claim 8, wherein each of the one or more show descriptions further comprises a plot of a corresponding television show of a series of shows, wherein the compare (c) and the select (d) comprise:

(c1) compare the selected persona with the plot of the corresponding television show of the series of shows of the one or more show descriptions in the television show library; and

(d1) select at least one show description of the one or more show descriptions comprising the plot of the corresponding television show of the series of shows matching the selected persona and comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image.

16. The medium of claim 8, wherein each of the one or more show descriptions further comprises a plot of a corresponding episode of a television series, wherein the compare (c) and the select (d) comprise:

(c1) compare the selected persona with the plot of the corresponding episode of the television series of the one or more show descriptions in the television show library; and

(d1) select at least one show description of the one or more show descriptions comprising the plot of the corresponding episode of the television series matching the selected persona and comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image.

17. A persona television system, comprising:

a computer readable medium having a computer readable program code, the computer readable program code configured to;

(a) compare a persona name in a request for a television show against a plurality of persona names in a plurality of personas in a persona database, wherein each persona represents a fictional character of a fictional story, wherein each persona changes over time based on interaction with other personas in the persona database;

(b) select at least one persona from the persona database based the persona name in the request, the selected persona comprising one or more persona attributes, the one or more persona attributes comprising a first image based on the fictional story;

(c) compare the selected persona with one or more show descriptions in a television show library, the one or more show descriptions comprising one or more show attributes, the one or more show attributes comprising a second image of a corresponding television show, wherein the comparing comprises comparing the first image with the second image; and

(d) select at least one of the show descriptions comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the selected persona further comprises one or more persona attributes for the fictional character, wherein the computer readable program code configured to compare (c) and select (d) are further configured to:

(c1) compare the one or more persona attributes for the fictional character in the selected persona with the one or more show attributes in the one or more show descriptions; and

(d1) select at least one show of the show descriptions comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image and that matches the one or more persona attributes for the fictional character in the selected persona.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the selected show description comprises information for a television show, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:

(e) send the information for the television show in the selected show description to a television set.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the request further comprises one or more promotions, wherein the computer readable program code configured to select (d) is further configured to:

(d1) select the at least one of the show descriptions comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image and that matches one or more of the promotions in the request.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein each show description in the television show library corresponds to one or more of the following:

an online video;

a broadcast television show;

or a promotional video.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein one or more of the personas in the persona database represents the fictional character created for a video game, wherein the fictional character created for the video game changes based on interaction with one or more other fictional characters of the video game according to a plot of the video game.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein one or more of the personas in the persona database represents the fictional character of a video, wherein the fictional character of the video changes based on interaction with one or more other fictional characters of the video according to a plot of the video.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein each of the one or more show descriptions further comprises a plot of a corresponding television show of a series of shows, wherein the compare (c) and the select (d) comprise:

(c1) compare the selected persona with the plot of the corresponding television show of the series of shows of the one or more show descriptions in the television show library; and

(d1) select at least one show description of the one or more show descriptions comprising the plot of the corresponding television show of the series of shows matching the selected persona and comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein each of the one or more show descriptions further comprises a plot of a corresponding episode of a television series, wherein the compare (c) and the select (d) comprise:

(c1) compare the selected persona with the plot of the corresponding episode of the television series of the one or more show descriptions in the television show library; and

(d1) select at least one show description of the one or more show descriptions comprising the plot of the corresponding episode of the television series matching the selected persona and comprising the one or more show attributes that comprise the second image matching the first image.