Content recommendation based on user location and available devices

• US 9,392,308 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helios Streaming, LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Samir, Thomson, Clayton Alexander, Fogelson, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen-Ba, Hoang-Vu A
• Application Number:
  US14/235,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20140196069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 725/14, 725/53
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score

Abstract

A method for making a content recommendation to at least one user commences by first establishing a location for the at least one user. Thereafter a check occurs to determine which devices are available to the at least one user to use (e.g., consume) the content at the location. Next, the content available to the at least one user is determined based on at least the user'"'"'s location and available devices available to the at least one user. A content recommendation is then made among the available content based on at least one attribute of the at least one user.

Claims

1. Apparatus for making a content recommendation, comprising:

means for establishing a physical location for the at least one user;

means for determining which devices are available to the at least one user to use content at the physical location;

means for establishing which content is available to the at least one user based on the at least one user'"'"'s physical location and available devices;

means for distinguishing between devices available to the at least one user, wherein a specific device is identified based on an action by the at least one user; and

means for recommending among the available content selected content based on at least one attribute or action of the at least one user and the specific device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for recommending recommends auxiliary content for display on an auxiliary screen when available.

3. Apparatus for making a content recommendation, comprising:

an analytics server for establishing a physical location for the at least one user and for determining which devices are available to the at least one user to use content at the physical location, and distinguishing between devices available to the at least one user, wherein a specific device is identified based on an action by the at least one user, and

a recommendation server responsive to the physical location and available devices determined by the analytics server for establishing which content is available to the at least one user based on the at least one user'"'"'s physical location and available devices, and for recommending among the available content selected content based on at least one attribute or action of the at least one user and the specific device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the analytics server determines the at least one user'"'"'s physical location from at least one of GPS data, geolocation data and IP address lookup data.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the analytics server queries all devices at the physical location to determine device availability.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the analytics server queries a database containing information about devices existing at the physical location.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the recommendation server establishes which content is available to the at least one user in accordance with device resolution capability.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the recommendation server establishes which content is available to the at least one user includes in accordance with the transmission bandwidth capability of the available devices at the physical location.

9. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the recommendation server recommends selected content occurs in response to a request for a content recommendation.

10. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the recommendation server recommends selected content irrespective of whether a request for a content recommendation is received.

11. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the recommendation server recommends selected content taking account of market research data.

12. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the recommendation server recommends auxiliary content for display on an auxiliary screen when available.