Automatic determination and retrieval of a favorite channel

• US 9,712,875 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2014
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Satish, Ramaiah
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUER, SCOTT ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US14/538,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20150067711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 341176
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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

Abstract

A consumer electronic device tracks the current channel to which the electronic consumer device is tuned. The consumer electronic device determines an amount of time that the current channel remains unchanged. Based at least in part on this amount of time, the consumer electronic device determines whether the current channel should be stored as a favorite channel. When the consumer electronic device subsequently receives a favorite channel command, the consumer electronic device is caused to tune to the favorite channel that is currently stored in memory. Changing user preferences are thus automatically accommodated without manual intervention, resulting in an effortless user interface.

Claims

1. A non-transitory, computer readable media having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processing device, causes the processing device to perform steps comprising:

causing a television to exit from a first channel tuning state and enter into a second channel tuning state;

determining if the television remains in the second channel tuning state for a length of time that exceeds a length of time during which the television was in the first channel tuning state; and

when it is determined that the television has remained in the second channel tuning state a length of time that exceeds a length of time during which the television was in the first channel tuning state, storing in a memory associated with the processing device an association between a predetermined input element that is coupled to the processing device and channel tuning commands to be transmitted to the television whereupon a subsequent activation of the predetermined input element will cause the channel tuning commands to be transmitted to the television for the purpose of placing the television into the second channel tuning state;

wherein the channel tuning commands to be transmitted to the television are determined by using an increment of a channel number associated with the first media tuning state when a channel up input element that is coupled to the processing device was activated to cause the television to exit from the first channel tuning state and enter into the second channel tuning state or by using a decrement of the channel number when a channel down input element that is coupled to the processing device was activated to cause the television to exit from the first channel tuning state and enter into the second channel tuning state.

2. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the channel tuning commands are transmitted to the television from a controlling device.

3. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the channel tuning commands are transmitted to be received via an infrared receiver of the television.

4. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the channel tuning commands are transmitted to be received via a radio frequency receiver of the television.

5. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions cause a timing device associated with the processing device to measure a time interval and the measured time interval is used in determining if the television has remained in the second channel tuning state for a length of time that exceeds a length of time during which the television was in the first channel tuning state.

6. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 5, wherein the instructions cause the timing device to be started in response to the television being caused to exit from the first channel tuning state and enter into the second channel tuning state.

7. A non-transitory, computer readable media having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processing device, causes the processing device to perform steps comprising:

causing a set-top box to exit from first channel tuning state and enter into a second channel tuning state;

determining if the set-top box remains in the second channel tuning state for a length of time that exceeds a length of time during which the set-top box was in the first channel tuning state; and

when it is determined that the set-top box has remained in the second channel tuning state a length of time that exceeds a length of time during which the set-top box was in the first channel tuning state, storing in a memory associated with the processing device an association between a predetermined input element that is coupled to the processing device and channel tuning commands to be transmitted to the set-top box whereupon a subsequent activation of the predetermined input element will cause the channel tuning commands to be transmitted to the set-top box for the purpose of placing the set-top box into the second channel tuning state;

wherein the channel tuning commands to be transmitted to the set-top box are determined by using an increment of a channel number associated with the first media tuning state when a channel up input element that is coupled to the processing device was activated to cause the set-top box to exit from the first channel tuning state and enter into the second channel tuning state or by using a decrement of the channel number when a channel down input element that is coupled to the processing device was activated to cause the set-top box to exit from the first channel tuning state and enter into the second channel tuning state.

8. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein the channel tuning commands are transmitted to the set-top box from a controlling device.

9. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein the channel tuning commands are transmitted to be received via an infrared receiver of the set-top box.

10. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein the channel tuning commands are transmitted to be received via a radio frequency receiver of the set-top box.

11. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein the instructions cause a timing device associated with the processing device to measure a time interval and the measured time interval is used in determining if the set-top box has remained in the second channel tuning state for a length of time that exceeds a length of time during which the set-top box was in the first channel tuning state.

12. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the instructions cause the timing device to be started in response to the set-top box being caused to exit from the first channel tuning state and enter into the second channel tuning state.