Tv program profiling technique and interface

• US 20020140728A1
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sisvel S.p.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Zimmerman, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,451,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/745
• 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 21/4532 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 21/4667 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score

Abstract

A new, interactive, television program profile interface and method are described. The interface is used to capture and display the likes and dislikes of a television viewer in multi-axis format. The weighting of the viewer'"'"'s preferences proportionately changes over time. Those preferences are illustrated in bar graph format with respect to time or other axes. The viewer interacts with the graphical representations by time traversing the preferential chart, and providing necessary modifications and updates.

Claims

1. A television program profile interface having a multiplicity of axes, comprising:

a television viewer profile represented by weighted viewer preferences that proportionately change with respect to at least one of a multiplicity of axes.

2. The television program profile interface in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of said axes comprises time.

3. The television program profile interface in accordance with claim 1, wherein said weighted viewer preferences are represented by bar graphs.

4. The television program profile interface in accordance with claim 2, wherein said weighted viewer preferences are represented by bar graphs.

5. The television program profile interface in accordance with claim 1, wherein said weighted viewer preferences are viewer modifiable.

6. The television program profile interface in accordance with claim 1, further comprising means for viewer interaction.

7. An interactive, television program profile interface, comprising:

television viewer profile represented by weighted viewer preferences in graphical form including a plurality of bar graphs, said bar graphs being viewer changeable.

8. The interactive, television program profile interface in accordance with claim 7, further comprising a multiplicity of axes.

9. The interactive, television program profile interface in accordance with claim 8, wherein one of said multiplicity of axes comprises a time axis.

10. The interactive, television program profile interface in accordance with claim 9, wherein said weighted viewer preferences are proportionately changeable with respect to said time axis.

11. A method of using a television viewer profile interface, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a television viewer profile that changes with time; and

b) modifying said television viewer profile by traversing a time axis.

12. A method of using a television viewer profile interface, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a television viewer profile that changes with time; and

b) modifying said television viewer profile by viewer interaction.