Content selection apparatus, system, and method

• US 20030224759A1
• Filed: 05/20/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burnett, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,665,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A media presentation apparatus includes a user preference storage module to store a user preference associated with a user activity and a content selection, coupled to a content selection module to select a content offering based on the user preference. A system includes a media presentation apparatus coupled to a preference manipulation apparatus. A method of processing user preferences includes storing a user preference associated with a user activity and a content selection, and selecting a content offering based on the user preference. The content offering can be selected from a plurality of offerings, based on a combination of user preferences.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a user preference storage module to store a user preference associated with a user activity and a content selection; and

a content selection module to select a content offering based on the user preference, the content selection module being communicatively coupled to the user preference storage module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a user preference transmission module communicatively coupled to the user preference storage module.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user preference is modified based on further user activity, and wherein a modified user preference is stored in the user preference storage module.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a removable storage device communicatively coupled to the user preference storage module.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a database included in the user preference storage module, the database including a plurality of stored user preferences.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each one of the plurality of stored user preferences is selected from a group including a genre, an author, a performer, a company, a media type, a rating, a publication date, and a playback time.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a user preference acquisition module to acquire the user preference, the user preference acquisition module capable of being communicatively coupled to the user preference storage module.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a content reception module coupled to the content selection module.

9. A system, comprising:

a media presentation apparatus including a user preference storage module to store a user preference associated with a user activity and a content selection, and a content selection module communicatively coupled to the user preference storage module, the content selection module to recall the user preference and select a content offering based on the user preference; and

a preference manipulation apparatus capable of being communicatively coupled to the media presentation apparatus.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the media presentation apparatus includes a wireless media receiver capable of being communicatively coupled to the content selection module.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the preference manipulation apparatus is a computer.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the system further comprises:

a preference entry module communicatively coupled to the preference manipulation apparatus.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the system further comprises:

a preference display module communicatively coupled to the preference manipulation apparatus.

14. A method, comprising:

storing a user preference associated with a user activity and a content selection; and

selecting a content offering based on the user preference.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

acquiring the user preference.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the user preference is selected from a plurality of user preferences including a genre, an author, a performer, a company, a media type, a rating, a publication date, and a playback time.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

uncoupling a storage medium from a media presentation apparatus, the storage medium including the user preference;

coupling the storage medium to a preference manipulation apparatus; and

viewing the user preference.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the user activity includes an indication of undesirable content, further comprising:

monitoring the user activity; and

storing the user preference based on the indication of undesirable content.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

monitoring further user activity;

modifying the user preference based on the further user activity to provide a new user preference; and

storing the new user preference.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein selecting a content offering based on the user preference further comprises:

selecting the content offering based on a plurality of user preferences including the user preference.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein selecting a content offering based on the user preference further comprises:

repeatedly acquiring the user preference; and

selecting the content offering based on a number of times the user preference has been acquired.

22. An article comprising a machine-accessible medium having associated data, wherein the data, when accessed, results in a machine performing:

monitoring a user activity;

obtaining a user preference associated with the user activity and a content selection; and

selecting a content offering based on the user preference.

23. The article of claim 22, wherein the machine-accessible medium further includes data, which when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

rejecting a content offering included in the plurality of content offerings based on an indication of undesirable content.

24. The article of claim 22, wherein the machine-accessible medium further includes data, which when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

transmitting the user preference to a preference manipulation apparatus using a wireless network; and

displaying the user preference.

25. The article of claim 22, wherein the content offering is included in a plurality of content offerings, and wherein selecting a content offering based on the user preference further includes:

selecting the content offering from the plurality of content offerings.