Methods and systems for network based capture of television viewer generated clickstreams

• US 20050132419A1
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alphonso, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gray, James, Brothers, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,677,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/135
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234372 for performing aspect ratio conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection

Abstract

Methods and systems provide clickstream captures at a remote component, such as a video control system of a television network, by receiving user commands generated by the viewer that are sent to the remote component concurrently relative to when they are generated by the viewer. The commands are captured and then information related to these commands is stored remotely from the premises of the viewer. Additionally, the user commands may be executed remotely such as at a video control system of a television network or alternatively may be executed at the premises of the viewer such as within a set top box. Information related to these user commands continues to be stored remotely from the premises of the viewer after the user commands have been executed such that the information related to these user commands can be processed as necessary and used for various purposes.

Claims

1. A method of capturing user commands from a viewer that are related to viewing content, comprising:

receiving a user command at a viewer appliance at a premises of the viewer; and

relative to receiving the user command, concurrently forwarding the user command from the viewer appliance to a component located remotely from the premises of the viewer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the user command at the viewer appliance to alter an aspect of the content being viewed by the viewer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein concurrently forwarding the user command comprises concurrently forwarding the user command to a storage device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising matching the user command to a present context and concurrently forwarding the matching to the storage device.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining a result of the user command relative to a present context and concurrently forwarding the result to the storage device.

7. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the user command at the viewer appliance comprises receiving the user command at a set-top box, and wherein forwarding the user command comprises forwarding the user command from the viewer appliance to a video control system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating targeted advertising based upon the stored information related to the user command.

2. (canceled)

9. A method of capturing user commands from a viewer that are related to viewing content, comprising:

receiving a user command at a viewer appliance at a premises of the viewer;

relative to receiving the user command, concurrently forwarding the user command from the viewer appliance to a component located remotely from the premises of the viewer;

executing the user command to alter an aspect of the content viewed by the viewer; and

sending an indication that the user command has been executed.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein executing the user command comprises switching from one video stream to another video stream being provided to the premises of the viewer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein forwarding the user command comprises forwarding user command to a storage device after the user command is executed.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising matching the user command to a present context and including the matching in the user command that is forwarded.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein matching the user command to a present context comprises matching the user command to a current time when the user command is received.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a result of the user command relative to a present context and including the result in the user command that is forwarded.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the a result of the user command comprises determining a change to a new video stream relative to the present context.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the a user command at the viewer appliance comprises receiving the user command at a set-top box, and wherein forwarding the user command comprises forwarding the user command from the viewer appliance to a video control system.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising choosing content based upon the user command.

18. A system for capturing user commands from a viewer that are related to viewing content, comprising:

a reception mechanism located at a premises of a viewer for receiving user commands;

a transfer mechanism located at the premises of the viewer, the transfer mechanism concurrently forwarding the user commands relative to the reception mechanism receiving the user commands, the transfer mechanism concurrently forwarding the user commands to a component located remotely from the premises of the viewer; and

a control mechanism that executes the user commands received by the reception mechanism to control an aspect of the content being provided to the viewer.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the reception mechanism and the transfer mechanism are included in a set top box.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the control mechanism is included in the set top box.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the transfer mechanism concurrently forwards the user commands to a video control system located remotely from the premises of the viewer.

19. (canceled)

23. A method of capturing a user command from a viewer that is related to viewing content, comprising:

capturing the user command at the premises of the viewer; and

continuing to store information related to the user command at the premises of the viewer after the user command has been executed.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising executing the user command at the premises of the viewer.

25. A method of capturing user commands from a viewer that are related to viewing content, comprising:

receiving a user command at a viewer appliance at the premises of the viewer;

executing the user command at the viewer appliance; and

concurrently forwarding the user command from the viewer appliance upon receipt.