Systems and methods for managing content

• US 20070157242A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Walker, Todd, Cordray, Charles
• Application Number:
  US11/324,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20070157242A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/95 for local area
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/4661 Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A “New To Me” feature is provided for an interactive media guidance system implemented as a home network having multiple user equipment devices. Functionally speaking, the “New To Me” feature of the interactive media guidance system identifies programs or advertisements that have been previously viewed by an individual user or a user equipment device within the home network, or even by a household. The interactive media guidance system may use the information gathered regarding the programs and/or advertisements that have already been seen by a user, device or household to, for example, remove the programs or advertisements from future displays of recommendations, search results or listings of available programming.

Claims

1. A method for using an interactive media guidance application implemented on a user equipment device, comprising:

providing a profile for use by the interactive media guidance application, wherein the profile comprises a viewing history of previously viewed content, and further wherein the profile is shared among a plurality of user equipment devices; and

displaying interactive content using the interactive media guidance application based on the viewing history for the profile.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input for selecting the profile.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically selecting the profile using the interactive media guidance application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive media guidance application automatically selects the profile after a predetermined time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined time is set by a user, or is set by default by the interactive media guidance application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile corresponds to a user profile comprising a viewing history of previously viewed content by a user associated with the user profile.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile corresponds to a device profile comprising a viewing history of previously viewed content on one of the user equipment devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user equipment devices comprises a smaller plurality of user equipment devices that are located in a household, and further wherein the profile corresponds to a household profile comprising a viewing history of previously viewed content by the smaller plurality of user equipment devices located in the household.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the previously viewed content comprises programming, advertisements, content identified based on interactions by a user with the interactive media guidance application, or additional information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying interactive content using the interactive media guidance application based on the viewing history for the profile comprises displaying a display of recommended content based on the viewing history for the profile.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the recommended content comprises advertisements, programming or additional information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying interactive content using the interactive media guidance application based on the viewing history for the profile comprises displaying a display of results of a search for content based on the viewing history for the profile.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying interactive content using the interactive media guidance application based on the viewing history for the profile comprises displaying a display of program listings based on the viewing history for the profile.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying interactive content using the interactive media guidance application based on the viewing history for the profile comprises displaying an automatic display of content based on the viewing history for the profile.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the automatic display of content comprises advertisements, programming or additional information.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying interactive content using the interactive media guidance application based on the viewing history for the profile comprises displaying an interactive menu based on the viewing history for the profile.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying interactive content using the interactive media guidance application based on the viewing history for the profile comprises displaying a display comprising at least one indicator to denote previously viewed or unviewed content.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a user sets whether the indicator should denote previously viewed content, previously unviewed content, or both.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the interactive media guidance application sets by default whether the indicator should denote previously viewed content previously unviewed content, or both.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the display comprises a first indicator to denote previously viewed content, and a second indicator to denote previously unviewed content.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the indicator comprises an icon, or a shading of the previously viewed or unviewed content.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the indicator indicates the last time the previously viewed content was viewed, the number of times the previously viewed content was viewed, how often the previously viewed content was viewed, or how much of the previously viewed content was viewed.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the indicator is displayed with an advertisement in a panel display.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the indicator is displayed with an advertisement to denote that the advertisement has been previously viewed or not viewed.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the indicator is displayed with an advertisement for an advertised program to denote that the advertised program has been previously viewed or not viewed.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the indicator is displayed with a program listing for a particular program to denote that the particular program has been previously viewed or not viewed.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein the indicator is displayed in a picture-in-guide display to denote that content displayed in the picture-in-guide display has been previously viewed or not viewed.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the content displayed in the picture-in-guide display corresponds to an advertisement, a preview for a program, or a program.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying interactive content using the interactive media guidance application based on the viewing history for the profile comprises displaying interactive content that does not include the previously viewed content.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying interactive content using the interactive media guidance application based on the viewing history for the profile comprises displaying previously viewed content according to a rank within a display of interactive content.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewing history of previously viewed content is defined by the interactive media guidance application.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewing history of at least a portion of the previously viewed content is defined by a user.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the user enters the viewing history of the portion of the previously viewed content on an Internet website or on a display generated by the interactive media guidance application.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying interactive content using the interactive media guidance application based on the viewing history for the profile comprises displaying a portion of the previously viewed content that has not yet been viewed.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input to display interactive content using the interactive media guidance application based on the viewing history for the profile.

36. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input to display interactive content using the interactive media guidance application based only on a portion of the previously viewed content in the viewing history for the profile.

37. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input to display interactive content using the interactive media guidance application for only a portion of the functionality provided by the interactive media guidance application based on the viewing history for the profile.

38. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input to stop displaying interactive content using the interactive media guidance application based on the viewing history for the profile.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive media guidance application is an interactive television program guide or an online television program guide.

40. A system that uses an interactive media guidance application, comprising:

a plurality of user equipment devices connected by a network, wherein at least one of the plurality of user equipment devices is operative to;

provide a profile for use by the interactive media guidance application, wherein the profile comprises a viewing history of previously viewed content, and further wherein the profile is shared among the plurality of user equipment devices; and

display interactive content using the interactive media guidance application based on the viewing history for the profile.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein at least one of the user equipment devices receives a user input for selecting the profile.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein at least one of the plurality of user equipment devices automatically selects the profile.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the user equipment device selects the profile after a predetermined time.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the predetermined time is set by a user, or is set by default.

45. The system of claim 40, wherein the profile corresponds to a user profile comprising a viewing history of previously viewed content by a user.

46. The system of claim 40, wherein the profile corresponds to a device profile comprising a viewing history of previously viewed content on one of the user equipment devices.

47. The system of claim 40, wherein the plurality of user equipment devices comprises a smaller plurality of user equipment devices that are located in a household, and further wherein the profile corresponds to a household profile comprising a viewing history of previously viewed content by the smaller plurality of user equipment devices located in the household.

48. The system of claim 40, wherein the previously viewed content comprises programming, advertisements, content identified based on interactions by a user with at least one of the plurality of user equipment devices, or additional information.

49. The system of claim 40, wherein the user equipment device is operative to display recommended content based on the viewing history for the profile.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the recommended content comprises advertisements, programming or additional information.

51. The system of claim 40, wherein the user equipment device is operative to display results of a search for content based on the viewing history for the profile.

52. The system of claim 40, wherein the user equipment device is operative to display program listings based on the viewing history for the profile.

53. The system of claim 40, wherein the user equipment device is operative to display content based on the viewing history for the profile.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the automatic display of content comprises advertisements, programming or additional information.

55. The system of claim 40, wherein the user equipment device is operative to display an interactive menu based on the viewing history for the profile.

56. The system of claim 40, wherein the user equipment device is operative to display at least one indicator to denote previously viewed or unviewed content.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein a user sets whether the indicator should denote previously viewed content, previously unviewed content, or both.

58. The system of claim 56, wherein the user equipment device sets by default whether the indicator should denote previously viewed content previously unviewed content, or both.

59. The system of claim 56, wherein the display comprises a first indicator to denote previously viewed content, and a second indicator to denote previously unviewed content.

60. The system of claim 56, wherein the indicator comprises an icon, or a shading of the previously viewed or unviewed content.

61. The system of claim 56, wherein the indicator indicates the last time the previously viewed content was viewed, the number of times the previously viewed content was viewed, how often the previously viewed content was viewed, or how much of the previously viewed content was viewed.

62. The system of claim 56, wherein the indicator is displayed with an advertisement in a panel display.

63. The system of claim 56, wherein the indicator is displayed with an advertisement to denote that the advertisement has been previously viewed or not viewed.

64. The system of claim 56, wherein the indicator is displayed with an advertisement for an advertised program to denote that the advertised program has been previously viewed or not viewed.

65. The system of claim 56, wherein the indicator is displayed with a program listing for a particular program to denote that the particular program has been previously viewed or not viewed.

66. The system of claim 56, wherein the indicator is displayed in a picture-in-guide display to denote that content displayed in the picture-in-guide display has been previously viewed or not viewed.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein the content displayed in the picture-in-guide display corresponds to an advertisement, a preview for a program, or a program.

68. The system of claim 40, wherein the user equipment device is operative to display interactive content that does not include the previously viewed content.

69. The system of claim 40, wherein the user equipment device is operative to display previously viewed content according to a rank within a display of interactive content.

70. The system of claim 40, wherein the viewing history of previously viewed content is defined by the interactive media guidance application.

71. The system of claim 40, wherein the viewing history of at least a portion of the previously viewed content is defined by a user on at least one of the plurality of user equipment devices.

72. The system of claim 71, wherein the user enters the viewing history of the portion of the previously viewed content on an Internet website or on a display generated by the interactive media guidance application.

73. The system of claim 40, wherein the user equipment is operative to display a portion of the previously viewed content that has not yet been viewed.

74. The system of claim 40, wherein at least one of the plurality of user equipment devices receives a user input to display interactive content based on the viewing history.

75. The system of claim 40, wherein at least one of the plurality of user equipment devices receives a user input to display interactive content based only on a portion of the previously viewed content in the viewing history.

76. The system of claim 40, wherein at least one of the plurality of user equipment devices receives a user input to display interactive content for only a portion of the functionality based on the viewing history.

77. The system of claim 40, wherein at least one of the plurality of user equipment devices receives a user input to stop display of interactive content based on the viewing history.

78. The system of claim 40, wherein the interactive media guidance application is an interactive television program guide or an online television program guide.