METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SELECTING AND PUSHING CUSTOMIZED ELECTRONIC MEDIA CONTENT

• US 20080086750A1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Ku, Bernard, Yasrebi, Mehrad
• Granted Patent: US 8,429,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• 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 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/60 Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client , e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• 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 21/84 : 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 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information

Abstract

Methods and an apparatus for selecting and pushing customized electronic media content are disclosed. An example method selects a piece of electronic media content based on user characteristic data associated with a user; identifies a storage capacity of a user device associated with the user; and pushes at least a first portion of the selected piece of electronic media content to a user device associated with the user prior to the user demanding the selected piece of electronic media content, the first portion being selected based on the storage capacity of the user device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting a piece of electronic media content based on user characteristic data associated with a user;

identifying a storage capacity of a user device associated with the user; and

pushing at least a first portion of the selected piece of electronic media content to a user device associated with the user prior to the user demanding the selected piece of electronic media content, the first portion being selected based on the storage capacity of the user device.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first portion is selected based on the storage capacity of the user device.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the piece of electronic media content comprises a piece of IPTV content.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user device includes at least one of a television set-top-box, a mobile set-top-box, a personal computer, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, or a portable media player.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user characteristic data comprises a future geographic location associated with the user.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, further comprising automatically identifying the future geographic location of the user based on an electronic calendar entry associated with the user.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user characteristic data comprises historical web search information associated with the user.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user characteristic data comprises at least one of a current geographic location associated with the user, a demographic characteristic associated with the user, or a psychographic characteristic associated with the user.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein selecting the piece of electronic media content comprises:

obtaining a first set numerically representing the one or more characteristics of the user;

obtaining a second set of match variables associated with a first piece of electronic media content;

obtaining a third set of match variables associated with a second piece of electronic media content;

computing a first aggregated score reflecting a degree of matching between the first set and the second set;

computing a second aggregated score reflecting a degree of matching between the first set and the third set; and

selecting the first piece of electronic media content to push to the user when the first aggregated score is greater than the second aggregated score.

10. A method as defined in claim 7, further comprising:

obtaining a fourth set of weighting values; and

combining the first and fourth sets such that each of the weighting values weights a respective one of the one or more characteristics in the first set.

11. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein computing the first aggregated score comprises computing a dot product of the first set and the third set.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein selecting the piece of electronic media content comprises selecting a plurality of pieces of electronic media content;

dividing the plurality of pieces of electronic content into a first group and a second group based on at least one of an attribute of the user device or a size of at least one of the pieces of electronic media content in the plurality; and

wherein pushing a first portion of the selected piece of content comprises pushing the pieces of electronic media content in the first group.

13. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the attribute of the user device includes at least one of a class of the user device, a throughput to the user device, a storage capacity of the user device, a processing speed of the user device, or a storage access latency of the user device.

14. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instruction which, when executed, cause a machine to:

select a piece of electronic media content based on user characteristic data associated with a user;

identify a storage capacity of a user device associated with the user; and

push at least a first portion of the selected piece of electronic media content to the user device associated with the user prior to the user demanding the selected piece of electronic media content, the first portion being selected based on the storage capacity of the user device.

15. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 14, wherein the user device comprises the user device configured for receiving IPTV including at least one of a television set-top-box, a mobile set-top-box, a personal computer, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, or a portable media player.

16. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 14, wherein the user characteristic data associated with the user comprises at least one of a current geographic location associated with the user, a future geographic location associated with the user, historical web search information associated with the user, a demographic characteristic associated with the user, or a psychographic characteristic associated with the user.

17. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 14, wherein the machine readable instruction selects the piece of electronic media content by:

obtaining a first set numerically representing the one or more characteristics of the user;

obtaining a second set of match variables associated with a first piece of electronic media content;

obtaining a third set of match variables associated with a second piece of electronic media content;

computing a first aggregated score reflecting a degree of matching between the first set and the second set;

computing a second aggregated score reflecting a degree of matching between the first set and the third set; and

selecting the first piece of electronic media content to push to the user when the first aggregated score is greater than the second aggregated score.

18. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 14, wherein the machine readable instructions selects the piece of electronic media content by selecting a plurality of pieces of electronic media content;

dividing the plurality of pieces of electronic content into a first group and a second group based on at least one of a storage capacity of the user device of the user device or a size of at least one of the pieces of electronic media content in the plurality; and

wherein pushing a first portion of the selected piece of content comprises pushing the pieces of electronic media content in the first group.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a content matcher to select a piece of electronic media content based on user characteristic data associated with a user; and

a content pusher to push at least a portion of the selected pieces of electronic media content to a user device associated with the user, prior to the user demanding the selected pieces of electronic media content, the first portion being selected by the content pusher based on a storage capacity of the user device.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the pushed electronic media content comprises IPTV content.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the user device includes at least one of a television set-top-box, a mobile set-top-box, a personal computer, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, or a portable media player.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the content matcher selects a piece of electronic media content based on a future geographic location associated with the user.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 22, further comprising the content matcher automatically identifies the future geographic location of the user based on an electronic calendar entry associated with the user.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the content matcher selects a piece of electronic media content based on historical web search information associated with the user.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the user characteristic data comprises at least one of a current geographic location associated with the user, a demographic characteristic associated with the user, or a psychographic characteristic associated with the user.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the content matcher selects the piece of electronic media content by:

obtaining a first set numerically representing the one or more characteristics of the user;

obtaining a second set of match variables associated with a first piece of electronic media content;

obtaining a third set of match variables associated with a second piece of electronic media content;

computing a first aggregated score reflecting a degree of matching between the first set and the second set;

computing a second aggregated score reflecting a degree of matching between the first set and the third set; and

selecting the first piece of electronic media content to push to the user when the first aggregated score is greater than the second aggregated score.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the content matcher selects the piece of electronic media content by:

obtaining a fourth set of weighting values; and

combining the first and fourth sets such that each of the weighting values weights a respective one of the one or more characteristics in the first set.

28. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the content selector computes the first aggregated score by

computing a dot product of the first set and the third set.

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the content matcher selects the piece of electronic media content by the piece of electronic media content by selecting a plurality of pieces of electronic media content;

dividing the plurality of pieces of electronic content into a first group and a second group based on at least one of an attribute of the user device or a size of at least one of the pieces of electronic media content in the plurality; and

wherein pushing a first portion of the selected piece of content comprises pushing the pieces of electronic media content in the first group.

30. An apparatus as defined in claim 29, wherein the content matcher divides the plurality of pieces of electronic media content based on an attribute of the user device including at least one of a class of the user device, a throughput to the user device, a storage capacity of the user device, a processing speed of the user device, or a storage access latency of the user device.