Customized interface based on viewed programming

• US 20080109850A1
• Filed: 11/02/2006
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genesis Star Management Limited
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Shahraray, Behzad, Johnston, Michael, Gibbon, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,056,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/6582 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

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system generates a customized interface based on viewed programming. The system stores a program that a user viewed through a media device; searches through a network for information related to the viewed program; and extracts data associated with the information related to the viewed program. A custom interface is generated based substantially on the data associated with the information related to the viewed program.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a watched program log to store a program that a user viewed through a media device;

a data extractor to search through a network for information related to the viewed program, and to extract data associated with the information related to the viewed program;

a database to store the data associated with the information related to the viewed program; and

a custom interface generator, wherein an interface generated thereby is accessible over a distributed data network, wherein the interface is customized for the user in response to the data associated with the information related to the viewed program.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface is displayed through the media device as a prompt feature to access the information related to the viewed program, wherein the prompt feature is selected from a group including a toolbar, a sidebar and a menu page.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the data is selected from a group including a web link to the related information, a cooking recipe, a discussion group, a web log, a transcript, a program rating system, a promotional product link, an actor Podcast®

link, information of a related program, other episodes of the viewed program, program summary information, and a video thumbnail.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the customized interface does not include information for a program that has been recorded by the user when that program has not been viewed by the user.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface is displayed through a mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the program is viewed a minimum amount of time before related content is added to the interface.

7. A method, the method comprising:

storing a program that a user viewed through a media device;

searching through a network for information related to the viewed program;

extracting data associated with the information related to the viewed program;

storing the data associated with the information related to the viewed program; and

generating an interface customized in response to the data associated with the information related to the viewed program.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein generating further includes displaying the interface through the media device as a prompt feature to access the information related to the viewed program, wherein the prompt feature is selected from a group including a toolbar, a sidebar and a menu page.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein generating further includes displaying the interface through a mobile device.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein extracting further includes representing the data as being selected from a group including a web link to the related information, a cooking recipe, a discussion group, a web log, a transcript, a program rating system, a promotional product link, an actor Podcast) link, information of a related program, other episodes of the viewed program, program summary information, and a video thumbnail.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein generating further includes ensuring that the customized interface does not include information for a program that has been recorded by the user and that has not been viewed by the user.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein extracting further includes ensuring that the information related to the viewed program is almost or nearly immediately available after the corresponding program is viewed.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein storing further includes ensuring that the viewed program is viewed at least two minutes before the information related to a particular viewed program is added to the customized interface.

14. A customized web interface comprising:

a viewed content section including data related to a program viewed through a media device, the viewed content section is to be generated by a system that stores information regarding the program viewed through the media device, and is to search through a network for the data related to the viewed program in response to the stored information, and is to extract the data related to the program viewed through the media device.

15. The interface of claim 14 wherein the data is selected from a group including a web link to the related information, a cooking recipe, a discussion group, a web log, a transcript, a program rating system, a promotional product link, an actor Podcast®

link, information of a related program, other episodes of the viewed program, program summary information, and a video thumbnail.

16. The interface of claim 14, wherein the customized web interface does not include a section for content recorded by a media device and which is not viewed through the media device.

17. The interface of claim 14, wherein the customized web interface is personalized to a user of the media device and personalized in response to an attribute selected from a group including age, language, demographics, geographic region, profile, and personal interface preferences.

18. The interface of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of viewed content sections arranged such that a particular program is displayed more prominently than another program on the customized web interface.

19. The interface of claim 14, wherein the viewed content section is almost or nearly immediately available after the associated program is viewed.

20. The interface of claim 19, wherein the associated program is to be viewed a minimum amount of time before the viewed content section is presented on the customized web interface.

21. The interface of claim 19, wherein the viewed content section includes a prompt feature to access the data related to the program viewed through the media device, wherein the prompt feature is selected from a group including a toolbar, a sidebar and a menu page.

22. A media device system comprising:

a database to locally record a program from a service provider;

a processor to process information when the program is viewed through the media device; and

a transmitter to transmit the viewed program information to be used to extract data from a network, the data related to the program viewed, the data used to generate a customized interface based on the viewed program at the media device.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the data is selected from a group including a web link to the related information, a cooking recipe, a discussion group, a web log, a transcript, a program rating system, a promotional product link, an actor Podcast®

link, information of a related program, other episodes of the viewed program, program summary information, and a video thumbnail.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the program is viewed a minimum amount of time before the transmitter transmits the viewed program information.

25. A system comprising:

a custom interface generator, wherein an interface generated thereby is accessible over a distributed data network, wherein a network is searched for information related to the viewed program, wherein data associated with the information is extracted, wherein the interface is customized for a user based on a program viewed on a media device and in response to the extracted data.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the interface is displayed through the media device as a prompt feature to access the information related to the viewed program, wherein the prompt feature is selected from a group including a toolbar, a sidebar and a menu page.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the data is selected from a group including a web link to the related information, a cooking recipe, a discussion group, a web log, a transcript, a program rating system, a promotional product link, an actor Podcast®

link, information of a related program, other episodes of the viewed program, program summary information, and a video thumbnail.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein the customized interface does not include information for a program that has been recorded by the user when that program has not been viewed by the user.

29. The system of claim 25 wherein the interface is displayed through a mobile device.

30. The system of claim 25 wherein the program is viewed a minimum amount of time before related content is added to the interface.