Delivering Personalized Media Items to Multiple Users of Interactive Television by Using Scrolling Tickers

• US 20120240158A1
• Filed: 06/02/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yang Pan
• Original Assignee: Yang Pan
• Inventors: Pan, Yang
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• 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 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

A system and method of delivering personalized media items to users of an interactive television is disclosed. The system comprises a television terminal, a computing device and a remote control device. The computing device further comprises a set top box. The computing device may be connected to a server through a communication network. The system stores a personal profile for each of its users. Personal mobile devices associated with the users are connected wirelessly to the computing device. Identities of the users may be transmitted from the personal mobile devices to the computing device. Media items are selected based upon the personal profiles according to a predetermined algorithm. Selected media items may be delivered using scrolling tickers displayed on the television terminal.

Claims

1. A method of rendering a media item to a user of an interactive television system comprising a television terminal, a computing device and a remote control device, the method comprising:

a. establishing a wireless communication link between a personal mobile device of the user and the computing device;

b. transmitting the user'"'"'s identity from the personal mobile device to the computing device through the communication link;

c. selecting by the computing device a plurality of media items in accordance with the user'"'"'s identity from a plurality of stored media items in the computing device; and

d. displaying on a predetermined position of the television terminal selected media items by employing scrolling tickers.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said remote control device and said personal mobile device may be a single device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said communication link further comprises an ad hoc communication link.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said ad hoc communication link further comprises a Bluetooth type of connection;

or a Wi-Fi type of connection;

or a ZigBee type of connection;

or an optical type of connection.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said media items are transferred from a server in a communication network to the computing device through the communication network.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said media items further comprise advertisements.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said media items further comprise stock symbols and prices.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said media items further comprise video programs.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said media item is delivered by the television terminal using a pop-up window or a full display window that replaces a television program being broadcasted.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said media items may be organized in a hierarchical manner by media categories, wherein said media categories may be displayed by using the scrolling tickers in a hierarchical manner.

11. A method of rendering a media item to a plurality of users of an interactive television system comprising a television terminal, a computing device and a remote control device, the method comprising:

a. establishing communication links between a plurality of personal mobile devices and the computing device, wherein each of the personal mobile devices is associated with one of the users;

b. transmitting identities of the users from the personal mobile devices to the computing device through the communication links;

c. selecting by the computing device a plurality of media items in accordance with the identities of the users from a plurality of stored media items in the computing device in accordance with a predetermined algorithm; and

d. displaying on a predetermined position of the television terminal selected media items by employing scrolling tickers.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein anyone of the personal mobile devices may be used as a remote control device.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said communication links further comprise ad hoc communication links.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said ad hoc communication link further comprises a Bluetooth type of connection;

or a Wi-Fi type of connection;

or a ZigBee type of connection;

or an optical type of connection.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said media items are transferred from a server in a communication network to the computing device through the communication network.

16. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said media items further comprise advertisements.

17. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said media items further comprise stock symbols and prices.

18. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said predetermined algorithm further comprises finding common categories that the users are interested in.

19. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said predetermined algorithm further comprises selected media items in accordance with personal profiles of each of the users according to a predetermined weigh for each of the users.

20. A method of rendering a media item to a plurality of users of an interactive television system comprising a television terminal, a computing device, a remote control device and an image capturing system, the method comprising:

a. determining identities of the users by the image capturing system and the computing device;

b. selecting by the computing device a plurality of media items in accordance with the identities of the users from a plurality of stored media items in the computing device in accordance with a predetermined algorithm; and

c. displaying on a predetermined position of the television terminal selected media items by employing scrolling tickers.