Delivering Personalized Media Items to Users of Interactive Television and Personal Mobile Devices by Using Scrolling Tickers

• US 20120240159A1
• 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 8,464,289 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 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. Media items may be displayed using scrolling tickers on the television terminal. In one embodiment, a detailed content of a selected media item may be delivered either on the television terminal or on a display of one of the personal mobile device. In another embodiment, scrolling tickers may also be displayed on displays of the personal mobile devices.

Claims

1. 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 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;

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

e. selecting one of the tickers by at least one of the users through the remote control device;

f. displaying on the television terminal a plurality of user selectable devices for displaying a detailed content of the selected media item;

g. selecting one of the devices through the remote control device;

h. transmitting the detailed content of the selected media item from the computing device to the selected device; and

i. delivering the detailed content using the selected device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein anyone of the personal mobile devices may be used as a remote control device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said personal mobile device further comprises a tablet computer;

or a mobile phone;

or a personal media player.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said communication links further comprise ad hoc communication links.

5. 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.

6. 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.

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

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

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said media items are selected based upon a predetermined algorithm in accordance with the identities of the users.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said predetermined algorithm further comprises finding common categories that the users are interested in.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said predetermined algorithm further comprises selecting media items in accordance with a personal profile of each of the users according to a predetermined weight.

12. 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 device 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;

d. transmitting at least a portion of content of the selected media items to the wirelessly devices;

e. displaying on displays screens of the wirelessly connected device the selected media items by employing scrolling tickers;

f. selecting one of the tickers by at least one of the users through one of the wirelessly connected devices;

g. displaying the detailed content of the selected media item on the display screen.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said method further comprises a step of displaying on a predetermined position of the television terminal selected media items by employing scrolling tickers;

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said method further comprises a step of transmitting a full content of the selected media item from the computing device to the personal mobile device, wherein the scrolling ticker is selected.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said portion of the content further comprises metadata of the media items.

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

17. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said personal mobile device further comprises a tablet computer;

or a mobile phone;

or a personal media player.

18. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said communication links further comprise ad hoc communication links.

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

b. transmitting the identity of the user 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 identity from a plurality of stored media items in the computing device;

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

e. selecting one of the tickers by the user through the remote control device;

f. transmitting the detailed content of the selected media item from the computing device to the personal mobile device; and

g. delivering the detailed content using the personal mobile device.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein said method further comprises a step of displaying a scrolling ticker on a display of the personal mobile device after the scrolling ticker on the television terminal is selected by the user.