Adaptive pattern recognition based controller apparatus and method and human-factored interface therefore

• US 7,242,988 B1
• Filed: 03/02/1999
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hoffberg Family Trust 2
• Original Assignee: Linda Irene Hoffberg, Steven Mark Hoffberg
• Inventors: Hoffberg, Linda Irene, Hoffberg, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight; Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARTMAN JR, RONALD D
• Application Number:
  US09/260,802
• Time in Patent Office: 3,052 Days
• Field of Search: 345/811, 345/581, 235/375, 235/83, 705/27, 725/13, 725/39, 725/40, 725 44- 47, 725/48, 725 1- 2, 725/9, 725/11, 725/31, 725/37
• US Class Current: 700/28
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23026 Recognise user input pattern and present possible intended program
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24162 Biometric sensor, fingerprint as user access password
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2613 Household appliance in general
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2615 Audio, video, tv, consumer electronics device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 : Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• 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 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 : Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• 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 21/4668 : for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• 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 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/84 : using optical recording H04N5/80, H04N5/89, H04N5/91 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction

Abstract

The need for a more-readily usable interface for programmable devices is widely recognized. The present invention relates to programmable sequencing devices, or, more particularly, the remote controls for consumer electronic devices. The present invention provides an enhanced interface for facilitating human input of a desired control sequence in a programmable device by employing specialized visual feedback. The present invention also relates to a new interface and method of interfacing with a programmable device, which is usable as an interface for a programmable video cassette recorder.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

means for storing a user-specific profile between usage sessions;

means for automatically determining one or more of an image and video information content of media content records;

means for determining a relation of the automatically determined information content with a stored user-specific profile;

means for presenting identifications of the media content records, in dependence on the determined relation, for selection therefrom by the user;

means for receiving feedback from the user on said presented identification; and

means for updating the user-specific profile based on the feedback.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said apparatus is an information access system for presenting users with information items of interest;

further comprising content records storing means comprising a computer system containing a database of information items available to be presented to users of the system;

further comprising accessing means comprising at least one access device for enabling users to communicate with the computer system and access a media content record;

wherein said user-specific profile storing means stores a user profile for a plurality of users;

wherein said relating means comprises means for determining a likely agreement of a plurality of the available media content records with a respective user-specific profile;

wherein said presenting means presents a menu listing identifications of the media content records based on the likely agreement and enabling a user to retrieve a media content record through the access system;

wherein said feedback receiving means comprises means for enabling the user to indicate that the user'"'"'s performance for a retrieved media content record; and

wherein said updating means comprises means for updating the user-specific profile in response to indications of preference provided by the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said likely agreement determining means indexes the available items of information for a user on the basis of at least one attribute pertaining to a plurality of media content records.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said likely agreement determining means uses a formula which predicts the interest of a user in a media content record on the basis of one or more of a user profile and an attribute related to that media content record.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said media content records comprise video programs.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for automatically determining an information content of media content records comprises a processor performing one or more algorithms for one or more of automated image pattern analysis, automated audio pattern analysis and automated synchronized audio and video pattern analysis.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of content records are stored in a common physical storage medium.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for storing comprises a means for recording and reproduction under control of a user.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for determining a relation selects content records from an inferred user preference.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said identifications comprises a content identifier, a broadcast time, a channel code, and descriptive information.

11. A method, comprising:

storing a user-specific profile between usage sessions;

receiving a user identification of at least one user;

relating automatically characterized information content of one or more of an image and video information content of media content records with a stored user profile for the identified user; and

presenting to the user identifiers of the related media content, in dependence on the relation between a characterization of a respective media content and the user specific profile, wherein the identifiers are associated to the respective media content for automated access thereto after selection by the user.

12. The method according to claim 11, for providing information to users, further comprising the step of storing a plurality of media content items and characterizations thereof, wherein:

said relating step comprises determining a user'"'"'s likely interest in entertainment media content, in accordance with that user'"'"'s profile, and indexing the media content in accordance with their determined interest; and

said presenting step comprises displaying identifications of the media content to be selected by the user through a user interface, with an indication of their relative index.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said items of information are displayed in order corresponding to their indexing.

14. The method of claim 12, further including the steps of selecting media content from those which are displayed, providing an indication of the user'"'"'s actual interest in the selected media content, and storing the user'"'"'s indicated interest.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the likely interest is determined for all of the available media content in response to receipt of a user'"'"'s request for access.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the automatically characterized information content of media is characterized based on an automated pattern analysis of one or more of an image, and an audio track, and a synchronized audio and video pattern.

17. A method, comprising the steps of:

automatically generating a user profile representing an interest summary for a respective user based at least on a history of access to objects comprising entertainment media;

storing the user profile in memory between access attempts of the objects;

generating a menu of available objects corresponding to the user profile and indicating a likely preference for a respective available object by the respective user, arranged in dependence on a correlation between the user profile and automatically generated characterizations of one or more of an image and video information content of available objects; and

tracking menu use as a part of the history of access to objects.

18. The method of claim 17, for providing a user with access to selected objects that are accessible via an electronic storage media, where said user is connected via user terminals and data communication connections to a server system which accesses said electronic storage media, wherein:

said automatically generating step generates at least one user profile for a user at a user terminal, each of said user profile being indicative of ones of said objects, and associated automatically generated characterizations of objects accessed by said user; and

said storing step stores said at least one user preference profile in a memory.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

enabling said user to access said plurality of objects stored on said electronic storage media;

said step of enabling access comprising;

correlating said user profile, generated for said user, with profiles generated for said plurality of objects and sets of automatically generated characterizations of objects to identify ones of said plurality of objects stored on said electronic storage media that are likely to be of interest to said user;

transmitting a menu, that identifies at least one of said identified ones of said plurality of objects, to said user; and

providing access to a selected one of said plurality of objects stored on said electronic storage media in response to said user selecting an item from said menu;

said step of providing access further comprising;

transmitting data, in response to said user activating said user terminal to identify said selected item on said menu, indicative of said user'"'"'s selection of said selected item from said user terminal to said target server via a one of said data communication connections;

retrieving, in response to receipt of said data from said user terminal, an object identified by said selected item from said electronic storage media; and

transmitting said retrieved one of said object to said user terminal for display thereon to said user,

said step of automatically generating comprising;

automatically updating said user profile for said user as a function of said objects of retrieved by said user.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said automatically generating step comprises:

creating a customer profile, said customer profile indicating a respective customer'"'"'s preferences for data;

monitoring a history of data objects accessed by the customer; and

automatically updating the customer profile in accordance with the content profiles accessed by the customer to automatically update the customer profile to represent the customer'"'"'s preferences.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein said method is for scheduling customer access to data from a plurality of data sources,

further comprising the steps of:

creating content profiles for a plurality of data sources, said content profiles indicating predetermined characteristics in data from a respective data source;

said generating step comprises creating at least one customer profile for a recipient of said data, said customer profile indicating a customer'"'"'s preferences for data having predetermined characteristics;

monitoring which data sources are actually accessed by a recipient; and

updating, without explicit input from a customer, a respective customer profile in accordance with the content profiles of the data sources actually accessed by that customer to automatically update the customer'"'"'s actual preferences for said predetermined characteristics.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said method is for scheduling customer access to entertainment media,

further comprising the steps of:

creating content profiles for a plurality of entertainment media available, said content profiles indicating predetermined characteristics in respective entertainment media;

creating at least one customer profile for a respective customer, said customer profile indicating a customer'"'"'s preferences for predetermined characteristics of the entertainment media;

monitoring which entertainment media are actually perceived by the respective customer; and

updating, without explicit input from the customer, the respective customer profile in accordance with the content profiles of the entertainment media actually perceived by that customer to automatically update the customer'"'"'s actual preferences for said predetermined characteristics.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising the further steps of receiving customer identity information and determining from said customer identity information which customer profile to update in said updating step.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein said method is for scheduling customer access to data from a plurality of data sources, further comprising the steps of:

creating a customer profile indicating a respective customer'"'"'s preferences for predetermined characteristics of the data sources;

monitoring which data sources are actually accessed by the respective customer; and

updating the respective customer profile to reflect a frequency of selection of the data sources by customers with customer profiles substantially similar to the respective customer'"'"'s profile.

25. The method of claim 17, used by users of a television program delivery system for suggesting programs to user using program control information containing scheduled program description data, further comprising the steps of:

prioritizing at least a portion of a set of scheduled programs;

indicating one or more programs having a relatively higher weight, wherein other programs having a relatively lower weight are not simultaneously indicated; and

suggesting the selected programs to the user.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

means for automatically generating a user profile representing user preferences for a respective user based at least on a history of access to objects from menu selections;

a memory for storing the user profile between usages; and

an output port for presenting identifiers of objects arranged according to a correlation between a user profile and automatically determined information content characteristics selected from the group consisting of one or more of image and video information content characteristics of a set of objects.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, for providing a user with access to selected ones of a plurality of target objects and sets of target object characteristics that are accessible via an electronic storage media, where said user is connected via user terminals and data communication connections to a target server system which accesses said electronic storage media, comprising:

means for automatically generating at least one user target profile interest summary for a user at a user terminal, each of said user target profile interest summaries being indicative of ones of said target objects and sets of target object characteristics accessed by said user; and

means for storing said at least one user target profile interest summary in a memory.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

means for enabling said user to access said plurality of target objects and sets of target object characteristics stored on said electronic storage media;

said means for enabling access comprising;

means for correlating said user target profile interest summaries, generated for said user, with target profiles generated for said plurality of target objects and sets of target object characteristics to identify ones of said plurality of target objects and sets of target object characteristics stored on said electronic storage media that are likely to be of interest to said user;

means for transmitting a menu, that identifies at least one of said identified ones of said plurality of target objects and sets of target object characteristics, to said user; and

means for providing access to a selected one of said plurality of target objects and sets of target object characteristics stored on said electronic storage media in response to said user selecting an item from said menu;

said means for providing access comprising;

means for transmitting data, in response to said user activating said user terminal to identify said selected item on said menu, indicative of said user'"'"'s selection of said selected item from said user terminal to said target server via a one of said data communication connections;

means for retrieving, in response to receipt of said data from said user terminal, a target object identified by said selected item from said electronic storage media; and

means for transmitting said retrieved target object to said user terminal for display thereon to said user;

said means for automatically generating comprising;

means for automatically updating said user target profile interest summary for said user as a function of said target objects and sets of target object characteristics retrieved by said user.

29. An apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising:

a source of program material, said objects comprising program material; and

a memory for storing received program material,

wherein said means for automatically generating a user profile comprises a processor for selectively processing the program material based on a correlation between a user preference and an automatically generated characterization of the content of the program material.

90. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said means for automatically generating comprises a processor executing a program.

30. A system, comprising:

a memory, adapted for storing a customer profile, said customer profile indicating a respective customer'"'"'s preferences for data derived from a history of selection of media data objects by the customer;

and

means for automatically updating the stored customer profile in accordance with content profiles of media data objects selected by the customer from menu selections, the content profiles of data objects being generated automatically in dependence on one or more of an image and video information data content of the media data object, to automatically update the customer profile to represent the customer'"'"'s preferences.

31. The system according to claim 30, for scheduling customer access to data from a plurality of data sources, wherein:

said automatically generated content profiles comprise content profiles for a plurality of data sources, said content profiles indicating predetermined characteristics in data from a respective data source;

at least one customer profile for an eligible recipient of said data is provided, said customer profile indicating the customer'"'"'s preferences for data having predetermined characteristics; and

said means for automatically updating monitoring which data sources are actually accessed by a recipient, and,

without explicit input from a customer, updating a respective customer profile in accordance with the content profiles of the data sources actually accessed by that customer to automatically update the customer'"'"'s actual preferences for said predetermined characteristics.

32. The system according to claim 30, for scheduling customer access to video programs, said media objects being video programs, further comprising:

content profiles for a plurality of video programs available for viewing, said content profiles indicating predetermined characteristics in the video program;

wherein;

a customer profile indicates a respective customer'"'"'s preferences for predetermined characteristics of the video programs;

said means for automatically updating monitoring which video programs are actually viewed by the customer, and,

without explicit input from the customer, updates the customer profile in accordance with the content profiles of the video programs actually viewed by that customer to automatically update the customer'"'"'s actual preferences for said predetermined characteristics.

33. The system as in claim 32, further comprising:

means for transmitting said content profiles along with electronic program guide data for upcoming television viewing periods to customers.

34. The system as in claim 32, further comprising means for inputting customer identity information and for determining from said customer identity information which customer profile to update with said updating means.

35. The system according to claim 32, for scheduling customer access to data provided by a plurality of data sources, further comprising:

means for creating a customer profile for a customer of said plurality of data sources, said customer profile indicating said customer'"'"'s preferences for predetermined characteristics of the data sources;

said means for automatically updating comprising means for monitoring which data sources are actually accessed by a respective customer; and

said updating means updates a respective customer profile to reflect a frequency of selection of the data sources by customers with customer profiles substantially similar to said respective customer profile.

36. The system according to claim 30, being a multimedia terminal for receiving data from a plurality of data sources, further comprising:

means for storing at least one customer profile indicating a customer'"'"'s preferences for data having predetermined characteristics;

means for storing content profiles for a plurality of data sources, said content profiles indicating said predetermined characteristics in data from a respective data source;

means for inputting recipient identity information;

means for selecting different customer profiles which correspond to said recipient identity information;

processing means for relating said selected customer profiles with the content profiles for the data available from a respective data source to the customer at a particular time and for determining a subset of data having content profiles which most closely match said selected customer profile; and

a display guide for presenting said subset of data to said customer for selection.

37. The system as in claim 36, further comprising means for storing an electronic program guide, wherein said display guide highlights programs within said electronic program guide which correspond to said subset of data.

38. The apparatus according to claim 30, further comprising:

a financial accounting system for charging a user account for selection or a result of the selection of the object by the user.

39. The system according to claim 30, wherein said media data objects comprise a time-continuous media program, further comprising program selection means, for selecting one or more programs using a customer'"'"'s preferences and program control information for controlling receipt of a media program.

40. The system of claim 39, further comprising a hardware device associated with a video display comprising said means for monitoring and a memory for storing said customer profile, wherein the program selection means comprises a graphic user interface presenting said menu on said video display.

41. The system according to claim 30, being used by subscribers of a program delivery system for suggesting programs to subscribers using program control information containing program description data, and subscriber specific data indicative of a subscriber'"'"'s programming preferences, comprising:

a memory storing the automatically generated content profiles from a plurality of available programs.

42. The system of claim 30, being used by subscribers of a television program delivery system for suggesting programs to subscribers using program control information containing scheduled program description data, further comprising:

means for transforming the customer profile information into preferred program indicators, wherein a preferred program indicator comprises a program category with each program category having a weighted value;

a means for matching the preferred program indicators with scheduled program description data, wherein each scheduled program is assigned a weighted value based on at least one associated program category;

a means for prioritizing the scheduled programs from highest weighted value programs to lowest weighted value programs; and

a means for indicating one or more programs meeting a weight related threshold, wherein all other programs are excluded from program suggestion.

43. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said means for automatically updating comprises an input for receiving a set of automatically generated characterizations of multimedia content, and a processor for inferring a user profile based on respective characterizations of objects historically accessed by the user.

44. The system according to claim 30, for presenting a program, said data objects being programs, further comprising:

a source of program material;

a memory for storing received program material;

a processor for selectively processing the program material based on a correlation between the user profile and a characterization of the content of the program material.

45. The system according to claim 44, wherein said selective processing is selected from one or more of the group consisting of storing the program material, outputting the program material separately from unselected program material, updating a user preference profile, and deleting the program material from temporary storage.

91. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said means for automatically updating comprises a processor executing a program.

46. An apparatus, comprising:

means for automatically accessing a set of stored content objects, said set of stored content objects being associated with automatically generated content object profiles, said automatically generated content object profiles comprising a content profile characterizing one or more of an image and video information content;

means for storing a user-specific profile between usage sessions, indicating a respective user'"'"'s preferences for content and representing a history of content objects selected by a user;

means for implicitly deriving a user-specific profile, without requiring explicit user feedback, based on the automatically generated content object profiles of respective objects and a history of user interaction with respective objects, to predict a user'"'"'s preferences; and

means for automatically updating the stored user-specific profile.

47. A method, comprising:

storing descriptors of a plurality of content objects;

storing a user-specific profile associated with a user preference derived automatically from a history of selection of descriptors contained in a menu and associated automatically generated content object characterizing information over a plurality of usage sessions, said automatically generated content object characterizing information comprising characterizing information of one or more of an image and video information content;

associating at least one content object corresponding to the user preference, not previously presented to the user, with the stored user profile;

presenting the descriptor of the associated content object corresponding to the user preference to the user as part of a menu of possible selections; and

receiving a selection of the descriptor from a user to identify the corresponding content object, and updating the user specific profile in dependence thereon.

48. A method, comprising the steps of:

automatically generating a user interest profile based on at least automatically determined characteristics of objects represented in a history of selection of objects from a menu, said automatically determined characteristics comprising characteristics of one or more of an image and video information content;

storing the user interest profile in memory between usage sessions;

interactively presenting identifiers of a set of objects to the user, in dependence on a correspondence between members of the set of objects and the interest profile, and receiving from the user a selection of an object from the set, presented in a menu; and

accounting for selection or a result of the selection of the object.

49. A system, comprising:

a user interface for receiving a data object selection from a menu by a user, from a plurality of accessible data objects having associated content profiles;

means for monitoring a history of data objects and associated content profiles selected by the user to derive the respective user'"'"'s preferences for data;

a stored user profile, said user profile comprising a respective user'"'"'s preferences for data over a succession of data object selections;

means for automatically updating the user profile in accordance with image or video content objects selected by the user to represent the user'"'"'s preferences for data, and accounting for the user'"'"'s satisfied demand for data.

50. The system according to claim 49, wherein said associated content profiles are generated, at least in part, by automated means.

51. The system according to claim 49, wherein said customer'"'"'s satisfied demand for data is accounted by introducing a bias against characteristics of data objects recently selected by the customer.

52. An apparatus, comprising a processor configured to receive as an input a stored user profile derived at least in part from a history of user interaction with the apparatus, the user profile representing at least user media content preferences, said processor generating an output representing a user interface comprising a menu having a plurality of options available for user selection, and receiving as an input a user selection of an option, updating the user profile in dependence on the user selection and automatically generated characteristics of a respective option or data associated therewith, at least one respective option comprising one or more of an image, video or multimedia content object, executing a function in accordance with the selection;

and updating the user profile for storage between usage sessions.

53. The apparatus according to claim 52, further comprising a media database, wherein the user selection defines a media program to be stored in or retrieved from the media database.

54. The apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the user interface comprises a graphic user interface, further comprising a pointing device for manipulating a cursor on the graphic user interface.

55. The apparatus according to claim 54, wherein the pointing device communicates wirelessly with the processor.

56. The apparatus according to claim 55, wherein the pointing device has a local display providing a user output.

57. The apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the memory stores a plurality of user profiles for separate users, wherein the processor receives a user identification in order to select a respective one of the user profiles.

58. The system of according to claim 52, further comprising a memory for storing a catalog of available options.

59. The system according to claim 52, wherein at least one option is encrypted, and requires decryption for completion of execution of the function.

60. The system according to claim 52, wherein the function comprises implementation of a serial copy management protocol.

61. The system according to claim 52, further comprising a financial accounting subsystem, wherein a selection of an option is accompanied by financial accounting entry in said financial accounting subsystem.

62. The system according to claim 52, wherein a selection of an option is communicated remotely to an accounting system, which accounts for the selection by the user.

63. The system according to claim 52, further comprising an accounting database, said function executed by said processor subsystem comprising sequentially a first aspect and a second aspect of use of proprietary content, said accounting database differentially accounting for said aspects.

64. The system according to claim 52, wherein said menu comprises between four and eight options.

65. The system according to claim 52, wherein said processor is adaptive to changing user preferences.

66. The system according to claim 52, wherein said user interest summary comprises a type of program preference.

67. The system according to claim 52, wherein said processor comprises a correlator, for correlating a user profile with an option characteristic profile.

68. The system according to claim 52, wherein said processor comprises a buffer for storing received media content prior to a decision as to whether the received media content should be persistently stored.

69. The system according to claim 52, wherein said processor performs a discrete cosine transform function-based processing on image data.

70. The system according to claim 52, wherein said processor performs a wavelet function-based processing on image data.

71. The system according to claim 52, wherein characteristics of at least one option are represented as a set of media model representations.

72. The system according to claim 52, wherein a characteristic of an option comprises at least one characteristic of a serialized presentation.

73. The system according to claim 52, wherein characteristics of respective options are communicated from a remote database.

74. The system according to claim 52, wherein said processor can perform a plurality of functions on separate options simultaneously, wherein each said function comprises processing a time-continuous stream of information.

75. The system according to claim 52, wherein said processor correlates a plurality of characteristics associated with an option with the user profile to predict a user action.

76. The system according to claim 52, wherein said processor operates in a time-dependent manner.

77. The system according to claim 76, wherein said processor synchronizes an internal clock with a remote system.

78. The system according to claim 52, wherein said processor performs speech recognition.

79. The system according to claim 52, wherein said functions comprise processing of broadcast media, wherein the characteristics of the broadcast media are received from a remote database.

80. The system according to claim 52, wherein said processor monitors a real time information stream.

81. A system for creating a viewer preference profile, comprising:

a memory for storing a viewer profile, said viewer profile indicating a respective viewer'"'"'s preferences for predetermined characteristics of video programs;

a memory for storing a set of content profiles for available video programs, said content profiles comprising automatically generated characterizations of predetermined characteristics in the video programs;

means for monitoring a history of interaction of a viewer with video programs; and

means for automatically updating the viewer'"'"'s preferences in the viewer profile in accordance with content profiles of the video programs interacted with by the viewer.

82. The system according to claim 81, further comprising means for communicating said content profiles along with electronic program guide data for upcoming program viewing periods to viewers.

83. The system according to claim 81, further comprising means for inputting viewer identity information and for determining from said viewer identity information which viewer profile to update with said automatic updating means.

84. A system for updating viewer preference profiles, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive video object identifying and characterizing information comprising automatically generated analysis relating to a respective video object, separate from associated video objects;

a memory storing at least one viewer profile, a viewer profile indicating a viewer'"'"'s preferences for video objects;

means for monitoring a history of video objects selected by the viewer; and

means for automatically updating the viewer profile in accordance with the identifying and characterizing information of video objects selected by the viewer from menu selections, to automatically update the viewer'"'"'s preferences in the viewer profile.

85. The system according to claim 84, further comprising a processor for determining quantitative relationships of video objects and the viewer profile.

86. The system according to claim 85, wherein the quantitative relationship comprises a correlation.

87. The system according to claim 85, further comprising an output presenting identifications of a set of video objects likely to be preferred by the viewer.

88. The system according to claim 85, further comprising a video object storage system for storing at least one video object determined to be likely to be preferred by the viewer, based on the determined quantitative relationships.

89. The system according to claim 84, wherein said characterizing information comprises at least one criterion of classification.