Recommended program search device and recommended program search method

• US 7,620,964 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Matsuo, Eiji, Yukawa, Jun, Kushida, Takayuki, Kimura, Aki
• Primary Examiner(s): Beliveau; Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corbo; Nicholas T
• Application Number:
  US11/643,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 725 9- 21, 725/46, 725/100
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/39 for identifying broadcast space-time use of Electronic Programme Guides H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A recommended program search device includes a viewing history information acquiring block which acquires a viewing channel and a viewing time by the user for each area corresponding to a time division and stores viewing history information including the viewing channel and the viewing time that are associated with each area in the storage, a program information acquiring block which acquires scheduled broadcast program information, including program time information enabling calculation of a program start time and a program broadcast time for a scheduled broadcast program and channel information about the scheduled broadcast program, and a search block which determines a user'"'"'s favorite program from the scheduled broadcast program on the basis of a result of comparison between the program time information and the channel information included in the scheduled broadcast program information and the viewing channel and the viewing time stored in the storage.

Claims

1. A recommended program search device comprising:

a broadcast receiver unit which receives a broadcast wave and converts the broadcast wave to a video signal and an audio signal;

an operating block which is operated for channel change by a user;

a time information acquiring block which acquires time information upon the channel change;

a storage which stores information;

a viewing history information acquiring block which acquires a viewing channel and a viewing time by the user for each area corresponding to a time division, the viewing history information acquiring block storing viewing history information including the viewing channel and the viewing time that are associated with each area in the storage;

a program information acquiring block which acquires scheduled broadcast program information, including program time information enabling calculation of a program start time and a program broadcast time for a scheduled broadcast program and channel information about the scheduled broadcast program; and

a search block which determines a user'"'"'s favorite program from the scheduled broadcast program on the basis of a result of comparison between the program time information and the channel information included in the scheduled broadcast program information and the viewing channel and the viewing time stored in the storage,

wherein the search block determines, as a user'"'"'s favorite program, one of scheduled broadcast program broadcast on the same channel as the viewing channel included in the viewing history information, which starts broadcasting at the area start time, and

the search block determines a program having a longer broadcast time in the area as a user'"'"'s favorite program, when failing to detect a program which starts broadcasting at the area start time and detecting a program being broadcast an area start time and a program being broadcast at an area end time.

2. The recommended program search device according to claim 1, wherein the storage includes:

a program information storage which stores the scheduled broadcast program information acquired by the program information acquiring block;

a viewing history temporary storage memory which temporarily stores the viewing history information; and

a viewing history storage nonvolatile memory which is capable of permanently holding the viewing history information therein;

the recommended program search device further comprising;

a storage controller which manages the viewing history for each area with use of the viewing history temporary storage memory, the storage controller performing a control so as to cause the viewing history information including a channel viewed by the user in the area and a viewing time of the channel to be stored in the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory.

3. The recommended program search device according to claim 1, wherein the area is a time division having a constant time duration for each day of a week.

4. The recommended program search device according to claim 2, wherein the storage controller measures a time for each unit time duration of the area or for each unit time duration which is obtained by dividing the area, the storage controller causing a cumulative sum of the viewing time of the same channel to be stored in the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory.

5. The recommended program search device according to claim 2, wherein the storage stores a channel list including a network ID for identifying a broadcast type, a service ID for identifying a service, and a logic channel associated therewith.

6. The recommended program search device according to claim 2, wherein the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory stores viewing history information for a plurality of weeks, the viewing history information including a logic channel and a viewing time for each logic channel.

7. The recommended program search device according to claim 2, wherein the storage controller, when writing the latest viewing history information including a logic channel and the viewing time in the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory, shifts the already-stored viewing history information, and writes the latest viewing history information therein, and, the storage controller, if a predetermined time period has elapsed since the oldest viewing history information was stored therein, deletes the oldest viewing history information.

8. The recommended program search device according to claim 2, wherein

the time information acquiring block outputs a time notification for each division of the area or for each time duration which is obtained by dividing the area, and

the storage controller writes the viewing history information in the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory every time the time notification is output.

9. The recommended program search device according to claim 2, wherein the storage controller causes the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory to further store program information regarding a program viewed in the area by the user and the viewing time of the program.

10. The recommended program search device according to claim 2, wherein

the storage controller measures a time using a unit time duration, which is obtained by dividing the area, and

the storage controller causes a cumulative sum of the viewing time of the same type of the program information to be stored in the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory.

11. The recommended program search device according to claim 1, wherein the viewing history information includes information, which is obtained by associating each area with one or a plurality of the viewing channels and the viewing times for one or a plurality of weeks.

12. The recommended program search device according to claim 1, wherein the search block searches, as a search target, for a channel having a total value of weighted viewing time, when the total value is not smaller than a predetermined threshold, wherein the total value of weighted viewing time is calculated by multiplying a weight coefficient set larger as an acquisition period of the viewing history information is closer to the current time point by the viewing time obtained by the viewing history information acquiring block.

13. The recommended program search device according to claim 1, wherein, when failing to detect a program which starts broadcasting at the area start time and detecting a program being broadcast at the area start time and a program being broadcast at the area end time and when the broadcast time of the program being broadcast at the area start time is equal to the broadcast time of the program being broadcast at the area end time within the area, the search block determines both the program being broadcast at the area start time and the program being broadcast at the area end time as user'"'"'s favorite programs.

14. The recommended program search device according to claim 2, further comprising:

at least one of an analog broadcast receiver unit which receives an analog broadcast wave and converts the analog broadcast wave to a first video signal and a first audio signal and an external input receiver unit which receives an external input and converts the external input to a second video signal and a second audio signal; and

a switch which performs switching operation to select any of at least one of the analog broadcast, the external input, and a digital broadcast,

wherein, when the digital broadcast is not selected by the switch, the storage controller stops storing the viewing history information in the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory, and when the digital broadcast is selected by the switch, the storage controller starts storing the viewing history information in the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory.

15. The recommended program search device according to claim 2, further comprising:

at least one of an analog broadcast receiver unit which receives an analog broadcast wave and converts the analog broadcast wave to a first video signal and a first audio signal and an external input receiver unit which receives an external input and converts the external input to a second video signal and a second audio signal; and

a switch which performs switching operation to select any of at least one of the analog broadcast, the external input, and a digital broadcast,

wherein, when the external input is selected by the switch, the storage controller stops storing the viewing history information in the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory, and when the digital broadcast or the analog broadcast is selected by the switch, the storage controller starts storing the viewing history information in the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory.

16. The recommended program search device according to claim 2, wherein the storage controller changes a logic channel to unreceivable network ID and service ID among network IDs and service IDs corresponding to logic channels registered in the channel list.

17. The recommended program search device according to claim 2, wherein, when reading out the viewing history information stored in the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory or writing the latest viewing history information in the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory, the storage controller determines the last update date of the viewing history information, and when the last update date elapses by a time period exceeding one week from the last update date, the storage controller shifts the viewing history information by a time period corresponding to the elapsed duration.

18. The recommended program search device according to claim 2, wherein, when a predetermined operation is conducted by the user or when the storage controller confirms a damage of the viewing history information stored in the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory, the storage controller deletes the stored viewing history information.

19. The recommended program search device according to claim 2, wherein the channel list includes a network ID for identifying a type of broadcast, a service ID for identifying a service, and a logic channel associated therewith, and wherein, when a predetermined operation is conducted by the user or the storage controller confirms a damage of the viewing history information stored in the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory, the storage controller deletes the channel list in addition to the stored viewing history information.

20. The recommended program search device according to claim 2, wherein the time information includes a date, a day of the week and a time upon the channel change.

21. A method of searching for a recommended program to be executed by a device comprising:

a broadcast receiver unit which receives a broadcast wave and converts the broadcast wave to a video signal and an audio signal;

an operating block which is operated for channel change by a user;

a time information acquiring block which acquires time information upon the channel change; and

a storage which stores information,

the method comprising the steps of;

acquiring a viewing channel viewed by the user and a viewing time thereof for each area corresponding to a predetermined time division and storing viewing history information having the viewing channel and the viewing time associated with each area in the storage;

acquiring scheduled broadcast program information including program time information capable of calculating a program start time of a scheduled broadcast program and a program broadcast time thereof and including channel information on the scheduled broadcast programs; and

determining a user'"'"'s favorite program from the scheduled broadcast programs on the basis of a result of comparison between the program time information and the channel information included in the scheduled broadcast program information and the viewing channel and the viewing time stored in the storage,

wherein a search block determines, as a user'"'"'s favorite program, one of scheduled broadcast program broadcast on the same channel as the viewing channel included in the viewing history information, which starts broadcasting at the area start time, and

the search block determines a program having a longer broadcast time in the area as a user'"'"'s favorite program, when failing to detect a program which starts broadcasting at the area start time and detecting a program being broadcast an area start time and a program being broadcast at an area end time.

22. The method of searching for a recommended program according to claim 21,

wherein the storage includes:

a program information storage which stores the scheduled broadcast program information acquired by the program information acquiring block,

a viewing history temporary storage memory which temporarily stores the viewing history information, and

a viewing history storage nonvolatile memory which is capable of permanently holding the viewing history information;

the method further comprising the steps of;

temporarily storing a user'"'"'s viewing history in the viewing history temporary storage memory to mange the viewing history for each area of a predetermined time division, and

storing viewing history information including a channel viewed by the user in the area and a viewing time of the channel in the viewing history storage nonvolatile memory.

23. A recommended program search device comprising:

a broadcast receiver unit which receives a broadcast wave and converts the broadcast wave to a video signal and an audio signal;

an operating block which is operated for channel change by a user;

a time information acquiring block which acquires time information upon the channel change;

a storage which stores information;

a viewing history information acquiring block which acquires a viewing channel and a viewing time by the user for each area corresponding to a time division, the viewing history information acquiring block storing viewing history information including the viewing channel and the viewing time that are associated with each area in the storage;

a program information acquiring block which acquires scheduled broadcast program information, including program time information enabling calculation of a program start time and a program broadcast time for a scheduled broadcast program and channel information about the scheduled broadcast program; and

a search block which determines a user'"'"'s favorite program from the scheduled broadcast program on the basis of a result of comparison between the program time information and the channel information included in the scheduled broadcast program information and the viewing channel and the viewing time stored in the storage,

wherein, when failing to detect a program which starts broadcasting at the area start time and detecting a program being broadcast at the area start time and a program being broadcast at the area end time and when the broadcast time of the program being broadcast at the area start time is equal to the broadcast time of the program being broadcast at the area end time within the area, the search block determines both the program being broadcast at the area start time and the program being broadcast at the area end time as user'"'"'s favorite programs.

24. A method of searching for a recommended program to be executed by a device comprising:

a broadcast receiver unit which receives a broadcast wave and converts the broadcast wave to a video signal and an audio signal;

an operating block which is operated for channel change by a user;

a time information acquiring block which acquires time information upon the channel change; and

a storage which stores information,

the method comprising the steps of;

acquiring a viewing channel viewed by the user and a viewing time thereof for each area corresponding to a predetermined time division and storing viewing history information having the viewing channel and the viewing time associated with each area in the storage;

acquiring scheduled broadcast program information including program time information capable of calculating a program start time of a scheduled broadcast program and a program broadcast time thereof and including channel information on the scheduled broadcast programs; and

determining a user'"'"'s favorite program from the scheduled broadcast programs on the basis of a result of comparison between the program time information and the channel information included in the scheduled broadcast program information and the viewing channel and the viewing time stored in the storage,

wherein, when failing to detect a program which starts broadcasting at the area start time and detecting a program being broadcast at the area start time and a program being broadcast at the area end time and when the broadcast time of the program being broadcast at the area start time is equal to the broadcast time of the program being broadcast at the area end time within the area, a search block determines both the program being broadcast at the area start time and the program being broadcast at the area end time as user'"'"'s favorite programs.