Content selection apparatus, system, and method

• US 7,665,035 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2002
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burnett, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Mylinh
• Application Number:
  US10/151,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20030224759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,829 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/708, 715/745, 715/789, 715/811, 715/704, 715/744, 725/135, 725/136, 428/694
• US Class Current: 715/789
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• 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 21/84 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A media presentation apparatus includes a user preference storage module to store a user preference associated with a user activity and a content selection, coupled to a content selection module to select a content offering based on the user preference. A system includes a media presentation apparatus coupled to a preference manipulation apparatus. A method of processing user preferences includes storing a user preference associated with a user activity and a content selection, and selecting a content offering based on the user preference. The content offering can be selected from a plurality of offerings, based on a combination of user preferences.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an audio/video media presentation apparatus configured to present audio/video content,

a user preference storage module configured to;

monitor the user'"'"'s activities for an indication of user preferences for audio/video content offerings, where said activities that are monitored include at least one of;

listening to audio content and monitoring the time duration for each particular audio content and monitoring a volume level in comparison to a normal listening level for each particular audio content as it is listened to; and

viewing video content and monitoring the time duration for each particular video content and monitoring a volume level in comparison to a normal listening level for each particular video content as it is viewed;

determine, based upon said monitoring of the at least one of listening and viewing, the user preferences; and

store said user preferences indicated by said monitored activities; and

a content selection module communicatively coupled to the user preference storage module, the content selection module being configured to automatically select, without user intervention, an audio/video content offering from among a plurality of audio/video content offerings in response to the presentation of said plurality of audio/video content offerings to said user, said selection being based on the stored user preferences;

wherein the user preference storage module and the content selection module are integrated into the audio/video media presentation apparatus such that said user preferences are stored on said audio/video media presentation apparatus.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user preference transmission module, communicatively coupled to the user preference storage module, for transmitting the stored user preferences so as to permit editing of the stored user preferences.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user preference is modified based on further user activity, and wherein a modified user preference is stored in the user preference storage module.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a removable storage device, removably coupled to the user preference storage module so as to form part thereof, for storing said user preferences, and for enabling removal of said stored user preferences for editing, and return of edited user preferences to said user preference storage module.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a database included in the user preference storage module, the database including a plurality of stored user preferences; and

wherein the system further includes each of the following;

monitoring the user activity of the user refraining from changing the particular audio/video content until after the particular audio/video content has ended and noting the particular audio/video content as being more desirable in said user preferences;

monitoring the user activity of the user viewing or listening to the particular audio/video content selection for less than one minute and noting the particular audio/video content as being less desirable in said user preferences;

monitoring the user activity of the user skipping a selected audio/video content completely when a plurality of audio/video content are offered in a sequential format and noting the skipped audio/video content as being less desirable in said user preferences; and

monitoring the user activity of the user viewing a plurality of titles of audio/video content and failing to select any particular audio/video content from the titles that are viewed and noting the titles that were viewed as being less desirable in said user preferences.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each one of the plurality of stored user preferences is selected from a group including a genre, an author, a performer, a company, a rating, a publication date, and a playback time.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user preference acquisition module to acquire the user preference, the user preference acquisition module communicatively coupled to the user preference storage module.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a content reception module, coupled to the content selection module, for converting preference data presented along with the audio/video content into associated user preferences.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the user preference storage module and the content selection module are integrated into a same housing as the audio/video media presentation apparatus.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the audio/video media presentation apparatus is configured to playback audio/video content recorded on a media item.

11. A system, comprising:

an audio/video media presentation apparatus for automated selection of audio/video media content for presentation to a user, said apparatus including;

a user preference storage module configured to monitor user activities of at least one of listening to audio content and monitoring the time duration for each particular audio content and monitoring a volume level in comparison to a normal listening level for each particular audio content as it is listened to; and

viewing video content and monitoring the time duration for each particular video content and monitoring a volume level in comparison to a normal listening level for each particular video content as it is viewed;

for an indication of the user'"'"'s preferences for audio/video content offerings, determine the user preferences based upon said monitoring of the at least one of listening and viewing, and store user preferences when the user activities indicates preferences for audio/video content offerings; and

a content selection module communicatively coupled to the user preference storage module, the content selection module configured to recall the stored user preferences and automatically select, without user intervention, an audio/video content offering for the user, based upon the stored user preferences, from among a plurality of audio/video content offerings in response to the presentation of said plurality of audio/video content offerings to said user, said selection being based on the stored user preferences;

wherein the user preference storage module and the content selection module are integrated into the audio/video media presentation apparatus such that said user preferences are stored on said audio/video media presentation apparatus; and

a preference manipulation apparatus, communicatively coupled to the media presentation apparatus, configured to;

recover user preferences from the user preference storage module;

present the user preferences to the user for manipulation;

alter the user preferences in response to manipulation by the user; and

restore the user preferences to the user preference storage module.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the audio/video media presentation apparatus includes a wireless media receiver communicatively coupled to the content selection module.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the preference manipulation apparatus is a computer.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the system further comprises:

a preference entry module, communicatively coupled to the preference manipulation apparatus, for editing the user preferences communicated to the preference manipulation apparatus.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the system further comprises:

a preference display module, communicatively coupled to the preference manipulation apparatus, for communicating, the user preferences to a user of the preference manipulation apparatus.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the user preference storage module and the content selection module are integrated into a same housing as the audio/video media presentation apparatus.

17. A method of automated selection of an audio/video content offering from among a plurality of content offerings, comprising:

monitoring a user'"'"'s activity for an indication of a user preference for an audio/video content offering, said activities that are monitored including at least one of;

listening to audio content monitoring the time duration for each particular audio content and monitoring a volume level in comparison to a normal listening level for each particular audio content as it is listened to; and

viewing video content and monitoring the time duration for each particular video content and monitoring a volume level in comparison to a normal listening level for each particular video content as it is viewed;

determining based upon said monitoring of the at least one of listening and viewing, the user preference;

storing said user preference in a user preference storage module that is integrated in an audio/video presentation apparatus;

selecting, without any user intervention, an audio/video content offering from among a plurality of audio/video content offerings in response to the presentation by said audio/video presentation apparatus of said plurality of audio/video content offerings to said user, said selection being based on the stored user preference;

uncoupling a storage medium from said presentation apparatus, the storage medium including the user preference;

coupling the storage medium to a preference manipulation apparatus; and

viewing the user preference.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

acquiring the user preference; and

wherein the monitoring of the user'"'"'s activities further includes at least one of;

monitoring the user activity of the user refraining from changing the particular audio/video content until after the particular audio/video content has ended and noting the particular audio/video content as being more desirable in said user preference;

monitoring the user activity of the user viewing or listening to the particular audio/video content selection for less than one minute and noting the particular audio/video content as being less desirable in said user preference;

monitoring the user activity of the user skipping a selected audio/video content completely when a plurality of audio/video content are offered in a sequential format and noting the skipped audio/video content as being less desirable in said user preference; and

monitoring the user activity of the user viewing a plurality of titles of audio/video content and failing to select any particular audio/video content from the titles that are viewed and noting the titles that were viewed as being less desirable in said user preference.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising repeatedly acquiring the user preference, and wherein the step of selecting an audio/video content offering based on the stored user preference further comprises selecting the content offering based on a number of times the user preference has been acquired.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the user preference is selected from a plurality of user preferences including a genre, an author, a performer, a company, a rating, a publication date, and a playback time.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the user activity includes an indication of undesirable content, further comprising:

monitoring the user activity; and

storing the user preference based on the indication of undesirable content.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

monitoring further user activity;

modifying the user preference based on the further user activity to provide a new user preference; and

storing the new user preference.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of selecting an audio/video content offering based on the stored user preference further comprises:

selecting the audio/video content offering from among a plurality of audio/video content offerings based on a plurality of stored user preferences including the user preference.