Customized interface based on viewed programming

• US 8,056,101 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2006
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Genesis Star Management Limited
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gibbon, David, Shahraray, Behzad, Johnston, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US11/592,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 725/45, 725/46, 715/745, 715/811
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system generates a customized interface based on viewed programming. The system stores a program that a user viewed through a media device; searches through a network for information related to the viewed program; and extracts data associated with the information related to the viewed program. A custom interface is generated based substantially on the data associated with the information related to the viewed program.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a video content server;

a watched program log to store a plurality of locally viewed programs viewed through a media device, wherein each of the locally viewed programs is supplied by the video content server;

a data extractor to search through a network of servers independent of the video content server for content information related to each of the locally viewed programs, and to extract data associated with the content information related to each of the locally viewed programs;

a database to store the data associated with the content information related to each of the locally viewed programs, wherein the data associated with the content information is stored in the database so long as each of the locally viewed programs have been viewed for at least a predetermined duration;

a custom interface generator, wherein an interface generated by the custom interface generator is accessible over a distributed data network, wherein the interface is customized according to the data associated with the content information related to each of the locally viewed programs; and

wherein the interface displays a locally viewed program from the watched program log and the data associated with the content information related to the locally viewed program that has been viewed for at least the predetermined duration.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface is displayed through the media device as a prompt feature to access the content information related to the locally viewed program, wherein the prompt feature is selected from a group including a toolbar, a sidebar and a menu page.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the data is selected from a group comprising a web link to the content information related to the locally viewed program, a cooking recipe, a discussion group, a web log, a transcript, a program rating system, a promotional product link, an actor non-streamed webcast link, information of a related program, other episodes of the locally viewed program, a program summary, and a video thumbnail.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface does not include information for a recorded program when the recorded program has not been played.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface is displayed through a mobile device.

6. A method comprising:

storing, on a video content server, a program presented at a media device;

searching through a network of servers independent of the video content server for content information related to the program presented at the media device;

extracting data associated with the content information related to the presented program;

storing the data associated with the content information related to the presented program; and

generating an interface customized in response to the data associated with the content information related to the presented program that has been viewed for at least a duration.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising displaying the interface through the media device as a prompt feature to access the content information related to the presented program, wherein the prompt feature is selected from a group including a toolbar, a sidebar and a menu page.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising displaying the interface through a mobile device.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein extracting further includes representing the data as being selected from a group including a web link to the related content information, a cooking recipe, a discussion group, a web log, a transcript, a program rating system, a promotional product link, an actor non-streamed webcast link, information of a related program, other episodes of the viewed program, a program summary, and a video thumbnail.

10. The method of claim 6 comprising ensuring that the interface excludes content information for a program that has been recorded and that has not been viewed.

11. The method of claim 6 comprising ensuring that the information related to the presented program is nearly immediately available after the corresponding program is viewed.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising ensuring that the presented program is viewed at least the duration before the information related to a particular viewed program is added to the interface.

13. A web interface comprising:

a viewed content section comprising information related to locally viewed content viewed at a media device, the viewed content section is to be generated by a system with a video content server that stores information regarding the locally viewed content viewed at the media device, and is to search through a network of servers independent of the video content server for information related to the locally viewed content in response to the stored information, and is to extract the data from the information related to the locally viewed content for locally viewed programs that have been viewed for a predetermined duration at the media device.

14. The interface of claim 13 wherein the data is selected from a group including a web link to the information related to the locally viewed content, a cooking recipe, a discussion group, a web log, a transcript, a program rating system, a promotional product link, an actor non-streamed webcast link, information of a related program, other episodes of the locally viewed content, a program summary, and a video thumbnail.

15. The interface of claim 13, wherein the web interface does not include a section for content recorded by the media device and which is not viewed through the media device.

16. The interface of claim 13, wherein the web interface is personalized to a user of the media device and personalized in response to an attribute selected from a group including age, language, demographics, geographic region, profile, and personal interface preferences.

17. The interface of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of viewed content sections arranged such that a particular program is displayed more prominently than another program on the web interface.

18. The interface of claim 13, wherein the viewed content section is nearly immediately available after an associated program is viewed.

19. The interface of claim 18, wherein the associated program is to be viewed a minimum amount of time before the viewed content section is presented on the web interface.

20. The interface of claim 18, wherein the viewed content section includes a prompt feature to access the information related to the locally viewed content viewed at the media device, wherein the prompt feature is selected from a group including a toolbar, a sidebar and a menu page.

21. A system comprising:

a database to locally record a program from a service provider;

a processor of a video content server to process information when the program is viewed at a media device; and

a transmitter to transmit the viewed program information to be used to extract data from a network of servers independent of the video content server, the data related to the program viewed, the data used to generate a customized interface based on information related to locally viewed content that has been viewed for a predetermined duration at the media device.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the data is selected from a group including a web link to the information related to locally viewed content, a cooking recipe, a discussion group, a web log, a transcript, a program rating system, a promotional product link, an actor non-streamed webcast link, information of a related program, other episodes of the viewed program, a program summary, and a video thumbnail.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the program is viewed a minimum amount of time before the transmitter transmits the information related to the locally viewed content.

24. A system comprising:

a video content server having a custom interface generator, wherein an interface generated by the video content server is accessible over a distributed data network, wherein a network of servers independent of the video content server is searched for information related to a locally viewed program viewed at a media device, wherein data associated with the information is extracted, wherein the interface is customized based on the locally viewed programs viewed for a predetermined duration on the media device and in response to the extracted data.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the interface is displayed at the media device as a prompt feature to access the information related to the locally viewed program, wherein the prompt feature is selected from a group including a toolbar, a sidebar and a menu page.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the data is selected from a group including a web link to the information related to the locally viewed program, a cooking recipe, a discussion group, a web log, a transcript, a program rating system, a promotional product link, an actor non-streamed webcast link, information of a related program, other episodes of the locally viewed program, a program summary, and a video thumbnail.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the interface excludes information for a program that has been recorded when that program has not been viewed.

28. The system of claim 24 wherein the interface is displayed through a mobile device.

29. The system of claim 24 wherein the program is viewed a minimum amount of time before related content is added to the interface.