Personalized assistance with setup of a media-playing set

• US 8,589,523 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2006
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shivaji-Rao, Vishnu Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B
• Application Number:
  US11/501,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20080046916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,660 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221, 709/220
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and corresponding method for providing personalized assistance to users with setup of their respective media-playing sets provides a computing device remote from each set hosting a web page interface for prompting each user to create an individual account and to submit personal setup information for entry into this account; a script generator generates a personalized script for each set based on the personal setup information entered into the individual account of the corresponding user; this personalized script, by being activated, configures the corresponding set including by automatically making personalized setup selections from a plurality of preexisting setup alternatives supported by the corresponding set. These preexisting setup alternatives, for example, typically are described in a user manual accompanying or available for the set and, absent the present system and method, typically require difficult manual configuration to implement.

Claims

1. A system for providing personalized assistance to users with setup of their respective media-playing sets comprising:

(a) a computing device remote from each set hosting a web page interface enabling each user to create an individual account and to provide user input comprising personal setup information for entry into said individual account, said setup information including user selections of specific features said user prefers to enable on said media playing set;

(b) said computing device including a script generator to generate a personalized script for each set of a corresponding user, said script generator, without further user input and using said specific features selected by only the corresponding user, automatically constructing a composite code sequence from selected ones of a plurality of preexisting code sequences stored in a location accessible to said script generator, each preexisting code sequence associated with a respective feature selectively enabled by a said medial playing set; and

(c) said computing device configuring the corresponding set using said composite code sequence.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each personalized script includes a code sequence for self-activating said script in response to said set being on and said script being downloaded from said computing device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said web page interface uses a secure protocol for enabling each user to securely submit said personal setup information.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each personalized script includes a code sequence for automatically uninstalling said script upon completing said personalized setup selections.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein each set includes an input for selectively receiving media signals from a plurality of source types and said personalized setup selections include a selection for configuring said input for compatibility with a particular one of said source types.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein each set includes a media broadcast receiver having a control input and further includes a control device for sending control signals to said control input, said control device being manually manipulable for making personalized setup selections from said setup alternatives, said setup alternatives being supported by said receiver.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said control device is a handheld remote control unit.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said control device is a personal computer.

9. A method for providing personalized assistance to users with setup of their respective media-playing sets comprising:

(a) providing a web page interface on a computing device remote from each set and prompting each user via said web interface to create an individual account and to provide user input comprising personal setup information for entry into said individual account, said setup information including user selections of specific features said user prefers to enable on said media playing set;

(b) providing a script generator on said computing device and generating with said script generator a personalized script for each set of a corresponding user, said script generator, without further user input and using said specific features selected by only the corresponding user, automatically constructing a composite code sequence from selected ones of a plurality of preexisting code sequences stored in a location accessible to said script generator, each preexisting code sequence associated with a respective feature selectively enabled by a said medial playing set; and

(c) by activating each personalized script, configuring the corresponding set using said composite code sequence.

10. The method of claim 9 further including determining if said personal setup information submitted is incomplete and, if so, generating the corresponding personalized script based, at least in part, on presumed preference information.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of automatically making personalized setup selections includes configuring a media input on each set.

12. The method of claim 11 further including presenting on each set a tutorial visually demonstrating how to connect a certain type of source device to said media input.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said set comprises a local network including a media broadcast receiver and a plurality of different media source devices and including the step of automatically configuring said receiver to receive respective media signals from said different media source devices.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of prompting each user to submit personal setup information is performed in a single session.

15. The method of claim 9 further including configuring the corresponding set by subscribing the corresponding user to at least one broadcast service provided by an external network provider.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of automatically making personalized setup selections includes automatically configuring video reception characteristics.

17. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of automatically making personalized setup selections includes presetting inherent performance attributes of each set to a particular value selected from a range of possible values based on the personal setup information submitted by the corresponding user.

18. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of automatically making personalized setup selections includes specifying a mapping of allowable channels for each set.

19. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of prompting each user for personal setup information includes prompting for personal identifying information and for personal preference information.

20. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of prompting each user for personal setup information includes presenting a main menu screen and further levels of configuration category screens branching off said main menu screen.

21. The method of claim 20 further including presenting on said main menu screen a plurality of category menu items each selectable for branching off to a first level one of a corresponding configuration category screen for selecting personal setup information therefrom.

22. The method of claim 21 further including presenting said plurality of category menu items on each of said levels of said configuration category screens, each category menu item being selectable for returning to a first level one of a corresponding configuration category screen.