SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY RECOMMENDING BROADCASTING PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIA HAVING PROGRAM SOURCE THEREOF
TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a system and method for automatically recommending broadcasting programs and storage media for storing program sources. The system and method provides information of broadcasting programs suitable for viewers' interests by automatically analyzing the viewers preferences.
BACKGROUND ART
Since information through the Internet has increased incredibly and the Internet network has also expanded due to the communication mediums such as cables, a user can be provided with more kinds of information services than ever before.
Generally, a service provider selects an electronic program guide that is provided through the Internet. However, the service provider does not only analyze broadcasting programs to be provided to a viewer, but also provides only information of broadcasting programs of broadcasting channels related to broadcasting times such as the conventional electronic program guide as shown in FIG. 1.
Therefore, it is troublesome for the viewers to have to search for the desired information for the broadcasting programs that they wish to watch one by one. In addition, viewers cannot get any information for the broadcasting programs that are popular and/or of interest to the viewer's contemporaries or groups who have the same interests.
Moreover, it is impossible for a service provider to provide the information for each viewer's desired broadcasting programs by preparing a manual.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the present invention is made to overcome the problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic broadcasting program recommending system and method for providing information of a broadcasting program suitable to each viewer's interests by automatically analyzing each viewer's preferences and storage
media having programs source thereof.
To achieve the object of the present invention, the present invention provides a system for automatically recommending broadcasting programs, including a recommending server for classifying broadcasting programs and recommending information received in advance based on a predetermined basis in response to a request for recommending a broadcasting program from a specific viewer, and for providing estimated results of the broadcasting program recommending information to the viewer.
According to one feature of the present invention, the system includes a data database for storing personal/preference information of each viewer, and the broadcasting program recommending information.
The recommending server includes a recommending information module for storing an inquiries/reservations/vote information of the users who are connected to a web site operated by the recommending server as the broadcasting program recommending information, a classifying module for classifying the broadcasting program recommending information based on the predetermined basis in response to the request for recommending a broadcasting program of the user, and a recommending module for estimating a point by adding weight to the classified result and for providing a result of the point classified based on a predetermined grade to the user.
The recommending information server module stores a popularity list of information received by being connected with other servers which are connected through the Internet as the broadcasting program recommending information.
The classifying module classifies the broadcasting program recommending information based on the personal/preference information of the each user and the inquiry/reservation/vote information. To achieve the object of the present invention, the present invention provides an automatic broadcasting program recommending method for classifying broadcasting programs recommending information received in advance and based on a predetermined basis in response to a request for recommending a broadcasting program from a user, and for providing an estimated result of the broadcasting program recommending information to the user by adding weight.
The method includes the steps of (a) storing an inquiry/reservation/vote information of the user who is connected with a web site where the broadcasting program recommending information is provided as the broadcasting program recommending information in a database in advance, (b) classifying the broadcasting program recommending information stored in the database based on the predetermined basis in response to the request for recommending a broadcasting program of the user, (c) estimating a point by adding weight to the classified result, and (d) providing the point to the user by classifying the point based on a predetermined grade.
To achieve the object of the present invention, the present invention provides a recording medium being readable by a computer in which an automatic broadcasting program recommending program for classifying a broadcasting program recommending information received in advance based on a predetermined basis in response to a request for recommending a broadcasting program from a user, and for providing an estimated result of the broadcasting program recommending information to the user by adding weight is encoded and stored to be accessed by the computer. The automatic broadcasting program recommending program includes the processes of (a) storing an inquiry/reservation/vote information of the user who is connected with a web site where the broadcasting program recommending information is provided as the broadcasting program recommending information in a database in advance, (b) classifying the broadcasting program recommending information stored in the database based on the predetermined basis in response to the request for recommending a broadcasting program of the user, (c) estimating a point by adding weight to the classified result, and (d) providing the point to the user by classifying the point based on a predetermined grade.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a view showing a conventional broadcasting program guide;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an automatic broadcasting program-recommending system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an automatic broadcasting program-recommending method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of a program guide recommended by the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of a program guide recommended to an individual by the present invention; and FIG. 6 is a view showing detailed information of a broadcasting program, including a viewer's preference.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The objectives and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood with reference to the accompanied drawings and detailed description of the preferred embodiment below.
The present invention, in this embodiment, provides a method of classifying a pre- received broadcasting program recommending information in accordance with a predetermined basis in response to an user's request for recommending a broadcasting program, providing an estimated result by adding weight to the user and a system for performing the same. Here, the broadcasting program means a broadcasting program that is broadcasted though a terrestrial TV, a cable TV, and an artificial satellite TV.
In the preferred embodiment, the present invention includes a programmed computer system or a computer product in which the method of the present invention is executed. According to the computer, a command set for executing the method resides in one or more memories, the command set may be stored in a memory such as a hard disk as a computer program product until the computer system needs the command set.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of an automatic broadcasting program recommending system according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the automatic broadcasting program recommending system includes a recommending server 300 for classifying a broadcasting information received in advance based on a predetermined basis in response to a user's request for recommending broadcasting information, and for providing an estimated result to the user by adding weight.
A user terminal 100 and the recommending server 300 are connected to each other as communication network 200, preferably an Internet network is used as the communication
network 200.
The recommending server 300 includes a recommending information module 310 for receiving an inquiry/reservation/vote information with respect to a broadcasting program from the user who is connected to a web site operated by the recommending server 300 for storing the inquiry/reservation/vote information as broadcasting program recommending information in advance, a classifying module 320 for classifying the broadcasting program information based on a predetermined basis in response to the user's request for recommending a broadcasting program, a recommending module 330 for estimating a point by adding weight to the classified result and providing a result of the point classified based on a predetermined grade to the user, and a data database (hereinafter referred to a data DB) 340 which the user's personal/preference and the broadcasting program recommending information are stored.
Moreover, the recommending information module 310 stores a popularity list of information received from another server or servers which is/are connected through the Internet as the broadcasting program recommending information. The classifying module 320 classifies the broadcasting program recommending information based on the basis of the user's personal/preference, the inquiry/reservation/vote information of the broadcasting program.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the respective modules 310, 320, and 330 can be made as individual servers and connected to the recommending server 300. The data DB 340 may be constructed in an external device.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an automatic broadcasting program recommending method according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
With referring to FIG. 3, the automatic broadcasting program recommending method includes the steps of (a) storing an inquiry/reservation/vote information of the user who is connected with a web site where the broadcasting program recommending information is provided as broadcasting program recommending information in a database in advance (not shown) (b) classifying the broadcasting program recommending information stored in the database based on the predetermined basis in response to the request for recommending a broadcasting program of the user (Steps S400 through S410), (c) estimating a point by adding weight to the classified result (Step S420), and (d) providing the point to the user by classifying
the point based on a predetermined grade (Steps S430 through S440).
A procedure which the system constructed as above recommends a broadcasting program to a user in accordance with a predetermined basis in response to the user's request for recommending a broadcasting program will be described in detail by referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 as follows:
Firstly, the user connects the recommending server 300 through the communication network 200 and log-ins by inputting ID and a password.
The recommending information module 310 receives the inquiry/reservation/vote information (information for inquiring a program, voting for recommending a program to other users, reservation for watching a broadcasting program, or reservation for recording a broadcasting program) with respect to a corresponding program from the user who is connected to the Internet site (Web site), which is operated by the recommending server 300 and stores the inquiry/reservation/vote information in the data DB 340 as broadcasting program recommending information, including broadcasting program recommending information inputted by a user after login.
Moreover, the recommending information module 310 may store popularity list information (for example, popularity list of entertainers), which is received from other servers connected through the Internet, as the broadcasting program recommending information in the data DB 340. So, since the recommending point can be applied to a broadcasting program of which an entertainer listed in a higher position in the popularity list appears, it can provide to the user more exact recommending information with respect to a broadcasting program in which the user has an interest. The popularity list received from other servers may be information classified on the basis of age, occupation, and sex.
In the data DB 340, the user's personal/preference information, and the broadcasting recommending information are stored. The user's personal/preference information may include for example, information for an ID, a password, name, an occupation, region, wealth, and educational background of the user, and information for a genre of a broadcasting program and entertainers which the user prefers.
The data DB 340 can store information about users by genre such as a member who prefers information about movies, a member who prefers information about dramas, and a
member who prefers information about music/games.
The data DB 340 can store information about users by entertainer such as a member who prefers information about a broadcasting program in which a certain actor/actress appears, and a member who prefers information about broadcasting information in which a certain singer appears.
Next, in response to a request for recommending a broadcasting program from the user after login, the classifying module 320 classifies the broadcasting program recommending information on the basis of the user's personal/preference information, and the inquiry/reservation/vote information about the broadcasting program (Steps S400 through S410) At that time, the user requests the broadcasting program recommendation by selecting a reference, which he/she would like to be serviced, then the classifying modules 320 classifies broadcasting programs based on the user-selected reference.
Thus, the user can watch an automatic recommending result page which is provided to all members, if he/she wants, the user can also watch a special recommending broadcasting program which is provided only to an individual.
The following are examples of results of classifying broadcasting programs by the age of users.
[Teenagers] Star craft: Inquiry: 30, Recommendation: 10, Reservation: 5, Reserved Recording: 3 Show 2000: Inquiry: 40, Recommendation: 5, Reservation: 4, Reserved Recording: 4
[Twenties]
Show 2000: Inquiry: 60, Recommendation: 30, Reservation: 20, Reserved Recording: 10 What is love: Inquiry: 50, Recommendation: 20, Reservation: 30, Reserved Recording: 15
With the exception of these, information can be classified and categorized by occupation, sex, preference genre, for example, respective groups of persons who prefer a specific genre such as a drama, a movie, music, and a game. Then, the recommending module 330 adds weight to the classified results and
estimates the total points with respect to each respective program, and provides the broadcasting program information with the estimated points classified by a predetermined grade (Steps S420 through S430).
The method for classifying the estimated points by the predetermined grade is described in detail as follows:
A matrix is made based on age, sex, occupation, favorites, and region, then the preference is determined by a predetermined percentage from the total points estimated by adding weight from all programs, for example, marking programs within the higher 5 (five) percent range as *** (triple asterisks), programs within the higher 15 (fifteen) percent range as ** (double asterisks), and programs within the higher 30 (thirty) percent range as * (single asterisk), or by referring to the whole ranking as grades, for example, marking programs within the higher 20th rank as *** (triple asterisks), programs within the higher 50th rank as ** (double asterisks), and programs within the 100th rank as * (single asterisk), wherein the preference mark may be determined by various marks such as asterisks, colors, or points. The weight may be determined again by comparing a real audience rating of a certain broadcasting program with the recommending information so that an optimized broadcasting program can be recommended to the user.
FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of a program guide recommended by the present invention, FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of a program guide recommended to an individual by the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a view showing detailed information of a broadcasting program including viewers' preferences.
These recommendations described as above can be serviced to all the users equally or the preference of the existing users whose similar characteristics can be serviced to a user connected the web site by reading the personal information of the connected user. Moreover, the user can obtain only information about a broadcasting program higher than a predetermined preference.
It should be understood that the foregoing relates to only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the embodiments of the invention herein used for the purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.
According to the present invention, as described above, the broadcasting program recommending information applied by the preference of users can be provided by being classified, and the personal information of the users can be analyzed simultaneously. Therefore, the broadcasting program information can be provided, wherein the preference of the users whose similar characteristics such as age, sex, occupation, wealth, region, favorites, and educational background, or whose similar pattern for utilizing information (a member concerning information about movies, a member concerned about dramas, a member concerned about music and games, and et cetera) is applied to the broadcasting program information. Moreover, according to the present invention, in the view of the service provider, there is also an advantage that a rapid and effective service can be achieved by the automatic system for providing broadcasting program information.