WO2016070891A1 - Image display device with automatic alternative program content scanning function - Google Patents

Image display device with automatic alternative program content scanning function Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2016070891A1
WO2016070891A1 PCT/EP2014/073521 EP2014073521W WO2016070891A1 WO 2016070891 A1 WO2016070891 A1 WO 2016070891A1 EP 2014073521 W EP2014073521 W EP 2014073521W WO 2016070891 A1 WO2016070891 A1 WO 2016070891A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
tags
display device
image display
primary
program
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PCT/EP2014/073521
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French (fr)
Inventor
Sedat MARANGOZ
Arda TASCI
Mehmet Burak DEMIRTAS
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Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
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Priority to PCT/EP2014/073521 priority Critical patent/WO2016070891A1/en
Publication of WO2016070891A1 publication Critical patent/WO2016070891A1/en

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
    • H04N21/431—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
    • H04N21/4312—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
    • H04N21/442—Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk
    • H04N21/44204—Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/45—Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
    • H04N21/4508—Management of client data or end-user data
    • H04N21/4532—Management of client data or end-user data involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/45—Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
    • H04N21/466—Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
    • H04N21/4667—Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/45—Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
    • H04N21/466—Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
    • H04N21/4668—Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies for recommending content, e.g. movies
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/47—End-user applications
    • H04N21/482—End-user interface for program selection
    • H04N21/4826—End-user interface for program selection using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an image display device having an automatic broadcast program offering function such that the users are automatically offered a certain number of alternative programs.
  • Digital and interactive TV systems provide a significant amount of TV channels and programs leading to the general outcome that conventional methods for reaching a program content corresponding to the personal viewing preferences of a user from among a plurality of alternatives may become inefficient to the extent it is unperformable in a time-saving manner. Assuming that a TV service may have hundreds of channels, channel surfing might take one hour before every single channel is glanced at least once. It is to be noted that a plurality of channels from different countries may be broadcasted in a multitude of categories and an electronic program guide although proving in this respect more efficient, still involves the evident disadvantage of processing time inefficiency for a user in order for examining all the electronic program guide pages.
  • WO2009145507 which relates to a method for outputting an EPG and a broadcasting receiver employing the method are disclosed. More particularly, a method for outputting an EPG and a broadcasting receiver employing the method are disclosed, in which the EPG output from the broadcasting receiver includes RSS information to allow a user to easily identify the RSS information from the EPG.
  • the present invention provides a system and a method by which an image display device is operated such that users are automatically offered an alternative list of program contents preferably in the form of progressively changing channel previews, preferably in a category-specific manner.
  • the present invention therefore solves the technical problem of accelerating processing of the significant amount of information for a user, by which an automatically generated alternative program list is offerable.
  • the program content being viewed serves as a direct source of information for automatically obtaining secondary or auxiliary information relevant to the context of the directly displayed content such that alternative program contents can be offered and delivered to the users.
  • a TV service may have hundreds of channels, there might be many occasions where a user may be interested in watching a broadcast program relating to his/her interests but he/she is only able to use conventional methods to directly manually review presented contents on each channel.
  • the present invention therefore provides a system and method by which an image display device is operable to automatically offer alternative program contents as provided by the characterizing features defined in Claim 1 and subsequent Clams.
  • Primary object of the present invention is to provide a system and method by which an image display device automatically proposes a certain number of program contents.
  • the present invention proposes an image display device which automatically monitors the user’s watching activity and offers on a real-time basis an automatic list of alternative programs. This is accomplished by way of obtaining primary information tags via the electronic program guide. A step of verifying and obtaining the full content of the information tags directly provided by the service provider in relation with the program content is optionally performed by connecting to a third party resource such as a web resource.
  • the image display device When the user views a program on a given channel, the image display device, based on the number of primary and secondary tags saved in the user profile matching with primary tags of currently non-viewed programs and based on the importance and relative weight coefficient of any matching tags according to earlier watching records, generates a list of alternative programs.
  • Fig. 1 demonstrates a general flow diagram according to which the image display device of the invention executes different tasks associated with the automatic alternative program offering function according to the present invention.
  • the present invention proposes an image display device enabling a user to reach a TV program according to her/his personal preferences without having to manually process a significant amount of channel and program type information.
  • digital broadcasting services provide information in regards to the genre of the programs being watched.
  • the genre information may typically define a certain number of categories characterizing the content of a program.
  • a content identifier therefore describes the contextual category of the digital program so as to let the users obtain information as to the classification of an event or a program.
  • a plurality of programs are assigned to various program genres and the image display device stores a database of various programs categorized in the form of a plurality of program genres indicative of the contextual character of the given program and associated with a given channel.
  • the image display device of the present invention is fitted with an internal memory so as to store the channel-specific and category-based information, including total watching time of each channel in a respective category. More precisely, total watching time is known for each category and a list of channels that currently broadcast a program in a preferred category is accordingly hierarchically definable.
  • the user’s viewing experience is improved by enabling accessibility to a more or equally preferable program content as delineated below.
  • the present invention proposes an image display device enabling a user to reach preferred program contents according to her/his personal preferences in a more practical and accurate manner. More particularly, the present invention provides that an image display device automatically retrieves information in association with the program content being actually viewed such that a program content being viewed is associated with secondary or auxiliary information tags not directly provided by the program content itself. More specifically, the present invention provides that information non-directly available in a program content being viewed is obtained to offer alternative program contents to the user.
  • the secondary or auxiliary information tags comprise a plurality of neighboring titles having relevance to primary information directly obtainable from the broadcaster. Therefore, it is possible to generate secondary or auxiliary information tags in association with the program content being viewed by way of processing the information received from the broadcaster using the electronic program guide in a dynamic manner.
  • a pre-loaded internal database or a remote server can be used in order for associating primary information tags with secondary information tags.
  • a documentary program presenting architectural background of a city in a certain geographic region of a country
  • the name of the city and the genre of the program can be retrieved from the electronic program guide as the primary information and this information can be processed to obtain secondary or auxiliary information tags.
  • secondary or auxiliary information tags For instance if Rome’s architectural background is presented in a documentary program, neighboring titles such as documentary programs on other Italian cities or educational programs on Ancient Roman architecture can be defined as secondary or auxiliary information tags among many others.
  • Such secondary or auxiliary information tags are associated with the user’s profile to automatically notify real-time or forthcoming alternative programs containing matching primary information tags corresponding to the specific interests of the user. It is to be noted that secondary information tags are generated only for the programs being watched during at least a certain time duration.
  • the direct or primary information obtained from the broadcaster can be enriched by web crawling.
  • a pre-loaded internal database or a remote server can be used. For instance if only the name of a movie’s director is provided by the electronic program guide, the full list of cast members and other persons is obtained from online content providers and the then-updated primary information is processed in order for retrieving secondary or auxiliary information tags such as names of directors in the genre of the current movie or other films of the cast members.
  • the present invention provides that primary as well as secondary information tags are used as an input to search for alternative program contents preferably on a real-time basis.
  • an automatic program notification function is performed such that for instance the image display device automatically previews the channels progressively in a time-limited manner starting from a channel that has the highest priority.
  • a hierarchical list of channels with the highest priority and optionally also within a predetermined list of favorite channels can be also viewable.
  • a channel having the highest priority is optionally determined by comparing weight of retrieved primary as well as secondary information tags based on earlier watching records of all the TV channels/programs.
  • the user can either specify a preferred program category or the currently viewed program’s category can be taken as the categorical limitation.
  • the image display device can generate a hierarchical list of all of the real-time programs independent of their categories based on the total number and weights of matching primary and/or secondary information tags.
  • the image display device will first determine all the channels that currently broadcast documentary content in case categorical limitation is applicable; the channel having the highest priority is defined based on the total number of primary and/or secondary information tags matching the analyzed alternative programs’ primary tags.
  • the relative weight coefficients of different tags are also taken into account. All the channels’ viewing statistics provides a relative weight coefficient for each tag and when real-time programs are processed to obtain a priority channel list, tags are compared among themselves with regard to earlier viewing records. Each tag being already assigned a certain relative weight coefficient based on earlier watching time, the relative weight coefficient is also taken into account together with the total number of tags associated with a program content.
  • a program content is found to be associated with ten primary and/or secondary information tags specified at a given moment, the program may still have a lower priority if another program on another channel with a smaller number of primary and secondary information tags but with a certain tag having a high relative weight coefficient takes precedence over the first channel in the priority channel list.
  • Total number of tags of a given program and the relative weight coefficients of the tags of the program can have equal effect in calculating the overall score of the program.
  • a first program being associated two tags such as sports and football will have a lower priority compared to another program with a single tag in case this tag happens to have a very high relative weight coefficient due to earlier watching records (for instance if it is the name of a football club supported by the user).
  • Different hierarchical lists based on categorical limitations can be generated.
  • a plurality of programs in the specified category are already associated with a plurality of primary and/or secondary information tags and a list of channels that currently broadcast a program in a preferred category is definable, programs can be hierarchically listed based on number of unique tags and relative weight coefficients of each tag as explained above.
  • An uncategorical list can also be preferential.
  • the image display device then automatically previews the channels in the hierarchical lists until the user interrupts the process upon showing interest in one of the channels being previewed.
  • channels with the highest priority with or without categorical limitation and also within a predetermined list of favorite channels can be viewable. Therefore, the best channel options that are currently airing program contents of high interest are offerable.
  • time durations spent in channel surfing are ignored.
  • keywords are also saved as secondary information tags.
  • the user can anytime view primary and secondary information tags as retrieved by the image display device and can conduct keyword searches based on any of the primary and secondary information tags. This is especially advantageous in that the user is readily provided with a list of relevant titles such as movie director or football player names to initiate a web search.
  • the present invention proposes an image display device receiving a plurality of broadcasting services and comprising a control unit effecting operation of the image display device.
  • the control unit is configured to receive at least one primary information tag to be associated with the program and directly obtainable from a broadcasting service, the control unit being further configured to generate secondary information tags in the form of neighboring titles in association with the program content being viewed by way of processing at least one primary information tag wherein primary information tags of alternative programs other than the program content being viewed are automatically analyzed to generate an alternative program list.
  • primary information includes at least one category information characterizing content of a program being viewed in the form of a content identifier describing contextual category of the program.
  • primary and/or secondary information tags of programs being viewed are associated with a user’s profile to automatically notify real-time or forthcoming alternative programs other than the program content being viewed, such alternative programs containing primary information tags matching primary and/or secondary information tags present in the user profile.
  • primary information tags of alternative programs currently non-viewed are analyzed to identify matching tags between the primary or secondary tags in the user profile and the primary tags of the alternative programs currently non-viewed.
  • the primary information tags directly obtainable from a broadcasting service are increased in number by way of using a pre-loaded internal database or by web crawling through a remote server.
  • a pre-loaded internal database or a remote server is used in order for associating primary information tags with secondary information tags.
  • matching tags between the primary or secondary tags in the user profile and the primary tags of the alternative programs currently non-viewed are processed to obtain a relative weight coefficient for each tag based on earlier watching time of programs associated with a respective tag.
  • total number and relative weight coefficient of matching tags are processed to obtain a hierarchical alternative channel list.
  • the total number of matching tags of a given program and the relative weight coefficients of the tags of the program have equal effect in calculating overall score of the program in the hierarchical alternative channel list.
  • channels in the alternative channel list are automatically progressively previewed in a time-limited manner.
  • user reaction to alternative program contents being offered is processed as an input so as to update the relative weight coefficient of individual tags.
  • secondary information tags are generated only for the programs being watched at least during a certain time duration.
  • online searches by way of querying keywords on a web resource are saved as secondary information tags.
  • primary and secondary information tags as retrieved by the image display device are each converted into machine-readable codes displayed on the image display device screen in the manner that the codes contain links to keyword search results based on any of the primary and secondary information tags.
  • These can be machine readable codes such as barcode, two-dimensional or matrix code as in the case of Quick Response (QR) codes. Therefore the user can practically view web search results associated with a specific tag on another device such as a mobile terminal, smartphone etc.
  • the invention ensures that a user will not mine a significant amount of data by way of using the metadata information provided by the TV services and will instead have a chance of reviewing offered channel previews that are listed in a hierarchical manner according to her/his personal preferences. Therefore a user will reach the most relevant content automatically in the quickest way, without having to individually review a multitude of attribute names, types and parameter descriptions as in the case of an electronic program guide.

Abstract

The present invention proposes an image display device receiving a plurality of broadcasting services and comprising a control unit effecting operation of the image display device. The control unit is configured to receive at least one primary information tag to be associated with the program and directly obtainable from a broadcasting service, the control unit being further configured to generate secondary information tags in the form of neighboring titles in association with the program content being viewed by way of processing at least one primary information tag wherein primary information tags of alternative programs other than the program content being viewed are automatically analyzed to generate an alternative program list.

Description

IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE WITH AUTOMATIC ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM CONTENT SCANNING FUNCTION
The present invention relates to an image display device having an automatic broadcast program offering function such that the users are automatically offered a certain number of alternative programs.
Digital and interactive TV systems provide a significant amount of TV channels and programs leading to the general outcome that conventional methods for reaching a program content corresponding to the personal viewing preferences of a user from among a plurality of alternatives may become inefficient to the extent it is unperformable in a time-saving manner. Assuming that a TV service may have hundreds of channels, channel surfing might take one hour before every single channel is glanced at least once. It is to be noted that a plurality of channels from different countries may be broadcasted in a multitude of categories and an electronic program guide although proving in this respect more efficient, still involves the evident disadvantage of processing time inefficiency for a user in order for examining all the electronic program guide pages.
Accordingly, individual viewing preferences of users can be better processed and more relevant program content can be instantaneously offered to the user without losing the processing time spent in hunting preferable program contents.
Among others, one of the prior art disclosures in the technical field of the present invention can be referred to as WO2009145507, which relates to a method for outputting an EPG and a broadcasting receiver employing the method are disclosed. More particularly, a method for outputting an EPG and a broadcasting receiver employing the method are disclosed, in which the EPG output from the broadcasting receiver includes RSS information to allow a user to easily identify the RSS information from the EPG.
The present invention, on the other hand, provides a system and a method by which an image display device is operated such that users are automatically offered an alternative list of program contents preferably in the form of progressively changing channel previews, preferably in a category-specific manner. The present invention therefore solves the technical problem of accelerating processing of the significant amount of information for a user, by which an automatically generated alternative program list is offerable.
Therefore, user-interaction is improved in the sense that the program content being viewed serves as a direct source of information for automatically obtaining secondary or auxiliary information relevant to the context of the directly displayed content such that alternative program contents can be offered and delivered to the users. Assuming that a TV service may have hundreds of channels, there might be many occasions where a user may be interested in watching a broadcast program relating to his/her interests but he/she is only able to use conventional methods to directly manually review presented contents on each channel.
The present invention therefore provides a system and method by which an image display device is operable to automatically offer alternative program contents as provided by the characterizing features defined in Claim 1 and subsequent Clams.
Primary object of the present invention is to provide a system and method by which an image display device automatically proposes a certain number of program contents.
The present invention proposes an image display device which automatically monitors the user’s watching activity and offers on a real-time basis an automatic list of alternative programs. This is accomplished by way of obtaining primary information tags via the electronic program guide. A step of verifying and obtaining the full content of the information tags directly provided by the service provider in relation with the program content is optionally performed by connecting to a third party resource such as a web resource.
When the user views a program on a given channel, the image display device, based on the number of primary and secondary tags saved in the user profile matching with primary tags of currently non-viewed programs and based on the importance and relative weight coefficient of any matching tags according to earlier watching records, generates a list of alternative programs.
Accompanying drawings are given solely for the purpose of exemplifying a system and method by which an image display device is operable, whose advantages over prior art were outlined above and will be explained hereinafter in brief.
The drawings are not meant to delimit the scope of protection as identified in the claims nor should they be referred to alone in an effort to interpret the scope identified in the claims without recourse to the technical disclosure in the description of the present invention.
Fig. 1 demonstrates a general flow diagram according to which the image display device of the invention executes different tasks associated with the automatic alternative program offering function according to the present invention.
The present invention proposes an image display device enabling a user to reach a TV program according to her/his personal preferences without having to manually process a significant amount of channel and program type information. It is known that digital broadcasting services provide information in regards to the genre of the programs being watched. The genre information may typically define a certain number of categories characterizing the content of a program. A content identifier therefore describes the contextual category of the digital program so as to let the users obtain information as to the classification of an event or a program.
Therefore, a plurality of programs are assigned to various program genres and the image display device stores a database of various programs categorized in the form of a plurality of program genres indicative of the contextual character of the given program and associated with a given channel.
To this end, the image display device of the present invention is fitted with an internal memory so as to store the channel-specific and category-based information, including total watching time of each channel in a respective category. More precisely, total watching time is known for each category and a list of channels that currently broadcast a program in a preferred category is accordingly hierarchically definable.
According to the present invention, the user’s viewing experience is improved by enabling accessibility to a more or equally preferable program content as delineated below. The present invention proposes an image display device enabling a user to reach preferred program contents according to her/his personal preferences in a more practical and accurate manner. More particularly, the present invention provides that an image display device automatically retrieves information in association with the program content being actually viewed such that a program content being viewed is associated with secondary or auxiliary information tags not directly provided by the program content itself. More specifically, the present invention provides that information non-directly available in a program content being viewed is obtained to offer alternative program contents to the user.
A significant amount of data in the form of metadata information containing a multitude of attribute names, types and parameter descriptions is receivable as primary information by way of using the electronic program guide from the broadcaster. According to the present invention, the secondary or auxiliary information tags comprise a plurality of neighboring titles having relevance to primary information directly obtainable from the broadcaster. Therefore, it is possible to generate secondary or auxiliary information tags in association with the program content being viewed by way of processing the information received from the broadcaster using the electronic program guide in a dynamic manner. A pre-loaded internal database or a remote server can be used in order for associating primary information tags with secondary information tags.
In a more specific manner, in a documentary program presenting architectural background of a city in a certain geographic region of a country, the name of the city and the genre of the program can be retrieved from the electronic program guide as the primary information and this information can be processed to obtain secondary or auxiliary information tags. For instance if Rome’s architectural background is presented in a documentary program, neighboring titles such as documentary programs on other Italian cities or educational programs on Ancient Roman architecture can be defined as secondary or auxiliary information tags among many others. Such secondary or auxiliary information tags are associated with the user’s profile to automatically notify real-time or forthcoming alternative programs containing matching primary information tags corresponding to the specific interests of the user. It is to be noted that secondary information tags are generated only for the programs being watched during at least a certain time duration. Then these generated secondary information tags being added to the user profile, primary tags of alternative programs currently non-viewed are analyzed to identify matching titles. In case a matching title is identified between the primary or secondary tags in the user profile and the primary tags of the alternative programs, the relative weight coefficient of the matching tag is calculated as explained below.
It is also to be noted that the direct or primary information obtained from the broadcaster can be enriched by web crawling. In this regard, a pre-loaded internal database or a remote server can be used. For instance if only the name of a movie’s director is provided by the electronic program guide, the full list of cast members and other persons is obtained from online content providers and the then-updated primary information is processed in order for retrieving secondary or auxiliary information tags such as names of directors in the genre of the current movie or other films of the cast members.
Therefore, the present invention provides that primary as well as secondary information tags are used as an input to search for alternative program contents preferably on a real-time basis. In this way, an automatic program notification function is performed such that for instance the image display device automatically previews the channels progressively in a time-limited manner starting from a channel that has the highest priority. A hierarchical list of channels with the highest priority and optionally also within a predetermined list of favorite channels can be also viewable.
A channel having the highest priority is optionally determined by comparing weight of retrieved primary as well as secondary information tags based on earlier watching records of all the TV channels/programs. The user can either specify a preferred program category or the currently viewed program’s category can be taken as the categorical limitation. Alternatively, the image display device can generate a hierarchical list of all of the real-time programs independent of their categories based on the total number and weights of matching primary and/or secondary information tags.
For instance, when a given user selects the documentary category as the preferred category or if he/she watches a documentary at a certain time, the image display device will first determine all the channels that currently broadcast documentary content in case categorical limitation is applicable; the channel having the highest priority is defined based on the total number of primary and/or secondary information tags matching the analyzed alternative programs’ primary tags. The relative weight coefficients of different tags are also taken into account. All the channels’ viewing statistics provides a relative weight coefficient for each tag and when real-time programs are processed to obtain a priority channel list, tags are compared among themselves with regard to earlier viewing records. Each tag being already assigned a certain relative weight coefficient based on earlier watching time, the relative weight coefficient is also taken into account together with the total number of tags associated with a program content.
If a program content is found to be associated with ten primary and/or secondary information tags specified at a given moment, the program may still have a lower priority if another program on another channel with a smaller number of primary and secondary information tags but with a certain tag having a high relative weight coefficient takes precedence over the first channel in the priority channel list. Total number of tags of a given program and the relative weight coefficients of the tags of the program can have equal effect in calculating the overall score of the program. As an example a first program being associated two tags such as sports and football will have a lower priority compared to another program with a single tag in case this tag happens to have a very high relative weight coefficient due to earlier watching records (for instance if it is the name of a football club supported by the user). Different hierarchical lists based on categorical limitations can be generated.
As total watching time is known for each category, a plurality of programs in the specified category are already associated with a plurality of primary and/or secondary information tags and a list of channels that currently broadcast a program in a preferred category is definable, programs can be hierarchically listed based on number of unique tags and relative weight coefficients of each tag as explained above. An uncategorical list can also be preferential.
The image display device then automatically previews the channels in the hierarchical lists until the user interrupts the process upon showing interest in one of the channels being previewed. Alternatively, channels with the highest priority with or without categorical limitation and also within a predetermined list of favorite channels can be viewable. Therefore, the best channel options that are currently airing program contents of high interest are offerable. When calculating watching durations, time durations spent in channel surfing are ignored.
Users’ reaction to alternative program contents being offered is processed as an input so as to update the relative weight coefficient of individual tags. Therefore, user reactions affect relative weights of the tags.
In addition, if the user performs online searches to retrieve information by way of querying keywords in a remote information resource such as a web resource, such keywords are also saved as secondary information tags.
According to the present invention, the user can anytime view primary and secondary information tags as retrieved by the image display device and can conduct keyword searches based on any of the primary and secondary information tags. This is especially advantageous in that the user is readily provided with a list of relevant titles such as movie director or football player names to initiate a web search.
In a nutshell, the present invention proposes an image display device receiving a plurality of broadcasting services and comprising a control unit effecting operation of the image display device. In one embodiment, the control unit is configured to receive at least one primary information tag to be associated with the program and directly obtainable from a broadcasting service, the control unit being further configured to generate secondary information tags in the form of neighboring titles in association with the program content being viewed by way of processing at least one primary information tag wherein primary information tags of alternative programs other than the program content being viewed are automatically analyzed to generate an alternative program list.
According to an embodiment of the invention, primary information includes at least one category information characterizing content of a program being viewed in the form of a content identifier describing contextual category of the program.
According to an embodiment of the invention, primary and/or secondary information tags of programs being viewed are associated with a user’s profile to automatically notify real-time or forthcoming alternative programs other than the program content being viewed, such alternative programs containing primary information tags matching primary and/or secondary information tags present in the user profile.
According to an embodiment of the invention, primary information tags of alternative programs currently non-viewed are analyzed to identify matching tags between the primary or secondary tags in the user profile and the primary tags of the alternative programs currently non-viewed.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the primary information tags directly obtainable from a broadcasting service are increased in number by way of using a pre-loaded internal database or by web crawling through a remote server.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a pre-loaded internal database or a remote server is used in order for associating primary information tags with secondary information tags.
According to an embodiment of the invention, matching tags between the primary or secondary tags in the user profile and the primary tags of the alternative programs currently non-viewed are processed to obtain a relative weight coefficient for each tag based on earlier watching time of programs associated with a respective tag.
According to an embodiment of the invention, total number and relative weight coefficient of matching tags are processed to obtain a hierarchical alternative channel list.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the total number of matching tags of a given program and the relative weight coefficients of the tags of the program have equal effect in calculating overall score of the program in the hierarchical alternative channel list.
According to an embodiment of the invention, channels in the alternative channel list are automatically progressively previewed in a time-limited manner.
According to an embodiment of the invention, user reaction to alternative program contents being offered is processed as an input so as to update the relative weight coefficient of individual tags.
According to an embodiment of the invention, secondary information tags are generated only for the programs being watched at least during a certain time duration.
According to an embodiment of the invention, online searches by way of querying keywords on a web resource are saved as secondary information tags.
According to an embodiment of the invention, primary and secondary information tags as retrieved by the image display device are each converted into machine-readable codes displayed on the image display device screen in the manner that the codes contain links to keyword search results based on any of the primary and secondary information tags. These can be machine readable codes such as barcode, two-dimensional or matrix code as in the case of Quick Response (QR) codes. Therefore the user can practically view web search results associated with a specific tag on another device such as a mobile terminal, smartphone etc.
In this regard, the invention ensures that a user will not mine a significant amount of data by way of using the metadata information provided by the TV services and will instead have a chance of reviewing offered channel previews that are listed in a hierarchical manner according to her/his personal preferences. Therefore a user will reach the most relevant content automatically in the quickest way, without having to individually review a multitude of attribute names, types and parameter descriptions as in the case of an electronic program guide.

Claims (14)

  1. An image display device receiving a plurality of broadcasting services and comprising a control unit effecting operation of the image display device, characterized in that
    the control unit is configured to receive at least one primary information tag to be associated with a program and directly obtainable from a broadcasting service, the control unit being further configured to generate secondary information tags in the form of neighboring titles in association with the program content being viewed by way of processing at least one primary information tag wherein primary information tags of alternative programs other than the program content being viewed are automatically analyzed to generate an alternative program list.
  2. An image display device as in Claim 1, characterized in that primary information includes at least one category information characterizing content of a program being viewed in the form of a content identifier describing contextual category of the program.
  3. An image display device as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that primary and/or secondary information tags of programs being viewed are associated with a user’s profile to automatically notify real-time or forthcoming alternative programs other than the program content being viewed, such alternative programs containing primary information tags matching primary and/or secondary information tags present in the user profile.
  4. An image display device as in Claim 3, characterized in that primary information tags of alternative programs currently non-viewed are analyzed to identify matching tags between the primary or secondary tags in the user profile and the primary tags of the alternative programs currently non-viewed.
  5. An image display device as in Claim 1, characterized in that the primary information tags directly obtainable from a broadcasting service are increased in number by way of using a pre-loaded internal database or by web crawling through a remote server.
  6. An image display device as in Claim 1, characterized in that a pre-loaded internal database or a remote server is used in order for associating primary information tags with secondary information tags.
  7. An image display device as in Claim 4, characterized in that matching tags between the primary or secondary tags in the user profile and the primary tags of the alternative programs currently non-viewed are processed to obtain a relative weight coefficient for each tag based on earlier watching time of programs associated with a respective tag.
  8. An image display device as in Claim 7, characterized in that total number and relative weight coefficient of matching tags are processed to obtain a hierarchical alternative channel list.
  9. An image display device as in Claim 8, characterized in that the total number of matching tags of a given program and the relative weight coefficients of the tags of the program have equal effect in calculating overall score of the program in the hierarchical alternative channel list.
  10. An image display device as in Claim 8, characterized in that channels in the alternative channel list are automatically progressively previewed in a time-limited manner.
  11. An image display device as in Claim 7, characterized in that user reaction to alternative program contents being offered is processed as an input so as to update the relative weight coefficient of individual tags.
  12. An image display device as in Claim 1, characterized in that secondary information tags are generated only for the programs being watched at least during a certain time duration.
  13. An image display device as in Claim 1, characterized in that online searches by way of querying keywords on a web resource are saved as secondary information tags.
  14. An image display device as in Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that primary and secondary information tags as retrieved by the image display device are each converted into machine-readable codes displayed on the image display device screen in the manner that the codes contain links to keyword search results based on any of the primary and secondary information tags.
PCT/EP2014/073521 2014-11-03 2014-11-03 Image display device with automatic alternative program content scanning function WO2016070891A1 (en)

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