WO1999066726A1 - Procede et appareil permettant d'etablir le profil des preferences d'un utilisateur par un exploitant de reseau - Google Patents

Procede et appareil permettant d'etablir le profil des preferences d'un utilisateur par un exploitant de reseau Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1999066726A1
WO1999066726A1 PCT/US1999/010070 US9910070W WO9966726A1 WO 1999066726 A1 WO1999066726 A1 WO 1999066726A1 US 9910070 W US9910070 W US 9910070W WO 9966726 A1 WO9966726 A1 WO 9966726A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
broadcast station
stations
receivmg
data
broadcast
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1999/010070
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Vincent Dureau
Original Assignee
Open Tv, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Open Tv, Inc. filed Critical Open Tv, Inc.
Priority to AU40719/99A priority Critical patent/AU4071999A/en
Priority to EP99924150A priority patent/EP1086588A1/fr
Priority to BR9911347-3A priority patent/BR9911347A/pt
Priority to JP2000555437A priority patent/JP2002518950A/ja
Priority to CA002334903A priority patent/CA2334903A1/fr
Publication of WO1999066726A1 publication Critical patent/WO1999066726A1/fr

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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
    • H04N21/442—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
    • H04N21/44213—Monitoring of end-user related data
    • H04N21/44222—Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity
    • 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]
    • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/25—Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies
    • H04N21/258—Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data
    • H04N21/25866—Management of end-user data
    • H04N21/25891—Management of end-user data being end-user 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]
    • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/25—Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies
    • H04N21/266—Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
    • H04N21/2668—Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles
    • 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
    • H04N21/454—Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
    • 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]
    • H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client 
    • H04N21/65—Transmission of management data between client and server
    • H04N21/658—Transmission by the client directed to the server
    • H04N21/6582—Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number
    • 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]
    • H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
    • H04N21/81—Monomedia components thereof
    • H04N21/812—Monomedia components thereof involving advertisement data
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N7/00—Television systems
    • H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
    • H04N7/173—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
    • H04N7/17309—Transmission or handling of upstream communications
    • H04N7/17318—Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Definitions

  • the invention relates to television svstems and more particularly to methods ana means for assembling information regarding viewer profiles ana usuig these viewer profiles to generate viewer preterence profiles.
  • Interactive television systems hold a promise of allowing a television set to provide va ⁇ ous new means for marketing products and services to viewers.
  • Interactive television systems are capable of displaying text and graphic images in addition to typical video program streams and registering viewer responses.
  • Proposed features of interactive television accommodate a variety of marketing, entertainment and educational capabilities such as allowing a user to interact with televised programs by ordering advertised products or services, competing against contestants in a game show, or requesting specialized information regarding a particular program.
  • the interactive functionality is controlled by a set-top box connected to the television set.
  • the set-top box receives televised programs and interactive applications through typical broadcast channels, such as cable television (CATV) or direct satellite broadcasts.
  • the interactive application may be designed to function in response to signals in the broadcast or actions taken by the viewer.
  • the interactive functionality is displayed upon the television set screen and may include icons or menus to allow a user to make selections via the television's remote control.
  • an interactive television system is configured to accumulate information on viewing patterns of its population of subscribers.
  • the system collects this information by tracking transactions (e.g., viewing a program or responding to a prompt) and by requesting information from the viewer.
  • On-line transactions are recorded by the broadcast service provider at the broadcast station.
  • Local transactions are recorded by the set-top box of the receiving station and stored in the box's memory. The data which is accumulated by the set-top box is then periodically transmitted to the broadcast service provider and added to the information which is collected at the broadcast station.
  • the broadcast service provider uses the information tracked at the broadcast station and the information transmitted to the broadcast station from the individual set-top boxes to build a database of cumulative viewer data.
  • database is used herein to refer to any body of data, not only to those bodies of data which are stored in a format corresponding to a particular database application.
  • the broadcast station's cumulative database also includes information which the viewers themselves disclosed to the broadcast service provider. Based on the database, viewer population profiles are developed and viewer preference filters (individualized profiles) are generated by the broadcast service provider. The viewer preference filters are then transmitted to the set-top boxes, which use the filters to customize the information displayed to the users.
  • the set-top box and broadcast station thus exchange data periodically in order to update the cumulative database at the broadcast station and the viewer preference filters at the set-top boxes.
  • Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the distribution of programs from their sources to a series of viewers.
  • Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the signal transmitted from a broadcast station to a receiving station.
  • Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a broadcast chain from a single remote station to a viewer's television.
  • Fig. 4 is a block diagram of a set-top box.
  • Fig. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating the collection and transmission of local data at the set-top box.
  • Fig. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating the customizing of program content at a receiving station.
  • Fig. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating the collection of data at the broadcast station and the building of user profiles and preferences.
  • a block diagram illustrating the distribution of television programs from their sources to a se ⁇ es of viewers is shown.
  • Each of remote stations 11 transmits a program signal to broadcast station 12.
  • Broadcast station 12 then transmits one or more of the program signals to one or more of receiving stations 13.
  • the television programs embodied in the program signals can comprise any of a number of program types, such as taped shows, live broadcasts, advertisements and the like.
  • FIG. 2 a diagrammatic representation of the signal transmitted from broadcast station 12 to receiving station 13 is shown.
  • This figure shows the manner in which packets of compressed audio 42, 46, compressed video 41, 43, 45, 47 and compressed interactive application 44 are time multiplexed to form the transmitted signal.
  • the signal includes audio and video packets of a first program 41, 42, 43 and audio and video packets of a second program 45, 46, 47.
  • Each packet mcludes header information and data information to enable reconstruction of the packets into separate signals formatted for monitor 21.
  • there are typically more packets of video data 41, 43, 45, 47 than audio data 42, 46 or interactive application data 44 as a result of the greater amount of video data which typically must be transmitted.
  • FIG. 3 a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a broadcast chain from a single remote station to a viewer's television is shown.
  • a remote station 11 is shown transmitting a signal to broadcast station 12, which then transmits a signal to receiving station 13.
  • Remote station 11 mcludes a program source 14 which generates a television program and a modulator 15 which converts the television program into a signal for transmission to broadcast station 12.
  • Remote station 11 is not a necessary part of the system, but is shown as a reference to mdicate a typical source of a broadcast program to the broadcast station.
  • the figure depicts a free- space transmission via a communications satellite, but it is contemplated that any known means for supplymg a program to the broadcast station may be used.
  • program source 14 may be of a type suitable for producing such program content
  • Broadcast station 12 includes a demodulator 16 which converts the signal received from the remote station to a signal which can be manipulated by processing unit 17
  • Processing unit 17 may combme multiple program signals and multiplex the signals for transmission to the receiving station 13.
  • several broadcast programs are combined into a single signal through time-multiplexing, but this can be accomplished by any of a number of methods, such as frequency-multiplexing or transmission over separate channels
  • the outgoing signal from broadcast station 12 is also typically compressed in order to conserve broadcast bandwidth.
  • Broadcast station 12 is typically operated by a broadcast service provider such as a CATV service operator or a direct satellite service operator, although other broadcast service providers are contemplated Again, the depiction of the transmission as a free-space transmission via communications satellite is intended to be exemplary rather than limiting
  • Receiving station 13 mcludes set-top box 20 and television 21
  • set-top box refers to any processing unit for receiving and processing a transmitted signal and conveymg the processed signal to a television or other momtor
  • the set-top box may be in a housmg which physically sits on top of a television, it may be in some other location external to the television (e.g., on the side or back of the television or remotely located from the television), or it may be incorporated into the television itself
  • Set-top box 20 serves to demodulate the signal received from broadcast station 12 and to separate the components of the signal, such as different television programs, updated viewer preference filters and interactive applications. If the signal received from broadcast station 12 contains a viewer preference filter, the set-top box replaces the previously stored filter with the new filter.
  • viewer preference filter is used herem to desc ⁇ be data which is used, not simply to block certain content of a broadcast signal, but to provide a basis for customizing the content of the broadcast signal.
  • the viewer preference filters can thus be considered individualized viewer preference profiles.
  • the viewer preference filters can be used by applications which may block portions of the broadcast signal or portions of individual programs For example, an application may block a commercial or a component of the commercial, such as a jingle.
  • the viewer preference filters can also be used by applications which rearrange or add to the content of a broadcast signal An example of such an application is one which changes the order m which channels are presented in an electronic programmmg guide.
  • this application might present channels with basketball games before those havmg game shows
  • An application might also take some action apart from changing the content of the displayed programs. For instance, the application might selectively reject e-mail sent to the set-top box based on the viewer's profile (as contained in the viewer preference filter) and the likelihood that the viewer would not be interested in the e-mail
  • viewer preference filter 23 is shown in Fig. 3 as a component of set-top box 20, the filter may be implemented m a number of ways, such as in a software application executing in the set- top box, and need not be a separate component of the set-top box (It should also be noted that "transmitting filters" to the set- top box as used herem can mean both transmitting actual software filters and transmitting data which is used by hardware or software at the set-top box to implement filtering functions in a particular implementation )
  • the set-top box filters the remaining program content according us g the viewer preference filter and displays or executes the filtered program signal components
  • the filtered broadcast program signal is then passed on to television 21.
  • Television 21 may be a television or a video monitor employing any suitable television format (e.g., NTSC or HDTV), or it may be replaced by other devices, such as a video recorder
  • Receiving station 13 may also mclude a return path (not shown) to the broadcast station.
  • the return path allows the set-top box to transmit accumulated viewer data to the broadcast station for use in modifying the user profiles and preferences
  • the return path may also be utilized by an interactive application to provide data or feedback to the broadcast service provider.
  • the return path is commonly comp ⁇ ses a modem within the set-top box connected to a standard telephone lme
  • the modem can establish communications through the telephone line to a modem within the broadcast station.
  • the return path can utilize a portion of the bandwidth of a coaxial cable (e.g., in a CATV system.)
  • a block diagram of a set-top box 20 is shown.
  • the transmission signal from broadcast station 12 is received at receivmg station 13, which typically comp ⁇ ses a standard television 21 equipped with a set-top box 20
  • the audio/video stream is typically compressed pnor to transmission by broadcast station 12 using a compression algo ⁇ thm such as one of the Motion Picture Expert Group (MPEG) compression standards
  • MPEG Motion Picture Expert Group
  • the transmission signal is fed to set-top box 20 and mput to signal processing unit 30
  • Signal processmg circuit 30 breaks down the transmission signal into component parts such as the audio and video portions of each program, and any interactive application which was included in the signal.
  • Processmg unit 30 includes viewer preference filter 23 which filters these components of the program signal.
  • filter 23 may cause only the first program to be selected for further processmg and display. In another viewer's set-top box, filter 23 may be set to select both the first television program and the interactive application. (As desc ⁇ bed above, viewer preference filter 23 may be used to block, modify, augment or otherwise change the content of a broadcast signal and is not limited only to blockmg programs as performed m this embodiment )
  • the audio packets of the selected television program are reconstructed to a compressed audio portion of the program, which is then routed to audio decompression unit 31. Audio decompression unit 31 then decompresses the audio portion of the television program.
  • the video packets are reconstructed mto a compressed video portion of the television program, which is then routed to video decompression unit 32, where the video portion of the program is decompressed.
  • the outputs of audio and video decompression units 31. 32 are connected to interactive audio unit 61 and interactive graphics unit 62, respectively.
  • Interactive graphics unit 62 overlays the interactive graphics generated by the interactive application onto the broadcast video and routes the combmed video to display unit 39.
  • Interactive audio unit 61 combines the audio generated by the interactive application with the broadcast audio and directs the combmed audio to display unit 39, which formats the audio and video signals and produces an output signal for a television If an interactive application is selected by filter 23, the application is stored m RAM 36 and executed Control system 34 may transmit control signals generated by the application to interactive audio and graphics units 61, 62 in order to combine the audio and video of a broadcast television program with interactive audio and video for output to display unit 39 and television 21. It is contemplated that the vanous components of the set-top box may also be directly interconnected or consolidated mto a smgle physical unit, or several units, as a matter of design choice.
  • the viewer preference filter may be more approp ⁇ ately located ln control system 34 .
  • the functions of the set-top box can be consolidated or divided among the components as a matter of design choice
  • signal processmg unit 30 separates the viewer preference filter from the signal This information is routed to random-access memory (RAM) 36.
  • the viewer preference filter can be accessed by processing unit 30 in order to filter the content of the program signal.
  • the filtering function can alternately be performed in control system 34, which is configured with a microprocessor (not shown) and is coupled to readonly memory (ROM) 35 and RAM 36 through system bus 33.
  • Control system 34 may include a microprocessor, micro-controller, digital signal processor (DSP), or some other type of software instruction processing device.
  • RAM 36 may include memory units which are static (e.g., SRAM), dynamic (e.g., DRAM), volatile or non-volatile (e.g., FLASH), as required to support the functions of the set-top box.
  • control system 34 executes operating system code which is stored in ROM 35.
  • the operating system code executes continuously while the set-top box is powered in the same manner the operating system code of a typical personal computer (PC) and enables the set-top box to execute interactive and other applications and, if the set-top box is so designed, implement the viewer preference filters.
  • the set-top box also includes modem 38, which provides a return path by which viewer data can be transmitted to the broadcast station.
  • Control system 34 may include a security device (not shown) or application which prevents unauthorized applications from being executed.
  • the security device preferably includes means for verifying the credentials of programs received by the set-top box and means for preventing programs from accessing sensitive personal information of the viewer without first prompting the viewer for and receiving authorization for the access.
  • Control system 34 also preferably includes remote control means (not shown) for facilitating user input to the system.
  • the remote control could be of any type known in the art, including infrared, single-button or multifunction types.
  • the user profiles are built by the broadcast service provider based upon the viewing data accumulated within the broadcast network.
  • This data includes information on the various transactions which take place in the network, and may include transactions ranging from requests for pay-per-view events to interactive transactions to simple selections of programs.
  • the specific data recorded in regard to the network transactions may vary from system to system.
  • Transaction data is recorded both at the receiving station and at the broadcast station. Data which is available to the broadcast station at the time of the transaction (“on-line" data) is collected at the broadcast station. Data which is not available to the broadcast station at the time of the transaction (“local” data) is collected at the receiving station. Local data is preferably stored in the non-volatile RAM of the set-top box so that it is not lost if the set-top box is powered down.
  • the local data is accumulated in the set-top box until a predetermined amount of data has been collected or a predetermined time period (e.g., one month) has expired.
  • the local data is then transmitted to the broadcast station.
  • the transmission of the local data to the broadcast station can be externally triggered by signals which are broadcast or individually transmitted to the set-top boxes.
  • the receiving station is operatively connected to the broadcast station by a transmission medium.
  • This transmission medium is contemplated to include media such as a coaxial cable and free space (e.g., as used for direct satellite transmissions.)
  • the transmission medium forms a transmission path between the broadcast station and the receiving station.
  • the broadcast station and receiving station are also connected by a return path.
  • the return path typically consists of a pair of modems, one in the receiving station and one in the broadcast station, each connected to a standard telephone line. Other means for establishing a return path. e.g..
  • the receivmg station initiates communications with the broadcast station and transmits the local data to the broadcast station After the local data has been transmitted, the set-top box may terminate communication with the broadcast station and clear the local data storage before resummg normal collection of local data
  • the broadcast station which is connected to all of the subsc ⁇ bmg receivmg stations, accumulates data on the entire population of subsc ⁇ bers to the broadcast network This data, including local data received from the receivmg stations, forms the broadcast station's cumulative database Based upon the information the cumulative database, the broadcast service provider can deter ⁇ une viewmg patterns, preferences and other information which form profiles correspondmg to different types of viewers These viewer population profiles may mdicate that viewers of a particular program also tend to view a second program Similarly, the profiles may mdicate that viewers of a particular program may be mterested in particular products and disinterested m others For example, a viewer who watches an animated movie on a pay-per-view basis may be more mterested in buying a videotape of cartoons than a videotape of an athletic event Based upon the indications of the profiles, the broadcast service provider can make available to particular viewers the programs which they are most likely to watch or products and services which they are most likely to purchase In this manner, the
  • the filtering of the program content of the broadcast program signal is accomplished by generating a viewer preference filter for each of the receivmg stations, transmitting the viewer preference filter to the receivmg stations, and then filtering received program signals at the receivmg stations
  • a viewer preference filter is generated for each receivmg station according to the viewer population profiles and the relation of the viewer data for that particular receivmg station to the profiles.
  • the viewer preference filters are then transmitted to the respective receivmg stations
  • the filters may be transmitted via the broadcast channel used to broadcast the program signal to the receivmg stations, or they may be transmitted via a modem connection (established by either the receivmg station or the broadcast station ) If the filters are broadcast, each filter is accompanied by an identification code which allows the respective receiving station to identify it as the filter to be implemented m that particular receivmg station.
  • the request is broadcast to all the receivmg stations and the receivmg station which identifies the request as its own is prompted to establish a modem connection with the broadcast station m order to receive the filter
  • the filters can also be updated usmg conditional access addressing capabilities of the broadcast system These capabilities allow messages, or filters, to be delivered to specific viewers or groups of viewers Viewer preference filters can further be updated via modem connection If the filter is transmitted via modem connection, the identification code need not accompany the filter, as it can only be received by a smgle receivmg station An identification code may, however, be used to accompany a request to a particular receivmg station to establish a modem connection with the broadcast station m order to obtain the viewer preference filter
  • Figs 5-7 illustrate the operation of one embodiment of the disclosed system
  • Fig 5 is a flow diagram illustrating the collection of local data at the set-top box and transmission of the data to the broadcast station
  • the set- top box determines whether it is a predetermined time to upload the local data
  • the set-top box determines whether there is a local transaction which must be recorded If there is no pending transaction and it is not time to upload the local data to the broadcast station, the set-top box spins m the loop between 101 and 102. This loop forms a wait state for the set-top box.
  • the set-top box If it is determined that it is time to upload the local data to the broadcast station, the set-top box establishes communication with the broadcast station and transmits 105 the local data The receivmg station then returns to its wait state. If it is determined at 102 that there is a local transaction which must be recorded, the set- top box will update 103 the local data with the transaction information. After the local data is updated, the set-top box determines 104 whether the local data storage is full. If the storage is not full, the set-top box returns to its wait state If the storage is full, the set-top box initiates 105 communications with the broadcast station, transmits the local data to the broadcast station and then returns to the wait state.
  • Fig. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating the filtering of program content at a receivmg station m one embodiment.
  • the receivmg station waits for a program to be received When the receivmg station receives a program, it applies the viewer preference filter to the program and determines 112 whether the program is passed or blocked by the filter If the program is blocked by the filter, the receivmg station resumes waiting 111. If the program is passed by the filter, the receivmg station checks 113 the credentials of the program to determine whether execution of the program is authorized. If the program is not authorized, the program is not executed and the receivmg station returns to its wait state 111.
  • Executing may mclude displaying or other processmg of the program, depending on the program type . If the program is authorized, the program is checked 114 to determine whether execution of the program requires access to sensitive personal mformation. If the program does not require access to this information, the program is allowed to execute 118 If the program does require access to this information, the viewer is prompted 115 for authorization to access the information. If the viewer chooses 116 not to authorize access to the sensitive personal information, the receivmg station returns to the wait state 11 1. The program may alternately be allowed to proceed to access the viewer's user preferences m a limited manner (not shown). If the viewer authorizes 116 access to the mformation. the program is allowed to access 1 17 the mformation Once the program is allowed access to the mformation, it is executed 118 accordmg to its program type.
  • Fig. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating the collection of data at the broadcast station and the building of user profiles and preferences. Steps 120-122 form a loop which is essentially a wait state for the broadcast station.
  • the broadcast station first checks 120 to detemime whether it is time to build user preferences. If it is not time, the broadcast station checks 121 to determine whether there is any local data waiting to be received from one of the receivmg stations. If local data is waiting, the broadcast station receives 123 the data and updates 124 the cumulative data stored m the broadcast station with the new local data.
  • the broadcast station checks 122 to deter ⁇ une whether there is an on-l e transaction for which data must be recorded If there is such data, the cumulative data stored m the broadcast station is updated 124 with the new on-lme data. If there is no new on-lme data, the broadcast station continues m the wait state
  • the broadcast station proceeds to step 125 In the illustrated embodiment, the receivmg stations are prompted 125 to transmit their local data to the broadcast station As the receivmg stations transmit this data, it is received 126 by the broadcast station, which then updates 127 the cumulative data stored in the broadcast station After the cumulative data in the broadcast station has been updated with the local data from each of the receiving stations, the broadcast station builds 128 user profiles based on the cumulative data. The user profiles are then used to build 129 user preferences for each of the receiving stations. These user preferences are transmitted 130 to the receiving stations, which use the preferences to customize the program content of program signals received from the broadcast station. Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.

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  • Multimedia (AREA)
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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
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Abstract

On décrit un système de télévision numérique interactif qui est configuré pour accumuler des informations relatives aux habitudes d'écoute au moyen du suivi des transactions du téléspectateur et de l'élaboration des préférences du téléspectateur pour adapter à ce dernier le contenu des programmes. Les informations recherchées par des stations réceptrices (13) individuelles sont stockées dans un coffret d'abonné et transmises périodiquement à une station émettrice (12). Les informations recherchées par la station émettrice (12) sont accumulées et combinées à des informations reçues en provenance des stations réceptrices (13). Les informations sont utilisées pour définir les préférences du téléspectateur qui, à leur tour, sont utilisées pour filtrer le contenu d'un signal de programme avant et/ou après l'envoi du signal par la station émettrice aux stations réceptrices pour orienter ainsi vers des téléspectateurs particuliers les programmes qui semblent le plus les intéresser.
PCT/US1999/010070 1998-06-17 1999-05-06 Procede et appareil permettant d'etablir le profil des preferences d'un utilisateur par un exploitant de reseau WO1999066726A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (5)

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AU40719/99A AU4071999A (en) 1998-06-17 1999-05-06 Method and apparatus for profiling user preferences by a network operator
EP99924150A EP1086588A1 (fr) 1998-06-17 1999-05-06 Procede et appareil permettant d'etablir le profil des preferences d'un utilisateur par un exploitant de reseau
BR9911347-3A BR9911347A (pt) 1998-06-17 1999-05-06 Método e aparelho para desenhar o perfil de preferências do usuário por um operador de rede
JP2000555437A JP2002518950A (ja) 1998-06-17 1999-05-06 ネットワークオペレータによってユーザプレファランスのプロフィールを作成する方法および装置
CA002334903A CA2334903A1 (fr) 1998-06-17 1999-05-06 Procede et appareil permettant d'etablir le profil des preferences d'un utilisateur par un exploitant de reseau

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US09/098,726 1998-06-17

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BR (1) BR9911347A (fr)
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WO2002051146A1 (fr) * 2000-12-19 2002-06-27 Guido Ciburski Tv-signalquellen-umschalter
EP1227681A2 (fr) * 2000-12-01 2002-07-31 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Appareil de réception et appareil de transmission
WO2002082815A1 (fr) * 2001-04-03 2002-10-17 Gtech Rhode Island Corporation Systeme de traitement de reponses par media interactif
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JP2004511955A (ja) * 2000-10-11 2004-04-15 トムソン　ライセンシング　ソシエテ　アノニム カスタマイズ可能なラジオ
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US7712123B2 (en) 2000-04-14 2010-05-04 Nippon Telegraph And Telephone Corporation Method, system, and apparatus for acquiring information concerning broadcast information
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US9191722B2 (en) 1997-07-21 2015-11-17 Rovi Guides, Inc. System and method for modifying advertisement responsive to EPG information
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USRE48579E1 (en) 2002-04-15 2021-06-01 Media Ip, Inc. Method and apparatus for internet-based interactive programming
US11375276B2 (en) 2017-03-30 2022-06-28 Rovi Guides, Inc. Methods and systems for recommending media assets based on the geographic location at which the media assets are frequently consumed

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USRE49387E1 (en) 1991-12-23 2023-01-24 Blanding Hovenweep, Llc Ergonomic man-machine interface incorporating adaptive pattern recognition based control system
USRE48056E1 (en) 1991-12-23 2020-06-16 Blanding Hovenweep, Llc Ergonomic man-machine interface incorporating adaptive pattern recognition based control system
USRE47908E1 (en) 1991-12-23 2020-03-17 Blanding Hovenweep, Llc Ergonomic man-machine interface incorporating adaptive pattern recognition based control system
US9319735B2 (en) 1995-06-07 2016-04-19 Rovi Guides, Inc. Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with data feed access
US9191722B2 (en) 1997-07-21 2015-11-17 Rovi Guides, Inc. System and method for modifying advertisement responsive to EPG information
US9426509B2 (en) 1998-08-21 2016-08-23 Rovi Guides, Inc. Client-server electronic program guide
DE10010907A1 (de) * 2000-03-06 2001-10-18 Artemedia Ag Selektive Besendung
US10743064B2 (en) 2000-03-31 2020-08-11 Rovi Guides, Inc. Systems and methods for improved audience measuring
US9015739B2 (en) 2000-03-31 2015-04-21 Rovi Guides, Inc. Systems and methods for improved audience measuring
EP1775943A3 (fr) * 2000-04-14 2007-05-23 Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation Procédé, système et appareil pour obtenir des informations associées aux informations de radiodiffusion
US7712123B2 (en) 2000-04-14 2010-05-04 Nippon Telegraph And Telephone Corporation Method, system, and apparatus for acquiring information concerning broadcast information
EP1775943A2 (fr) * 2000-04-14 2007-04-18 Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation Procédé, système et appareil pour obtenir des informations associées aux informations de radiodiffusion
JP4751568B2 (ja) * 2000-10-11 2011-08-17 トムソン ライセンシング カスタマイズ可能なラジオ
JP2004511955A (ja) * 2000-10-11 2004-04-15 トムソン　ライセンシング　ソシエテ　アノニム カスタマイズ可能なラジオ
US7788687B1 (en) 2000-10-18 2010-08-31 Opentv, Inc. Push advertising model using multiple digital streams
EP1227681A3 (fr) * 2000-12-01 2002-10-02 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Appareil de réception et appareil de transmission
EP1227681A2 (fr) * 2000-12-01 2002-07-31 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Appareil de réception et appareil de transmission
WO2002051146A1 (fr) * 2000-12-19 2002-06-27 Guido Ciburski Tv-signalquellen-umschalter
US7669212B2 (en) 2001-02-02 2010-02-23 Opentv, Inc. Service platform suite management system
US10826748B2 (en) 2001-02-02 2020-11-03 Opentv, Inc. Service gateway for interactive television
US9369330B2 (en) 2001-02-02 2016-06-14 Opentv, Inc. Service gateway for interactive television
CN1295928C (zh) * 2001-04-03 2007-01-17 集太罗得岛股份有限公司 互动媒体响应处理系统
AU2002253423B2 (en) * 2001-04-03 2006-12-14 Gtech Rhode Island Corporation Interactive media response processing system
WO2002082815A1 (fr) * 2001-04-03 2002-10-17 Gtech Rhode Island Corporation Systeme de traitement de reponses par media interactif
WO2002101586A3 (fr) * 2001-06-11 2004-04-22 Koninkl Philips Electronics Nv Filtrage de recommandations utilisant des caracteristiques personnelles d'utilisateurs
WO2002101586A2 (fr) * 2001-06-11 2002-12-19 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Filtrage de recommandations utilisant des caracteristiques personnelles d'utilisateurs
USRE48579E1 (en) 2002-04-15 2021-06-01 Media Ip, Inc. Method and apparatus for internet-based interactive programming
US10856031B2 (en) 2003-04-15 2020-12-01 MedialP, Inc. Method and apparatus for generating interactive programming in a communication network
US11076190B2 (en) 2003-04-15 2021-07-27 MedialP, Inc. Method and apparatus for generating interactive programming in a communication network
US11477506B2 (en) 2003-04-15 2022-10-18 MediaIP, LLC Method and apparatus for generating interactive programming in a communication network
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WO2007004160A1 (fr) * 2005-06-30 2007-01-11 Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V. Procede et systeme permettant d'obtenir un mecanisme d'interrogation/retroaction dans un systeme de diffusion mhp ou ocap interactif
US10694256B2 (en) 2007-03-09 2020-06-23 Rovi Technologies Corporation Media content search results ranked by popularity
US9326025B2 (en) 2007-03-09 2016-04-26 Rovi Technologies Corporation Media content search results ranked by popularity
CN101662648A (zh) * 2008-08-29 2010-03-03 松下电器产业株式会社 用户视听率信息收集方法、用户终端和系统
CN102143400B (zh) * 2010-08-04 2013-04-17 华为终端有限公司 一种机顶盒及节目收看处理方法
CN102143400A (zh) * 2010-08-04 2011-08-03 华为终端有限公司 一种机顶盒及节目收看处理方法
US11375276B2 (en) 2017-03-30 2022-06-28 Rovi Guides, Inc. Methods and systems for recommending media assets based on the geographic location at which the media assets are frequently consumed
US11622151B2 (en) 2017-03-30 2023-04-04 Rovi Guides, Inc. Methods and systems for recommending media assets based on the geographic location at which the media assets are frequently consumed

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AU4071999A (en) 2000-01-05
CN1311956A (zh) 2001-09-05
CA2334903A1 (fr) 1999-12-23
JP2002518950A (ja) 2002-06-25
EP1086588A1 (fr) 2001-03-28

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