WO2013114393A1

WO2013114393A1 - A method and system for flexible electronic program guide, " epg on cloud"

Info

Publication number: WO2013114393A1
Application number: PCT/IN2013/000008
Authority: WO
Inventors: Atul PHADNIS
Original assignee: Whats On India Media Private Limited
Priority date: 2012-01-04
Filing date: 2013-01-04
Publication date: 2013-08-08

Abstract

The system and the method thereof provided by way of the present invention the EPG service provider manages hosted services and resources through a single combined portal, thereby efficiently publishing with optimal configuration of resources and services, and standardize integration and alignment of cloud-hosted platforms. This platforms may be deployed and configured to automate, provide and manage EPG services remotely to a user or service providers as well as system under the direct management of a EPG service provider and customized to provide services as per user preference.

Description

A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FLEXIBLE ELECTRONIC PROGRAM GUIDE, "EPG ON CLOUD"

Field of the Invention:

This invention relates to reduction of memory consumption in set-top boxes by using cloud technology and reducing the amount of data downloaded to the media devices to enable real time data presentation and faster data searches by fingerprinting past user data.

Background Art:

User's choice and convenient search options have increasingly become important. With the increase in number of channels available for the user's viewing, the task of searching for content according to one's preference has become tedious and time consuming. When a user wishes to watch a program of choice, he must battle through the extensive schedule guide, the very same that are provided to make television viewing a comfortable experience. While one would appreciate a schedule of their preferred content, what is made available to them is an elaborate guide consisting of even programs not in their preferred set which may not be welcome. Set-top boxes download all information about all available programs. The data fields available for each show are limited in comparison to the volume of EPG items flowing. This results in more time consumption, even though all of this data may not be required by each user. A viewer is allowed to search within the Electronic Program Guide, for desired content but the process involves downloading of complete data to the devices and a search within that data for results. Not only does a large amount of unnecessary data consume memory on set-up boxes, as a result it consumes a lot of time and proves wasteful. Prioritized search results may appear by utilization of the user's previously recorded and watched data. There is a monitoring of the individual user's preference. The solution provides for fingerprinting each activity by the user, including the programs watched and recorded to provide guidance and recommendation to the user's regarding the potential of unaired programs for convenient viewing.

Search within existing EPGs is tedious and improvements are made to provide a more user-friendly interface but the amount of data flow to the devices is equal and thus the processing speed is slow.

Summary of the Invention:

The method and system for flexible Electronic Program guide with utmost mobility, EPG on Cloud, for the user which provides the ability to give the power to consumers via APPS and/or smart devices which are connected/wireless to search and discover entertainment programs based on individual preferences. The system and the method thereof provided by way of the present invention the EPG service provider manages hosted services and resources through a single combined portal, thereby efficiently publishing with optimal configuration of resources and services, and standardize integration and alignment of cloud-hosted platforms. This platform may be deployed and configured to automate, provide and manage EPG services remotely to a user or service providers as well as system under the direct management of a EPG service provider and customized to provide services as per user preference.

Brief Description Of The Drawings:

Figure 1 shows system for flexible Electronic Program guide with utmost mobility, EPG on Cloud, for the user which provides the ability to give the power to consumers via APPS and/or smart devices which are connected/wireless to search and discover entertainment programs based on individual preferences.

Brief Description Of The Invention:

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method and system for flexible Electronic Program guide with utmost mobility, EPG on Cloud, for the user which provides the ability to give the power to consumers via APPS and/or smart devices which are connected/wireless to search and discover entertainment programs based on individual preferences. The illustration in the figure 1 below highlights the different platforms and methods which provides the ability to give the power to consumers via APPS and/or smart devices which are connected/wireless to search and discover entertainment programs based on individual preferences. The system and method as illustrated in the Fig. 1 has the core internal enterprise architecture which allows the system to exhibit flexibility and utmost mobility when the processes, applications, and data are largely independent, the points of integration are well defined, a higher level of security will work just fine. According to an embodiment of the invention, the invention deployed on file-based delivery mechanism from the EPG Enterprise Server to the Operator Enterprise Server.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the invention may not employ an Auto Exporter for transferring data/ information from the EPG Enterprise Server to the receptors.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the system as defined in the present invention is flexible and may not use (or consume) high amount of memory on the set-top box as the number of data fields and languages increase. According to an embodiment of the invention, the system as defined in the present invention may not require additional bandwidth to stream the additional data to set-top-boxes on increase of data fields.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the system as defined in the present invention may store user search patterns.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the system as defined in the present invention may enable faster EPG searches which shall also include TV program / Channel search data

According to an embodiment of the invention, the system as defined in the present invention may enable faster presentation data

According to an embodiment of the invention, the system as defined in the present invention may facilitate free-flow searches

According to an embodiment of the invention, the system as defined in the present invention may enable real-time data presentation, thereby may be leading to more accurate data and results

According to an embodiment of the invention, the system as defined in the present invention may add Potential and ability to personalize both search as well as results.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the system as defined in the present invention may present user data based on "WOI Ratings", which weigh the potential of a program before its being aired.

As per one of the embodiment of the present invention, EPG-On-Cloud system and method as defined is a platform designed to help build TV Guidance products with ease across various devices. It provides the ability to give the power to consumers via APPS and/or smart devices which are connected/wireless to search and discover entertainment programs based on individual preferences.

As per one of the embodiment of the present invention, EPG-On-Cloud system and method as defined is a robust scalable platform, flexible and high customizable to meet the requirements of various devices. The platform is designed keeping in mind the performance requirements of delivering the data in shortest possible time governed by a highly secured layer which ensures data security.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the system as defined in the present invention the EPG-On-Cloud APIs are simple and flexible for development consumption which can power complex products like Media Guides, Mobile Applications, Tablet Applications, Entertainment Websites and Portals.

As per one of the embodiment of the present invention, EPG-On-Cloud system and method as defined hosts the CORE to power TV Guidance / Recommendation / Personalization on any devices. Some of the API's which are part of the EPG-On-Cloud Service are Schedule Grid, Program Listing, Channel By Genre, Program EPG MetaData, Recommendation, Viewers Also LIKE, User Personalized Results etc.

As per one of the embodiment of the present invention, this invention will help in presenting EPG results across multiple connected platforms, connected devices, widgets, portals and applications.

As per one of the embodiment of the present invention, the present invention may be lower on costs as all resources are shared, resulting in reduced cost

As per one of the embodiment of the invention, the invention may be agile i.e.

provisioning on demand enables faster setup and tear-.down of resources on a need basis. When a project is required, system initiates service, then if the project is killed, you simply terminate the cloud contact/contract.

As per another embodiment of the invention, the invention may smoothly and efficiently scale to handle the spikes in traffic with more cost effective model. This is also known as elasticity.

One of the embodiment of the invention depicts that the maintenance of the system as described in the invention is simplified and patches and upgrades are rapidly deployed across the shared infrastructure of the defined system and /or backups.

As per one another embodiment of the invention, the invention may handle large scale prototyping and load much easily.

Whether you are assembling, managing or developing, on a cloud platform you need shared database which is structurally compatible with dynamic scalability that does support elastic scalability. As with every tectonic shift in technology, there is a Darwinian ripple effect. As it may be realized that the present invention support these changes and which are relegated to legacy systems.

The value propositions of low-entry costs and flexibility offered by the present invention as per one of its embodiment are huge enticing advantages

As per one of the embodiment of the present invention , "versionless" fed of the EPG eliminates upgrade projects and helps EPG telecast keep pace with the speed of business, giving user an access to new data and technology early and often.

As per another embodiment of the present invention, it may not be necessary to invest in dedicated servers which they may outgrow hosting or Virtual servers available when the EPG is assembled, managed, or developed as per one of the embodiment of the invention and enjoy unlimited capacity , bandwidth, increased security and a solid disaster recovery solution.

As per one of the embodiment of the present invention, the invention permits

accessibility to multiple data centers anywhere on the globe. It also means that as the need for resources increases, additional services may be added as and when needed by the EPG vendor without having to include additional hardware.

As per one of the embodiment the system and the method thereof provided by way of the present invention the EPG service provider manages hosted services and resources through a single combined portal, thereby efficiently publishing with optimal configuration of resources and services, and standardize integration and alignment of cloud-hosted platforms. This platforms may be deployed and configured to automate, provide and manage EPG services remotely to a user or service providers as well as system under the direct management of a EPG service provider and customized to provide services as per user preference. The invention provides a system and the method thereof to provide dynamically packaged EPG services to user/customers via a EPG services data cache registry and EPG database integrated through data optimization layer module and API layer module. The data cache registry is dynamic and operates by polling different EPG services and EPG databases to ensure that the EPG data cache registry module is up to date with the latest available EPG services wherein the system and the method thereof achieve this through the dynamic processes at data optimization layer module . The data optimization layer module comprises of data enrichment process module, data categorization engine module, recommendation engine module, personalization engine module, analytics engine module, social buzz accumulation module. The data enrichment process module of the data optimization layer module performs data management to enrich data by extracting relative information and indexing the same. The data characterization engine module of the data optimization layer module characterizes the enriched data based on various parameters which may be user defined or system defined or administrative defined or service provider defined. The recommendation engine module of the data

optimization layer module establishes recommendation criteria and generates recommendation sequence based on the feedback received through various resources. The personalization engine module of the optimization layer module captures data to profile a user and personalizes the recommendation based on the profiling of the user. The analytics engine module of the optimization layer module generates analytics based on overall viewership as well as the personalized viewership. The social buzz accumulation module of the optimization layer module captures social events and spikes as well as mass users orientation at incidents and events.

The EPG data cache registry module is available for service queries from user/ customers and abstracts multiple EPG services. By abstracting the EPG's services, the dynamic EPG data cache registry module create a modular package of different services based on the service query and requested priority for services. The dynamic EPG data is dynamically updated based on the services that the user/customer has availed. The dynamic process at data optimization layer module determines what optimization process best matches the requirements from a customer service request (CSR) and return a personalized set of matching services. Depend on the service requests and resultant personalized set of matching services delivered by EPG data cache, the API layer module fetches data relative to any/all of the service request. The API layer module presents data in response to the service requests such as guidance services, wherein program grid, program meta data, listings, channel by genre, etc is exhibited to the user/client as per requests. The API layer module presents data in response to service requests and also provides WOI ratings and recommendations such as premiers, specials, best of today/tomorrow, personalization and recommendations, etc with respect to the queries/requests. The API layer module also provides analytical outputs such as trending programs, trending channels, viewers also liked, similar programs, etc in response to the queries/requests.

The system provides on-demand delivery of various services like guidance service, WOI ratings and recommendations and analytical outputs that do not require end-user knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the system that delivers the services. The customer communication device/computer little software or data (perhaps a minimal operating system and web browser only), serving as a basic display terminal connected to the internet. The design of system and method there of allows the functional separation between the resources used and the user's communicating device, usually residing outside the local network.

The EPG data optimization layer module process are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to consumer demand.

The system and the method thereof where in the processing capabilities can be rapidly and elastically provisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out and rapidly released to quickly scale in.

The system and method thereof automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service. Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized service. The applications are accessible from various client devices through a thin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based email.)

The system infrastructure is shared by several organizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and compliance considerations). It may be managed by the organizations providing EPG services.

Advantages of the present invention:

• It limits the volume of data to be loaded on to any device. In the current solution, the entire volume of data is loaded on the concerned device which is largely inefficient as the user/device may not require or utilize the complete data set. The current solution provides the capability to the device to load incremental data as requested by the user

• Enables On-demand data, as per the specific requirements of the user.

• The solution saves the On- device memory and bandwidth

• Ability to display non-standard data fields as well as nontext data including rich media files

• The solution adds capability to do a request based search for programs and their Meta data on parameters and data fields not present with current practices.

• The ramification of the invention is that it will enable faster search and data presentation, free- flow searches and will bring in more efficiencies

Claims

1. A method for flexible Electronic Program guide with utmost mobility, EPG on Cloud, for the user which provides the ability to give the power to consumers to search and discover entertainment programs based on individual preferences, the method comprising steps of: establish a network communication with the users devices through the data communication manager of the API layer module receive, from the users devices, requests for EPG content information, one or more user settings that describe preferences for EPG content information to be sent to the users devices through the data communication manager of the API layer module, process the requests through the one or more processors of sub modules such as data enrichment process module, data categorization engine module, recommendation engine module, personalization engine module, analytics engine module, social buzz accumulation module by extracting required data from the EPG database, provide the request based output to the EPG data cache registry module for dynamic storage, deliver, to the users devices the respective request based outputs through the API layer module;

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the data management to enrich data by extracting relative information and indexing the same is performed by The data enrichment process module of the data optimization layer module.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the enriched data based on various parameters which may be user defined or system defined or administrative defined or service provider defined is characterized by the data characterization engine module of the data optimization layer module.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the recommendation engine module of the data optimization layer module establishes recommendation criteria and generates recommendation sequence based on the feedback received through various resources.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the personalization engine module of the optimization layer module captures data to profile a user and personalizes the recommendation based on the profiling of the user.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the analytics engine module of the optimization layer module generates analytics based on overall viewership as well as the personalized viewership.

(

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the social buzz accumulation module of the optimization layer module captures social events and spikes as well as mass users orientation at incidents and events.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the EPG data cache registry module abstracts multiple EPG services.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein by abstracting the EPG's services, the dynamic EPG data cache registry module create a modular package of different services based on the service query and requested priority for services.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the dynamic EPG data is dynamically updated based on the services that the user/customer has availed.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the dynamic process at data optimization layer module determines what optimization process best matches the requirements from a customer service request (CSR) and return a personalized set of matching services.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the API layer module presents data in response to the service requests such as guidance services, wherein program grid, program meta data, listings, channel by genre, etc is exhibited to the user/client as per requests.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein the API layer module presents data in response to service requests and provides WOI ratings and recommendations such as premiers, specials, best of today/tomorrow, personalization and recommendations, etc with respect to the queries/requests.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the API layer module also provides analytical outputs such as trending programs, trending channels, viewers also liked, similar programs, etc in response to the queries/requests.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to consumer demand by pooling processes by The EPG data optimization layer module.

16. A system for flexible Electronic Program guide with utmost mobility, EPG on Cloud, for the user which provides the ability to give the power to consumers to search and discover entertainment programs based on individual preferences, the system comprising: a optimization layer module comprising data enrichment process module, data categorization engine module, recommendation engine module, personalization engine module, analytics engine module, social buzz accumulation module comprising one or more data processors ; a API layer module configured as data communication manager having data network interface in communication with the one or more data processors, the data communication manager being executable by the one or more data processors; a EPG data cache registry module comprising dynamic memory for storing the dynamic data; a database for storing processed content information and accessible to the one or more data processors of optimization layer module, the optimization layer module configured to ; receive, from the users devices, requests for EPG content information, one or more user settings that describe preferences for EPG content information to be sent to the users devices, process the requests through the sub modules such as data enrichment process module, data categorization engine module, recommendation engine module, personalization engine module, analytics engine module, social buzz accumulation module by extracting required data from the EPG database, provide the request based output to the EPG data cache registry module for dynamic storage, deliver, to the users devices the respective request based outputs through the API layer module;

17. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the processing capabilities can be rapidly and elastically provisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out and rapidly released to quickly scale in.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16 automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service. Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized service.

19. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the applications are accessible from various client devices through a thin client interface such as a web browser.

20. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the system infrastructure is shared by several organizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns and managed by the organizations providing EPG services.

21. The system according to claim 16 wherein the system provides on-demand delivery of various services like guidance service, WOI ratings and recommendations and analytical outputs.

22. The system according to claim 15 provides the functional separation between the resources used and the user's communicating device, usually residing outside the local network.