U.S. patent application number 11/241681 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-09 for systems, methods, and devices for customizing content-access lists.
Invention is credited to William R. Matz, Scott R. Swix.
Application Number | 20060031882 11/241681 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46322793 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060031882 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Swix; Scott R. ; et
al. |
February 9, 2006 |
Systems, methods, and devices for customizing content-access
lists
Abstract
Systems, methods, and computer program products describe
customizing the presentation of a content-access list based on
subscriber-specific information, such as historic viewing
preferences and related information. Preferences of a subscriber
are received. A subscriber-specified time period is also received,
with the time period specifying a time for which the subscriber
wishes the preferences to be analyzed. A content database is
queried for content related to the preference occurring within the
time period. A first option list is received from the content
database, wherein the first option list comprises content options
related to the preference. The first option list is delivered to
the subscriber.
Inventors: |
Swix; Scott R.; (Columbus,
OH) ; Matz; William R.; (Atlanta, GA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SCOTT P. ZIMMERMAN, PLLC
PO BOX 3822
CARY
NC
27519
US
|
Family ID: |
46322793 |
Appl. No.: |
11/241681 |
Filed: |
September 30, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11154248 |
Jun 16, 2005 |
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11241681 |
Sep 30, 2005 |
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09496825 |
Feb 1, 2000 |
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11154248 |
Jun 16, 2005 |
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08779306 |
Jan 6, 1997 |
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09496825 |
Feb 1, 2000 |
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10036923 |
Dec 21, 2001 |
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11241681 |
Sep 30, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
725/46 ;
348/E7.071; 725/13; 725/45; 725/52; 725/53; 725/61; 725/86 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/4667 20130101;
H04N 21/64723 20130101; H04H 60/64 20130101; H04N 7/17309 20130101;
H04N 21/4826 20130101; H04H 60/31 20130101; H04H 60/66 20130101;
H04N 21/26258 20130101; H04N 21/6582 20130101; H04N 21/812
20130101; H04H 20/38 20130101; H04N 21/44222 20130101; G06Q 30/02
20130101; H04H 60/46 20130101; H04N 21/25891 20130101; H04N
21/25883 20130101; H04H 60/65 20130101; H04N 21/47202 20130101;
H04H 60/72 20130101; H04N 7/17318 20130101; G06Q 30/0255
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
725/046 ;
725/013; 725/045; 725/053; 725/052; 725/086; 725/061 |
International
Class: |
H04H 9/00 20060101
H04H009/00; H04N 5/445 20060101 H04N005/445; H04N 7/173 20060101
H04N007/173; H04N 7/16 20060101 H04N007/16; G06F 13/00 20060101
G06F013/00; G06F 3/00 20060101 G06F003/00 |
Claims
1. A method for providing a content option list, comprising:
receiving preferences of a subscriber; receiving a
subscriber-specified time period that specifies a time for which
the subscriber wishes the preferences to be analyzed; querying a
content database for content related to the preference occurring
within the time period; receiving a first option list from the
content database, wherein the first option list comprises content
options related to the preference; and sending the first option
list to the subscriber.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising categorizing the first
option list by a preference rating attribute, the preference rating
attribute denoting an importance of a category of content to the
subscriber.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying the content
database for content unrelated to the preference and adding a
non-preference-related option to the first option list.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the content unrelated to the
preference comprises property ownership records.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein the content unrelated to the
preference comprises credit card purchase records.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first option list comprises
an image displayed on a television screen.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first option list provides
access to a second option list.
8. A system providing a content option list, the system comprising:
a processor communicating with a content-access-history database;
the processor receiving preferences of a subscriber via a; the
processor receiving a subscriber-specified time period that
specifies a time for which the subscriber wishes the preferences to
be analyzed; the processor querying the content-access-history
database for content related to the preference occurring within the
time period; the processor receiving a first option list from the
content database, wherein the first option list comprises content
options related to the preference; and the processor sending the
first option list to the subscriber.
9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the processor
categorizes the first option list by a preference rating attribute,
the preference rating attribute denoting an importance of a
category of content to the subscriber.
10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the processor queries
the content-access-history database for content unrelated to the
preference and adds a non-preference-related option to the first
option list.
11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the content unrelated
to the preference comprises property ownership records.
12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the content unrelated
to the preference comprises credit card purchase records.
13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the first option list
comprises an image displayed on a television screen.
14. The system according to claim 8, wherein the first option list
provides access to a second option list.
15. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for
performing the steps of: receiving preferences of a subscriber;
receiving a subscriber-specified time period that specifies a time
for which the subscriber wishes the preferences to be analyzed;
querying a content database for content related to the preference
occurring within the time period; receiving a first option list
from the content database, wherein the first option list comprises
content options related to the preference; and sending the first
option list to the subscriber.
16. A computer program product according to claim 15, further
comprising instructions for categorizing the first option list by a
preference rating attribute, the preference rating attribute
denoting an importance of a category of content to the
subscriber.
17. A computer program product according to claim 15, further
comprising instructions for querying the content database for
content unrelated to the preference and adding a
non-preference-related option to the first option list.
18. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the
content unrelated to the preference comprises property ownership
records.
19. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the
content unrelated to the preference comprises credit card purchase
records.
20. A computer program product according to claim 15, wherein said
first option list provides access to a second option list.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/154,248, by Grauch et al., filed Jun. 15,
2005 (Attorney Docket BS95003 CON 2), which is itself a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/496,825, by
Grauch et al., filed Feb. 1, 2000 (Attorney Docket BS95003 CON),
and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. ______, which is itself a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/779,306, by
Batten et al., filed Jan. 6, 1997 (Attorney Docket BS95003) (now
abandoned), with each incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety. This application is also a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/036,923, filed Dec. 21, 2001 and entitled
"System and Method for Customizing Content-Access Lists" (BS01424),
and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT PROTECTION
[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document and its
figures contain material subject to copyright protection. The
copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by
anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, but
otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND
[0003] This application generally relates to the utilization of
content-access patterns and, more particularly, to customization of
content access systems and methods based on content-access patterns
and associated behaviors.
[0004] Individuals receive information and entertainment content
from a wide variety of media sources. These sources include radio,
newspapers, the Internet, and television content providers. To
support the creation and distribution of content, providers must
derive revenue from the content. Content providers derive
substantial revenues from subscription and advertising. During the
broadcast of a television program, advertisements, in the form of
commercials, are inserted at various time intervals. An advertiser
pays the broadcaster to include an advertisement with specific
content or types of content.
[0005] The amount of money that an advertiser pays is directly
related to the number of subscribers watching or accessing a
broadcast. Conventionally, for television advertising, advertising
revenue equals a rate per thousand viewers multiplied by the number
of viewers estimated to be viewing a program. Similarly, web site
content providers conventionally charge advertisers a fixed amount
per thousand advertising impressions. Therefore, the higher the
number of viewers or subscribers accessing content, the greater the
revenue provider derives. And the greater the number of
subscribers, the more likely it is that a greater number of the
subscribers will view a particular advertisement. Therefore,
content providers desire to increase the number of subscribers they
serve.
[0006] Many variables affect the number of subscribers who
subscribe to a content provider's service. For example, if a cable
television provider is able to offer channels that other
competitive providers in the viewing area do not offer, the
provider is likely to draw subscribers away from the competitors.
Also, if a provider's services are easier to use or include more
features or more useful features than the competition, the provider
may be able to draw competitors' subscribers. Therefore, providers
strive to provide a plurality of services that are attractive to
subscribers, especially when compared to the services of the
provider's competitors.
[0007] One such service is an electronic program guide (EPG) or
other similar menu system for accessing content. Conventional EPGs
for advanced television systems provide access to new content types
and services, such as pay per view (generally, in a digital
television application referred to as video on demand (VOD) or near
video on demand (NVOD)), movies, games, news reports, as well as
product purchases for books and other items.
[0008] The EPG is, generally speaking, an electronic multi-level
menu, which first presents a list of broad categories from which a
subscriber can select. As the subscriber selects from among these
broad categories, the EPG presents more discrete categories. The
EPG may present categories in various ways using various methods.
For example, providers conventionally sort the category lists
alphabetically or based on the general popularity of specific
categories. Under these approaches, all subscribers receive the
same menu in the same order, regardless of their personal
preferences.
[0009] The lack of customization has been due in part to a lack of
technology for accurately tracking a subscriber's preferences.
Although methods exist for tracking the historic preferences of
small numbers of subscribers, no efficient method exists for
accurately tracking a large number of subscribers in real near real
time. The lack of customization also stems from the expense and
difficulty of customizing individual subscriber's EPGs.
[0010] Several conventional approaches allow a subscriber to
customize a menu or EPG. The conventional approaches are primarily
manual processes on the part of the user to set up an automated or
semi-automated update process. A set-top box or other menu
presentation device then implements the update of the EPG based on
the user settings.
[0011] For example, the patent to Peter D. Halenbeck, U.S. Pat. No.
5,038,211, discloses a method and apparatus for displaying only
menu options meeting selection criteria set by user. The patent to
Theodore S. Rzeszewski, U.S. Pat. No. 5,917,481 discloses a set-top
box, which includes a feature to add "select" channels, wherein the
user manually configures a plurality of channels, and only those
channels appear in the EPG.
[0012] A similar approach is used by a TiVo.RTM. system, which
allows a user to select a category, actors, and other preferences
for recording television programming. TiVo can also perform a
predictive interest algorithm to record programs you might wish to
view based on previous viewing. (TiVo.RTM. is a registered
trademark of TiVo Inc., Alviso, Calif.). As with other conventional
methods, TiVo.RTM. requires manual configuration by a user before
recording can take place.
[0013] Conventional approaches for displaying option lists are
simplistic and generic, and fail to attract subscriber and do not
allow providers to differentiate themselves from one another. Also,
because of the shear volume of content available in any given
media, conventional systems and methods generate options lists that
are difficult for a subscriber to navigate efficiently. Also,
conventional systems and methods require the user to make
conscious, deliberate decisions and selections in order to find the
product offerings or content that meets their desired interests.
Because the conventional process requires that a series of manual
steps be followed for any level of customization, the process is
more complex than is necessary.
[0014] In addition, it is slow and inefficient to update the
content availability in current content option lists, and
therefore, it is difficult to present a customized list even after
the subscriber has performed manual configuration. Conventional
systems and methods also fail to take advantage of known content
viewing patterns and related behaviors in order to provide
alternative or additional product offering lists that may be
pre-sorted based on the viewing patterns.
SUMMARY
[0015] The exemplary embodiments provide systems and methods for
customizing the presentation of a content-access list based on
subscriber-specific information, such as historic viewing
preferences and related information. The exemplary embodiments
include a content-access-history database, a content database, and
an option list creator, which combines data in the
content-access-history and content databases to create lists of
content-access options that are customized for individual
subscribers.
[0016] According to the exemplary embodiments, the
content-access-history database includes information about actions
the subscriber has taken to access content, such as television
programming or information on web sites. The content-access-history
database may be a clickstream database. The content-access-history
database may include a category attribute. In an embodiment, the
content-access-history includes television-viewing-history
database. For example, the content-access-history database may
indicate that at 8:00 p.m. on January 1, the subscriber's
television was tuned to channel 12.
[0017] The content database describes content available from
various content providers via various mediums. Exemplary
embodiments, for example, include a television programming history
database. The content and content-access-history database are
combined to provide a complete history of the content accessed by a
subscriber. In the example above, if the provider of content on
channel 12 broadcasts or otherwise provides a basketball game at
8:00 p.m. on January 1, then it can be determined that the
subscriber was watching a basketball game on that date and at that
time. The content-access-history and content databases include
various key data fields to link the data, including, for example,
the data and time and medium (e.g., channel number).
[0018] The combined data forms a content preference profile (CPP)
for a subscriber and is useful for a variety of applications. In
exemplary embodiments, an option list creator software application
utilizes the CPP to create options lists, which are customized to a
subscriber's viewing preferences. The option list creator may be an
application executing on a set-top box in a subscriber's home or
may be an application executing on a processor in a content
provider facility, such as a cable television operator's head-end
facility.
[0019] The option list provides a means for a subscriber to access
further option lists or to access content. For example, in
exemplary embodiments, the option list creator creates a menu, such
as an electronic program guide. Content available via a specific
option varies depending on the medium that the subscriber is using
to access the content. For example, if the subscriber is using an
EPG presented by a set-top box connected to a television, then the
content may comprise at least one of a cable television station, a
video-on-demand server, and a personal video recorder.
[0020] In exemplary embodiments, the option list creator customizes
the option list for a subscriber. For example, the options
displayed by an EPG are conventionally sorted alphabetically. By
utilizing the subscriber's content preference profile, the EPG
creator application sorts the options so that the options that are
most likely to appeal to the subscriber appear at the top of the
list.
[0021] The exemplary embodiments provide numerous advantages when
compared to conventional methods for providing customized options
lists. By providing a simpler, more accurate option list, a content
provider is likely to attract additional subscribers. Also, various
content providers operating in the same medium, such as cable
operators and satellite television providers, strive to
differentiate their offerings to attract subscribers. The exemplary
embodiments offer these providers a mechanism for
differentiation.
[0022] Moreover, as the deployment of digital television inexorably
increases content choices to hundreds or thousands of individually
available content selections, such pre-filtering or sorting becomes
important in order for the viewer to have the ability to easily and
efficiently manage the volume of choices available. By sorting the
content option lists so that access to preferred content appears
first, exemplary embodiments simplify the process of accessing
content for the subscriber. The subscriber is spared from having to
wade through less desirable or undesirable content. Therefore, the
likelihood that the viewer will find the content he is interested
in is increased along with the subscriber's overall
satisfaction.
[0023] Customization of the option list is also much simpler than
for conventional systems. Conventional systems require that the
subscriber manually configure a set-top box or provide viewing
preferences before an EPG will filter or sort content option lists
for a subscriber. In exemplary embodiments the content preferences
are compiled automatically and then applied to the creation process
for the option list, simplifying the process for the subscriber
while, at the same time, providing a more accurate representation
of the subscriber's current content preferences.
[0024] Further details and advantages are set forth below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0025] These and other features, aspects, and advantages are better
understood when the following Detailed Description is read with
reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0026] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment and an
exemplary environment for centralized operation.
[0027] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment and an
exemplary environment for decentralized operation.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process implemented by
a video on demand menu item generator, according to exemplary
embodiments.
[0029] FIG. 4 illustrates a hierarchy of menus generated, according
to exemplary embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] Exemplary embodiments provide systems and methods for
creating a customized content option list using preferences derived
from a content-access-history database. Some exemplary embodiments
include a video-on-demand menu item generator linked to a
subscriber content preference profile evaluator. The evaluator
retrieves preferences from the preference profile and uses the
preferences to filter or sort the menu items generated by the menu
item generator. A menu presenter presents the filtered or sorted
menu items as an option list to the subscriber.
[0031] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating centralized storage
and evaluation of the content preference profile, according to
exemplary embodiments. A cable operator head-end facility 102
includes a video-on-demand (VOD) server 104. The VOD server 104
includes a menu item generator 106 linked to a movie storage
database 108. The menu item generator 106 is operative to generate
a menu or list of options from which a subscriber can select
various content, such as video-on-demand. The menu item generator
106 also receives and responds to commands related to menu
presentation. The movie storage database 108 provides content,
which can be delivered to a subscriber. In other embodiments, the
cable operator head-end includes various other sources of content,
including television-programming servers, local advertising
servers, e-commerce merchandising servers, and a satellite signal
receiver. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the VOD server 104 is
linked to a cable network 109, which is in turn linked to a set-top
box 110 in a subscriber's home (not shown).
[0032] The set-top box 110 includes various software applications,
including a menu presenter 112 and a subscriber action collector
114. The menu presenter 112 receives information from the menu item
generator 109 via the cable network 109, and presents a menu on a
video display device (not shown), such as a television or personal
computer. The menu presenter also receives commands and forwards
them to the menu item generator 106 as necessary. In some exemplary
embodiments the menu presenter 112 provides an electronic program
guide (EPG) that includes the generated option list. In other
exemplary embodiments the menu presenter 112 provides a multi-level
menu, wherein selecting an option from the option list results in
the display of another option list. In yet another embodiment, the
menu provider presents a simple display of the option list within a
picture-in-a-picture (PIP) window on the television display. The
option list provides access to various types of content, such as
cable television stations, video-on-demand or near video-on-demand,
and output from personal video recorders.
[0033] The subscriber action collector 114 records actions taken by
the subscriber when viewing a program. The subscriber action
collector 114 may include a clickstream database. A clickstream
database is common in Internet monitoring applications and similar
databases have been described for tracking television subscriber
actions, as described in a patent application by Meadows et al.,
U.S. application Ser. No. 09/496,825, filed Feb. 1, 2000, which is
incorporated herein by reference. The clickstream database tracks
individual subscriber actions, such as clicking a hyperlink on a
web page or pushing a button on a television remote control.
[0034] The subscriber action collector 114 transmits subscriber
actions via the cable network 109 to a subscriber content choice
database 116. The subscriber actions are combined in the content
choice database 116 with local and national programming and
advertising data. The resultant data details the programming and
advertising displayed on the subscriber's video display and, over a
period of time, provides a content-access-choice history for each
subscriber. The exemplary embodiments may be advantageously
implemented with the systems and methods disclosed in a patent
application filed by Matz et al. on Dec. 14, 2001, entitled,
"System and Method for Utilizing Television Viewing Patterns"
(Attorney Docket Number BS01341), which is incorporated herein by
reference.
[0035] The content choice database 116 may include a category
attribute. The category attribute provides data that the CPP
evaluator 118 can use to more accurately generate a profile for a
subscriber. For example, in some exemplary embodiments, the
subscriber content choice database 116 includes a television
viewing history. The viewing history includes a genre attribute,
which can be used to categorize each show. The genre attribute may
include, for example, "Sports," "Science Fiction," and "Drama."
[0036] Once subscriber choices have been stored in the subscriber
content choice database 116, a content preference profile (CPP)
evaluator 118 analyzes data for each subscriber to generate an
individual CPP and store the CPP in the central CPP database
120.
[0037] In some exemplary embodiments the CPP database 120 includes
additional information, such as the subscriber's purchase history
and demographic measures describing the purchaser. Exemplary
embodiments may be advantageously implemented with the systems and
methods disclosed in a patent application filed by Matz et al. on
Dec. 14, 2001, entitled, "System and Method for Developing Tailored
Content" (Attorney Docket Number BS01342), which is incorporated
herein by reference. For example, in some exemplary embodiments,
the CPP database 120 includes a credit card purchase history. The
purchase history may include purchases of the content provider's
products and/or services and may include purchases of products
and/or services, which are complementary to or competitive with the
content provider's products and/or services. In other exemplary
embodiments the CPP database 120 includes a property-ownership
database. In yet more exemplary embodiments, the CPP database 120
includes a survey result or questionnaire response database. The
subscriber demographics, purchase history, or other additional
information may be used in conjunction with the
content-access-history to generate a customized content-access
list.
[0038] The central CPP database 120 includes profiles for a
plurality of subscriber accessing the cable operator head-end 102.
To ensure a high level of privacy and security, an individual
subscriber may desire that her content choices and general profile
be stored locally and not be transmitted to a central facility,
such as the cable operator head-end shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a
block diagram illustrating a decentralized or distributed system,
where the cable operator head-end 102 includes only the VOD server
104 and movie storage database 108. The VOD menu item generator
106, subscriber content choice database 116, CPP evaluator 118 and
local CPP profile database 122 execute within the set-top box.
Although FIG. 2 illustrates these application components executing
on the set-top box 110, the components may also execute on various
other types of equipment and may also execute on separate pieces of
equipment. For example, in one embodiment, the components are
included in a video display system. In another embodiment, the
video display system includes the subscriber action collector 116,
but all menu creation and content delivery components execute on
the set-top box 110.
[0039] In other exemplary embodiments, to help to ensure the
privacy of the subscriber, personally identifying information is
omitted. The subscriber is assigned a unique identifier, which is
stored in the various databases in lieu of the identifying
information.
[0040] Although the exemplary embodiments above refer to a cable
television service provider, any content provider, including, for
example, broadcast companies, satellite television providers, and
Internet media providers may successfully implement the exemplary
embodiments. Content available in various embodiments may include
both video and audio content, multimedia games, news sources,
Internet sites, such as e-commerce sites, and any other content
type of interest to a subscriber.
[0041] In conventional EPGs and other menu systems, content is
arranged using general rules of organization. For example, in some
conventional guides, the options, including content types and
content titles, appear alphabetically. In other guides, the options
appear based on the popularity of the option with a general
population. The exemplary embodiments, however, may present the
options in an order based on the subscriber's preferences, which
are derived from the subscriber's content-access history and other
subscriber-specific information.
[0042] FIG. 3 is a flowchart, illustrating such a process as
performed by the VOD menu item generator (106) and CPP evaluator
(118) shown in FIG. 1, according to exemplary embodiments. The
process begins when the menu item generator (106) receives a
"Display Movies List" command 302. The command may be generated as
a result of a subscriber action or as an automated response to a
pre-defined event, such as when the set-top box (110) is turned on.
In response to the command, the menu item generator (106) searches
the VOD movie storage database (108) for movies 304. The database
(108) executes a query and returns the movie list, including the
movie genre and other information, to the VOD menu item creator
(106). The menu item creator (106) next instructs the CPP evaluator
(118) to search the CPP database (120 or 122) for the CPP
corresponding to the specific subscriber requesting the movie list
307.
[0043] The CPP evaluator (118) searches the CPP database (120 or
122) 308. In response, the database (120 or 122) returns the CPP
for the subscriber, to the CPP evaluator (118) 310. The CPP
evaluator (118) provides the profile to the menu item generator
(106), which uses the CPP to filter or sort the movie list 312. If
menu item generator (106) filters the data, only items
corresponding to the subscriber's preferences are displayed. If the
menu item generator (106) sorts, but does not filter, the data,
preferred items appear at the beginning of the list, and
non-preferred items appear at the end.
[0044] For example, if, according to the CPP, the subscriber
watches only sports and science fiction programs, then the menu
item generator (106) generates a list including only sports and
science fiction programming. In other exemplary embodiments, the
menu item generator (106) generates a list including all movie
types. The sports and science fiction programs appear at the top,
and non-relevant categories or options are presented at the bottom.
The menu item generator (106) provides the final list to the menu
presenter (112) via the cable network (109) 314.
[0045] The subscriber content choice database 116 includes the
content-access-history of one or more subscribers. The database 116
may include a preference rating, denoting the importance of a
particular preference to the subscriber. The CPP evaluator (118)
calculates the preference rating by analyzing historical subscriber
actions. For example, over a period of several months, a subscriber
may demonstrate a preference for live sports. If the subscriber
also demonstrates a preference for sports reruns, then the relative
weight of sports as a preference would rank above the preference
for live television. The exemplary embodiments use the preference
rating to further sort the option list.
[0046] The subscriber merely watches the television or other video
display and makes selections from the electronic program guide
(EPG). As he makes choices, these choices are recorded and used to
create the CPP. The subscriber, in some exemplary embodiments,
turns the filtering or sorting of the EPG on and off as desired. In
other exemplary embodiments, the subscriber fills out a form,
electronic or paper, detailing her preferences. This form is used
to initialize the CPP database (120 or 122) so that the user's
preferences may be used to filter or sort the EPG even though
little or no subscriber actions have been recorded. In yet other
exemplary embodiments, the subscriber sets a parameter, instructing
the CPP evaluator 118 to use only a specified time period within
the CPP database (120 or 122). For example, a subscriber who is a
sports fan may not wish her preferences for football to carry into
the spring and summer. He may prefer that the preferences used
during spring and summer be derived from viewing patterns occurring
after January.
[0047] FIG. 4 is an illustration of a multi-level menu, according
to exemplary embodiments. The menu item generator (106) shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 creates each of the menus using the process
illustrated in FIG. 3. The menu item generator (106) initially
generates the Main Menu 402. The Main Menu 402 includes several
options. As illustrated by the order of the options contained in
Main Menu 402, the subscriber most prefers to watch television 403.
The subscriber's next preference is to watch movies 404. The
remaining options are sorted by a predefined sort order, such as
alphabetically.
[0048] In the exemplary embodiment shown, when the subscriber
selects the Movies option 404, the menu item generator (106)
creates the Video on Demand Menu 406. As with the Main Menu 402,
options in the Video on Demand Menu 406 appear according to the
subscriber's preferences. The subscriber prefers movies in the
action genre 408. When the subscriber selects the Action option 408
in the Video on Demand Menu, the menu item generator (106) creates
the Action Movies option list 410. Each of the movies in the Action
Movies list 410 is related to the action genre. The movies may also
be related to additional genres, such as comedy and science
fiction. The subscriber for whom the Action Movies list 410 was
created prefers science fiction after action. Therefore, in the
Action Movies list 410, the action movies that are also science
fiction movies are displayed first 412. All other action movies are
displayed below in alphabetical order 414.
[0049] Exemplary embodiments provide great value to content
providers and assist the provider in attracting subscribers. The
content providers may be billed a flat subscription-type rate for
provision of the service, or they may purchase the hardware and/or
software required for implementing the exemplary embodiments within
their facility or in the homes of their subscribers.
[0050] Other exemplary embodiments include a computer-readable
medium, having computer-readable instructions for providing a
content option list, including program code for combining data in a
subscriber content-access-history database with data from a content
database and using the combined data to construct a customized
option list. The computer-readable medium may also include program
code for sorting the option list, delivering the option list to a
television set-top box or other menu presentation device, and
displaying the option list.
[0051] A computer-readable medium includes an electronic, optical,
magnetic, or other storage or transmission device capable of
providing a processor, such as the processor in a web server, with
computer-readable instructions. Examples of such media include, but
are not limited to, a floppy disk, CD-ROM, magnetic disk, memory
chip, or any other medium from which a computer processor can read.
Also, various other forms of computer-readable media may transmit
or carry instructions to a computer, including a router, private or
public network, or other transmission device or channel.
[0052] The exemplary embodiments have been presented only for the
purpose of illustration and description and are not intended to be
exhaustive or limiting. Numerous modifications and adaptations
thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art without
departing from the spirit and scope of the exemplary
embodiments.
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