Content notification and delivery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9247300-B2
Application number	US-55278404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2004
Priority date	Apr 3, 2003
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and systems for displaying content recommendations to a television viewer. In one aspect of the invention, when the user changes channel, the system displays content recommendations to the user before going to the next channel. The recommendations are based on user profiles and/or aggregated multi-user content. In a further aspect, the user can decide on one of the recommendations (or answer a yes/no query) to migrate to the corresponding content.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of displaying content recommendations to a user, the method comprising:
monitoring, by a client device of a user, content viewed on a content viewing device by a user;
generating a profile, at the client device of the user, based on multiple sub-profiles that each include a type of affinity and time of day;
processing, at the client device of the user, incoming content to the content viewing device to identify television shows available for recommendation;
viewing one of the available television shows on the content viewing device;
comparing, at the client device of the user, each of the other available television shows to the generated profile;
rating, at the client device of the user, each of the other available television shows based on the comparison of each of the other available television shows to the generated profile;
determining, by a content recommendation engine at the client device of the user, a content recommendation based on the ratings of each of the other available television shows;
detecting, while viewing the television show, when a system state change representing a user-initiated content viewing selection change is requested to no longer view the television show;
in response to detecting when a system state change representing a user-initiated content viewing selection change is requested to no longer view the television show, providing, from the client device of the user to the content viewing device of the user, while viewing the television show and prior to implementing the system state change representing a user-initiated content viewing selection change to no longer view the television show, a perceptible indicator of a content recommendation on the content viewing device of the user including a visual or an audible indication that prompts the user with a selection for deciding whether to view the content recommendation;
interrupting the viewing of the television show without implementing the system state change representing a user-initiated content viewing selection change by switching to the content recommendation when the user selects to view the content recommendation; and
interrupting the viewing of the television show by implementing the system state change representing a user-initiated content viewing selection change when the user selects to not view the content recommendation and to no longer view the television show.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content recommendation is provided using one or more of a rating engine, recommendation engine and profile engine.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing the content recommendation comprises:
generating at least one recommendation of local or remote content.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the change in system state representing a user-initiated content viewing selection change comprises activation of a client device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the change in system state representing a user-initiated content viewing selection change comprises activation of a television viewing system or set top box associated with the user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the change in system state representing a user-initiated content viewing selection change comprises a channel change event.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user selects by using a user-operated remote control device.

8. A system for displaying content recommendations to a viewer, the system comprising:
a client device of a user monitoring content viewed on the content viewing device by the user;
a profile generated, at the client device of the user, based on multiple sub-profiles that each include a type of affinity and time of day;
incoming content processed, at the client device of the user, to identify television shows available for recommendation;
the client device of the user comparing each of the other available television shows to the generated profile;
a rating of each of the other available television shows based on the comparison of each of the other available television shows to the generated profile;
a determination of a content recommendation based on the ratings of each of the other available television shows; and
a detection, while viewing the television show, of when a system state change representing a user-initiated content viewing selection change is requested to no longer view the television show;
a perceptible indicator providing, while viewing the television show and in response to detecting when the state change is requested and prior to implementing the requested system state change to no longer view the television show, a content recommendation on the content viewing device of the user including a visual or an audible indication that prompts the user with a selection for deciding whether to view the content recommendation;
an interruption of the viewing of the television show without implementing the system state change representing a user-initiated content viewing selection change by switching to the content recommendation when the user selects to view the content recommendation; and
the client device interrupting the viewing of the television show by implementing the system state change representing a user-initiated content viewing selection change when the user selects to not view the content recommendation and to no longer view the television show.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the change in system state representing a user-initiated content viewing selection change comprises activation of a client device.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the change in system state representing a user-initiated content viewing selection change comprises activation of a television viewing system or set top box associated with the user.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the change in system state representing a user-initiated content viewing selection change comprises a channel change event.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the change channel event is associated with the user selecting a new channel.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the content recommendation comprises at least one recommendation of local or remote content.

Assignees

• Oddo Anthony Scott
• Perdon Albert H
• Cox Communications Inc

Inventors

• Oddo Anthony Scott
• Renger Thomas L
• Hosea Devin F
• Thurston Nathaniel J
• Perdon Albert H

Classifications

• H04N21/4758

  for providing answers, e.g. voting · CPC title

• H04N21/4826

  using recommendation lists, e.g. of programmes or channels sorted out according to their score · CPC title

• H04N21/4622

  Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet (web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859) · CPC title

• H04N21/25891

  being end-user preferences (retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18) · CPC title

• H04N21/4788

  communicating with other users, e.g. chatting {(arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104)} · CPC title