Client-server electronic program guide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9426509-B2
Application number	US-201514985075-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2015
Priority date	Aug 21, 1998
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A client-server interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide client is implemented on user television equipment. The interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to define expressions that are processed by the program guide server. The program guide server may provide program guide data, schedules reminders, schedules program recordings, and parentally locks programs based on the expressions. Users' viewing histories may be tracked. The program guide server may analyze the viewing histories and generates viewing recommendations, targets advertising, and collects program ratings information based on the viewing histories.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A video guidance system for identifying unviewed video files, comprising:
a server, comprising:
a database configured to store:
a plurality of video files,

a plurality of program listing data structures, wherein each program listing data structure of the plurality of program listing data structures is associated with a respective video file of the plurality of video files, and wherein each program listing data structure comprises a respective video file identifier associated with the respective video file,
a plurality of viewing history data structures, wherein each viewing history data structure of the plurality of viewing history data structures is associated with a respective user of a plurality of users and comprises video file identifiers of video files previously viewed by the respective user, and
a plurality of user profile data structures, wherein each user profile data structure is associated with a respective user of the plurality of users and comprises a preference level for at least one attribute; and
a control circuitry configured to:
receive, from a user equipment, a request associated with a first user of the plurality of users, wherein the request is for a first video file, and wherein the request comprises a first video file identifier of the first video file;
search the database for the first video file associated with the first video file identifier received in the request;
transmit, to the user equipment, the first video file;
search the database for a first viewing history data structure of the plurality of viewing history data structures, wherein the first viewing history data structure is associated with the first user;
update the first viewing history data structure to include the first video file identifier;
receive a request for program listings, wherein the request for program listings is associated with the first user;
search the database, using the first viewing history data structure, to identify a first set of program listing data structures for video files that are consistent with the first viewing history data structure, wherein the first set includes program listing data structures associated with video files that have been previously viewed by the first user and includes program listing data structures associated with video files that have not been previously viewed by the first user;
search the database for a first user profile data structure of the plurality of user profile data structures, wherein the first user profile data structure is associated with the first user;
search the database, using the first user profile data structure, to identify a second set of program listing data structures for video files that are consistent with the first user profile data structure, wherein the second set includes program listing data structures associated with video files that have been previously viewed by the first user and includes program listing data structures associated with video files that have not been previously viewed by the first user;
compare video file identifiers in the first and second sets of program listing data structures to video file identifiers in the first viewing history data structure;
based on the comparison, identify which video files in the first and second sets of program listing data structures have been previously viewed by the first user and which video files have not been previously viewed by the first user;
create an indication for each video file in the first and second sets of program listing data structures that have been identified to have been previously viewed by the first user, wherein the indication indicates that each respective video file has been previously viewed by the first user; and
transmit, to the user equipment, a response to the request for program listings comprising the first and second sets of program listing data structures and the respective indications.

2. The video guidance system of claim 1 , wherein each video file identifier comprises program title information associated with the respective video file.

3. The video guidance system of claim 1 , wherein video files that are consistent with the first viewing history data structure comprise episodes of a series that the first user has previously viewed.

4. The video guidance system of claim 1 , wherein the database is further configured to store a plurality of Internet links related to one or more of the plurality of video files, and wherein the control circuitry of the server is further configured to:
search the database for Internet links related to the first and second sets of program listing data structures; and
transmit, to the user equipment, the Internet links related to the first and second sets of program listing data structures.

5. The video guidance system of claim 1 , wherein the database is further configured to store a plurality of software related to one or more of the plurality of video files, and wherein the control circuitry of the server is further configured to:
search the database for software related to the first and second sets of program listing data structures; and
transmit, to the user equipment, the software related to the first and second sets of program listing data structures.

6. The video guidance system of claim 1 , wherein each viewing history data structure of the plurality of viewing history data structures comprises video file identifiers for video files that a respective user has viewed for longer than a predefined time period.

7. A video guidance system for identifying unviewed video files, comprising:
a server, comprising:
a database configured to store:
a plurality of video files,
a plurality of program listing data structures, wherein each program listing data structure of the plurality of program listing data structures is associated with a respective video file of the plurality of video files, and wherein each program listing data structure comprises a respective video file identifier associated with the respective video file,
a plurality of viewing history data structures, wherein each viewing history data structure of the plurality of viewing history data structures is associated with a respective user of a plurality of users and comprises video file identifiers of video files previously viewed by the respective user, and
a plurality of user profile data structures, wherein each user profile data structure of the plurality of user profile data structures is associated with a respective user of the plurality of users and comprises a preference level for at least one attribute; and

a first control circuitry configured to:
receive, from the user equipment, a request associated with a first user of the plurality of users, wherein the request is for a first video file, and wherein the request comprises a first video file identifier of the first video file;
search the database for the first video file associated with the first video file identifier received in the request;
transmit, to the user equipment, the first video file;
search the database for a first viewing history data structure of the plurality of viewing history data structures, wherein the first viewing history data structure is associated with the first user;

update the first viewing history data structure to include the first video file identifier;
receive a request for program listings, wherein the request for program listings is associated with the first user;
search the database, using the first viewing history data structure, to identify a first set of program listing data structures for video files that are consistent with the first viewing history data structure, wherein the first set includes program listing data structures associated with video files that have

Assignees

• Rovi Guides Inc

Inventors

• Ellis Michael D
• Lemmons Thomas R
• Thomas William L

Classifications

• 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

• H04N7/165

  Centralised control of user terminal (subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345); Registering at central (by two-way working H04N7/17309) · CPC title

• H04N21/4821

  using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time · CPC title

• H04N21/4825

  using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists · CPC title

• H04H60/72

  using electronic programme guides [EPG] (focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 {; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47}) · CPC title