Method and system for obtaining viewing data and providing content recommendations at a set top box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9800929-B2
Application number	US-201213529040-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2012
Priority date	Jun 24, 2011
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for generating television recommendations includes a viewer tracking module that tracks viewer events to form a viewer tracking log. A recommendation module that determines a timeslot, generates a timeslot viewing profile based on the timeslot. The viewer tracking log corresponds to television programs watched previously at the user device during the timeslot. The recommendation module compares the timeslot viewing profile with available content for the timeslot and generates a content recommendation list.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining a timeslot;
tracking viewer events within a user device to form a viewer tracking log;
generating a timeslot viewing profile for the timeslot based on the viewer tracking log, the timeslot viewing profile including television programs watched previously at the user device during the timeslot, said timeslot viewing profile comprises a timeslot series profile determined by obtaining a watched program event having a count associated therewith and adjusting the count based on a type of watched program event adjusting the count for the watched program event downward when the watched program is a recording playback and adjusting the count for the watched program event downward when the watched event is older than a predetermined time;
comparing the television programs of the timeslot viewing profile with television programs that are available during the timeslot;
generating a first content recommendation list comprising television programs that are available during the timeslot and that are included in the timeslot viewing profile of the timeslot;
communicating content identifiers for related content to the user device from external to the user device, the content identifiers for related content identifying content that is available during the timeslot and that is related to the television programs of the first content recommendation list based on at least one of content from a related channel group not in the first content recommendation list, a related television series group not in the first content recommendation list, or an editorial list for the timeslot not in the first content recommendation list; and
based on the content identifiers for related content, generating a second content recommendation list comprising content that is available during the timeslot and that is different from the first content recommendation list.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a timeslot comprises determining a half hour timeslot.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a timeslot comprises determining a half hour timeslot for live content and one hour timeslot for recorded content.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein tracking viewer events comprises tracking viewer events to form the viewer tracking log in response to tuning to a live event.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein tracking viewer events comprises tracking viewer events to form the viewer tracking log in response to watching a program.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein tracking viewer events comprises tracking viewer events to form the viewer tracking log in response to tuning to a live event for a greater than a predetermined amount of time.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein tracking viewer events comprises tracking viewer events to form the viewer tracking log comprising a channel identifier, a series identifier and a program identifier.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein tracking viewer events comprises tracking viewer events to form the viewer tracking log in response to playback of a recording stored in the user device.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein tracking viewer events comprises tracking viewer events to form the viewer tracking log comprising trickplay events.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein tracking viewer events comprises tracking viewer events to form the viewer tracking log comprising deleting recording events.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein tracking viewer events comprises tracking viewer events to form the viewer tracking log comprising events occurring longer than a predetermined amount of time from a current time.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein adjusting the count comprises adjusting the count for the watched program event upward when the watched event is on a same day of a week as a current time.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising summing the count of a plurality of watched program events for a same program series and wherein generating a timeslot series profile comprises generating a timeslot series profile having a plurality of program series prioritized according to count.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising generating a most watched channels per timeslot list, comparing a first content identifier of a currently airing program on a channel in the most watched channels per timeslot list with the timeslot series profile and adding the currently airing program when the content identifier is the same as a second content identifier of a program in the timeslot series profile.

15. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising comparing a first content identifier of a currently airing program on an available channel with the timeslot series profile and adding the currently airing program when the content identifier is the same as a second content identifier of a program in the timeslot series profile.

16. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein comparing the television programs of the timeslot viewing profile with television programs that are available during the timeslot comprises comparing the television programs of the timeslot viewing profile with television programs that are available during the timeslot and that are related to programs regularly watched by the viewer during the timeslot.

17. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein comparing the television programs of the timeslot viewing profile with television programs that are available during the timeslot comprises comparing the television programs of the timeslot viewing profile with future programs that are related to programs that are regularly watched by the viewer.

18. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein comparing the television programs of the timeslot viewing profile with the television programs that are available during the timeslot comprises comparing the television programs of the timeslot viewing profile with recorded content and live content.

19. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a first content recommendation list comprises generating the first content recommendation list including live content and content recorded in a memory of the user device.

20. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a first content recommendation list comprises generating the first content recommendation list excluding recently viewed programs.

21. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a first content recommendation list comprises generating the first content recommendation list by filtering available content.

22. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising generating a timeslot viewer preferred channels list comprising a most watched channels per timeslot list.

23. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a first content recommendation list comprises selecting a current program or future program from a most watched channels per timeslot list.

24. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a first content recommendation list comprises generating the first content recommendation list in response to a timeslot viewer preferred channels list having at least a first channel.

25. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a first content recommendation list comprises determining a first television program television programs available during the timeslot and a second television program available during the timeslot and selectin

Assignees

• Pontual Romulo
• Ling Sui-Ky Ringo
• Kahn Raynold M
• Arsenault Robert G
• Chen Gordon H
• Crook Luke J
• Dumouchel Jean
• Rothman Hugh
• Rice Brad
• Directv Group Inc

Inventors

• Pontual Romulo
• Ling Sui-Ky Ringo
• Kahn Raynold M
• Arsenault Robert G
• Chen Gordon H
• Crook Luke J
• Dumouchel Jean
• Rothman Hugh
• Rice Brad

Classifications

• H04N21/4668

  for recommending content, e.g. movies · CPC title

• H04N21/8456

  by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments · CPC title

• 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 · CPC title

• H04N21/44222 Primary

  Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programmes or purchase activity (monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33) · CPC title