Patent Application
20070240186
The present invention relates to television technology, and more specifically, but not exclusively, set top box technology.
Published US Patent Application 2004/0021640 of Lee describes a method for associating a number of channels, preferably with a common theme, with a single button on a remote control and using this button together with the up/down arrow keys to scroll through these channels. A user is restricted to channels and the choice of channels remains fixed until changed by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,059 to Shen et al. describes a method of making program guide information available on a personal digital assistant (PDA). Using user defined preferences, such as title, actor, category, and so forth, a user can perform queries on the program guide scheduling information. Having determined the desired information, the user can cause the PDA to send an appropriate signal to a device such as a television, set-top box, or personal video recorder to display or record, as appropriate, the selected program.
Published PCT application WO 03/054826 of Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. describes a system allowing a user of a single remote control to adapt, in advance of use, the meaning of each of the buttons and/or to initiate a series of commands depending on the overall activity being performed. A storage device is used to store user defined mappings for each activity and for each user.
Published PCT application WO 01/074051 of Diego Broadband Inc. describes a method of displaying multimedia content on a display area of a broadband Internet-enabled television system including providing a remote control to control contents being displayed on the display area. A first instruction transmitted by the remote control in response to activation of a first button is received. A first synthetic channel page is displayed in response to the first instruction. The first synthetic channel page includes a television content section and an Internet content section.
Published PCT application WO 02/007122 of Universal Electronics Inc. describes a customizable and upgradeable remote control that may be customized or upgraded via a web site or through other remote, and preferably interactive, processes. A database is provided that includes a plurality of functions of a consumer electronic device, such as a TV or DVD player. A user selects at least one of the desired functions. In response, a virtual configuration is created to virtually configure the customized remote control. The virtual configuration may be downloaded to the customizable remote control.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,029 to Maissel et al. describes a subscriber unit for use in a television system including a television network and transmitting apparatus for transmitting program schedule information, the subscriber unit including a receiving unit for receiving the program schedule information, a profile storage unit for storing at least one viewer preference profile of at least one television viewer, an intelligent agent for customizing the program schedule information based, at least in part, on the viewer preference profile, to produce a program guide including customized program schedule information, and display apparatus for displaying the program guide.
Published US patent application 2004/0113892 of Mears et al. describes a universal remote control includes a display that is partitioned into a button touch-screen portion and a message area. The button touch-screen portion includes pre-determined or etched areas defining a plurality of buttons and a given number of pre-determined labels for each button. The message area includes individual pixels (i.e. a dot matrix) that allow the display of messages, labels or the like such as text. Activation of a touch-screen button having a message or label associated therewith causes the message or label to be displayed in the message area of the display. The remote control is customizable by the user. The user may configure a label for a particular button to suit user's preference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,078 to Lasky describes an electronic program-guide (EPG) system that enables a viewer of a television program in a particular category to surf sideways to another program in the same category. The EPG system indicates the availability of such other channels carrying programs in the same category in a “channel hat” superimposed on the video at the top of the picture. The channel hat may also contain the channel number, title and category of the program in the channel just selected, and it is displayed for a few seconds. When the viewer presses the right or left-arrow key, the EPG system surfs sideways to the next higher or lower channel carrying a program in the same category as the current program.
The website www.allwatchers.com provides book and movie reviews. A user using the site first fills in a questionnaire regarding various aspects of plot and acceptable level of violence, and a list meeting these preferences is provided.
Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) Specification for Service Information (SI) in DVB Systems, ETS 300 468 describes a content descriptor that comprises two nibbles of data for content identifiers. The two nibbles of data are used to assign content to a general content category and a more specific content category. For example, content_nibble_level—1 may be:
and so forth. Content assigned to category 0×4 Sports may be assigned to one of many content_nibble_level—2 sub-categories, including:
and so forth. (Refer to ETS 300 468, pages 31-34, for a full list.)
The electronic program guide (EPG) in use in set-top boxes for the BSkyB digital satellite broadcasting system in the United Kingdom and Eire allows a user to select the “TV Guide” feature. The TV Guide displays a list of content items sorted by channel and time. The user may sort TV Guide events by category: all channels; movies; entertainment; sports; news; kids; etc. Alternatively, the user may select the “Box Office” feature. The Box Office displays events topically sorted: Movies by Start Time; Movies A-Z (alphabetical sorting of movie titles); New Movies; Sports; etc. Within each category, the user may further elect to view only a given genre of events. For example, within any of the movie categories, the user may use the remote control, signaling the EPG to only display movies by sub-genre: action; science fiction; erotic; comedy; horror; drama; family; thriller; and animation. Within the sports category, the user may use the remote control, signaling the EPG to only display events of specific types: boxing; football; wrestling; and music.
The article “Now Preening on the Coffee Table: The TiVo Remote Control”, published in the New York Times on 19 Feb. 2004, and available on the Internet at www.nytimes.com/2004/02/19/technology/circuits/19remo.html?ex=1392526800&en=450d595187d25d27&ei=5007&partner-USERLAND describes the process by which design engineers at TiVo Inc. designed the remote control unit for the TiVo personal video recorder.
Using a quantitative value, such as a value for a parental control rating, is a well known mechanism in broadcast systems, such as cable and satellite television systems, for blanking out or encrypting channels that exceed the threshold of the quantitative value.
The disclosures of all references mentioned above and throughout the present specification, as well as the disclosures of all references mentioned in those references, are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention in preferred embodiments thereof provides for an enhancement to the utility of remote control devices and methods of selecting content for viewing.
There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a method of enabling a user to select programs in a personal video recorder environment, the method includes enabling the user to select a program subject category, providing in response to user selection of a program subject category, for subsequent user selection, programs within the selected program subject category, at least one of selected and organized in accordance with past user viewing, and subsequently enabling the user to select among the programs.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention enabling the user to preselect a plurality of selectable program subject categories.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the subsequently enabling the user to select among the programs includes enabling the user to navigate through the programs within the selected program subject category without requiring presenting to the user a listing of the programs.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the enabling the user to navigate through the programs includes programs immediately before start of broadcast.
Moreover in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the enabling the user to navigate through the programs includes navigating through advertisements.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the personal video recorder dynamically builds and updates a list of programs within the program subject category.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the providing further includes selecting and organizing programs in accordance with a user profile.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the enabling the user to select the program subject category is performed by at least one of a manufacturer, a salesman, a technician, a broadcast headend, and the user.
Moreover in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the method includes the user preselecting a quantitative value, the quantitative value corresponding to a rating associated with each individual one of the programs, the rating of the selected program being exactly one of greater than or equal to, greater than, less than or equal to, and less than, the preselected quantitative value.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention one program subject category includes programs selected solely on the basis of the user profile and past user viewing.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the subsequently enabling the user to select among said programs is performed by actuating at least one button on a remote control.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the at least one button on a remote control is operatively associated with the program subject category.
Moreover in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a user actuation of more than one remote control button causes the user to select a program within all program subject categories associated with all actuated remote control buttons.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the program subject category comprises one program.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the user assigns the program to the program subject category.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the method includes displaying, associated with a remote control button, a name of the program subject category assigned to the remote control button.
Moreover in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the program subject category is assigned to the remote control button by the broadcast headend.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the display is at least one of alpha-numeric, and iconic.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the display includes an electronic display technology.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the electronic display technology includes one of a LED, a LCD, an OLED, and digital paper.
There is also provided in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention a user operated program subject category selector, a provider, which provides in response to user selection of a program subject category, for subsequent user selection, programs within the selected program subject category, at least one of selected and organized in accordance with past user viewing, and an enabler operative to subsequently enable the user to select among the programs.
The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:
Reference is now made to
The remote control 20 preferably comprises a plurality of buttons 40. Individual buttons among the plurality of buttons 40 are preferably programmed to select a particular program subject category from among a plurality of program subject categories. When one of the plurality of buttons 40 is pressed, the remote control 20 preferably signals the set top box 30 to cause a program of the selected program subject category to appear on the television 50.
The operation of the system of
A manufacturer, a salesman, a technician, a broadcast headend, or the user preferably performs the selection and assignment of the program subject category to one of the plurality of the buttons. It is appreciated that, once the particular program subject category from among the plurality of program subject categories is assigned to one of the plurality of buttons 40, the manufacturer, salesman, broadcast headend, or the user may preferably change the selection.
When the user 10 presses one of the plurality of buttons 40, the remote control 20 preferably signals the set top box 30 to cause a program of a selected program subject category to appear on the television 50.
It is appreciated that communication between the remote control 20 and set top box 30 may occur in any appropriate fashion, including, but not limited to RF communication and IR communication.
The term “program” in all of its grammatical forms, as used in the present specification and claims, is understood to mean any video and/or audio content accessible to the set top box 30, including, but not exclusively, material on disk, live broadcast material, material accessed from Internet, and so forth.
It is appreciated that although all of the examples given in the present disclosure focus on a plurality of buttons 40 on a remote control device, these examples are not meant to be limiting. Any appropriate apparatus that enables the user 10 to select a program subject category and convey that selection to the set top box 30 may preferably be used in an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention. A non-limiting example of such an apparatus would be a personal digital assistant (PDA) operatively associated with the set top box 30 to select a program subject category and convey that selection to the set top box 30. An alternative non-limiting example of such an apparatus would be the buttons on the front panel of the set top box 30.
In order to implement certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is necessary to categorize television content into program subject categories. The Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) Specification for Service Information (SI) (ETS 300 468) describes at length a content descriptor comprising two nibbles of data for content identifiers. These two nibbles of data are used to assign content to a general content category and a more specific content category. For example, content_nibble_level—1 may be:
and so forth. Content assigned to category 0×4 Sports may be assigned to one of many content_nibble_level—2 sub-categories, including:
and so forth. (Refer to ETS 300 468, pages 31-34 for the complete list). One preferred method of using the content level nibbles to categorize the television content into program subject categories is described below.
The division of content into program subject categories is preferably according to the categories available in ETS 300 468 or another comparable standard. Alternatively, the division of content may be according to any appropriate non-standard scheme. Similarly, individual buttons among the plurality of buttons 40 may preferably be assigned to the general content category or the more specific content category of ETS 300 468. It is appreciated the present invention is operative where alternative or proprietary methods of dividing content into program subject categories is utilized.
As program guide data is downloaded from a broadcast headend to the set top box 30, the two SI content identifier nibbles become available to the set top box for each program. The set top box preferably continuously and dynamically updates a list of programs for each program subject category so that when one of the plurality of buttons 40 is preferably assigned to the particular program subject category from among the plurality of program subject categories, the user 10 will preferably be provided with content of the selected program subject category with a minimum of delay.
Reference is now additionally made to
Comprised in the EIT 206 is a service_ID 280, uniquely identifying an SI service for which events are listed in a particular EIT. Also comprised in the EIT 206 is at least one event_ID 310, comprising an identification number, uniquely allocated within the SI service, thereby uniquely identifying an event.
Of particular interest in
The content descriptor 250 is depicted more fully in
Reference is now additionally made to
The EIT 206-A comprises a service_ID 280-A, an event ID 310-A, a content_nibble_level—1 315-A, and a content_nibble_level—2 320-A. The event ID 310-A is a 16-bit field in the EIT that is uniquely allocated within a given SI service for each event.
In each of the EITs 206-A-206-D, each of the corresponding content_nibble_level—1 315-A-315-D, and content_nibble_level—2 320-A-320-D translates to a particular set of values. For instance, in the example of
Referring, for example to the set top box 30 when processing EIT 206-A, the set top box 30 extracts the service_ID 280-A, the event_ID 310-A, the content_nibble_level—1 315-A, and the content_nibble_level—2 320-A of EIT 206-A, and evaluates the value of the content_level_nibble—1 315-A. In the present example, content_nibble_level—1 315-A is 0×2 316. 0×2 316 translates to news, as explained above, so the event ID 310-A of the event being evaluated, 0×1234 311, or decimal 4660 345 is placed in the event column 343-A of a news table 340. The service_ID 280-A of EIT 206-A, 0×1000 370, or decimal 4096 385-A, is placed in the service column 380-A of the news table 340. The value of content_nibble_level—2 320-A, 0×3 321, within content_nibble_level—1 category 0×2 (News), corresponds to documentary 349. Documentary 349 is entered in the category column 347-A of the news table 340 in the row of event 4660 345.
Similarly, in the example of
In the example given in
EIT 206-C has an event_ID 310_C of 0×1287, which is indicated by reference numeral 313. Event_ID 310-C has a decimal value of 4743, which is indicated by reference numeral 361, and is therefore preferably entered in sports table 360. Corresponding service_ID 280-C and content_nibble_level—2 320-C are entered in the sports table 360, in the service column 380-C as decimal 4353 which is indicated by reference numeral 385-C, and in the category column 347-C as equestrian 365, respectively, in the row of event 4743 which is indicated by reference numeral 361.
Likewise, Event_ID 310-D, having a decimal value of 4811, which is indicated by reference numeral 363, is therefore preferably entered in sports table 360. The corresponding service_ID 280-D and content_nibble_level—2 320-D are entered in the sports table 360, in the service column 380-C as decimal 4271, which is indicated by reference numeral 385-D, and in the category column 347-C as football 367, respectively, in the row of event 4811, which is indicated by reference numeral 363.
It is appreciated that the entire preceding discussion of evaluation of values in the EIT is on a symbolic level, and the set top box 30 preferably stores all of the tables, as well as table columns, and rows in a binary format at designated locations in set top box memory. The use of graphic representation in
It is appreciated that the tables described above are exemplary. Other tables, for other content_nibble_level—1 values and categories, are preferably created as needed. It is further appreciated that other methods of implementation of preferred embodiments of the present invention are possible, the above description being only one possible method. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the tables described above are expandable to comprise other columns of data that may be extracted from the EIT or other SI tables. Adding such columns may enable alternative preferred embodiments, such as, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, those described elsewhere in the present disclosure. It is further appreciated that the tables described above may be sorted, filtered, and so forth, as is well known in the art.
When the user 10 selects a program subject category, the set top box 30 retrieves an appropriate table for the corresponding program subject category. Based on the stored event ID for a given table entry, the set top box 30 tunes to the program corresponding to a given entry in the appropriate program subject category. For example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the user 10 presses a program subject category button for the sports category, the set top box 30 preferably cross references the sports table 360 in set top box 30 memory, and determines to which SI service to tune next, in order to preferably display the appropriate event/program.
Returning to the discussion of
Furthermore, if the user has stored a user profile in which a user preference is defined, the selection of a particular program within a given program subject category may preferably be according to the user preference defined in the user profile. For example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the user has expressed, in the user profile, a preference to view historical dramas, a preferred embodiment of the present invention would preferably give precedence to historical dramas when the movie program subject category button is pressed. Another non-limiting example of the use of viewer profile would preferably be the showing of material that is deemed to be of interest to viewers in a given age group, socio-economic status, profession, and so forth.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the user preferably assigns one of the plurality of buttons 40 to a category “Recommendations”. When the viewer presses the one of the plurality of buttons assigned to “recommendations”, the set top box 30 preferably displays a program from among all programs available at the present time based solely on user profile and viewing history on the television. For example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, pressing the one of the plurality of buttons assigned to “recommendations” causes a game involving the user's favorite team to be displayed. Pressing the one of the plurality of buttons assigned to “recommendations” a second time causes the user's favorite comedy show to appear, and so forth.
It is further appreciated that in some preferred embodiments of the present invention, where buttons on the remote control are assigned to specific program subject categories, an alpha-numeric or iconic display comprised in or near the buttons preferably displays a name of the program subject category assigned to a particular button. For example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the alpha-numeric or iconic display may display “TENNIS” or “DRAMA” as appropriate. The alpha-numeric or iconic display may comprise any appropriate display technology, including, but not limited to one of the following electronic display technologies: a LED, a LCD, an OLED, or “digital paper” (for example, Gyricon™, invented at Xerox PARC, refer to www2.parc.com/dh1/projects/gyricon/). It is appreciated that the display may comprise any other appropriate display technology. It is also further appreciated that the alpha-numeric or iconic display may comprise an appropriate combination of digital display technologies, for example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, both LCDs and OLEDs.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention where an alpha-numeric or iconic display comprised in or near the buttons preferably displays the name of the program subject category assigned to a particular button, the program subject category may be assigned to the remote control button by at least one of:
the manufacturer;
the salesman;
the technician;
the broadcast headend; and
the user.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, after pressing one of the plurality of buttons 40, a program of the selected program subject category may not appear on the television 50. Rather, the set top box preferably causes a channel to appear on the television 50 which will preferably soon show a program of the selected program subject category.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, broadcast material is preferably associated with specific individual buttons of the plurality of buttons 40. For example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, an advertiser could preferably pay to have a particular advertisement appear only if the user 10 has pressed a button assigned to a sports program subject category, but not if the user has pressed a button assigned to a news program subject category.
Preferred examples of the use of the system of
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made to
In an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention (not illustrated), a user-initiated signal from the remote control 20 preferably signals the set top box 30 that the user 10 wishes to receive content that preferably corresponds to a quantitative value. For example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the user 10 could use the remote control 30 to signal that only content of a given parental guidance value or lower is acceptable for display on the television 50. It is appreciated that the user 10 is preferably able to adjust up or down the quantitative value. An alternative example would be to allow the user 10 to specify that only content items having at least a specific popularity rating are acceptable for viewing. It is appreciated that the specification of quantitative values, for example, parental control, acceptable level of violence, and so forth, could preferably be provided in a similar manner as that used for specifying other quantitative parameters such as volume or brightness. Non-limiting examples of methods used for specifying other quantitative parameters comprise a dial or adjustable indicator on a scale. The aforementioned quantitative values preferably serve to further refine the list of programs preferably shown in response to pressing the theme buttons.
In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the user could set a level above or below which content selected using the program subject category button must fall. For example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the user 10 sets a maximum acceptable parental guidance level of 7, then only content items of the selected program subject category having a parental guidance level of 7 or less would preferably be displayed when the user presses the button corresponding to the desired selected program subject category. In another example, if the user 10 sets a minimum popularity rating to 75, then only content items having a popularity rating greater or equal to 75 would be displayed when the user presses the button corresponding to the desired selected program subject category.
In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the user preferably simultaneously presses multiple buttons on the remote control in order to issue an instruction to the set top box that is a combination of the instructions represented by each of the buttons. For example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if a first program subject category button is assigned to children's programming and a second program subject category button is assigned to movies, then simultaneously pressing the first and second program subject category buttons preferably causes the set top box to display a children's movie on the television.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the user is able to directly associate at least one program with a single remote control button. For example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, after selecting the at least one program in the electronic program guide, an <Associate> menu item is preferably selected, or an <Associate> remote control button is preferably pressed. Immediately after selecting the <Associate> menu item or remote control button, a program category selection button is preferably pressed, thereby preferably associating the at least one program with the program category selection button. Alternatively, the <Associate> menu item or remote control button is preferably pressed while watching the at least one program. After selecting the <Associate> menu item or remote control button, a program category selection button is preferably pressed, thereby associating the at least one program with the program category selection button.
When the user has assigned a plurality of programs to program category selection buttons, the set top box preferably itself, using the content_nibble_level—1 and content_nibble_level—2, as described above, assigns other programs with the same content_nibble_level—1 and content_nibble_level—2 as the assigned plurality of programs to program selection buttons.
It is appreciated that various features of the invention which are, for clarity, described in the contexts of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the invention is defined only by the claims which follow:
The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/602,213, of Silver, et al., filed 17 Aug. 2004, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IL04/01003 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60602213 | Aug 2004 | US |
