CN101238730B - Framework for delivering digital home services - Google Patents

Abstract

The systems and methods of the present invention provide a variety of improvements to the TV consumption process, including personalization, group viewing, shared presentation and context, messaging, access to assessments and recommendations (including group ratings), alerts, and the like. A method provided by the present invention allows providing an indication of a given user's context to other users, such as users in the given user's social network. The method includes generating an indication of a change in context for a given user, the context including information about actions of the given user. An indication of a context change for a given user is propagated to one or more users in the given user's social network. Indications of contextual changes regarding the given user are presented to users in the given user's social network in conjunction with the TV content.

Description

Framework for delivering digital home services

Copyright Notice

Portions of this patent document that are disclosed contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office's patent files or records, but all copyrights are nonetheless reserved.

Priority claims and related applications

This application requests U.S. provisional application no. 60/641,787, filed January 5, 2005, entitled "SYSTEM AND METHODFOR EXTENDING ONLINE SERVICES TO OTHER PLATFORMS", and filed January 5, 2005, entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACCESSING PERSONALIZED Priority of U.S. Provisional Application no. 60/641,717 for MULTIMEDIACONTENT" and U.S. Application no. 11/261,436, filed October 27, 2005, entitled "FRAMEWORK FOR DIGITAL HOME SERVICES," all three earlier applications Incorporated herein by reference.

Background technique

The present invention generally provides methods and systems for facilitating messaging and messaging-related services in a television environment. More specifically, the present invention provides methods and systems that facilitate interaction between a messaging platform and a television platform to allow interaction between users in a television environment.

Systems for distributing TV content are generally well known to those skilled in the art. Over the past few decades, the number of systems designed for the distribution and consumption of TV content has increased rapidly, while the number of available TV content channels has also exploded. For example, viewers are now able to consume TV content via cable, over-the-air, satellite, fiber optic, and other point (and multipoint) to multipoint distribution systems, each offering potentially hundreds of scheduled and on-demand TV content channel. Consumers struggle to effectively utilize the set of TV content available due to the lack of useful tools for analyzing programming to determine the TV content that the user may most like to watch. Furthermore, until now, watching TV content has been an essentially solitary experience, not being able to watch TV content with another person who lives in the same area.

Messaging services and platforms for providing messaging services are also well known to those skilled in the art. The messaging platform provides the basis for shared communication between users and allows users to identify one or more "friends," which are users on the messaging platform who are in a given user's social network. For example, two users using a messaging client, both communicating with a messaging server, can exchange instant message communications between their respective clients. Utilizing the messenger client and server, users can also experience a shared web browsing experience, as well as share other applications. Unfortunately, there is no technology for enabling shared experience and interaction with other users of the messaging platform while watching TV content.

To overcome these shortcomings and other problems associated with existing devices and technologies for viewing TV content and interacting with messaging platforms, embodiments of the present invention provide a shared viewing experience for TV content and Systems and methods for providing Messenger and Messenger-related services and content within a framework, among other improvements over the prior art.

Contents of the invention

The present invention provides systems and methods that enable a number of improvements to the TV consumption process, including personalization, group viewing, shared presentation and context, messaging, access to ratings and recommendations (including group reviews), alerts, etc. wait.

One embodiment of a method according to the present invention for providing an indication of an action by a given user to consume content on a client device transmitted from a TV content distribution system comprises: generating an indication of a context change for the given user (the The context includes information about the given user's actions) and an indication of the context change for the given user is propagated to one or more users in a social network for the given user. An indication of the context change for the given user is presented to users in the given user's social network associated with TV content. The propagating step may include propagating the indication to other users in the given user's social network who have a direct relationship with the given user, and identifying one or more other users in the given user's social network , the one or more other users consume TV content on client devices in communication with one or more TV content distribution systems. User contexts and indications related to them are described in more detail here.

The step of presenting said indication of context change may be implemented according to a variety of techniques. According to one embodiment, the step of presenting an indication of said context change comprises presenting an icon representing said changed context. Different icons may be presented based on the type of context change being propagated. For example, the step of presenting may include presenting icons representing television programs, presenting icons representing movies, presenting icons representing online games, presenting icons representing music, and the like. Similarly, the system may generate indications of context changes in response to a number of different types of context changes. For example, generating an indication may include generating in response to a channel change, generating in response to joining an online game, generating in response to watching a movie, generating in response to listening to music, and the like. As discussed herein, the present invention provides instant messaging features in a TV consumption environment. Accordingly, the step of propagating an indication of a context change may be accomplished by propagating to users on a given user's buddy list maintained by an instant messenger client on said given user's client device.

According to another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for providing an indication of an action that a given user is consuming content on a client device transmitted from a TV content distribution system, the method comprising: receiving an action for the given user an indication of a context change for the given user (the context comprising information about an action of the given user) and propagating the indication of the context change for the user to one or more of the social networks for the given user multiple users.

The propagating step may comprise propagating to users on the given user's buddy list maintained by an instant messenger client on the given user's client device, and the indication of the context change may comprise propagating an indication that the changed icon for the context. A system operating in accordance with this method may disseminate different icons indicating different types of contextual changes including, but not limited to, icons representing television programs, icons representing movies, icons representing online games, icons representing music, and the like. Additionally, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other indications may be utilized, such as text, images, video, audio, avatars, and the like. Similarly, a client device may receive an indication of a context change in response to different types of context changes, including but not limited to receiving in response to a channel change, receiving in response to watching a movie, receiving in response to joining an online game , received in response to listening to music, and so on. When disseminating the indication of the context change, the dissemination may be limited to users who maintain a direct relationship with the given user in the given user's social network.

According to another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for providing an indication of an action that a given user is consuming content on a client device transmitted from a TV content distribution system, the method comprising: generating an receiving an indication of a context change for a given user (the context comprising information about an action of the given user) and receiving an indication of a context change from one or more users in the given user's social network. The method may be limited to receiving context change indications from other users in the given user's social network who have a direct relationship with the given user. One or more other users in the given user's social network that consume TV content on client devices in communication with one or more TV content distribution systems may also be identified.

The step of receiving an indication of the context change may include receiving an icon representing the changed context. The method may also include receiving an indication of a context change or information about the context change itself in response to a different context change. For example, the step of receiving may include receiving an icon representing a television program, receiving an icon representing a movie, receiving an icon representing an online game, receiving an icon representing music, and the like. Similarly, the context change may be generated in response to a variety of different context changes, eg, in response to joining an online game, in response to listening to music, in response to watching a movie, and so on. The user may receive context changes from users on a given user's buddy list maintained by an instant messenger client on the given user's client device.

The present invention is also directed to a system for providing an indication of actions a given user is consuming content on a client device sent from a TV content distribution system. According to one embodiment, the system includes a TV application component operable to receive a command from a given user indicating a context change and to send content responsive to the changed context to a client of the given user an end device; and a messenger component operable to receive said altered content for said given user from said TV application component, identify one or more users in said given user's social network, and An indication of the changed context is propagated to the one or more users in the given user's social network.

The system envisions a variety of different client devices that can be attached to the system. When consuming TV content in a traditional television environment, the client device may comprise a set-top box. However, use of the system is not limited to consuming TV content in a traditional television environment, but can be utilized by mobile devices, including cellular handsets and personal digital assistants and personal computers. These client devices may execute client-side application components whereby the messaging component communicates with one or more messaging clients to which the messaging component propagates the indication of the changed context.

The system may also include a profile component operable to receive said changed context from said messaging component and record said context change for said given user in a user profile. The profile component has access to a profile data store operable to maintain one or more user profiles. The profile component can record a plurality of context changes for a given user to a user profile for the given user, thereby maintaining a history of context changes for the given user over time.

A recommendation component may also be provided operable to read the context change from a user profile for the given user and generate a recommendation based on the context change. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the recommendation component may recommend movies, television shows, online games, music or other audio content, and the like. Additionally, the recommendation component is operable to read a plurality of contextual changes from a plurality of user profiles and generate recommendations based on the plurality of contextual changes, such as based on a community of users or how related the users are in a social network.

In addition to the above, one or more other applications are operable to interface with the TV application component to transmit content from a given one of the one or more other applications. For example, an online gaming application may interface with a TV application component to deliver online gaming content to a given user. Similarly, an audio playback application and a sending application can interface with the TV application component to send audio content to a user. Other applications for providing various content will be known to those skilled in the art.

Description of drawings

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, which are illustrative and not limiting, wherein like numerals are intended to designate like or corresponding parts, and in the drawings:

1 is a block diagram illustrating a system for providing access to messenger services and content combined with TV content and affiliated TV content according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for initializing a given user's session and propagating the given user's context to one or more other users according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for propagating a change in a given user's context to one or more other users according to one embodiment of the invention;

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for propagating a change in a given user context to one or more other users according to another embodiment of the invention;

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating a national electronic program guide from electronic program guides obtained from one or more TV broadcast systems according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

In the following description of embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of example specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a system for providing access to messaging services and content in conjunction with television and TV-related content. According to the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the content distribution server 102 includes one or more software and hardware components to facilitate the delivery of television and TV-related content and messaging and the delivery of messaging-related content and services. Hardware and software components include, but are not limited to, login component 104 , messaging component 110 , TV application component 112 , profile component 116 , electronic program guide component 118 , recommendation component 124 and other applications 122 . Content distribution server 102 also includes one or more data stores for persistently storing information used in providing TV and messaging content and services, including but not limited to profile data store 106, content Data storage devices 114 a and 114 b and EPG data storage device 120 .

Content distribution server 102 is communicatively coupled to network 100, which may include connections to one or more local and/or wide area networks (eg, the Internet). Utilizing network 100, content distribution server 102 can access local 114a and remote 114b television content, and can provide television and messaging services, including combinations thereof, to clients 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a. Content distribution server 102 is operable to provide TV and messaging content and services to any client device capable of running TV client software 126a, 128b, 130b and 132b, and messaging clients 126c, 128c, 130c and 132c. For example, client devices may include set-top box terminals 126a and 128a utilizing televisions as display devices, computer hardware such as personal computer 130a, and mobile devices 132a such as cellular handsets and personal digital assistants ("PDAs"). Other types of electronic communication devices are also contemplated to fall within the scope of the present invention, including but not limited to digital media adapters, DVD players, connected TVs, and other networked consumer electronic devices.

When a given client 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a initially accesses the content and services provided by the content distribution server 102, the server authenticates the given user and/or client device. Content distribution server 102 provides a login component that enables authentication of clients 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a and users of a given client device. Client devices 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a initialize their TV client applications 126b, 128b, 130b, and 132b and messenger client applications 126c, 128c, 130c, and 132c, which initiate generation of login requests and send Logging component 104 transfers. According to one embodiment of the invention, the login request includes information identifying the user of the client device, in addition to information about the client device itself (such as a MAC address, IP address, phone number, or other uniquely identifying descriptor) . By providing information about the user, the content distribution server 102 can provide a personalized experience to the user regardless of the particular client device 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a the user is connecting to the content distribution center 102 with.

Login component 104 receives a login request from a given client 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a and attempts to authenticate the user and/or device. Login component 104 can access profile 108 maintained by profile data store 106 for a given user. Accordingly, login component 104 utilizes information identifying the user in an attempt to authenticate the user's identity, such as authenticating information contained in the user's profile 108 . The identification information can include a username and password, so login component 104 compares to ensure that the received password is the same as the stored password. Alternatively or in combination, login component 104 may perform an exchange of public keys with clients 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a, whereby each device (client and login component) utilizes the received public key to Encode outgoing data and decode incoming data using its private key. The login component 104 can also receive information about the client devices 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a, such as MAC addresses or other uniquely identifying tokens, to authenticate the client devices or verify that the clients 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a can connect to the content distribution server 102 .

Content distribution server 102 may also implement login proxy 104a to provide scalability and flexibility to handle a large number of clients 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a attempting to connect to login component 104. A plurality of client devices 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a initiate communications over the network 100 with a given one of the one or more login agents 104a. Each login proxy 104a initiates communications with the login component 104, allowing the login component 104 to service a large number of client requests without maintaining and managing connections with each requesting client 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a.

In the event that login component 104 is unable to successfully authenticate users or clients 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a, login component 104 prevents clients 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a from accessing functionality provided by content distribution server 102. Alternatively, login component 104 may simply provide access to TV application component 112, electronic program guide component 118, and EPG data store 120, allowing users to view TV content and schedule data on clients 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a. Thus, a user who cannot be authenticated by the login component is provided with a traditional digital TV content viewing experience with program guide data from one or more content sources 114a and 114b and specific to the user's region.

In the event that login component 104 successfully authenticates the user and/or client device, the login component can record an indication of the successful authentication in user profile 108 in profile data store 106 . Login component 104 provides an indication to messaging server 110 and TV application component 112 that users and/or clients 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a have been successfully authenticated and can be provided access to the content distribution server and its constituent components described above. Upon successful authentication, messaging server 110 communicates the user's identity to profile component 116 , which retrieves user profile 108 from profile data store 106 to send to messaging component 110 . Messaging component 110 can also provide a copy of user profile 108 to TV application 112 , or TV application component 112 can get a copy of user profile 108 directly from profile component 116 .

The content distribution server 102 maintains a user profile 108 for each user in a profile data store 106 managed by a profile component 116 . As noted above, user profile 108 maintains authentication information for the user, such as username and password. The user profile may also be used by messaging component 110 and TV application component 112 to record user interactions with components 110 and 112, respectively. Thus, a user profile may maintain a history of the user's interactions with the content distribution server 102 . However, those skilled in the art will understand that this subset of historical interactions may be written into the user profile 108 . For example, when a user is using TV application component 112 to watch TV content, TV application component 112 sends a message to profile component 116 to write a flag to user profile 108 in response to a received command (eg, a change channel command). Similarly, when messaging component 110 provides messaging content and related services to a user, messaging component 110 sends profile component 116 an message, instructing it to write a flag to the user profile 108.

Profile 108 also maintains the "context" of the user. According to one embodiment, a user's context may be a notification about an action a given user is performing at a given moment, and may also include the starting location of the user performing said action. Alternatively, the user's context may be what the user is doing at a given moment, such as watching a given TV channel, playing an online game, listening to music, conducting an online transaction, and so on. The context may also indicate where or what type of device the client is connecting to the content distribution server 102 from, such as set top boxes 126a and 128a, personal computer 130a, mobile device 132a, and the like. By providing the user's context to the messaging component 110 and the TV application component 112, each component 110 and 112 is able to identify and obtain the correct content to provide the user with messaging content and related services integrated with the TV content and related services, here will be explained in more detail. The profile component 116 receives updates to the given user context from the messaging component 110 and the TV application component 112 that the profile component 116 writes to the user profile 108 for the given user. Thus, the profile 108 for a given user maintains a history of the user's context over a period of time.

Profiles may also maintain information about other users in the system related to a given user. For example, a given user may use messaging clients 126c, 128c, 130c, and 132c on client devices 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a to identify one or more buddies whose identities are written to the given user's profile. File 108. The profile component 116 is operable to identify a user's social network by researching groups of related users. User communities may also exist such that an indication of membership in the community is written into a given user's profile 108 . Similarly, the profile component 116 can identify a subset of the given user's friends from the given user's overall friend set. According to one embodiment, the profile component 116 computes a social network for a given user that includes all users with N-level relationships with the given user. For example, User A maintains a direct relationship with User B, and User B maintains a direct relationship with User C. User A is related to user C in two levels, and they are related to user B in one level respectively.

The TV application component 112 identifies the user's context and retrieves the correct TV content for transmission over the network 100 to the client devices 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a with which the user is interacting. In addition, the TV application component 112 can retrieve ancillary TV content including, but not limited to, audio, video, text, images, and combinations thereof. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the TV application component 112 obtains TV content and ancillary TV content from a local content data store 114a, which may aggregate TV content and ancillary TV content from various separate sources . Alternatively or in combination, the TV application component 112 receives TV content and ancillary TV content from a local content data store 114a and, if the desired content is located remotely from the server 102, via the network 100 from a remote content data store 114b. content. Similarly, TV application component 112 may collect TV content from multiple TV content distribution systems (not shown) for storage in local and remote content data storage devices 114a, 114b, respectively. The TV application component 112 can selectively deliver TV content to users based on a schedule for delivering TV content published by the TV content distribution system for the region in which the given user is located.

The messaging component 110 is also provided with the context of the user, allowing the messaging component 110 to know what action the user is performing, such as watching TV content, viewing affiliated TV content, playing online games, listening to music, and so on. Because messaging component 110 knows the user's identity, messaging component 110 can identify other users in a given user's social network, also known as the user's "friends." Knowing the identity of the given user and the other users in the given user's social network, messaging component 110 can instruct TV application 112 to propagate the given user's context to other users in the given user's social network. Propagating the user's context may include generating an image representing the user's context, and may also include other data (eg, text, audio, video, combinations thereof, etc.) describing the user's context. Alternatively, information about the user's context may be used to look up and retrieve additional relevant information from the content data stores 114a and 114b. The TV application server 112 presents the given user's context to other users in the given user's social network, such as through the presentation of icons. The TV application server 112 may provide a given user with the context of other users in the given user's social network, and vice versa.

The following examples are illustrative and not intended to be limiting. Assume that the user is watching the TV show "The Apprentice" on channel three. According to one embodiment, the messaging component 110 identifies the user's friends and instructs the TV application component 112 to propagate the user's context to the user's friends. The TV application component 112 generates a small image representing the program "The Apprentice," which the TV application component 112 disseminates to friends of a given user. This small image is presented to a given buddy on the client device with information describing the show, such as a tile and the fact that the user is watching the show on channel three. The TV application server 112 may modify information about a given user's content based on a given target client device 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a, such as downsizing a small image.

Messaging component 110 and TV application component 112 implement many advanced features not found in content distribution systems known to those skilled in the art. Because the messaging component is aware of a given user's context and can receive input from a given user 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a, users of content distribution server 102 can interact with each other. The messaging component 110 provides the given user's context to the TV application component 112, which propagates the context to other users in the given user's social network, and vice versa. A given user may select an indication of the context of other users in the given user's social network to initiate an action. Initiating an action may include starting an instant messaging session with the selected user, switching the context to that of the selected user, and the like. The selection is communicated to the messaging component 110, which performs the requested action and provides the content to the TV application component for consumption and dissemination in a manner appropriate to other users. An example use of this functionality is shared viewing of content between multiple users, remote control functionality shared between multiple users and combinations thereof, shared remote and shared viewing between multiple users with instant messaging, etc. wait.

The messaging component 110 also provides access to other application components 122 . Alternatively, other application components 122 may communicate directly with TV application component 112 to provide content for distribution to one or more client devices 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a in communication with content distribution server 102 over network 100 . An exemplary other application component 122 is an online poker application. Other applications 122 handle the main program logic for the online poker game. Context for each user (which may include location information (such as when playing online poker), identities of other players in the game, actions of a given user (score, hold, double down), etc.) Provided to the messaging component 110, the messaging component 110 communicates information about a given user's context to the TV application component for dissemination to other players in the game.

The dissemination of information about a given user's context may also be disseminated to other users in the given user's social network who are not necessarily playing the online poker game. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other application components falling within the scope of the present invention are not limited to online poker components, and may include other applications that may interact with the messaging component 110, including but not limited to music engines, thereby messaging Component 110 can indicate to TV application component 112 the current song that the user is listening to; a search application so that messaging component 110 can indicate to TV application component 112 the keyword and associated result set that the user is searching for, and so on. These are examples of contexts for a given user that TV application component 112 can propagate in conjunction with messaging component 110 to users of content distribution server 102 to provide a shared content consumption experience.

As noted above, the TV application component 112 can propagate a given user's context, which can include channel information about TV programs the given user is watching, to other users in the given user's social network. However, problems arise when individual users access TV content in different time zones and locations with different channel assignments. The content distribution server 102 includes an electronic program guide component 118 communicatively coupled to the network 100 and operable to receive electronic program guide information, such as program schedules for a given location and time zone. Electronic program guide component 118 queries a program guide server (not shown) communicable over network 100, such as a program guide server operated by Tribune Media Services. Electronic program guide component 118 stores one or more electronic program guides in EPG data storage device 120 . According to one embodiment of the present invention, the EPG data storage device 120 is a relational database, but may also be a tab-separated data storage device, a comma-separated data storage device, an object-oriented database, a hybrid object-relational database, or a technology in the art other data storage devices known to the personnel. Systems and methods for generating electronic program guides include U.S. Patent No. 6,813,774 entitled "PROGRAM GUIDEDISPLAY APPARATUS AND PROGRAM GUIDE DISPLAY METHOD," U.S. Patent No. 6,763,522 entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADIGITAL TELEVISION ELECTRONIC PROGRAM GUIDE" and US Patent No. 6,611,958 entitled "ELECTRONIC PROGRAM GUIDE FEATUREFOR AV SYSTEM." In addition, those skilled in the art will recognize that a number of electronic program guides are commercially available, including those available from Pioneer, ScientificAtlanta, Motorola, Gemstar/TVGuide ("GTVG"), Charter Communications, etc.

When the TV application component 112 propagates the given user's context to a given user, the TV application component 112 can query the electronic program guide component 118 to determine a local context for the user in the social network that corresponds to the user's context. For example, when a user is watching a program on the ABC network, even though that program is being transmitted, the same program is not necessarily being transmitted on the same channel in all locations and time zones. Thus, for each user in a given user's social network to which the TV application component 112 is to send the given user's context, the electronic program guide component 118 retrieves the electronic program guide from the EPG data store 120 for use in users in social networks.

Electronic program guide component 118 performs a search to attempt to find a program in the electronic program guide that a given user is viewing. If the search is successful, the electronic program guide component 118 indicates to the TV application component 112 the channel on which the user in the social network can find the program that the given user is watching being sent; the TV application component 112 can use this information as Part of the given user's context to propagate. In the event that the EPG component 118 is unable to find context for a given user in the EPG, for example, there is no program currently being delivered by the given user in the time zone of the user's location in the social network, the EPG The guide component 118 can identify the changed time when the program was transmitted, and the TV application component 112 can propagate this time as part of the given user's context. TV application component 112 sends this information to users in the social network. Where client devices 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a include digital video recording functionality ("DVR"), electronic program guide component 118 may provide users in the social network with the opportunity to schedule recordings of programs. Recording may also include recording content that a given user cannot select through interaction with the EPG, such as Internet-based content. It should be noted that the selection of a program or other content to be recorded may be recorded in the user profile as a context or context change.

As an alternative to or in conjunction with the foregoing, content distribution server 102 may identify each program it is transmitting to clients 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a using a unique identifier, such as stored in the EPG In the data storage device 120. The electronic program guide component 118 searches the EPG data store 120 for a program that a given user is watching and determines a unique identifier for that program, which the TV application component 112 can propagate as part of the given user's context . The client devices 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a that are being operated by users in the given user's social network receive the given user's context and attempt to identify a program that the given user is watching in a local electronic program guide, which Views may be stored on clients 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a or retrieved from network sources. If successful, the client-side software (e.g., TV clients 126b, 128b, 130b, and 132b) indicates to the user in the social network the channels on which the user can find the program the given user is watching, which may include allowing The user tunes to the channel on which the electronic program guide component 118 is transmitting the program. In the event that the identifier for the program cannot be found in the local electronic program guide, the client-side software can identify a change time when the program is being transmitted. Where client devices 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a include digital video recording functionality (“DVR”), clients 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a may provide users in the social network with the opportunity to schedule recordings of programs . The recording function of the DVR can also include recording content that does not appear in the EPG, such as Internet-based content.

As noted above, interactions with messaging component 110 and TV application component 112 may be recorded by profiling component 116 , which maintains profile 108 for each user in profile data store 106 . In other words, profile 108 contains a history of user context changes as a function of time, allowing a given user's preferences to be determined based thereon. For example, where the user's context is identified as watching sci-fi shows for a longer period of time and watching news shows for a shorter period of time, then it may be determined that the user prefers sci-fi shows. This can also take into account sub-genres such as sci-fi/action, sci-fi/horror, and so on. Each profile 108 may also include contextual information as a function of time for other users in a given user's social network and other users utilizing the content distribution server 102 .

The recommendation component 124 can utilize the user profile in the profile data store to provide recommended programming to the user, and can also include recommendations for use with other applications, such as in response to online events, users with whom a given user wishes to befriend, affiliated TV content etc. According to an embodiment of the invention, recommendation component 124 may utilize a user profile to determine content to recommend to the user. Alternatively or in combination with the foregoing, the recommendation component 124 can also utilize the user profiles of friends of the given user, such as the profiles of those users in the given user's social network. The recommendation component 124 can also compute a vector for a given user's profile and include those users with similar profile vectors when computing recommended content. Also, in determining recommended content, the recommendation component 124 can utilize user community-specific profiles, which contain centralized contextual information for the user community. Similarly, recommendation component 124 can utilize personalization services such as My Yahoo! , which allows users to create and edit their own profiles to indicate media preferences (eg, favorite channels or TV shows), which are stored on the Yahoo! on a server (which may be profile data store 106 ) and may be used in recommendation component 124 .

The recommendation component 124 allows the content distribution server 102 to control the viewing experience, habits and preferences of users who are interacting with the content distribution server 102 . As mentioned above, the recommendation component 124 can provide recommendations other than TV content, extending to all services provided by the content distribution server. For example, a user can interact with messaging component 110 to access other application components 122 through TV application component 112 . One example of other application components 122 is an online poker game where users can play head-to-head online. In cases where the user profile indicates that the user has spent a significant amount of time in the context of the online poker application 122, the recommendation component can warn the user when an upcoming online poker game is approaching.

The system of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 provides users of the content distribution server 102 with a shared content consumption experience. A given user can be informed about the context of other users in the system, including users in the given user's social network. According to one embodiment, icons and accompanying text data are propagated by the TV application component and presented to a given user on client devices 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a, indicating the context of other users of server 102. The presentation of other users' contexts combined with the presentation of TV content allows for a shared viewing experience whereby a given user can be aware of other users' contexts and can change their context to another user's context. For example, if a user's context in a given user's social network indicates that the user in the social network is watching a program that interests the given user, the given user can change its context to match the context of the user in the social network (e.g. , tune in to receive delivery of the same TV content that users in the social network are consuming). Using the structures described here, multiple applications become available in the context of the TV consumption process, including but not limited to personalization, group viewing, shared presentation and context, messaging, access to ratings and recommendations (including group reviews) , warnings, etc.

Content distribution server 102 provides access to its functions and application components through the use of one or more application programming interfaces ("APIs") 100 . API 100 is the set of interfaces or calling conventions by which a given user accesses other application components and services provided by application components. Using the API 100, a given application component advertises information about functions and/or services that the given application component can provide to other components, which information can include techniques with which to access the functions or services. This allows application components comprising the system to access supporting systems and web services. For example, the API 100 allows client-side applications to issue function calls to perform actions and access services, such as tuning channels, accessing online games, listening to music, allowing a messenger component to interface with a TV application component or a messaging client to access EPG data, etc., as described here. Although FIG. 1 shows the API 100 as a separate system component, those skilled in the art will appreciate that each application component may provide a respective API 100 that identifies the specific functions and services provided by the given application component. In addition, application components (e.g., messaging clients 126c, 128c, 130c, and 132c located on client devices 126a, 128a, 130a, and 132a) may provide one or more applications that advertise the functionality and services provided by a given application component. API 100.

One embodiment of a method according to the invention for initializing a client device to receive content is shown in FIG. 2 . According to the method of FIG. 2 , the client device initializes and connects to the login component, step 202 . Initialization may include powering up the client device and initializing a communications stack, such as a TCP/IP stack, and opening a connection to the login component over a network (eg, the Internet). The login component attempts to obtain or receive user login credentials for a given user from the user profile, step 204 . In the event that no profile exists for a given user (step 206 ), the user is assigned a default context and provided with TV content for that default context, step 228 . Because the user does not have a profile (step 206), they are blocked from accessing system functions other than consumption of TV content, step 228.

Where there is a profile for the given user (step 206), the system receives credentials for the given user from the user profile, and compares the credentials from the profile with the user credentials the system received from the user, step 210 . Once credentials from a given user and credentials from a given user profile are obtained, the system performs a check to attempt to verify the user's credentials, step 210 . In the event that the user cannot provide valid credentials to log into the system, access is denied and the user is assigned a default context and provided with TV content for that default context, step 228 .

Where the user provides credentials that the system can verify or authenticate (step 210 ), the system obtains preferences and context for the given user from the given user's profile, step 212 . According to one embodiment, the system maintains context and preferences in a transient memory structure until the memory structure is utilized. The system also researches a given user's profile to determine if the given user maintains friends or other users related to the given user in the social network. The system performs a check to determine if any users exist in the given user's social network, step 214 . In the event that another user exists in the given user's social network (step 214), the system obtains context for the other user from the user profile. This process repeats, steps 214 and 216, until the system has acquired context for all users in the social network for a given user. In the event that no users exist in the given user's social network, processing proceeds directly to step 218 .

The system loads the given user's context from the given user profile, step 218 . The system also performs a check to determine whether the context in the given user's profile identifies any adjunct TV content and is available, step 220 . According to one embodiment, the user profile identifies categories of affiliated TV content, such as images, audio, video, etc., such that the system uses the selected categories to search for content relevant to the user's context, such as in the credits for a movie the user is watching. Actor image in . Alternatively, or in combination with the foregoing, users may indicate specific items of affiliated TV content in their profile. Where the given user's context identifies the adjunct TV content (step 220 ), the system acquires and loads the adjunct TV content on the given user's client device, step 222 . Ancillary TV content may include any content related to an item of TV content. For example, where the user context indicates that the user is watching a given program on a given TV channel, the affiliated TV content may include textual information about the given program (e.g., actors, directors, or other cast members about the given program), Video content related to a given show or cast member, image files related to a given show or cast member, audio files related to a given show or cast member, and combinations thereof. According to one embodiment, the system presents adjunct TV content combined with TV content. Alternatively, the system may provide links to affiliated TV content.

The system performs another check to determine if any users are within the given user's social network, step 224 . For selected users in a given user's social network, the system loads and presents the context for the user in the social network on the client device with which the user is accessing the system, step 226 . This process repeats (steps 224 and 226) for users on a given user's social network. When the system finishes loading and presenting to the given user the context for the user in the given user's social network (step 226), the system loads and presents the TV content according to the context identified by the given user's profile, step 228. It should be noted, however, that the user's context may indicate activities other than consumption of TV content. In this case, the system can present information appropriate to the user's context.

After a given user initializes his client device, the system can update and propagate its context to other users in the system or in its social network. Figure 3 illustrates one embodiment of a method for propagating a given user's context to other users of the system. According to the process shown in FIG. 3 , the subroutine 300 is executed cyclically and can be seen as beginning with the execution of a check to determine whether the polling period has ended, step 302 . According to one embodiment of the method, the polling period is a 30-second interval, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that other polling periods may be selected depending on the frequency with which the system sends context updates to other users of the system, such as in response to User's channel preview (surfing) to modify polling frequency. Upon expiration of the polling period (step 302 ), the system collects context for the given user and generates a context message, step 310 , including information about the given user's context.

In the event that the polling period has not expired (step 302 ), a check is performed to determine whether a given user performed an action that resulted in a context change, step 304 . If the polling period has not expired (step 302) and the system has not received an indication that there is a context change for the given user, the system enters a wait state, step 306, once the polling period expires, processing returns to step 302. In this step, a subsequent check is performed to determine whether the polling period has expired. Where the system detects a context change for a given user (step 304), the system performs a check to determine whether a time threshold has been exceeded. Once the time threshold is reached, the system collects the context for the given user and generates a context message including information about the given user's context, step 310 . The use of a threshold prevents the system from propagating every context change to other users of the system, which may be undesirable, for example when a user is previewing a channel. According to one embodiment, the time threshold is reset in response to each context change, so that only the final context change on which the user stays for more than the threshold is propagated to other users of the system.

According to one embodiment, the subroutine 300 is executed at the client device and the content message is sent to the server for dissemination to other users of the system. Alternatively, the system is operable to observe a user's context, generate a context message according to subroutine 300, and send the context message for dissemination to other users of the system.

Wherever the subroutine 300 is executed, the context message is sent to be recorded in the user profile for the given user, step 312, such as using a profile component to identify new context information and write it to the given user profile. in the user's user profile. The system obtains a user profile for a given user to identify one or more other users who are part of the given user's social network, step 316 . The system selects users from the set of users in the given user's social network and propagates the given user's context to the selected users, step 318 . The system continues to check other users in the given user's social network, step 316, and propagates the given user's context to users in the given user's social network, step 318, until the check performed in step 316 evaluates to an error until. The system then displays context for the given user that has been disseminated to users in the given user's social network, step 320 . In addition, the system can propagate context for a given user to other users in the system who are not in the given user's social network (eg, system users whose preferences and content consumption habits are similar to the given user).

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a process for propagating a given user's context changes to other users in the given user's social network. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , the system generates a context message in response to the user performing an action that results in a context change, step 404 . However, it should be noted that the user's context may also change without any proactive action on the part of the user, for example in the case where the user is watching a program on a given channel and the program ends, and later launching a new program on the same channel would Resulting in a context change and generation of a context message indicating the context change, step 404 .

The messaging component receives the context change message, step 404 . Alternatively, the messaging component generates a contextual message indicating a context change by observing a given user's interaction with the client device. The profile component receives the message indicating the context change and writes the context change to a user profile for the given user, step 406 . Analyzing the user profile, the messaging component identifies and retrieves any adjunct TV content, step 408, and the messaging component provides the adjunct TV content to the TV application component, step 410. The TV application component provides the user context-specific TV content and any accompanying adjunct TV content to the user for presentation and display on the client device, step 412 .

The TV application component propagates the context for a given user to other users of the system. The system performs a check to determine if a given user has other users in the given user's social network, step 414 . A user is selected from the users in the given user's social network, and the TV application server propagates the given user's context to this user in the social network, step 416 . It should be noted that propagation of a given user's context is not limited to users in the given user's social network, and may be propagated to other users of the system not necessarily in the given user's social network. This process is repeated, step 416, for each user in the given user's social network. The process ends, step 418, when the TV application component has propagated the given user's context to users in the given user's social network. The process of FIG. 4 may repeat from step 402 in response to subsequent context changes for a given user.

In order for the system of the present invention to accurately provide the context of a given user to other users of the system (such as users in the given user's social network), the system is provided with information about the scheduling and delivery of TV content by multiple TV content distribution systems. knowledge. As described above, the TV application component can deliver TV content from multiple TV content distribution systems according to the schedule of a given TV content distribution system. For example, in the case that the user is watching TV content in San Francisco, the TV application component sends the TV content to the user according to the schedule of the TV content distribution system in San Francisco. Thus, the system accesses scheduling information from multiple TV content distribution systems.

Figure 5 illustrates one embodiment of a method for generating a national electronic program guide from electronic program guides obtained from one or more TV broadcast systems. According to the method of FIG. 5 , the process starts by obtaining, step 502 , address information for a plurality of TV content distribution systems, such as addresses of TV content distribution systems located in various regions of the United States. The system selects an address from a plurality of addresses of the TV content distribution system and initiates a connection to the TV content distribution system identified by the address, step 504 . According to one embodiment, the electronic program guide component initiates the connection and performs the process of FIG. 5 .

The system obtains electronic program guide data from the TV content distribution system, and the electronic program guide data identifies the transmission schedule and corresponding channel for the programming from the TV content distribution system, step 506 . The system loads the acquired EPG data into the EPG data storage device, step 508 . According to one embodiment, the electronic program guide data storage device is a relational database, so that the electronic program guide data is written into the relevant tables in the database, but those skilled in the art will know that other data structures can be substituted. The table may include electronic program guide data from a given TV content distribution system and data identifying the given TV content distribution system, thereby allowing the system to find that a given TV content distribution system is running on a given channel at a given time Programs sent to the user's service. For example, where a first user at a first location is watching "The Apprentice" on channel three at 8 p.m., the system can check the electronic program guide for a second user at a second location to determine the pm At 9 o'clock the program is being sent to the user. When providing the second user with the context of the first user, the system may indicate to the second user when the program is available to the second user.

The system performs a check to determine if there is additional EPG data to be obtained from additional TV content distribution systems, step 510 . In case there are additional TV content distribution systems, the system initiates a connection to the subsequent TV content distribution system, step 504, and acquires and loads EPG data from the subsequent TV content distribution system, steps 506 and 508. If no additional TV content distribution systems exist, step 510, the system provides access to a national electronic program guide created from electronic program guide data from multiple TV content distribution systems. Alternatively, the system may make electronic program guide data available when the system receives data from multiple TV content distribution systems.

Although the present invention has been described and shown in connection with preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and thus the invention is not limited to the ones set forth above. details of method or construction, such changes and modifications are also intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

Claims (54)

1. one kind is used to provide the method for indication of given user being consumed the action of the content on the client device that sends from content delivering system, and said method comprises:

Generate the indication to given user's change in context, said context comprises the information with respect to the action of different content type about said given user;

To propagate to the one or more users in said given user's the social networks to the indication of said given user's said change in context; And

To combine said content to present to the user in said given user's the social networks together to the indication of said given user's said change in context,

Wherein, Said method also comprises: identify the change time that said content is sent out; Be transferred to the user in said given user's the social networks the said change time as said given user's a contextual part, and the user in said given user's social networks provides the chance that the record of said content is dispatched.

2. the method for claim 1, wherein propagation steps comprises said indication is propagated to other user that direct relation is arranged with said given user in said given user's the social networks.

3. the method for claim 1 comprises one or more other users in the social networks that identifies said given user, the content on said one or more other customer consumptions and the client device that one or more content delivering systems are communicated by letter.

4. the method for claim 1, the step that wherein presents the indication of said change in context comprise and present the contextual icon that expression changes.

5. method as claimed in claim 4, wherein rendering step comprises and presents the icon of representing TV programme.

6. method as claimed in claim 4, wherein rendering step comprises and presents the icon of representing film.

7. method as claimed in claim 4, wherein rendering step comprises and presents the icon of representing game on line.

8. method as claimed in claim 4, wherein rendering step comprises and presents the icon of representing audio content.

9. the method for claim 1, the step that wherein generates indication comprise in response to the variation of channel and generating.

10. the method for claim 1, the step that wherein generates indication comprise in response to adding game on line and generating.

11. comprising in response to watching film, the method for claim 1, the step that wherein generates indication generate.

12. comprising in response to listening to music, the method for claim 1, the step that wherein generates indication generate.

13. the method for claim 1, wherein propagation steps comprises that the user on the given user's who is safeguarded by the instant courier's client on the said given user client equipment buddy list propagates.

14. the method for the indication of an action that is used to provide the content on the client device that given user consuming and sending from content delivering system, said method comprises:

Receive the indication to given user's change in context, said context comprises the information with respect to the action of different content type about said given user; And

To propagate to the one or more users in said given user's the social networks to the indication of said given user's said change in context,

Wherein, Said method also comprises: identify the change time that said content is sent out; Be transferred to the user in said given user's the social networks the said change time as said given user's a contextual part, and the user in said given user's social networks provides the chance that the record of said content is dispatched.

15. method as claimed in claim 14, wherein propagation steps comprises that the user on the given user's who is safeguarded by the instant courier's client on the said given user client equipment buddy list propagates.

16. comprising, method as claimed in claim 14, the step of wherein propagating the indication of said change in context propagate the contextual icon that expression changes.

17. method as claimed in claim 14, wherein propagation steps comprises the icon of propagating the expression TV programme.

18. method as claimed in claim 14, wherein propagation steps comprises the icon of propagating the expression film.

19. method as claimed in claim 14, wherein propagation steps comprises the icon of propagating the expression game on line.

20. comprising in response to the variation of channel, method as claimed in claim 14, the step that wherein receives indication receive.

21. comprising in response to adding game on line, method as claimed in claim 14, the step that wherein receives indication receive.

22. comprising in response to listening to audio content, method as claimed in claim 14, the step that wherein receives indication receive.

23. method as claimed in claim 14, wherein propagation steps comprises said indication is propagated to other user that direct relation is arranged with said given user in said given user's the social networks.

24. the method for the indication of an action that is used to provide the content on the client device that given user consuming and sending from content delivering system, said method comprises:

Generate the indication to given user's change in context, said context comprises the information with respect to the action of different content type about said given user; And

Reception is from the indication of the one or more users' in said given user's the social networks change in context,

Wherein, Said method also comprises: identify the change time that said content is sent out; Be transferred to the user in said given user's the social networks the said change time as said given user's a contextual part, and the user in said given user's social networks provides the chance that the record of said content is dispatched.

25. method as claimed in claim 24, wherein receiving step comprises that reception is from the indication that other user of direct relation is arranged with said given user in said given user's the social networks.

26. method as claimed in claim 24 comprises one or more other users in the social networks that identifies said given user, the content on said one or more other customer consumptions and the client device that one or more content delivering systems are communicated by letter.

27. comprising, method as claimed in claim 24, the step that wherein receives the indication of said change in context receive the contextual icon that expression changes.

28. method as claimed in claim 24, wherein receiving step comprises the icon that receives the expression TV programme.

29. method as claimed in claim 24, wherein receiving step comprises the icon that receives the expression film.

30. method as claimed in claim 24, wherein receiving step comprises the icon that receives the expression game on line.

31. comprising in response to adding game on line, method as claimed in claim 24, the step that wherein generates indication generate.

32. comprising in response to watching film, method as claimed in claim 24, the step that wherein generates indication generate.

33. comprising in response to listening to audio content, method as claimed in claim 24, the step that wherein generates indication generate.

34. method as claimed in claim 24, wherein receiving step comprises that the user from the given user's that safeguarded by the instant courier's client on the said given user client equipment the buddy list receives.

35. the system of the indication of an action that is used to provide the content on the client device that given user consuming and sending from content delivering system, said system comprises:

The TV application component; It can be operated and be used to receive from the order of given user's indication change in context and will send to said given user client equipment in response to the contextual content that changes, and said context comprises the information with respect to the action of different content type about said given user;

Message delivery component; It can operate the context to said given user's said change that is used to receive from said TV application component, identifies the one or more users in said given user's the social networks and will propagate to the said one or more users in said given user's the social networks about the contextual indication of said change; And

Electronic program guide component, it can be operated and be used to identify the change time that said content is sent out,

Wherein, Said TV application component is transferred to the said change time user in said given user's the social networks as said given user's a contextual part, and the user of said electronic program guide component in said given user's social networks provides the chance that the record of said content is dispatched.

36. system as claimed in claim 35, wherein said client device comprises STB.

37. system as claimed in claim 35, wherein said client device comprises mobile device.

38. system as claimed in claim 37, wherein said mobile device comprises the honeycomb cell-phone.

39. system as claimed in claim 37, wherein said mobile device comprises personal digital assistant.

40. system as claimed in claim 35, wherein said client device comprises personal computer.

41. system as claimed in claim 35, wherein said client device comprises the consumer-elcetronics devices of networking.

42. system as claimed in claim 35, wherein said message delivery component is communicated by letter with one or more messaging clients, and wherein said message delivery component is propagated the contextual indication about said change to said one or more messaging clients.

43. system as claimed in claim 35 comprises the profile assembly, it can be operated and be used for receiving from the context of the said change of said message delivery component and will be recorded in user profiles to said given user's said change in context.

44. system as claimed in claim 43 comprises profile data store, it can be operated and be used to safeguard one or more user profiles.

45. system as claimed in claim 43, wherein said profile assembly will record the user profiles to said given user to a plurality of change in context of given user.

46. system as claimed in claim 43 comprises recommendation component, it can be operated the user profiles that is used for to said given user and read said change in context, and generates recommendation based on said change in context.

47. system as claimed in claim 46, wherein said recommendation component is recommended film.

48. system as claimed in claim 46, wherein said recommendation component recommending television.

49. can operating, system as claimed in claim 46, wherein said recommendation component be used for reading a plurality of change in context and generating recommendation based on said a plurality of change in context from a plurality of user profiles.

50. system as claimed in claim 49, wherein said a plurality of user profiles are user community.

51. system as claimed in claim 49, wherein said a plurality of user profiles are relevant social network of user profiles.

52. system as claimed in claim 35 comprises that one or more other use, said one or more other application can operate be used for said TV application component interfaces to send content from said one or more given application that other is used.

53. system as claimed in claim 52, wherein other application comprises one or more games on line application.

54. system as claimed in claim 52, wherein other application comprises one or more audio playback applications.

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