Patent US6973665 - System and method for determining the desirability of video programming ...

(12) United States Patent

US006973665B2

(10) Patent N0.: US 6,973,665 B2

Dudkiewicz et al. (45) Date of Patent: Dec. 6, 2005 (54) SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR (56) References Cited DETERMINING THE DESIRABILITY OF U S PATENT DOCUMENTS VIDEO PROGRAMMING EVENTS USING i i KEYWORD MATCHING 4,908,707 A 3/1990 Kinghorn C ' d (75) Inventors: Gil Gavriel Dudkiewicz, San ( Ontmue ) Francisco, CA (US); Dale Kittrick FOREiGN PATENT DOCUMENTS Hitt, San Jose, CA (US); Jonathan EP 0774868 A1 5/1997 PBPCY Barker, Tibllron, CA (U5) JP 2000175141 6/2000 wo wo 99/29108 6/1999 (73) Assignee: MYDTV, Inc., Burlingame, CA (US) W0 W0 01/7359 10/2001

* N " s bj yd' 1 " h r h" otice: u ect to an isc aimer, t e term o t is patent is extended or adjusted under 35

U.S.C. 154(b) by 298 days.

(21) Appl. No.: 09/992,686

(22) Filed: Nov. 16, 2001

(65) Prior Publication Data US 2002/0087979 A1 Jul. 4, 2002

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 09/793,294, filed on Feb. 26, 2001, and a continuation-in-part of application No. 09/793,322, filed on Feb. 26, 2001, and a continuation-inpart of application No. 09/793,357, filed on Feb. 26, 2001, and a continuation-in-part of application No. 09/793,479, filed on Feb. 26, 2001.

(60) Provisional application No. 60/249,179, filed on Nov. 16,

2000. (51) int. cl.’ ......................... .. G06F 3/00, G06F 13/00, H04N 5/445 (52) U.S. Cl. ........................... .. 725/46; 725/42, 725/32,

725/35, 725/37, 725/44, 725/45, 709/217,

709/218; 709/219, 711/129, 711/133, 711/134,

711/135, 711/136; 707/3, 707/5, 707/10,

707/4

(58) Field of Search ............................ .. 725/46, 42, 32, 725/35, 37, 44, 45, 345/327, 709/217-219,

711/129, 133, 134-136; 707/3, 5, 10,4

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

European Search Report dated Apr. 7, 2005—European
Application No.: 02791233.6.

Primary Examiner—Chris Grant
Assistant Examiner—Jason Salce
(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Foley & Lardner LLP

(57) ABSTRACT

The desirability of programming events may be determined using metadata for programming events that includes goodness of fit scores associated with categories of a classification hierarchy one or more of descriptive data and keyword data. The programming events are ranked in accordance with the viewing preferences of viewers as expressed in one or more viewer profiles. The viewer profiles may each include preference scores associated with categories of the classification hierarchy and may also include one or more keywords. Ranking is performed through category matching and keyword matching using the contents of the metadata and the viewer profiles. The viewer profile keywords may be qualified keywords that are associated with specific categories of the classification hierarchy. The ranking may be performed such that qualified keyword matches generally rank higher than keyword matches, and keyword matches generally rank higher than category matches. In alternative embodiments, scores may be calculated such that the ranges of scores for qualified keyword matches, keyword matches and category matches are overlapping but are generally ordered as previously described. Related embodiments may pertain to systems that implement such methods. Program rankings may be used to generate an alert schedule for providing alerts to viewers regarding programming events.

84 Claims, 18 Drawing Sheets

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Page 2
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 6,138,147 A 10/2000 Weaver et al.

6,144,964 A * 11/2000 B16666 6161. ............... .. 707/10 4,996,642 A * 2/1991 Hey .......................... .. 705/27 671577413 A 12/2000 Hanafee ct a1_ 5-223-924 A 6/1993 Srrnbbe 6,177,931 B1 * 1/2001 AICXHIICICI 6161. .......... .. 725/52 5-399-927 A 2/1995 H6nnri6161~ 6,170,419 B1 * 1/2001 L6g11-s161111 6161. ........ .. 707/6 5-419-344 A 4/1995 Graves 6141 6,200,900 B1 * 3/2001 SCIIUIIZ ........................ .. 707/5 5-434-678 A 7/1995 Abe-665515 6,236,395 B1 * 5/2001 s6Z66 61 61. 345/723 5-444-499 A 8/1995 $611911 6,240,421 B1 * 5/2001 s16161Z ..................... .. 707/102 5-534-911 A 7/1996 Levnan 6,295,092 B1 * 9/2001 Hllllingef 6161. ......... .. 340/460 5-552-833 A 9/1996 H6nnri6161~ 6,298,344 B1 * 10/2001 16666 6161. ............ .. 707/5 5-585-865 A 12/1996 Arnano 6141 6,311,194 B1 * 10/2001 s6616 6161. .............. .. 715/505 5-619-247 A 4/1997 Russo 6,327,590 B1 * 12/2001 CI1iC1lOVSl(ii 61 61. ......... .. 707/5 5,737,734 A * 4/1998 Schultz ........................ .. 707/5 673387043 B1 =1< 1/2002 Miller _______ __ _ 705/14 5,758,259 A 5/1998 Lawler 673537929 B1 >1< 3/2002 725/20 5,767,893 A 6/1998 Chen et al. 673887715 B1 >1< 5/2002 348/569 5,801,747 A * 9/1998 Bedard ...................... .. 725/46 673897467 B1 =1< 5/2002 709/223 5-845-279 A * 12/1998 Gflroffllnkis 6161 ~ 797/7 6,411,992 B1 * 6/2002 SI1Il1V8.S8.Il 61 61. ....... .. 709/210 5,848,396 A * 12/1998 Gerace ...................... .. 705/10 674257128 B1 =1< 7/2002 Krapf ct a1_ ________________ __ 725/37 5,872,588 A * 2/1999 Aras et al. .................. .. 725/14 674577010 B1 =1< 9/2002 Eldering ct a1_ __ 707/10 5-878-222 A 3/1999 Harrison 6,460,034 B1 * 10/2002 W1661 .......................... .. 707/5 5-924-999 A 7/1999 Krellenstein 6,463,420 B1 * 10/2002 L66 6161. .................... .. 707/3 5,943,670 A * 8/1999 Prager ......................... .. 707/5 674637585 B1 =1< 10/2002 Hendricks ct a1_ _ __ 725/35 5-945-988 A 8/1999 Williarns 6141 6,546,300 B1 * 4/2003 Edlllnd 6161. ............... .. 707/5 5-973-683 A * 19/1999 Cragnn 6141 ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ 345/719 6,560,670 B1 * 5/2003 W61661666 6161. ........ .. 711/133 6,003,027 A * 12/1999 Prager ......................... .. 707/5 675677980 B1 =1< 5/2003 Jain ct a1_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ 725/61 6-995-631 A * 12/1999 Anderson 61 41 ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ 725/53 6,614,907 B1 * 9/2003 ISIIl8.1l 6161. ................ .. 306/03 6-911-395 A 1/2999 Abewssis 6,637,029 B1 * 10/2003 11/16166616161. ............. .. 725/46 6,029,176 A * 2/2000 c66666 ................. .. 707/104.1 2002/0095676 A1 >l< 7/2002 Knee et,1_ 6,088,717 A * 7/2000 Reed et al. . 709/201 2002/0120925 A1 8/2002 Logan 6,000,722 A * 7/2000 HCIZ 6161. ................ .. 709/217 6,133,912 A * 10/2000 Montero ................... .. 345/716 * cited by examiner

PPD provider PPD data 14 Metadata Metadata 10 —>L Metadata 20 Metadata 20. -9 distributor % generator 22 Production i? QQ — Client facilitv agent . device ‘ Production . 26 Q data 16 Programmmg _ event provider 3 7 251 _ Programming Figure 1 events 28 _3_Q Receive production data for a program 1

_3_2_ Determine time data for

programming events within the

program

Figure 2 l

T
3% Store metadata for each
programming event comprising
time data and description data

<A name= 125TERROR> </A> <TABLE width = “100”/6" bgColor=#fffff0 borderColorLight=#eOeDe0 border=1> <TBODY> <TR> <TD vAlign =top wicIth= "30%"> <lMG alt= "script icon“ hspace= 5

src= "NOON, Tuesday, 10-24-O0_fi|es/script.gif" align= Ieft> <FONT size= +O> <B>lNTRO

TERROR</B> <1 /FONT> <BR> <FONT sIze=-2> </A> </FONT> </TD> <TD> <FONT size=-1>lN WASHINGTON, THE PENTAGON HAS ISSUED A "THREAT CONDITION DELTA."<BR>THAT IS AN ORDER TO U-S TROOPS TO BE ON THE HIGHEST ALERT, BECAUSE AN ATTACK-- IN THIS CASE A TERRORIST ATTACK-COULD BE IMMINENT. < BR>THE ORDER AFFECTS TROOPS STATIONED IN TURKEY AND IN THE PERSIAN GULF STATES OF BAHRAIN, AND QATAR <BR>THE ORDER COMES IN THE WAKE OF THREATS THE PENTAGON SAYS U-S INTELLIGENCE RECEIVED AFTER THE ATTACK ON THE U-S-S COLE IN YEMEN.

<A name=134WORKlNG_MOMS> </A:> <TABLE width = "100%" bgColor= #fffffO borderColorLigh'l=#e0eOe0 bc1rder=1> <TBODY> <TR> <TD vAlign=top width= "30%" > < IMG alt= "script icon" hspace= Ei src ="NOON, Tuesday, 10-24-OO_files/script.git" align =left> <FONT

Size= + O> <B>WORKlNG MOMS</B> </FONT> <BR> <FONT size=-2> </FONT> </TD> <TD> <FONT size=~1>lN OTHER NEWS, A NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT NEW MOTHERS ARE GOING BACK TO WORK MORE QUICKLY THAN EVER.<BR>THE CENSUS BUREAU REPORTS THAT 59 PERCENT OF WOMEN WHO HAD BABIES WERE BACK ON THE JOB WITHIN A YEAR, USUALLY ON A FULL—TlME BASlS.<BR>THAT’S UP EIGHT PERCENT FROM TEN YEARS AGO.<BR>AND THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN AMERICAN WOMEN ARE HAVING CONTINUES TO DECLlNE:<BR>THE CENSUS FOUND EACH WOMAN ON AVERAGE NOW HAS ONEPOINT-EIGHT CHlLDREN.<BR>lN 19-76. AMERICAN WOMEN ON AVERAGE HAD THREE KIDS EACH.

< A name = 35SHUTTLE_> </A > <TABLE width = ‘100%" bgColor = #iffff0 borderColorLight = #eOeOeO border=1> <TBODY> <TR> <TD vAlign=top width="30%“> <lMG alt="script icon" hspace=5

src= ‘NOON, Tuesday, 10-24-O0_files/sc1ript.git“ align =left> <FONT size= +0> < B> SHUTTLE

</B> </FONT> <BR> <FONT size=~2:> </FONT> </TD> <TD> <FONT size=-1>AND THE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY ASTRONAUTS ARE STILL STUCK IN SPACE WAITING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY T0 RETURN T0 EARTH. <BR>FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT DAY, THEY WILL DON THEIR RE-ENTRY SUITS AND TRY TO BRING THE SHUTTLE HOME. <BR>HlGH WINDS AND RAIN ARE ONCE AGAIN PREVENTING A FLORIDA LANDING. BUT THE PLAN IS TO BRING DISCOVERY T0 CALIFORNIA FOR A DESERT TOUCHDOWN AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE AT 1:59PM OUR TIME. <BR> </FONT> </TD> </TR> </TBODY> </TABLE>

Figure 4

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System and method for determining the desirability of video programming ...