US4745549A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of and apparatus for optimal scheduling of television programming to maximize customer satisfaction
Assignee: Hashimoto Corp
•
Filing: 1986-06-06
•
Granted: 1988-05-17
•
Expires: 2006-06-06
Abstract
Abstract In a method and apparatus for extracting programs suitable for individual subscriber taste from among all available television programs and for editing an individual subscriber television program list, objective data is statistically processed by linear programming. The processed results are input to a computer and are stored on a hard disk. The storage contents are read out from the hard disk and are printed out. Subscriber complaints about the program list are periodically fed back to improve prediction precision, thereby providing an automatic controller attuned to subscriber taste when the individual subscriber program list is used to automatically control a TV or VTR.
Inventors
- 👤 Kazuo Hashimoto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 08:54
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/47; H04N21/475; H04N21/4755; G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/06; G06Q10/063; G06Q10/0639; G06Q10/06393; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; G06Q30/0201; G11; G11B; G11B27/00; G11B27/02; G11B27/022; G11B27/028; H04N21/20; H04N21/25; H04N21/258; H04N21/25866; H04N21/25891; H04N21/45; H04N21/4508; H04N21/4532; H04N21/454; H04N21/466; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/162; H04N7/165
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
147 words
An apparatus for providing an individual television program table wherein television channels and corresponding time intervals are listed for each individual, comprising; record reading means for reading subscriber taste data obtained from a questionnaire and in response developing subscriber taste data signals; means for evaluating television programs in accordance with predetermined criteria to obtain program evaluation data; linear programming means responsive to said subscriber taste data signals and said program evaluation data for generating optimal program list data; printer means for printing from said optimal program list data a program list on a recording medium; feedback means for inputting complaints on the program list from a subscriber and, in response, modifying said program evaluation data to improve prediction reliability of a subsequent program list to be printed by said printer; and setting means for setting a television or video cassette recorder in accordance with the program list.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
147 words
An apparatus for providing an individual television program table wherein television channels and corresponding time intervals are listed for each individual, comprising; record reading means for reading subscriber taste data obtained from a questionnaire and in response developing subscriber taste data signals; means for evaluating television programs in accordance with predetermined criteria to obtain program evaluation data; linear programming means responsive to said subscriber taste data signals and said program evaluation data for generating optimal program list data; printer means for printing from said optimal program list data a program list on a recording medium; feedback means for inputting complaints on the program list from a subscriber and, in response, modifying said program evaluation data to improve prediction reliability of a subsequent program list to be printed by said printer; and setting means for setting a television or video cassette recorder in accordance with the program list.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
168 words
In a device for printing out an individual television program table, said table comprising a list in units of time intervals and channel numbers in a form optimal for each subscriber by selecting optimal programs from among all available television programs, a method of editing the program table, comprising the steps of; evaluating questionnaires showing subscriber taste in television programs to obtain taste evaluation questionnaires; evaluating television programs to obtain television program evaluations; applying a linear program to the subscriber taste evaluations and television program evaluations to obtain optimal individual subscriber program data; storing the optimal individual subscriber program data; printing out the stored optimal individual subscriber program data in the form of an individual subscriber program list; receiving complaints from a subscriber when the subscriber makes complaints on the printed program list; feeding back the complaints to be included in the linear program to increase prediction reliability of a subsequent program list; and reading the program list to automatically set a television set or video tape recorder.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
168 words
In a device for printing out an individual television program table, said table comprising a list in units of time intervals and channel numbers in a form optimal for each subscriber by selecting optimal programs from among all available television programs, a method of editing the program table, comprising the steps of; evaluating questionnaires showing subscriber taste in television programs to obtain taste evaluation questionnaires; evaluating television programs to obtain television program evaluations; applying a linear program to the subscriber taste evaluations and television program evaluations to obtain optimal individual subscriber program data; storing the optimal individual subscriber program data; printing out the stored optimal individual subscriber program data in the form of an individual subscriber program list; receiving complaints from a subscriber when the subscriber makes complaints on the printed program list; feeding back the complaints to be included in the linear program to increase prediction reliability of a subsequent program list; and reading the program list to automatically set a television set or video tape recorder.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
175 words
In a device for printing out an individual television program table, said table comprising a list in units of time intervals and channel numbers in a form optimal for each subscriber by selecting optimal programs from among all available television programs, a method of editing the program table, comprising the steps of; evaluating questionnaires showing subscriber taste in television programs to obtain taste evaluation questionnaires; evaluating television programs to obtain television program evaluations; applying a linear program to the subscriber taste evaluations and television program evaluations to obtain optimal individual subscriber program data; storing the optimal individual subscriber program data; printing out the stored optimal individual subscriber program data in the form of an individual subscriber program list; receiving complaints from a subscriber when the subscriber makes complaints on the printed program list; feeding back the complaints to be included in the linear program to increase prediction reliability of a subsequent program list; and editing the printed individual subscriber program list to control a program rating of a television set or a video tape recorder.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
175 words
In a device for printing out an individual television program table, said table comprising a list in units of time intervals and channel numbers in a form optimal for each subscriber by selecting optimal programs from among all available television programs, a method of editing the program table, comprising the steps of; evaluating questionnaires showing subscriber taste in television programs to obtain taste evaluation questionnaires; evaluating television programs to obtain television program evaluations; applying a linear program to the subscriber taste evaluations and television program evaluations to obtain optimal individual subscriber program data; storing the optimal individual subscriber program data; printing out the stored optimal individual subscriber program data in the form of an individual subscriber program list; receiving complaints from a subscriber when the subscriber makes complaints on the printed program list; feeding back the complaints to be included in the linear program to increase prediction reliability of a subsequent program list; and editing the printed individual subscriber program list to control a program rating of a television set or a video tape recorder.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3639686A
Cited
US3947624A
Cited
US4170782A
Cited
US4210962A
Cited
US4258386A
Cited
US4331974A
Cited
US4546382A
Cited
US4573072A
Cited
US4602279A
Cited
DE3417417A1
Cited
US4603232A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-05-17 | 1991-11-16 | 1992-05-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-05-17 | 1995-11-16 | 1996-05-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-05-17 | 1999-11-16 | 2000-05-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |