US7260823B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Profiling and identification of television viewers
Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E Inc
•
Filing: 2001-10-31
•
Granted: 2007-08-21
•
Expires: 2021-10-31
Abstract
Abstract Profiling a television viewer by monitoring and processing, locally at a television viewing environment, the viewer's interactivity (e.g., via a remote control unit) with the television viewing environment. Generating one or more profiles for each viewer based on one or more of the multitude of interactions of each viewer and on, in general, the viewing habits and preferences of the viewer. Automatically and reliably, detecting or inferring at a particular time, which specific individual or individuals, are actually interacting with the TV in household comprising more than one individual. Such viewer identification and profile generation can be used to facilitate the delivery of targeted content, including targeted advertising.
Inventors
- 👤 John A. Schlack
- 👤 Andrew Sutton
- 👤 Andrew J Rampulla
- 👤 Charles A Eldering
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 13:48
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; H; H04; H04H; H04H60/00; H04H60/29; H04H60/33; H04H60/35; H04H60/45; H04H60/46; H04H60/61; H04H60/66; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/2866; H04L67/30; H04L67/50; H04L67/535; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/20; H04N21/23; H04N21/231; H04N21/23113; H04N21/234; H04N21/23424; H04N21/236; H04N21/23608; H04N21/25; H04N21/251; H04N21/252; H04N21/258; H04N21/25866; H04N21/25883; H04N21/25891; H04N21/266; H04N21/2668; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/434; H04N21/4344; H04N21/44; H04N21/44016; H04N21/441; H04N21/442; H04N21/44213; H04N21/44222; H04N21/44224; H04N21/45; H04N21/4508; H04N21/4532; H04N21/466; H04N21/4661; H04N21/4662; H04N21/60; H04N21/65; H04N21/658; H04N21/6582; H04N21/80; H04N21/81; H04N21/812; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/173; H04N7/17309; H04N7/17318; H04H2201/00; H04H2201/30; H04H60/37; H04H60/76; H04H60/81; H04H60/93; H04H60/94; H04H60/96; H04H60/97
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 53
Claim 1
Independent Claim
260 words
A method for profiling a plurality of identities of a television viewing audience based on the interactivity of the identities with a television, the method comprising: detecting an initiation of a television viewing session; detecting a termination of the television viewing session; monitoring user interactions with the television; filtering the user interactions into at least one interaction category; processing the user interactions in each of the at least one interaction categories in order to create at least one category profile for each associated interaction category, wherein each of the at least one category profiles identifies attributes about the user for that category of interaction; generating an interaction profile by combining all of the category profiles, wherein said monitoring, filtering, processing and generating are continually performed for the television viewing session in order to generate a session profile; generating a signature profile based on the session profile wherein said generating a signature profile includes correlating the session profile to a plurality of pre-existing signature profiles, determining if the session profile satisfies a correlation threshold with at least one of the pre-existing signature profiles, selecting the pre-existing signature profile having highest correlation value over the correlation threshold, and updating the selected pre-existing signature profile to include the session profile; comparing the updated signature profile to the plurality of pre-existing signature profiles to determine whether the updated signature profile exceeds a threshold correlation with at least one of the other pre-existing signature profiles; and combining the updated signature profile with a most correlated pre-existing viewing signature profile if the correlation threshold was exceeded.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
260 words
A method for profiling a plurality of identities of a television viewing audience based on the interactivity of the identities with a television, the method comprising: detecting an initiation of a television viewing session; detecting a termination of the television viewing session; monitoring user interactions with the television; filtering the user interactions into at least one interaction category; processing the user interactions in each of the at least one interaction categories in order to create at least one category profile for each associated interaction category, wherein each of the at least one category profiles identifies attributes about the user for that category of interaction; generating an interaction profile by combining all of the category profiles, wherein said monitoring, filtering, processing and generating are continually performed for the television viewing session in order to generate a session profile; generating a signature profile based on the session profile wherein said generating a signature profile includes correlating the session profile to a plurality of pre-existing signature profiles, determining if the session profile satisfies a correlation threshold with at least one of the pre-existing signature profiles, selecting the pre-existing signature profile having highest correlation value over the correlation threshold, and updating the selected pre-existing signature profile to include the session profile; comparing the updated signature profile to the plurality of pre-existing signature profiles to determine whether the updated signature profile exceeds a threshold correlation with at least one of the other pre-existing signature profiles; and combining the updated signature profile with a most correlated pre-existing viewing signature profile if the correlation threshold was exceeded.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one interaction category includes at least some subset of channels and volume levels.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said monitoring includes monitoring time associated with each of the user interactions; and said processing includes processing at least some subset of data from at least some subset of the at least one interaction category with respect to time in order to create at least one category profile.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one category profile includes at least some subset of channel viewing duration, channel dwell time, channel surf order, channel holding factor, channel volume level, channel selects, and channel change frequency.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the signature profile.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said updating includes updating the selected pre-existing signature profile by adding the session profile on a time weighted basis.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said updating is done at a predetermined time interval.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined time interval is an end of day part.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said updating is done once the viewing session has been terminated.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said comparing includes comparing at least a portion of the category profiles that make up the updated signature profile with corresponding portions of category profiles that make up the plurality of pre-existing signature profiles.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 10 , wherein said comparing at least a portion of the category profiles includes applying weighting factors to the category profiles.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said combining combines the updated viewing signature profile and the most correlated pre-existing signature profile on a time weighted basis.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the session profile satisfies a minimum session threshold; and discarding the session profile when the viewing session profile does not satisfy the minimum session threshold.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein the minimum session threshold is a minimum session duration.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 5 , further comprising ranking the pre-existing signature profiles based on viewing attributes, when total number of viewing signature profiles stored exceeds a pre-determined maximum number, and discarding lowest ranked pre-existing signature profile.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 15 , wherein the viewing attributes include at least a subset of total viewing duration and recency of signature profile modification.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one category profile is a viewing duration profile identifying various viewing duration attributes for the viewing session.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 17 , wherein the various viewing duration attributes include at least some subset of average viewing duration, viewing duration by day, viewing duration by day-part, channel viewing duration, source network viewing duration, program genre viewing duration, program category viewing duration, and program viewing duration.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one category profile is a channel change frequency profile identifying various channel change frequency attributes for the viewing session.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one category profile is a holding factor profile identifying various holding factor attributes for the viewing session.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one category profile is a dwell time profile identifying various dwell time factor attributes for the viewing session.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one category profile is a surf profile identifying various surfing attributes for the viewing session.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 22 , wherein the surf profile identifies attributes including at least some subset of network surfing, channel surfing, and EPG surfing.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one category profile is delineated by day or day-part.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one category profile is a probable demographic trait profile predicting various demographic attributes associated with users during the viewing session.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 25 , wherein the probable demographic trait profile identifies attributes including at least some subset of probable gender, probable age, probable education-level, probable income-level, and probable ethnicity.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the user interactions include at least a subset of channel changes, volume changes, record commands, EPG activation.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said detecting an initiation includes detecting a television power-on event as the initiation of the television viewing session.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said detecting an initiation includes detecting interactivity of the television viewing audience with the television as the initiation of the television viewing session.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said detecting an initiation includes detecting a predetermined event as the initiation of the television viewing session.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 30 , wherein the predetermined event is a day or day-part transition.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said detecting a termination includes detecting a television power-off event as the termination of the television viewing session.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said detecting a termination includes detecting inactivity of the television viewing audience with the television as the termination of the television viewing session.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said detecting a termination includes detecting a predetermined event as the termination of the television viewing session.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said detecting a termination includes detecting that a different identity is interacting with the television as the termination of the television viewing session.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 35 , wherein said detecting that a different identity is interacting with the television includes detecting when current interactions with the television deviate from the session profile generated to that point in the session.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 36 , wherein said detecting when current interactions with the television deviate from the session profile generated to that point includes comparing at least a portion of the category profiles that make up the current interactions with corresponding portions of category profiles that make up the session profile generated to that point.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 37 , wherein said comparing at least a portion of the category profiles includes applying weighting factors to the category profiles.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
81 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said detecting a termination includes iteratively correlating the session profile to a plurality of pre-existing signature profiles; matching the session profile to one of the plurality of pre-existing viewing signature profiles having the highest conelation if the correlation is above a predefined matching threshold; iteratively correlating the session proffle to the matched signature profile; and terminating the viewing session when the session profile deviates beyond a pre-determined termination threshold from the matched signature profile.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 39 , wherein said iteratively correlating the session profile to a plurality of pro-existing signature profiles includes correlating at least a portion of the category profiles that make up the session profile with corresponding portions of category profiles that make up the plurality of pre-existing signature profiles.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 40 , wherein said correlating at least a portion of the category profiles includes applying weighting factors to the category profiles.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 39 , wherein said iteratively correlating the session profile to the matched signature profile includes correlating at least a portion of the category profiles tat make up the session profile with corresponding portions of category profiles that make up the matched signature profile.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 42 , wherein said correlating at least a portion of the category profiles includes applying weighting factors to the category profiles.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving specific content for display on the television based on the session profile.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising correlating the session profile with advertisement profiles; and selecting an advertisement associated with highest correlation advertisement profile for display on the television.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 45 , wherein said correlating includes correlating at least a portion of the category profiles that make up the session profile with corresponding portions of advertisement profiles.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 46 , wherein said correlating at least a portion of the category profiles includes applying weighting factors to the category profiles.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising retrieving data associated with at least a subset of the user interactions, wherein said filtering includes filtering the user interactions into the at least one interaction category based at least in part on the associated data.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 48 , wherein the retrieved data includes at least some subset of programs, networks, program genre, and program categories associated with each channel selected during the session.
Claim 51
Independent Claim
278 words
A system for profiling a plurality of identities of a television viewing audience based on the interactivity of the identities with a television, the system comprising: means for detecting an initiation of a television viewing session; means for detecting a termination of the television viewing session; means for monitoring user interactions with the television; means for filtering the user interactions into at least one interaction category; means for processing the user interactions in each of the at least one interaction categories in order to create at least one category profile for each associated interaction category, wherein each of the at least one category profiles identifies attributes about the user for that category of interaction; means for generating an interaction profile by combining all of the category profiles, wherein said monitoring, filtering, processing and generating are continually performed for the television viewing session in order to generate a session profile; means for generating a signature profile based on the session profile wherein said generating a signature profile includes correlating the session profile to a plurality of pre-existing signature profiles, determining if the session profile satisfies a correlation threshold with at least one of the pre-existing signature profiles, selecting the pre-existing signature profile having highest correlation value over the correlation threshold, and updating the selected pre-existing signature profile to include the session profile; means for comparing the updated signature profile to the plurality of pre-existing signature profiles to determine whether the updated signature profile exceeds a threshold correlation with at least one of the other pre-existing signature profiles; and means for combining the updated signature profile with a most correlated pre-existing viewing signature profile if the correlation threshold was exceeded.
Claim 52
Independent Claim
278 words
A system for profiling a plurality of identities of a television viewing audience based on the interactivity of the identities with a television, the system comprising: means for detecting an initiation of a television viewing session; means for detecting a termination of the television viewing session; means for monitoring user interactions with the television; means for filtering the user interactions into at least one interaction category; means for processing the user interactions in each of the at least one interaction categories in order to create at least one category profile for each associated interaction category, wherein each of the at least one category profiles identifies attributes about the user for that category of interaction; means for generating an interaction profile by combining all of the category profiles, wherein said monitoring, filtering, processing and generating are continually performed for the television viewing session in order to generate a session profile; means for generating a signature profile based on the session profile wherein said generating a signature profile includes correlating the session profile to a plurality of pre-existing signature profiles, determining if the session profile satisfies a correlation threshold with at least one of the pre-existing signature profiles, selecting the pre-existing signature profile having highest correlation value over the correlation threshold, and updating the selected pre-existing signature profile to include the session profile; means for comparing the updated signature profile to the plurality of pre-existing signature profiles to determine whether the updated signature profile exceeds a threshold correlation with at least one of the other pre-existing signature profiles; and means for combining the updated signature profile with a most correlated pre-existing viewing signature profile if the correlation threshold was exceeded.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
57 words
The system of claim 50 , wherein said means for monitoring monitors time associated with each of the user interactions; and said means for processing processes at least some subset of data from at least some subset of the at least one interaction category with respect to time in order to create at least one category profile.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2010-08-20 | 2011-02-19 | 2011-08-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2014-08-20 | 2015-02-19 | 2015-08-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2018-08-20 | 2019-02-19 | 2019-08-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |