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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to multichannel television systems, which are
typically cable TV networks, and addresses the problem of utilizing their
new channel capacity. It is evident that browsing TV channels and reading
a guide magazine become inefficient with 800 or so channels and in order
to efficiently utilize the new capacity a new medium is required. This
invention presents such a medium, an automated personal programming system
that incorporates TV set, VCR and computer to provide each customer with a
virtual personal channel that delivers programs of the most personal
interest at the most convenient time.
At the network headend the medium is supported by a data processing and
transmitting system that stores descriptive and time-channel data on
scheduled TV programs, and transmits the data through the network prior to
the programs. At the customer end the preview data is processed by a
computer that is a part of customer terminal. The computer stores a
customer profile data representing customer iterests and preferences. It
evaluates each program to be transmitted in respect to the customer
profile, makes a choice and if the terminal is switched to an automatic
mode, provides a real time control of channel selector, TV set and VCR to
deliver a selected program to the customer.
The automated personal programming can be used for both conventional
one-way TV services and new two-way or interactive services such as pay
per view, video on demand and teleshopping. The system passes time and
stress of choice to computer and what is even more important, it is able
to read and analyze much more information on available programs, products
and services and as a result to make a better choice individually
providing each customer with the most enjoyable entertainment and the most
relevant information while protecting from everything which is going to be
boring, anoying, useless or unacceptable for any reason.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide cable TV
subscribers with automated channel control service implemented by means of
transmitting data on scheduled TV programs prior to the programs and
processing the data in a computerized customer terminal that selects
programs evaluating their descriptive data in respect to a customer
profile and uses time and channel data to switch the channel selector to a
proper channel at a proper time in order to keep the video receiver set
for reception of selected programs.
Another object is a similar system for automated recording. The system
compares transmitted descriptive preview data with customer profile data
to make a best choice among programs to be transmited on all available
channels 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Then it uses time and channel
data of selected program to switch the channel selector to the specified
channel, turn on VCR and set it into recording mode in the beginning of
the program, and stop recording, rewind the tape and turn off power at the
end of the program.
A further object of the invention is a compressed personal guide system
which selects and presents information on scheduled programs of the most
interest for the customer. At the network headend the service is supported
by a multimedia system that stores and-transmits formatted data intended
for computer analysis along with unformatted information, such as text,
sound, still and moving picture intended for customer attention. At the
customer end, the formatted data is evaluated in respect to the customer
profile to make first, second, third and so on choices. Then activated by
a customer request the system uses TV set as a computer video monitor to
present multimedia information on chosen programs.
The compressed personal guide combined with the automatic channel selection
or the automatic recording facilitates customer control in the automated
environment supplying customer with information on chosen programs and
providing means to replace the first, intended for fulfillment choice by
one of other choices. The combination of the guide, the automatic channel
selection, and the automatic recording, implements a virtual personal
channel system which, when activated, keeps customer terminal permanently
set for delivering the best program selected from a plurality of currently
transmitted and previously recorded programs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a TV network with automated personal
programming;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computerized video terminal providing
compressed personal guide, automatic channel selection and automatic
recording.
FIG. 3 shows the main pannel of automated programming system on TV screen;
FIG. 4 shows an example of personal channel pannel;
FIG. 5 shows an example of pannel in profile development session.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERED EMBODIMENTS
The automated personal programming can be implemented in any multichannel
TV system and it is really not important how many channels the system
exploits because only one and may be not full time additional channel is
required for preview data transmission. The system central part or headend
10 is connected to a data processing center 12 where information on TV
programs and services such as movies, shows, news is stored in a
multimedia database (FIG. 1). The information includes both formatted data
intended for computer analysis and unformatted presentations intended for
customer attention. The presentations comprise text, voice, still picture
and short fragments of TV programs. The formatted data is organized in a
special way so that it could be processed by a computer program in a
computerized video terminals (CVT) 14 connected to the network at the
customer end.
When a TV program is scheduled for transmission its descriptive information
is retrieved from the database, suplemented with data on transmission time
and channel and transmitted through the network prior to the program. In
customer terminals the preview data of each program is evaluated in
respect to customer profile and as a result, each terminal makes its own
choice before the scheduled TV programs are transmitted. The customer
profile is developed in an interactive session, which will be described
hereinafter, and privately stored in the personal system thus inaccessible
from any other point of the network including headend.
FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a computerized video terminal. It includes
a conventional video receiver (TV set) 22 and a conventional video
recorder (VCR) 24 connected to the network through a conventional channel
selector (cable box) 26. A computer 28 is connected to the network through
a modem 30 and a channel selector 32 set to a channel used in the network
for previewing data transmission. To output signals representing
multimedia information the computer is connected to the video receiver
through a video interface 34, a device widely used in video game
technology. This connection is implemented using the antenna input of the
video receiver or the video signal input, if available, and therefore does
not require any change to existing TV sets.
A control interface device 36 converts the computer output signals into
remote control signals directed to the channel selector and the video
recorder. While every video receiver has its own channel selector, it may
be connected to the network through the channel selector of a video
recorder or a cable box. All those channel selectors have remote control
circuits and whether a customer video terminal consists of a TV set alone
or a TV set coupled with a VCR and/or a cable box, the computer can switch
channels with the control interface 36 without any wiring and any change
to existing TV sets, VCRs and cable boxes. The same is true for VCR
control: the remote control 36 handled by computer turns power on and off,
starts and stops recording, rewinds and plays the tape in the same way as
a conventional manual remote control does. Therefore in such an
implementation the additional equipment necessary for personal programming
is autonomous and compatible with existing TV sets, VCRs and cable boxes.
The equipment can be added to existing home entertainment centers to
provide subscribers with automated channel control, automated recording
and compressed personal guide.
Customer input to the system is provided through a manual remote control
device 38 similar to those of TV set, VCR and cable box, and an interface
device 40 that converts infrared signals of the remote control into
signals processed by the computer. When a button ON is pressed on the
remote control, the video receiver 22, the video recorder 24 and the
channel selector 26 are set under computer control while pressing a button
OFF returns the video terminal to its conventional mode. Under computer
control the video receiver shows the main pannel of the personal
programming system (FIG. 3). If customer selects personal channel option
(pressing the button 4 on the remote control) he or she will see a
personal channel pannel (FIG. 4) that shows first, second and so on
choices made by computer in respect to the customer profile. Now pressing
* invokes automatic personal channel mode in wich a TV program of the
first choice will be on the screen. However, as the pannel explains,
before starting the mode the customer can get information on the choices
presented and replace the first choice by other one. The multimedia
information combines text, voice, still picture and short fragments of the
chosen TV programs--like any conventional preview presentation. The
difference is that the presentation is individually selected for each
customer, stored in computer and presented on request.
The personal channel option, when invoked, keeps the whole video terminal
set for presenting a best program selected from a plurality of currently
transmitted and previously recorded programs. The channel control (option
2 on main pannel) does the same but ignores VCR while auto recording
(option 3) is dedicated to VCR control only. The auto recording pannel
shows what has been chosen for recording among programs to be transmitted
during the week, explains how to get information on chosen programs and
replace a program of the first choice by one of other choices.
Personal guide (option 1) pannel looks like one on FIG. 4 however it
presents not only choices made on currently transmitted and previously
recorded programs but also on future programming. Customer can browse his
personal guide, get short and extended information on selected programs
and make correction changing choices intended for fulfillment. All pannels
are provided with a help facility: pressing ? on manual remote control
brings explanation what is the pannel for and what different options on
the pannel exactly mean.
The personal programming system does not work without customer profile.
Therefore the first thing to be done after the system installation is
selection of the option 5 from the main menu (FIG. 3) to start a profile
development session. During the session the computer presents a sequence
of questions and multiple choice of numbered answers like those on FIG. 5.
Pressing a number of his choice on the manual remote control the customer
provides computer with information that will be used for evaluation of TV
programs. If customer is uncertain about a question and/or how a
particular answer will be used in the evaluation process he can press ? to
get explanation. The other option is to skip the question. Once selected
answer will be highlighted on the screen for future profile correction
which can be made at any time. There are two types of questions in the
session: direct that target particular aspects of TV programs such as
violence and adult language, and indirect that collect personal data such
as age, education, ethnic origin and zip code in order to use results of
demographic research in the profile development. To make the session
shorter and to adjust it to customer, following questions may differ
depending on previous customer responses.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and
described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood
that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details
of the devices illustrated and their operation can be made by those
skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.
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