May 24th, 2007
Auto-generated tv favorites list described in Microsoft Patent app
Technology for automatically establishing and maintaining a television favorites list is described in a newly published Microsoft Patent application entitled Automatically generated tv favorites list.
The technology is extremely sophisticated in terms of its measuring points.
Here’s the Abstract:
A favorite channel list for a media system is generated by observing the viewing, surfing, and recording habits of a user. The viewing habits may include the duration and frequency of viewing a channel. A user’s surfing habits, including navigation habits of a guide, the method used for navigation to a channel, and information queries made during a surfing session may be used to determine which channels may be added to a favorites list.
When the user has an ability to record a program and view the program later, the user’s behavior in selecting programs for recording, and the behaviors of playing back and archiving recorded shows may also be used to identify favorite channels. In some embodiments, the favorites list may be customized for a user or node of a playback system, as well as time of day.
As to the medium in which this information would be stored, Microsoft says:
The invention may be embodied as devices, systems, methods, and/or computer program products. Accordingly, some or all of the invention may be embodied in hardware and/or in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, state machines, gate arrays, etc.)
Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium having computer-usable or computer-readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system. In the context of this document, a computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
The computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium.
By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media.
And now, wouldn’t you like to see a list of criteria for compising this tv favorites list?
Just so happens Figure 2 from this Patent Application depicts these criteria in equisitely diagrammed detail:
I never think about all this stuff when I watch tv.
Do you?
Russell Shaw is an enterprise computing journalist, analyst and author based in Portland, Oregon. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
