Assisted User Control in Recommenders
A method and arrangement for modifying settings of a television program recommender ( 200 ) displays the rating (recommended or not recommended) for a selected television program, and also displays profile parameters of the user in a bar graph-type display in which the value of the profile parameters in each of a plurality of categories are shown as the positions of profile parameter icons ( 302 - 308 ), while the television program recommender further shows icons ( 312 - 318 ) representing threshold levels in each category above which the selected television program would be recommended. The user is enabled to change the values of the profile parameters in at least one of the categories by moving the relevant profile parameter icon ( 302 - 308 ) such that, for example, it reaches, or passes, the respective threshold level icon ( 312 - 318 ). The television program recommender ( 200 ) then recalculates the rating and the threshold levels to correspond with the desires of the user. As such, the user is able to modify the profile parameters of the television program recommender ( 200 ) such that it recommends, or does not recommend, programs in accordance with the desires of the user.
1 . A method for controlling a program recommender ( 200 ), comprising the steps of:
generating ( 402 ) and storing ( 404 ) profile parameters in various categories concerning a user's likes and dislikes in programming;
calculating ( 408 ) a rating for a selected program based on said profile parameters in said various categories;
determining ( 408 ) whether or not said selected program is recommended;
calculating a threshold score ( 410 ) in each of said various categories above which said selected program would be recommended;
displaying ( 412 ) whether or not said selected program is recommended, said profile parameters and said threshold scores;
enabling said user to adjust at least one of said profile parameters ( 414 ) with respect to a respective at least one of said threshold scores in order to change whether said selected program and other similar programs are or are not recommended; and
recalculating said rating ( 408 ) and said threshold scores ( 410 ) in accordance with said at least one adjusted profile parameter.
2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said profile parameters and said threshold scores are displayed as respective icons ( 302 - 308 , 312 - 318 ) on a bar chart-type graph.
3 . The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein profile parameter icons ( 302 - 308 ) are moveable by said user, the movement of the profile parameter icons ( 302 - 308 ) representing new values for each of said profile parameters ( 302 - 308 ).
4 . An arrangement for controlling a program recommender, comprising:
means for generating ( 202 ) and storing profile parameters in various categories concerning a user's likes and dislikes in programming;
means for calculating ( 202 ) a rating for a selected program based on said profile parameter in each of said various categories;
means for determining ( 202 ) whether or not said selected program is recommended;
means for calculating ( 202 ) a threshold score in each of said various categories above which said selected program would be recommended;
means for displaying ( 200 , 180 , 190 , 160 ) whether or not said selected program is recommended, said profile parameters and said threshold scores;
means for enabling ( 170 , 200 , 180 , 190 , 160 ) said user to adjust at least one of said profile parameters with respect to a respective at least one of said threshold scores in order to change whether said selected program and other similar programs are or are not recommended; and
means for recalculating ( 202 ) said rating and said threshold scores in accordance with said at least one adjusted profile parameter.
5 . The arrangement as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said displaying means ( 200 , 180 , 190 , 160 ) displays said profile parameters and said threshold scores as respective icons ( 302 - 308 , 312 - 318 ) on a bar chart-type graph.
6 . The arrangement as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said arrangement further comprises means for moving ( 170 ) said profile parameter icons ( 302 - 308 ) by said user, the movement of the profile parameter icons ( 302 - 308 ) representing new values for the profile parameters for said profile parameter icons ( 302 - 308 ).