Granted Patent B2

US 8,181,201 · App. 11/989,560 · Granted May 15, 2012

Abstract

Claims (58)

1. A method for rating programs at a broadcast headend, the method comprising:

receiving a sample of viewing logs from a plurality of set top boxes (STBs), the viewing logs comprising:

implicit ratings comprising a fraction of time one program was watched by at least one viewer associated with a viewing log compared to the total length of the one program;

explicit ratings comprising a rating provided directly by the at least one viewer associated with the viewing log; and

confidence parameters comprising a weighting factor applied to the implicit rating, said confidence parameters comprising:

assigning a level of confidence in viewer presence to be 100% each time any type of signaling activity directed to the set top box is detected; and

smoothly decreasing the level of confidence in viewer presence over time;

determining, at the broadcast headend from the sample of viewing logs, at least:

groups of viewers sharing similar interests; and

groups of programs sharing similar audience;

computing time dynamics of rating distribution for the groups of viewers and the groups of programs; and

incorporating at least one of the following into broadcast metadata:

the time dynamics of rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs;

rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs marginalized by time;

rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each program marginalized by time;

relative sizes of each group of viewers; and

a mapping of each program to groups of programs,

thereby making the broadcast metadata available to the plurality of STBs for use in computing ratings.

2. The method according to claim 1 and wherein a result of the computing is broadcast to the plurality of STBs.

3. The method according to claim 1 and wherein a result of the incorporating the time dynamics of rating distributions is broadcast to the plurality of STBs.

4. The method according to claim 1 and wherein a result of the incorporating the marginal distributions is broadcast to the plurality of STBs.

5. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the groups of viewers and groups of programs are determined using a bi-clustering method.

6. A system for rating programs, the system comprising:

a viewing log receiver operative to receive a sample of viewing logs from a plurality of set top boxes (STBs), the viewing logs comprising:

implicit ratings comprising a fraction of time one program was watched by at least one viewer associated with a viewing log compared to the total length of the one program;

explicit ratings comprising a rating provided directly by the at least one viewer associated with the viewing log; and

confidence parameters comprising a weighting factor applied to the implicit rating, said confidence parameters comprising:

assigning a level of confidence in viewer presence to be 100% each time any type of signaling activity directed to the set top box is detected; and

smoothly decreasing the level of confidence in viewer presence over time;

a determining apparatus which determines, from the sample of viewing logs, at least:

groups of viewers sharing similar interests; and

groups of programs sharing similar audience;

a processor operative to compute time dynamics of rating distribution for the groups of viewers and the groups of programs; and

a broadcast metadata providing unit operative to incorporate at least one of the following into broadcast metadata:

the time dynamics of rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs;

rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs marginalized by time;

rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each program marginalized by time;

relative sizes of each group of viewers; and

a mapping of each program to groups of programs,

thereby making the broadcast metadata available to the plurality of STBs for use in computing ratings.

7. A system for rating programs, the system comprising:

viewing log receiving means operative to receive a sample of viewing logs from a plurality of set top boxes (STBs), the viewing logs comprising:

implicit ratings comprising a fraction of time one program was watched by at least one viewer associated with a viewing log compared to the total length of the one program;

explicit ratings comprising a rating provided directly by the at least one viewer associated with the viewing log; and

confidence parameters comprising a weighting factor applied to the implicit rating, said confidence parameters comprising:

assigning a level of confidence in viewer presence to be 100% each time any type of signaling activity directed to the set top box is detected; and

smoothly decreasing the level of confidence in viewer presence over time;

determining means for determining, from the sample of viewing logs, at least:

groups of viewers sharing similar interests; and

groups of programs sharing similar audience;

processing means for computing time dynamics of rating distribution for the groups of viewers and the groups of programs; and

broadcast metadata providing means for incorporating at least one of the following into broadcast metadata:

the time dynamics of rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs;

rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each of the groups of programs marginalized by time;

rating distributions of the groups of viewers for each program marginalized by time;

relative sizes of each group of viewers; and

a mapping of each program to groups of programs,

thereby making the broadcast metadata available to the plurality of STBs for use in computing ratings.

Assignments (9)