Television system with aided user program searching
View Patent ↗A system having an adaptive browse feature and an adaptive flip feature is provided. The adaptative browse and flip features may be selected to receive program viewing suggestions. The system may provide a suggestion by displaying an adaptive browse region or adaptative flip region including a program suggestion. The system identifies programs to suggest based on a user=s viewing activity. The system uses different algorithms that are user-selectable and user-adjustable to identify program suggestions. The system may query a program guide database to build a list of programs having attributes similar to the attributes of the current program or the last viewed program. The system may use an adaptive learning algorithm such as a neural network. The neural network may be trained by the program guide by monitoring user-viewing activity. Each algorithm may be personalized for multiple users.
1. A method for recommending television programming to a user, comprising:
monitoring, using a processor within user television equipment, which television programming is being viewed by the user;
automatically identifying, using the processor, a currently viewed program based on the monitoring, wherein the currently viewed program has a plurality of program attributes each included within a respective attribute category;
determining that a user has selected an attribute category of actor as a criterion for recommending programs;
automatically identifying an actor who performs in the currently viewed program responsive to determining that the user has selected the attribute category of actor as a criterion for recommending programs; and
recommending using the processor, another program having an actor that matches the identified actor of the currently viewed program.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically identifying a currently viewed program based on the monitoring comprises determining that the currently viewed program has been viewed by the user for a substantial portion of the program's length.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing the user to set a minimum viewing duration, wherein automatically identifying a currently viewed program based on the monitoring comprises determining that the currently viewed program has been viewed by the user for at least the minimum viewing duration.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the user has selected at least one attribute category of program title, program duration, program genre, program channel, scheduled program duration, program rating, and program content rating as a criterion for recommending programs.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-selected attribute category is associated with a weight, and wherein recommending another program comprises identifying another program having one or more program attributes that best match the program attributes of the currently viewed program determined to be included within user-selected attribute category based on the weight.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising allowing the user to assign the weight associated with the user-selected attribute category.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein recommending another program further comprises:
training a neural network using as training stimuli at least the program attributes of the currently viewed program determined to be included within the user-selected attribute category; and
applying program attributes associated with available programs to the trained neural network to recommend the other program.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
determining a time of viewing associated with the currently viewed program; and
determining a length of viewing associated with the currently viewed program;
wherein the training stimuli includes the determined time of viewing and the determined length of viewing.
9. The method of claim 7 further comprising ignoring selected program types in training the neural network.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein recommending another program comprises building a list of program listings from a program listings database stored at the user television equipment.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving an indication from the user, using an input device at the user television equipment, to change channels from a current channel in a given direction; and
in response to the indication to change channels, tuning to an adjacent channel nearest the current channel in the given direction that is associated with the identified program using an adaptive flip feature.
12. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a program listing corresponding to the recommended program.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising displaying the program listing in an overlay over the currently viewed program.
14. The method of claim 12 further comprising displaying the program listing in an overlay over the currently viewed program using an adaptive browse feature.
15. A system for recommending television programming to a user comprising user television equipment, wherein the user television equipment is configured to:
monitor which television programming is being viewed by the user;
automatically identify a currently viewed program based on the monitoring, wherein the currently viewed program has a plurality of program attributes each included within a respective attribute category;
determine that a user has selected an attribute category of actor as a criterion for recommending programs;
automatically identify an actor who performs in the currently viewed program responsive to determining that the user has selected the attribute category of actor as a criterion for recommending programs; and
recommend another program having an actor that matches the identified actor of the currently viewed program.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the user television equipment is further configured to determine that the currently viewed program has been viewed by the user for a substantial portion of the program's length.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the user television equipment is further configured to:
allow the user to set a minimum viewing duration, and
determine that the currently viewed program has been viewed by the user for the minimum viewing duration.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the user television equipment is further configured to determine whether the user has selected at least one attribute category of program title, program duration, program genre, program channel, scheduled program duration, program rating, and program content rating as a criterion for recommending programs.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the user-selected attribute category is associated with a weight, and wherein the user television equipment is further configured to recommend another program having one or more program attributes that best match the program attributes of the currently viewed program determined to be included within the user-selected attribute category based on the weight.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the user television equipment is further configured to allow the user to assign the weight associated with the user-selected attribute category.
21. The system of claim 15 , wherein the user television equipment is further configured to:
train a neural network using as training stimuli at least the program attributes of the currently viewed program determined to be included within the user-selected attribute category; and
apply program attributes associated with available programs to the trained neural network to recommend the other program.
22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the user television equipment is further configured to:
determine a time of viewing associated with the currently viewed program; and
determine a length of viewing associated with the currently viewed;
wherein the training stimuli includes the determined time of viewing and the determined length of viewing.
23. The system of claim 21 , wherein the user television equipment is further configured to ignore selected program types in training the neural network.
24. The system of claim 15 , wherein the user television equipment is further configured to recommend another program by building a list of program listings from a program listings database stored at the user television equipment.
25. The system of claim 15 , wherein the user television equipment is further configured to:
receive an indication from the user to change channels from a current channel in a given direction; and
in response to the indication to change channels, tune to an adjacent channel nearest the current channel in the given direction that is associated with the identified program using an adaptive flip feature.
26. The system of claim 15 , wherein the user television equipment is further configured to display a program listing corresponding to the recommended program.
27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the user television equipment is further configured to display the program listing in an overlay over the currently viewed program.
28. The system of claim 26 , wherein the user television equipment is further configured to display the program listing in an overlay over the currently viewed program using an adaptive browse feature.