CLIENT-SERVER ELECTRONIC PROGRAM GUIDE
A client-server interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide client is implemented on user television equipment. The interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to define expressions that are processed by the program guide server. The program guide server may provide program guide data, schedules reminders, schedules program recordings, and parentally locks programs based on the expressions. Users' viewing histories may be tracked. The program guide server may analyze the viewing histories and generates viewing recommendations, targets advertising, and collects program ratings information based on the viewing histories.
1 . (canceled)
2 . A method for use in a client-server interactive media guide system having a media guide server and an interactive media guide client running on user equipment, the method comprising:
receiving at the media guide server from the user equipment, user preferences defined using the interactive media guide client accessed with the user equipment, wherein the user preferences include a designated level of like or dislike for each of a plurality of preference attributes;
processing the user preferences received with the media guide server to find individualized media guide data based on the user preferences; and
transmitting the individualized media guide data from the media guide server to the media guide client according to the user preferences.
3 . The method defined in claim 2 , wherein receiving the user preferences comprises:
receiving a user selection of a first identifier; and
in response to receiving the user selection of the first identifier, generating a display of a first plurality of preference attributes associated with the first identity, wherein the user designates a level of like or dislike for each of the first plurality of preference attributes of the generated display.
4 . The method defined in claim 3 further comprising:
receiving a user selection of a second identifier; and
in response to receiving the user selection of the second identifier, generating a display of a second plurality of preference attributes associated with the second identity, wherein the user designates a level of like or dislike for each of the second plurality of preference attributes of the generated display.
5 . The method defined in claim 3 , wherein the first identifier identifies a type of a preference attribute, wherein the type of preference attribute is a series, genre, channel, actor, or rating.
6 . The method defined in claim 2 , wherein each preference attribute is associated with a plurality of programs.
7 . The method defined in claim 2 further comprising:
generating a viewing recommendation based on the user preferences with the media guide server; and
generating a display of the viewing recommendation with the interactive media guide client on the user equipment.
8 . The method defined in claim 2 further comprising transmitting software from the media guide server to the media guide client according to the user preferences.
9 . The method defined in claim 2 further comprising transmitting Internet links from the media guide server to the media guide client according to the user preferences.
10 . A client-server interactive media guide system having a media guide server comprising first processing circuitry and an interactive media guide client running on user equipment comprising second processing circuitry, wherein:
the first processing circuitry is configured to:
receive from the user equipment, user preferences defined using the interactive media guide client accessed with the user equipment, wherein the user preferences include a designated level of like or dislike for each of a plurality of preference attributes;
receive the user preferences at the media guide server from the media guide client;
process the user preferences received with the media guide server to find individualized media guide data based on the user preferences; and
transmit the individualized media guide data from the media guide server to the media guide client according to the user preferences.
11 . The system defined in claim 10 , wherein the first processing circuitry is further configured to:
receive a user selection of a first identifier; and
in response to receiving the user selection of the first identifier, generate a display of a first plurality of preference attributes associated with the first identifier, wherein the user designates a level of like or dislike for each of the first plurality of preference attributes of the generated display.
12 . The system defined in claim 11 , wherein the first processing circuitry is further configured to:
receive a user selection of a second identifier; and
in response to receiving the user selection of the second identifier, generate a display of a second plurality of preference attributes associated with the second identifier, wherein the user designated a level of like or dislike for each of the second plurality of preference attributes of the generated display.
13 . The system defined in claim 11 , wherein the first identifier identifies a type of preference attribute, wherein the type of preference attribute is a series, genre, channel, actor, or rating.
14 . The system defined in claim 10 , wherein each preference attribute is associated with a plurality of programs.
15 . The system defined in claim 10 , wherein the first processing circuitry is further configured to:
generate a viewing recommendation based on the user preferences with the media guide server; and
generate a display of the viewing recommendation with the interactive media guide client on the user equipment.
16 . The system defined in claim 10 , wherein the first processing circuitry is further configured to:
transmit software from the media guide server to the media guide client according to the user preferences.
17 . The system defined in claim 10 , wherein the first processing circuitry is further configured to:
transmit Internet links from the media guide server to the media guide client according to the user preferences.
18 . A method for use in a client-server interactive media guide system having a media guide server and an interactive media guide client running on user equipment, the method comprising:
receiving at the media guide server from the user equipment, user preferences defined using the interactive media guide client accessed with the user equipment, wherein the user preferences include a designated level of like or dislike for each of a plurality of preference attributes;
processing the user preferences received with the media guide server to find individualized media guide data based on the user preferences; and
automatically directing the media guide client to schedule a recording based on the individualized media guide data.
19 . The method defined in claim 18 , wherein each preference attribute is associated with a plurality of programs.
20 . The method defined in claim 18 , wherein each user preference includes a plurality of preference attribute types having a plurality of the preference attributes.
21 . A client-server interactive media guide system having a media guide server comprising first processing circuitry and an interactive media guide client running on user equipment comprising second processing circuitry, wherein:
the first processing circuitry is configured to:
receive from the user equipment, user preferences defined using the interactive media guide client accessed with the user equipment, wherein the user preferences include a designated level of like or dislike for each of a plurality of preference attributes;
receive the user preferences at the media guide server from the media guide client;
process the user preferences received with the media guide server to find individualized media guide data based on the user preferences; and
automatically direct the media guide client to schedule a recording based on the individualized media guide data.
22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein each preference attribute is associated with a plurality of programs.
23 . The system of claim 21 , wherein each user preference includes a plurality of preference attribute types having a plurality of the preference attributes.
24 . A method for use in a client-server interactive media guide system for scheduling programs for recording according to user defined expressions and providing a customized viewing experience to a user based on the scheduled programs, comprising:
providing a user with an opportunity to define an expression with an interactive media guide client implemented on user equipment;
storing the expression on a media guide server;
processing the expression with the media guide server to find programs that satisfy the expression; and
automatically scheduling with the media guide server the programs that satisfy the expression for recording.
25 . The method defined in claim 24 wherein scheduling with the media guide server the programs that satisfy the expression for recording comprises scheduling the recording of the programs that satisfy the expression at the user equipment.
26 . The method defined in claim 24 wherein scheduling with the media guide server the programs that satisfy the expression for recording comprises scheduling the recording of the programs that satisfy the expression at the media guide server.
27 . A client-server interactive media guide system for scheduling programs for recording according to user defined expressions and providing a customized viewing experience to a user based on the scheduled programs, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to:
provide a user with an opportunity to define an expression with an interactive media guide client implemented on user equipment;
store the expression on a media guide server;
process the expression with the media guide server to find programs that satisfy the expression; and
automatically schedule with the media guide server the programs that satisfy the expression for recording.
28 . The system of claim 27 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
schedule the recording of the programs that satisfy the expression at the user equipment.
29 . The system of claim 27 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
schedule the recording of the programs that satisfy the expression at the media guide server.