Custom electronic program guides
View Patent ↗Custom electronic program guides are disclosed. An example method includes collecting identifying information associated with media using at least one of a microphone or camera of a consumer electronics device, determining a characteristic of the consumer electronics device, the characteristic being at least one of a length of time during which the identifying information was collected, a percentage of the identifying information corresponding to a same program, or a geographic location at which the identifying information was collected, and determining, based on the characteristic, whether the collected identifying information is to be used in generating a custom electronic program guide for a user associated with the consumer electronics device.
1. A method comprising:
collecting identifying information associated with media exposure using at least one of a microphone, a camera, or an optical sensor of a first device associated with a user;
determining a geographic location at which the identifying information was collected during the media exposure;
comparing the geographic location with a designated geographic area;
in response to determining that the geographic location of the media exposure is within the designated geographic area, using the collected identifying information to generate a custom electronic program guide for the user associated with the first device; and
in response to determining that the geographic location of the media exposure is outside the designated geographic area, refraining from using the collected identifying information to at least one of generate or update the custom electronic program guide absent user authorization.
2. A method according to claim 1 , further including retrieving program information associated with the identifying information from a database and displaying the program information to the user.
3. A method according to claim 2 , further including prompting the user to authorize use of the identifying information to generate the custom electronic program guide.
4. A method according to claim 3 , further including generating the custom electronic program guide with program information associated with the identifying information.
5. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the user is prompted to authorize use of the identifying information when the geographic location is outside of the designated geographic area but is not prompted to authorize the use of the identifying information when the geographic location is within the designated geographic area.
6. A method according to claim 1 , further including cross-referencing the identifying information with program information stored in a database and generating the custom electronic program guide to include the program information.
7. A method according to claim 1 , further including comparing a length of time during which the identifying information was collected to a time period threshold stored in a database to determine whether the identifying information is to be used to generate the custom electronic program guide.
8. A method according to claim 1 , further including displaying program information on a user interface associated with the first device, the program information including at least one of a program name, channel information, character information, timing information, or program description information.
9. A method according to claim 2 , further including:
displaying user appointment information associated with a user of the first device in a calendar view of the custom electronic program guide; and
displaying the program information in the calendar view to indicate timing conflicts between one or more user appointments associated with the appointment information and one or more programs associated with the program information.
10. A method according to claim 1 , further including instructing a second device in communication with the first device to present a program associated with the identifying information when the program is selected by a user on the first device.
11. A first device comprising:
a collector to collect identifying information associated with media exposure presented on a second device;
a monitor to determine a geographic location at which the identifying information was collected during the media exposure; and
a selector to determine that the collected identifying information is to be used in generating a custom electronic program guide when the geographic location is in a designated geographic area and to determine that the collected identifying information is not to be used in generating the custom electronic program guide when the geographic location is outside of the designated geographic area.
12. A first device according to claim 11 , further including a program guide generator to generate the custom electronic program guide with program information associated with the identifying information when the selector determines that the collected identifying information is to be used in generating the custom electronic program guide.
13. A first device according to claim 11 , further including a user interface and a controller to prompt the user via the user interface to authorize use of the identifying information in generating the custom electronic program guide.
14. A first device according to claim 11 , further including:
a controller to cross-reference the identifying information with program information stored in a database; and
a program guide generator to generate the custom electronic program guide to include the program information.
15. A first device according to claim 11 , wherein the database is located in at least one of the first device or a central facility.
16. A first device according to claim 11 , further including a graphical user interface to display user appointment information associated with a user of the first device in a calendar view of the custom electronic program guide and to display the program information in the calendar view to indicate timing conflicts between one or more user appointments associated with the appointment information and one or more programs associated with the program information.
17. A first device according to claim 11 , further including a controller to instruct the second device in communication with the first device to present a program associated with the identifying information on the second device when the program is selected by a user on the first device.
18. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a first device to at least:
collect identifying information associated with media exposure;
determine a geographic location at which the identifying information was collected during the media exposure;
compare the geographic location with a designated geographic area;
generate a custom electronic program guide for a user associated with the first device based on the collected identifying information when the geographic area is located within the designated geographic area; and
refrain from updating the custom electronic program guide based on the collected identifying information when the geographic location is located outside the designated geographic area.
19. A storage medium according to claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the first device to prompt the user to authorize use of the identifying information to generate the custom electronic program guide.
20. A storage medium according to claim 19 , wherein the instructions further cause the first device to generate the custom electronic program guide with program information associated with the identifying information.
21. A storage medium according to claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the first device to cross-reference the identifying information with program information stored in a database and to generate the custom electronic program guide to include the program information.
22. A storage medium according to claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the first device to compare:
a length of time during which the identifying information was collected to a time period threshold stored in a database to determine whether the identified program is to be included in the custom electronic program guide.
23. A storage medium according to claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the first device to display user appointment information associated with a user of the first device in a calendar view of the custom electronic program guide and to display the program information in the calendar view to indicate timing conflicts between one or more user appointments associated with the appointment information and one or more programs associated with the program information.
24. A storage medium according to claim 23 , wherein the instructions further cause the first device to instruct a second device to record the program when a timing conflict exists.
25. A storage medium according to claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the first device to instruct a second device to present a program associated with the identifying information when the program is selected by a user on the first device.
26. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the program information is at least one of a program name, a program description, a program schedule, or a list of similar programs.
27. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the database is located in at least one of the first device or a central facility.
28. A method according to claim 9 , further including recording the one or more programs when a timing conflict exists.
29. A first device according to claim 13 , wherein the controller is to retrieve program information associated with the identifying information from a database and to display the program information to a user via the user interface.
30. A first device according to claim 13 , wherein the controller is to prompt a user to authorize use of the identifying information when the geographic location is outside of the designated geographic area.
31. A first device according to claim 14 , wherein the program information is at least one of a program name, a program description, a program schedule, or a list of similar programs.
32. A first device according to claim 11 , wherein the selector is to further compare a length of time during which the identifying information was collected to a time period threshold stored in a database to determine whether the collected identifying information is to be used in generating the custom electronic program guide.
33. A first device according to claim 11 , further including a user interface to display program information while the collector collects the identifying information, the program information including at least one of a program name, channel information, character information, timing information, or program description information.
34. A first device according to claim 16 , further including a controller to instruct a media presentation device to record the one or more programs when a timing conflict exists.
35. A storage medium according to claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the first device to retrieve program information associated with the identifying information from a database and display the program information to the user.
36. A storage medium according to claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the first device to prompt the user to authorize use of the identifying information to generate the custom electronic program guide when the geographic location is outside of a designated geographic area, and to not prompt the user to authorize the use of the identifying information to generate the custom electronic program guide when the geographic location is within the designated geographic area.
37. A storage medium according to claim 35 , wherein the program information is at least one of a program name, a program description, a program schedule, or program information of similar programs.
38. A storage medium according to claim 35 , wherein the database is located in at least one of the first device or a central facility.
39. A storage medium according to claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the first device to display program information on a user interface associated with the first device, the program information including at least one of a program name, channel information, character information, timing information, or program description information.