Patent ID: 8943537
Filing Date: 2015-01-27
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A program navigation method, the method comprising: providing a plurality of set top boxes coupled to a service provider, each set top box providing an electronic program guide (EPG); obtaining, at each set top box of the plurality of set top boxes, identification of a set top box user, characteristic information associated with the identified user and viewing history information associated with the identified user; storing, at each set top box of the plurality of set top boxes coupled to the service provider, the obtained user identification, characteristic information and viewing history to create a user profile associated with each set top box coupled to the service provider; periodically uploading user profiles from each set top box of the plurality of set top boxes coupled to the service provider; aggregating all uploaded user profiles from the plurality of set top boxes in a database; invoking a group recommendation feature in the EPG of each set top box of the plurality of set top boxes; in response to the invocation of the group recommendation feature, providing the service provider a group identity for identifying a user defined group associated with the users of the plurality of set top boxes, the user defined group allowing each of the users of the plurality of set top boxes to actively select to be included in or excluded from the user defined group; utilizing programming preferences of each user profile aggregated for the user defined group to determine a group profile for the user defined group of the plurality of set top boxes; comparing, at a recommendation engine at the service provider, the user profile of a requesting user of one set top box associated with the user defined group to the determined group profile of the user defined group of the plurality of set top boxes to determine programming recommendations for the requesting user of the one set top box in conformance with the group profile of the user defined group of the plurality of set top boxes; adapting the EPG of the one set top box of the requesting user in response to the determined program recommendations, thereby enabling the requesting user of the one set top box to locate and link to one or more of the determined program recommendations; and delivering the adapted EPG from the recommendation engine at the service provider to the one set top box of the requesting user associated with the user defined group of the plurality of set top boxes, wherein the adapted EPG by using a highlighted cell movement function is able to skip over unselected rows or columns so that the user can quickly navigate to a positively selected list of recommended programs.