Patent ID: 8001561
Filing Date: 2011-08-16
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A consumer media device suitable for playing, recording, or controlling the playing or recording of video content, the consumer media device is one selected from a group consisting of a television, a VCR (video cassette recorder), a PVR (personal video recorder), a DVR (digital video recorder), an AV (audio/video) controller, a mobile multimedia player, a cable box, and a set top box, comprising: a usage logger that automatically records selected user inputs to the consumer media device that are associated with at least one of playing and recording video content; a rating engine that has a set of rating rules, the rating engine being arranged to apply the set of rating rules to automatically, without user interaction, generate content ratings associated with video content processed by the consumer media device based upon (1) the user inputs detected by the usage logger, (2) program guide information received by the consumer media device, and (3) the set of rating rules, wherein the rating engine automatically, without user interaction, generates content ratings for specific video content played for or recorded by or under the control of the consumer media device such that each rated piece of video content has an associated content rating, wherein the content ratings are generated locally by the rating engine without requiring the transmission of usage data to a centralized server and the generated content ratings are substantially independent of usage data, the rating engine automatically, without user interaction, adjusts the content rating associated with a rated piece of video content based on user action with the rated piece of video content directly on the media device; and a plurality of content ratings generated by the media device being automatically transmitted to the centralized server.