Patent ID: 7478414
Filing Date: 2009-01-13
Classification: H04H,H04N

Abstract:
1. In a broadcast system, a method for identifying programs of interest to a viewer in a group that includes other viewers based on the programming being currently viewed by the group of viewers, the method comprising: simultaneously broadcasting a plurality of programs to a plurality of receivers, each receiver of the plurality of receivers being tuned into at least one of the plurality of programs; receiving, from at least one receiver of the plurality of receivers, input for defining a viewer group, wherein the viewer group is defined by a viewer selecting individuals from a database having information corresponding to one or more of the plurality of receivers; receiving, from each of the one or more receivers corresponding to the group, information identifying a program to which each of the receivers of the group is currently tuned; compiling the information from each of the receivers corresponding to the group to obtain ranking data that ranks at least one of the plurality of programs by a number of the receivers of the group that are currently tuned to the at least one program to calculate a relative popularity of programs currently tuned to by the receivers in the group, wherein ranking data is a function of number of receivers in the group tuned to the specified program and excludes the viewership of the general population and wherein said compiling includes ignoring information received from the receivers of the group that is older than a predetermined time; for at least one of the receivers of the group, determining whether an update should be sent to the at least one receiver based at least in part on a stored field value at a remote server corresponding to the at least one receiver, wherein the stored field value is modifiable by the at least one receiver; and sending the ranking data to the at least one receiver when it is determined that an update should be sent according to the stored field value, and wherein the ranking data identifies programs to which receivers of the group are currently tuned;