Patent Publication Number: US-2015074695-A1

Title: Method for channel selection, channel selecting device, and television system including the channel selecting device and a television device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a method for controlling a television device, more particularly to a method for controlling the television device to automatically select a preferred channel of a user. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventionally, when a television device, such as an analog television or a digital television, is turned on, a specific channel will be displayed. For example, some conventional television devices are configured to display signals from a default channel. Alternatively, some conventional television devices are configured to display signals from a last-viewed channel that was being displayed just before the time the television devices were last turned off. 
     In such cases, upon turning on the conventional television device, a user typically does not get a preferred program of his/hers immediately displayed for a number of reasons. For example, between two viewing sessions of one particular user, the conventional television device may be operated by other people with different viewing preferences. Therefore, when the particular user turns on the conventional television device again, the last-viewed channel (by others) is displayed, which may not be broadcasting the program preferred by the user. Alternatively, the user may have different preferred programs being aired at different time slots and/or days and at various channels. For instance, a football game is typically held at 8:30 P.M., ET at a sports channel every Monday, while a blockbuster movie premiere may be aired at Saturday nights at movie channels. Therefore, with the conventional television device and the given viewing preferences, a user who prefers to watch both the football game and/or the movie premiere may not have the respective programs immediately displayed when he/she turns on the conventional television device at respective times, and therefore may have to operate the conventional television device to surf through the plurality of channels to locate his/her preferred program. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a method for selecting one of a plurality of channels, said one of the channels being a preferred one to a specific user. The method enables immediate display of the selected channel for viewing by the user. 
     Accordingly, a method of the present invention is for selecting one of a plurality of channels. The method is to be implemented by a channel selecting device that is coupled to a television device and that stores at least a channel statistical data of total watching time of each of the channels. In the method, immediately after the television device is turned on, the channel selecting device selects a preferable channel from the plurality of channels, which has been watched most frequently, according to the channel statistical data. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a channel selecting device that is configured to execute the aforementioned method. 
     Accordingly, a channel selecting device of the present invention is configured to be coupled to a television (TV) device for selecting one of plural channels. The channel selecting device includes a TV signal receiver, a memory unit, and a processor. 
     The TV signal receiver is for receiving a plurality of TV signals respectively from the plurality of channels. The memory unit stores at least a channel statistical data of total watching time of each of the channels. The processor is coupled to the TV signal receiver and the memory unit, and is operable to select a preferred channel. The preferred channel is one that has been watched most frequently, and is selected according to the channel statistical data immediately after the television device is turned on. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a television system that includes the aforementioned channel selecting device. 
     Accordingly, a television system of the present invention includes a television device and a channel selecting device. 
     The channel selecting device is coupled to the television device for selecting one of a plurality of channels, and includes a TV signal receiver, a memory unit and a processor. 
     The TV signal receiver is for receiving a plurality of TV signals respectively from the plurality of channels. The memory unit stores at least a channel statistical data of total watching time of each of the channels. The processor is coupled to the TV signal receiver and the memory unit, and is operable to select a preferred channel. The preferred channel is one that has been watched most frequently, and is selected according to the channel statistical data immediately after the television device is turned on. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic functional block diagram of a first preferred embodiment of a television system according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic functional block diagram illustrating a variation of the television system of the first preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating steps of a method for channel selection, according to the preferred embodiment; and 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic functional block diagram of a second preferred embodiment of a television system according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the first preferred embodiment of a television system according to the present invention comprises a channel selecting device  1  and a television (TV) device  2 . The television system can be controlled using a remote control device  22 . 
     The TV device  2  includes a display  21 . In this embodiment, the channel selecting device  1  is built in the television device  2 . However, in a variation as shown in  FIG. 2 , the channel selecting device  1  may be embodied as a set-top box which is an external component coupled to the television device  2 . 
     The channel selecting device  1  includes a TV signal receiver  10 , a biometric identifying unit  11 , a memory unit  12 , a processor  13  and a tuner  14   
     The TV signal receiver  10  is capable of receiving a plurality of respective TV signals (encoded with audio and video signals that constitute a television program) of a plurality of TV channels. The biometric identifying unit  11  is configured to obtain a biometric feature of a current user who turns on the television device  2 . Specifically, in this embodiment, the biometric identifying unit  11  may include one or more cameras (not shown in the drawings) that are capable of capturing a facial image of the current user as the biometric feature. 
     The memory unit  12  is pre-stored with a plurality of personal profiles, each being dedicated to one of a plurality of existing users. To be specific, each of the personal profiles includes channel statistical data of total watching time of each of the TV channels, and biometric data of the one of the existing users. 
     The following Table 1 illustrates an example of three personal profiles dedicated to existing users A, B and C, respectively. 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
                 User A 
                 Biometric data of user A 
                 Channel statistical data 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 of user A 
               
               
                   
                 User B 
                 Biometric data of user B 
                 Channel statistical data 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 of user B 
               
               
                   
                 User C 
                 Biometric data of user C 
                 Channel statistical data 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 of user C 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     In this embodiment, the channel statistical data includes total watching time of each of the TV channels watched by the particular user (i.e., User A, B or C) during each of a plurality of time periods in a day. For example, an NBA basketball game is typically played from 7:05 to 10:00 PM, ET, and is usually popular among some users (e.g., User A). A sketch comedy show may be broadcasted from 9:00 to 11:00 PM, ET, and may be favored by other users (e.g., Users B and C). 
     The processor  13  is coupled to the TV signal receiver  10 , the biometric identifying unit  11 , the memory unit  12 , and the tuner  14 . The processor  13  may also be configured to communicate with the remote control device  22 . 
     The tuner  14  is coupled to the display  21 , and is controlled by the processor  13  to provide the TV signal of one of the TV channels to the display  21  for playing a program of said one of the TV channels. 
     It is noted that, when the television device  2  is turned on, the biometric identifying unit  11  obtains the biometric feature of the current user, and, when the current user (e.g., a new user D) is identified as being not one of the existing users, the processor  13  is operative to create a new personal profile dedicated to the current user, to record a total watching time of each of the TV channels watched by the current user, and to store, into the memory unit  12 , a total watching time as the channel statistical data dedicated to the current user and the biometric feature as the biometric data of the current user. The following Table 2 illustrates the resulting content of the personal profiles stored in the memory unit  12 . 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
                 User A 
                 Biometric data of user A 
                 Channel statistical data 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 of user A 
               
               
                   
                 User B 
                 Biometric data of user B 
                 Channel statistical data 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 of user B 
               
               
                   
                 User C 
                 Biometric data of user C 
                 Channel statistical data 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 of user C 
               
               
                   
                 User D 
                 Biometric data of user D 
                 Channel statistical data 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 of user D 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
       FIG. 3  shows steps of a method that is executed by the channel selecting device  1  to select a preferred channel. 
     Firstly, a current user turns on the TV device  2 . In step S 1 , the biometric identifying unit  11  obtains a biometric feature of the current user, such as a facial image. Then, in step S 2 , the biometric identifying unit  11  compares the biometric feature of the current user obtained thereby with the biometric data of the existing users (Users A, B and C) stored in the memory unit  12 . 
     In step S 3 , when the biometric feature obtained thereby conforms with the biometric data contained in one of the personal profiles, the biometric identifying unit  11  identifies the current user as an existing user (e.g., user A), and the flow proceeds to step S 4 . Otherwise, in a case that a new User D turns on the TV device  2 , the flow proceeds to steps S 9  and S 10 . 
     In step S 4 , the biometric identifying unit  11  notifies the processor  13  that the current user is User A, and the processor  13  looks up the personal profiles stored in the memory unit  12  to obtain the channel statistical data dedicated to User A. Subsequently, in step S 5 , the processor  13  determines a preferred channel for User A, based on the channel statistical data. For example, when the television system is turned on at 8:00 PM, ET by User A, the processor  13  may determine the channel that is broadcasting the NBA game as the preferred channel for User A. Alternatively, when the television system is turned on at 9:30 PM, ET by User B, the processor  13  may determine the channel that is broadcasting the sketch comedy show as the preferred channel for User B. 
     Afterward, in step S 6 , the processor  13  selects the preferred channel, and controls the tuner  14  to provide the TV signals of the preferred channel to the display  21 , such that the display  21  is able to display the preferred channel. 
     In the case that the biometric identifying unit  11  determines the current user as a new user in step S 3 , the biometric identifying unit  11  notifies the processor  13  that the current user is a new user (e.g., User D) and the processor  13  creates a new personal profile for User D in step S 9 . Then, in step S 10 , the processor  13  records a total watching time of each of the TV channels watched by User D, and stores the total watching time as the channel statistical data dedicated to User D and the biometric feature obtained by the biometric identifying unit  11  as the biometric data of User D. 
     In brief, the method described above enables the TV device  2  to display the preferred program from the preferred channel to the current user immediately after the TV device  2  is turned on. 
     In some embodiments, the TV signal receiver  10  is provided with capabilities to communicate with a website (such as ones with streaming services, e.g., YouTube) via the Internet, and is able to receive at least one web channel provided by the website. Accordingly, the preferred channel may be selected from the channels including the TV channels and the web channel provided by the website. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the second preferred embodiment of the television system according to the present invention has a structure similar to that of the first embodiment. The main difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment resides in the configuration of the biometric identifying unit  11 , which is coupled to the remote control device  22 . For example, the remote control device  22  may include a power-on button  220  that is provided with backlight and a fingerprint scanner as the biometric identifying unit  11  disposed under the power button  220 . When the current user presses the power button  220 , the biometric identifying unit  11  is capable of obtaining a fingerprint of the current user as the biometric feature. Since other processes performed by the television system is similar to those described in the previous embodiment, details thereof are omitted herein for the sake of brevity. 
     It is noted that, in a case where the biometric identifying unit  11  is not present or is disabled, regardless of the individual user, the processor  13  is configured to record a total watching time of each of the channels watched by all users during each of a plurality of time periods in a day. That is, the processor  13  operates as if there is only one user who uses the television system in every occasion. 
     To sum up, the present invention provides a novel approach to record channel statistical data dedicated to a particular user, and to identify the user using a biometric feature upon turning on the TV device  2 , such that the user may be presented with his/her preferred program immediately without having to surf through the channels beforehand. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.