Patent ID: 7146626

Claim:
A method for selecting a first digital object for display in an electronic television program guide comprising: receiving the first digital object from a direct-to-home satellite communication system; determining first and second fuzzy variable values associated with the first digital object; creating an at least three dimensional profile surface adapted for determining preferences associated with a television viewer by determining a first desirability value associated with two or more input variables and determining second desirability value associated with the two or more input variables, the three dimensional profile surface comprising N dimensions, where N is any number greater than or equal to three, N−1 dimensions are associated with the two or more input variables, and a remaining dimension is associated with the first desirability value and the second desirability value and a first set of levels of the two or more input variables used to determine the second desirability value being different than a second set of levels of the two or more input variables used to determine the first desirability value; calculating a first priority value by mapping the first and second fuzzy variable values onto the at least three dimensional profile surface; comparing the first priority value to a predefined threshold; and selecting the first digital object for display in the electronic television program guide if the first priority value crosses the predefined threshold.