(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2002/0087997 A1
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Jul. 4, 2002
`Dahlstrom
`
`US 20020087997A1
`
`(54) METHOD FOR STORING INFORMATION
`(76) Inventor: Anna Dahlstrom, Linkoping (SE)
`Correspondence Address:
`ANTONELL TERRY STOUT AND KRAUS
`SUTE 1800
`1300 NORTH SEVENTEENTH STREET
`ARLINGTON, VA 22209
`(21) Appl. No.:
`10/026,833
`(22) Filed:
`Dec. 27, 2001
`(30)
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`
`Dec. 29, 2000 (SE).......................................... OOO4904-9
`
`Publication Classification
`
`... H04N 7/173
`(51) Int. CI.7.
`(52) U.S. Cl. ................................................................ 725/89
`(57)
`ABSTRACT
`A method of Storing information in a multimedia integrated
`receiver decoder arranged to be used with the Multimedia
`Home Platform standard. First, user commands input to the
`integrated receiver decoder are interpreted (110). Then, the
`user commands are collected (120) and saved (130) as data
`items in a database. Finally, the data items are made acces
`Sible to computer applications run on the integrated receiver
`decoder by means of an Application Program Interface
`(140). This makes it possible for agents to get information on
`Viewing and box using habits for all channels.
`
`
`
`13
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`
`
`AP
`
`Netflix v. VideoLabs
`IPR2023-00630
`Netflix. Ex. 1012
`
`

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`Patent Application Publication
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`Jul. 4, 2002. Sheet 1 of 2
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`US 2002/0087997 A1
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`DAV
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`Fig. 1
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Jul. 4, 2002. Sheet 2 of 2
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`US 2002/0087997 A1
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`START
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`1 1 O
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`Interpret user commands
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`Collect information
`12O 1Y-1 about user commands
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`Save information about
`user commands as user
`behaviour information
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`Make information about
`user behaviour accessible
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`Download agent
`application
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`13O
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`14O
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`15 O
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`16O
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`Use user behaviour
`information
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`STOP
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`Fig. 3
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`

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`US 2002/0O87997 A1
`
`Jul. 4, 2002
`
`METHOD FOR STORING INFORMATION
`
`FIELD OF INVENTION
`0001. The present invention relates generally to a method
`and a terminal for Storing user information in a multimedia
`terminal and more particularly to Storing information regard
`ing a user of a multimedia integrated receiver decoder
`arranged to be used with the Multimedia Home Platform
`Standard.
`
`BACKGROUND
`0002 Multimedia terminals and applications are becom
`ing increasingly popular. Such Systems open up for new
`Services and features for television users as well as for
`operators. A Standard developed by the Project on Digital
`Video Broadcasting is the so-called Digital Video Broad
`casting Standard or simply DVB standard. Its main intent is
`to reap the benefits of technical Standardisation. For more
`information regarding the DVB standard, reference is made
`to the publication “Digital Television MPEG1, MPEG 2
`And principles of the DVB System”, H Benoit, ISBN
`0-471-23810-4, or to the DVB Home Page on the Internet:
`http://www.dvb.org.
`0003) Coexisting with the DVB standard, there is a
`so-called Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) Specification,
`See for example the ETSI home page: http://www.etsi.org.
`This specification further describes hardware and software
`related matters relating to multimedia applications, Such as
`application signalling and application life cycle.
`0004 With the power of today's set-top boxes and other
`Integrated Receiver Decoders (IRDs) it is possible to anal
`yse the behaviour of television viewers by letting the IRD
`track the users channel Switches etc. However, due to
`hardware and performance limitations, it is not possible for
`all applications to run Simultaneous in the IRD. Also, a
`downloadable MHP application running on the IRD can only
`run inside the Services (TV-channels) that signals the appli
`cation in their So-called Application Information Table
`(AIT). Therefore a downloadable agent that the viewer
`would like to use can only collect information and learn the
`Viewer's habits in Some Specific channels. This information
`would be more valuable if an agent application could be
`awake in all channels.
`0005. However, this is not feasible according to MHP
`standard. When service selection API is used only applica
`tion Signalled in that Selected Service Application Informa
`tion Table (AIT) will be able to run. Tuning to another
`transport Stream or channel can be done using the tuning or
`Streaming media API to avoid that the application is being
`Stopped. However, the usage of these APIs does not consti
`tute Service Selection. The Service Selection should normally
`be used because otherwise the other Services applications
`will not be loaded. To use the tuning API an application also
`needs a certain permission that probably will not be given to
`an application that wants to be the “one and only'.
`0006 Thus, the problem is that a downloadable agent
`application can only have access to information about all
`Viewing and IRD usage habits in the channels that it has
`permission to be alive in instead of all channels.
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`0007 An object of the present invention is to provide a
`method, a multimedia integrated receiver decoder and a
`
`System for Storing information regarding a multimedia user
`as well as a computer program product wherein the above
`mentioned drawbacks are eliminated or at least mitigated
`and wherein it is possible for a downloaded agent applica
`tion to have access to user information related to other
`channels or information Streams.
`0008. The invention is based on the realisation that an
`Application Program Interface (API) can be used as a means
`for allowing several MHP applications to share common
`information. An IRD adapted to use the method according to
`the invention is provided with a resident application that
`collects the information and makes it accessible through an
`MHP like API for downloadable applications.
`0009. According to a first aspect of the invention there is
`provided a method as defined in claim 1.
`0010. According to a second aspect of the invention there
`is provided a multimedia integrated receiver decoder as
`defined in claim 6.
`0011. According to a third aspect of the invention there is
`provided a computer program product as defined in claim 7.
`0012. By using the method, the multimedia terminal, the
`System and the computer program product according to the
`invention the above objectives are attained. Thus, the inven
`tion makes it possible for agents to get information on
`Viewing and box using habits for all channels. This will give
`an agent more information to work on and it can therefor do
`a better job.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
`0013 The invention is now described, by way of
`example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
`which:
`0014 FIG. 1 is an overall diagram of a communication
`System embodying the invention,
`0015 FIG. 2 is conceptual model of a user equipment
`utilising a MHP baseband processor for receiving informa
`tion, and
`FIG.3 shows a flow chart describing the inventive
`0016
`method.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`0017. In the following, a preferred embodiment of a
`method and a terminal according to the invention will be
`described.
`0018. The backbone of a communication system for
`multimedia applications will now be briefly discussed with
`reference to FIG. 1. The backbone comprises a number of
`communication paths 30, one of which is shown in FIG. 1.
`The transmission medium Supports high-Speed transmission
`of digital information, Such as audio (A), Video (V) and data
`(D). A number of users are connected to the backbone, of
`which a first user 10 is shown in the figure. This user 10
`functions as a receiver of multimedia information, Such as a
`Subscriber of television programmes, provided by a number
`of Service provides, designated 40 in the figure. Each user
`has a so-called Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD) or Set
`top Box arranged to process the incoming information and
`Sometimes also function as a transmitter of information.
`
`

`

`US 2002/0O87997 A1
`
`Jul. 4, 2002
`
`0019. A method covered by a standard, such as the above
`mentioned Multimedia Home Platform, could be used to
`Send the information to the user 10 through receiver equip
`ment at the user, which will now be discussed with reference
`to FIG. 2, wherein an IRD 11 is shown. A transport stream
`arriving from the transmission medium 30 is received at an
`input 12 and is directed to a Video and audio decoder 13,
`wherein the Signals are decoded. The decoded audio and
`Video signals are Synchronised in the decoder 13 and the
`decoded Signals are then directed to a digital to analogue
`(D/A) converter 14, wherein the digital information is con
`verted to analogue form uSeable by a TV encoder, Such as a
`PAL encoder 15. The encoder 15 supplies the encoded
`information through an output 16 and to a presentation unit,
`in this case a TV set 60, on which the information is
`displayed as a TV programme, for example. The data
`information can comprise Several kinds of information.
`0020. The operation of the IRD 11 is controlled by means
`of software 17 run on suitable processor hardware (not
`shown). Thus, the Software is Stored in memory and is run
`either on request by the user or in response to Some event.
`User requests are input to a Second input 18, which could
`comprise an IR port, for example, communicating with a
`remote controller (not shown).
`0021
`Information regarding user commands is collected
`by a collection application 21 residing in the IRD 19 and the
`information is stored in user database 19. The database
`contains relevant information on user behaviour, of which
`the following is a non-exhaustive list: What TV programmes
`are watched, the genre of programmes being watched, what
`kind of commercials the viewer prefers, how long programs
`the viewer watches, which sites on the Internet the viewer
`Visits, which programs the viewer records, which programs
`the viewer Saves for long term, which parts of the program
`the viewer watches (in case the program is segmented as
`Suggested in the TV-Anytime Standard, form example), etc.
`0022. The invention is based on the use of an Application
`Program Interface (API) 20 in the IRD 11. An API is the
`calls, Subroutines, or Software interrupts that comprise a
`documented interface So that a (usually) higher-level pro
`gram Such as an application program can make use of the
`(usually) lower-level Services and functions of another
`application, operating System, network operating System,
`driver, or other lower-level Software program.
`0023 The method according to the invention will now be
`described with reference to the flow chart in FIG. 3. First,
`in step 110, the collection application 21, see FIG. 2,
`interprets user commands input through input 18, for
`example. The interpreted commands are collected to give
`information about the user's behaviour, step 120. This
`information is then, in step 130, stored in the user database
`19. The application that collects the information and saves it
`could be done in any programming language. The Saving
`could be done to RAM, flash or to a non-volatile memory,
`Such as a hard disk. The Structure of the Saved data is
`preferably implementation dependent.
`0024. Thereafter, in step 140, the user information is
`made accessible by means of the API 20, see FIG. 2. The
`API from which the downloadable applications access the
`information should be specified in a Standardised way like
`MHP specification to ensure interoperability between dif
`ferent boxes and applications.
`
`0025. When later a downloadable agent application is
`downloaded, Step 150, this agent can make use of the user
`information gathered in steps 110-130. In that way, the agent
`application can make “intelligent’ Suggestions about choice
`of language, recording options etc. by accessing the user
`database through the use of the API 20 residing in the IRD
`11, step 160.
`0026 Preferred embodiments of the invention have been
`described. The perSon Skilled in the art realises that these can
`be varied within the Scope of the appended claims. Thus, the
`inventive idea is applicable to the Multimedia Home Plat
`form standard but could also be used with other similar
`Standards and application frameworks, wherein the problem
`of coexisting applications is present.
`0027. There is possible to regulate the permissions a
`downloadable agent will have to the information. Thus, the
`permissions for agent applications to have access to APIs for
`external contact can be denied to make Sure that the users
`(TV-viewer) privacy is kept.
`
`1. A method of Storing information in a multimedia
`integrated receiver decoder (11) arranged to be used with the
`Multimedia Home Platform standard, said method compris
`ing the following Steps:
`a) interpreting user commands input to said integrated
`receiver decoder,
`b) collecting said user commands,
`c) Saving Said user commands as data items in a database,
`and
`d) making said data items accessible to computer appli
`cations run on Said integrated receiver decoder by
`means of an Application Program Interface.
`2. The method according to claim 1, comprising the
`additional Step of:
`e) downloading an agent application adapted to access
`Said data items through Said Application Program Inter
`face.
`3. The method according to claim 2, wherein Said addi
`tional Step of downloading comprises using Said data items
`to facilitate the operation of Said integrated receiver decoder.
`4. The method according to claim 2, wherein there is
`provided for denying access to Said data items for agent
`applications.
`5. The method according to claim 1, wherein Said data
`items comprise any of the following user information: what
`TV programmes are watched, the genre of programmes
`being watched, what kind of commercials the viewer pre
`fers, how long programs the viewer watches, which sites on
`the Internet the viewer visits, which programs the viewer
`records, which programs the viewer Saves for long term, and
`which parts of the program the viewer watches.
`6. A multimedia integrated receiver decoder arranged to
`be used with the Multimedia Home Platform standard, said
`integrated receiver decoder comprising
`elements for interpreting user commands input to Said
`integrated receiver decoder,
`elements for collecting Said user commands,
`elements for Saving Said user commands as data items in
`a database, and
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`

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`US 2002/0O87997 A1
`
`Jul. 4, 2002
`
`an Application Program Interface making Said data items
`accessible to computer applications run on Said inte
`grated receiver decoder.
`7. A computer program product directly loadable into the
`internal memory of a multimedia integrated receiver
`decoder, Said computer program product comprising Soft
`ware code portions for performing the following Steps:
`a) interpreting user commands input to Said integrated
`receiver decoder,
`
`b) collecting said user commands,
`c) Saving said user commands as data items in a database,
`and
`d) making said data items accessible to computer appli
`cations run on Said integrated receiver decoder by
`means of an Application Program Interface.
`
`