Personalized assistance with setup of a media
Contents
1. 130 Preferably perform such prompting in a single session 132 Preferably perform such prompting using an easy to navigate multiscreen system suitable for detailed information collecting 220 Provide a script generator on the remote computing device 120 Nov 19 2013 Sheet 2 of 11 222 Automatically generate a personalized script for each set based on the personal setup information in the individual account of the corresponding user 226 If the personal setup information is incomplete also generate the script based on presumed preference information 228 By activating the script configure the corresponding set 230 Configure the set based on the personal setup information submitted by the corresponding user including automatically making personalized setup selections from a plurality of preexisting setup alternatives supported by the corresponding set 280 As the set is being configured by the script update the user regarding progress made by visual notification 290 Clear the personal setup information from any local computer remotely connecting the set and automatically uninstall the script FIG 2 US 8 589 523 B2 U S Patent Nov 19 2013 Sheet 3 of 11 136 Present a main menu screen and a plurality of levels of configuration category screens navigable from said main menu screen Present on th2. 4 2008 Shapiro 709 220 WO WO 03 044684 5 2003 7 480 703 B2 1 2009 Shapiro 709 220 WO WO 2004 044789 5 2004 7 512 882 B2 3 2009 Fong et al 715 716 WO WO 2004 057473 7 2004 7 565 672 B2 7 2009 Yun nire ree 725 46 WO WO 2004 095456 11 2004 7 647 386 B2 1 2010 Shapiro 709 217 7 673 083 B2 3 2010 Laeferetal 710 105 cited by examiner US 8 589 523 B2 Sheet 1 of 11 Nov 19 2013 U S Patent ed lJop1ooog 1o e d N SSLIOIPIA 104009 86 pjoypuey juouoduio la 26 _ 98 Jojnduro 2005794 195 SurAe d erpo A 78 8 uh 99t 2901 Sur 1onb 29 qot 9901 2901 asnoq Surnduiro eog 105529014 oseqejeq E1u9 r4 d erpojN Sur amp ejd erpojw Sur amp ejd erpoj 0t U S Patent 122 Provide a web page interface on a computing device remote from each media playing set 124 Prompt each user via the interface to create an individual account preferably using a secure protocol 126 Prompt each user to submit personal setup information for entry into the individual account 128 Preferably prompt for personal identifying and personal preference information
3. 276 As part of preset step preset audio attributes such as treble bass balance and volume FIG 12 US 8 589 523 B2 Sheet 11 of 11 Nov 19 2013 U S Patent uo ejdsiq 24 PUL IANI 52212195 pue AL deys sootAop juoururey1oquo 89 Surpeo T Surejuo 12410 dnjes pue j29uuoo uorjejuosa1d eu 69014195 INOA 0 801941095915 987 I JITA AL MOA 9119 ISLA d US 8 589 523 B2 1 PERSONALIZED ASSISTANCE WITH SETUP OF A MEDIA PLAYING SET CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Not applicable BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a system and method of setup of a media playing set and relates in particular to a system and method for providing personalized assistance to geographically distributed users with setup oftheir respective media playing sets As technology has progressed media playing sets have become ever more versatile in terms of configuration signal reception functions provided and compatibility with related peripherals For example one type of media playing set the television was originally designed as a standalone unit receiving a handful ofair broadcast channels and having a few basic controls such as a channel selector and an
4. ated the script automatically continues to execute that is it proceeds to carry out the tasks embodied in its code until its execution cycle is complete As may be recognized from the foregoing description another desirable characteristic ofthe script is that it is closed ended or fully self contained Once the script is down loaded when and how the script will perform its setup tasks is limited to a fixed range This is so even if predetermined delays have been built into the script for example if self activation occurs some predetermined time after download or if at select times pauses are inserted in the script to afford the user a better opportunity to review on screen instructions If the user didn t enter all the information needed to complete an essential setup task before the script was built the script preferably incorporates presumed data to fill in the gaps see step 226 of FIG 2 Neither is the user required to do anything to start the self activating script Furthermore the script pref erably proceeds to execute until it has completed all of its assigned tasks independently of intervention by the user or other contingent events For example the script may ask the user to confirm that they have had sufficient opportunity to review an on screen text or tutorial but if the information is not forthcoming after some appropriate and fixed interval the script preferably proceeds to the next task automatically rather than w
5. unitary form such as a palm held web enabled personal digital assistant PDA As FIG 1 shows the remote computing device 40 can be part of a larger support facility or site 104 Such a facility is staffed by customer service representatives 106 a 5 and c available to field telephone inquiries from users These rep resentatives preferably can interact with the computing device through an input interface 108 to take advantage for example of the device s remote querying function Because the computing device is available for helping users with con figuration of their set the customer service representatives are afforded more time to handle less routine calls such as involve troubleshooting Preferably the site is also staffed by computer administrators charged with maintaining the per formance and security ofthe computing device as well as any later upgrading An exemplary method 120 for operating a system of the type shown in FIG 1 is depicted in FIG 2 This method proceeds in three main stages In broad outline these com prise 1 collecting personal data from each user 2 generat ing a personalized script based on such data and 3 activating this script in order to configure the set including by automati cally making personalized setup selections from preexisting setup alternatives supported by the particular set Concerning the first stage of the exemplary method 120 which relates to collecting personal data from each us
6. 7 2004 Bertness et al 6 789 081 B1 9 2004 Vanska 2004 0153773 A1 8 2004 Woo et al 6 795 011 9 2004 Berthoud et al 2004 0176966 Al 9 2004 Chen 6 813 775 Bl 11 2004 Finseth et al 2004 0187168 AI 9 2004 Shintani et al 6 819 364 B2 11 2004 Creed et al 2004 0207764 Al 10 2004 Naoi et al 6 842 776 Bl 1 2005 Poisner 2005 0066241 AI 3 2005 Gross et al 6 851 090 2 2005 Gutta et al 2005 0081410 Al 4 2005 Furem et al 6 868 292 B2 3 2005 Ficco et al 2005 0085973 A1 4 2005 Furem et al 6 879 350 B2 4 2005 Kwon et al 2005 0097070 Al 5 2005 Enis et al 6 879 973 B2 4 2005 Skaaning et al 2005 0097507 Al 5 2005 White et al 6 907 545 B2 6 2005 Ramadei et al 2005 0141542 Al 6 2005 Handekyn et al 6 915 308 BL 7 2005 Evans et al 2005 0149980 Al 7 2005 Yun 6 917 819 B2 7 2005 Collins 2005 0159922 Al 7 2005 Hsiung et al 6 922482 7 2005 Porath 2005 0159996 Al 7 2005 Lazarus et al 6 922 680 B2 7 2005 Buczak 2005 0235319 Al 10 2005 Carpenter et al 6 934 713 B2 8 2005 Schwartz et al 2006 0031400 Al 2 2006 Yuh et al 6 947 156 9 2005 Jeyachandran et al 2006 0212479 Al 9 2006 Habas et al 6 947 935 Bl 9 2005 Horvitz et al 6 947 966 9 2005 Jr et al FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 6 951 031 B2 9 2005 Hatano 6 954 678 Bl 10 2005 Phan et al EP 1176 503 1 2002 6 954 689 B2 10 2005 Hanson et al EP 1517259 3 2005 6 957 202 B2 10 2005 Skaanning et al GB 2 354 902 4 2001 7 113 181 B2 9 2006 Tey et al WO WO 01 33858 5 2001 7 356 575
7. 9 pause 192 next chapter 194 last chapter 196 menu 198 and navigational 200 keys of the handheld remote Similarly selecting one ofthe VCR entries 202 or 204 later enables also the channel select 206 and record 208 keys while dropping the menu 198 and navigational 200 keys Referring again to FIG 4 the next four optional menu items include 1 Personalization item 158 for calling up the screen not shown to enter the user s favorite channels sleep mode settings and other personal preferences 2 an Input Source item 160 to call a screen 146 FIG 8 for specifying which devices connect to which inputs 76 78 and 80 ofthe receiver 3 a Net Services item 162 to calla screen not shown for specifying any external network services such as HBO or ESPN that the user desires to subscribe to and any related options such as one button service and 4 a Useful Adjustments item 164 to call a screen not shown to preset various picture and audio attributes ofthe receiver such as backlight contrast brightness color tint sharpness view mode to set the media frame to screen size ratio auto sync fine sync settings treble bass balance or volume The final menu item 166 is for Logout Referring to FIG 3 step 210 of the detailed data collection procedure 134 involves presenting a plurality of category menu items on each ofthe levels ofthe configuration category screens each menu item being selectable for
8. 9 wherein said set comprises a local network including a media broadcast receiver and a plurality of different media source devices and including the step of automatically configuring said receiver to receive respective media signals from said different media source devices 14 The method of claim 9 wherein said step of prompting each user to submit personal setup information is performed in a single session 15 The method of claim 9 further including configuring the corresponding set by subscribing the corresponding user to at least one broadcast service provided by an external network provider 16 The method of claim 9 wherein said step of automati cally making personalized setup selections includes auto matically configuring video reception characteristics 17 The method of claim 9 wherein said step of automati cally making personalized setup selections includes preset ting inherent performance attributes of each set to a particular value selected from a range of possible values based on the personal setup information submitted by the corresponding user 18 The method of claim 9 wherein said step of automati cally making personalized setup selections includes specify ing a mapping of allowable channels for each set 19 The method of claim 9 wherein said step of prompting each user for personal setup information includes prompting for personal identifying information and for personal prefer ence information 20 The method o
9. Drawing Sheets 1 Security 1 1 Component US 8 589 523 B2 Page 2 56 References Cited 7 730 165 B2 6 2010 Shapiro 709 220 7 752 265 B2 7 2010 Svendsen etal 709 205 U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 7 787 904 B2 8 2010 455 556 1 7 890 874 B2 2 2011 Kaufman 715 751 6 425 128 7 2002 Krapf et al 2002 0003903 AI 1 2002 Engeldrum et al 6 430 526 8 2002 Toll 2002 0010589 Al 1 2002 Nashida et al 6 438 752 8 2002 McClard 2002 0116539 Al 8 2002 Bryczkowski et al 6 505 243 1 2003 Lortz 2002 0140728 Al 10 2002 Zimmerman 6 507 762 1 2003 Amro et al 2003 0046303 Al 3 2003 Chen et al 6 542 163 B2 4 2003 Gorbet et al 2003 0061212 A1 3 2003 Smith et al 6 556 960 4 2003 Bishop et al 2003 0084448 AI 5 2003 Soundararajan 6 614 187 9 2003 Kanzaki et al 2003 0084449 Al 5 2003 Chane et al 6 614 987 1 9 2003 Ismail et al 2003 0110412 Al 6 2003 Neville 6 633 235 10 2003 Hsu etal 2003 0110413 6 2003 Bernklau Halvor 6 725 102 2 4 2004 Sun 2003 0111754 AI 6 2003 Hinzpeter et al 6 727 914 4 2004 Gutta 2004 0051816 Al 3 2004 Ikeguchi 6 756 997 6 2004 Ward III et al 2004 0070628 AI 4 2004 Iten et al 6 766 283 7 2004 Goldman et al 2004 0078809 Al 4 2004 Drazin 6 772 096 B2 8 2004 Murakami et al 2004 0143403 Al 7 2004 Brandon et al 6 782 495 B2 8 2004 Bernklau Halvor 2004 0145371 Al
10. OINOSVNVd lt lt 5 LAN 081 lt lt D C OIGNV JINOSVNVd lt lt NOILVZITVNOS add ANOS lt lt THCON 1OXINOO voc THCON WA 71 10009 ojouro1 MOA MOH S101 NIDOT U S Patent Nov 19 2013 Sheet 7 of 11 US 8 589 523 B2 182 184 188 192 190 186 208 196 194 206 GO 90209 WIN PICTURE SELECT FREEZE OOO 54 e FIG 7 US 8 589 523 B2 Sheet 8 of 11 Nov 19 2013 U S Patent 8 19430 lt lt 1 2 lt lt 2105000 lt lt juouidmbo lt lt Od SHA 1eun AL 181814 lt lt JOINOSVNVd NY ANOS 5 lt lt 1 191009 oj Suruuejd 5 LNODOT INSIAALSOfQV 104450 E wWeor 500 sxreurxoog MIA NPA 214 U S Patent Nov 19 2013 Sheet 9 of 11 US 8 589 523 B2 Wait 232 retry 236 Yes Download personalized script to media playing set 234 238 Self activate personalized script for automatic installating and executing 240 Automatically perform preliminary setup 256 Automatically perform advanced setup 264 Automatically perform remote control setup 266 Automatically perform personalization setup 27
11. contained in the centralized database can be conveniently expanded or updated as needed The library can also be updated if desired to provide enhanced features on existing sets although the present system and method is primarily directed to enabling the user to make full and effective use of their set s current features As described the script generated is based on the user s personal setup information and hence is personalized for that particular user As was noted in connection with step 128 the user s personal setup information includes personal identifying and personal preference information In some cases the user may inadvertently fail to enter essential preference information necessary for proper configuration and operation of the set For example referring to the Setup screen 142 in FIG 5 occasionally a user may fail to select either item 224 or item 170 indicating whether the Video signal will be derived from an air antenna or cable link respectively Or the user may select the parental control option 174 but then fail on the succeeding category screen not shown to enter the least restrictive movie rating level that triggers the lock 1 PG PG 13 NC 17 or X in the U S address these types of situations as indicated by step 226 ofthe exemplary method if the personal setup informa tion submitted by the user is significantly incomplete then preferably th
12. indicated their preference for one of these languages such as English This automatic configura tion of the preexisting setup alternatives supported by the particular set saves the user the trouble of manually config uring the set In particular it saves the user the trouble of searching through the manual for each particular setup pro cedure relevant to their situation or of trying to work through an established but detailed setup sequence while on the tele phone with a customer service representative It will be recognized from the above that the present system affords particular advantage where the subject set offers a host of setup alternatives to choose between that is where the set is of an advanced full featured design A rep resentative set 36 of this type is depicted in FIG 1 At the heart ofthis set is a media broadcast receiver 50 such as a modern digital television providing a variety of different inputs for receiving a corresponding variety of different signals includ ing control signals internal media signals from associated peripherals and external media signals from external sources media broadcast receiver 50 has a first control input 52 C1 for receiving commands conveyed by infrared or wire less transmission from a handheld remote control 54 and a second control input 56 C2 for receiving commands from and returning data to a personal computer 58 These control devices are manually manipulable by th
13. returning to a first level one of a corresponding configuration category screen Hence whether the user is entering data at a first level configuration category screen such as screens 142 144 and 146 in FIGS 5 6 and 8 respectively or whether instead the user has navigated from these screens to a second level screen the category menu items 150 152 154 156 158 160 162 164 and 166 are always displayed Thus these menu items serve as familiar landmarks and enable the user to conveniently return immediately regardless of the current level they are at to any first level configuration category screen they desire Referring again to the exemplary method 120 shown in FIG 2 this concludes the detailed description of step 132 as described with reference to FIGS 3 8 This also concludes the description of the first main stage of the exemplary method which involved collecting personal data from each user The following description covers the other two main stages of the method which involve 1 generating a person alized script based on such data and 2 activating this script in order to configure the set including by automatically making personalized setup selections from preexisting setup alterna tives supported by the particular set The next step 220 in the exemplary method 120 is provid ing a script generator on the computing device This is depicted in FIG 1 which shows the computing device 40 including a script generator
14. such as one based on secure sockets layer SSL and extensible markup language XML protocols It may be noted that although the personal computer 58 and receiver 50 have been identified in FIG 1 as separate devices for ease of description their functions can be combined in a single device Thus the receiver could integrally contain the required computing elements or the computer with the addition of a suitable video tuning card could integrally provide the func tions of the media receiver The media broadcast receiver 50 includes a media input 74 and a plurality of peripheral media inputs 76 I1 78 12 and 80 13 In the particular setup depicted in FIG 1 the main input 74 is connected to an external media source such as by an air antenna 82 cable link 84 or satellite dish 86 This external signal is fed to the main input through a signal splitter and or set top box 88 The other output of the splitter not shown typically connects to an input of one of the peripherals such as the videocassette player recorder 90 with any decoding of premium programming performed by the set top box if needed Peripheral inputs 76 and 78 receive the media playback outputs of the videocassette player re corder 90 and digital videodisc player 92 respectively In general a single input of the receiver upon being properly configured may be adapted to accept media signals from a variety of source types This is emphasized with
15. 48 This step is followed by step 222 which involves automatically generating a personalized script for each set based on the personal setup information in the individual account of the corresponding user It will be recognized here that the preexisting i e existing before script creation setup alternatives supported by the set are necessarily limited in number just as the user manual of the set describing these alternatives has a limited number of pages Thus it is possible to code particular script sequences in advance each for implementing a corresponding one ofthe alternatives and then based on an evaluation of the personal setup information entered by a particular user to automati cally build or assemble a personalized script for that user formed of those script sequences that are in accord with that user s personal setup information These evaluating and assembling operations are automatically performed by the script generator The script generator can if desired be 0 20 40 45 55 10 implemented in software such implementation being well within the programming skill of those of ordinary skill in the art detailed description of script operation is provided below The individual code sequences which the script generator 48 uses are typically collected in a library stored in the central database 46 As new sets or peripherals are introduced and new setup alternatives become available this library being
16. 8 Automatically perform external services setup including subscribing the user to a broadcast service provided by an external network provider 294 Automatically uninstall script 231 FIG 9 U S Patent Nov 19 2013 Sheet 10 of 11 US 8 589 523 B2 24 2 Configure set for indicated Present tutorials visually language demonstrating how to connect the media source devices to 244 the media inputs of the set Configure clock 246 Specify a mapping of allowable 257 FIG 1 1 channels 248 250 268 RP Set sleep mode and Set closed captioning settings auto sync settings 252 270 Configure the basic video and audio reception characteristics of the set Preset inherent performance attributes of set each to a particular value selected from 254 a range of possible values As part of configuring basic video characteristics configure media input s of the receiver each for compatibility with a particular source type including so that the signals from each media source device in the receiver s local network are properly received 272 As part of preset step preset favorite channels of user selected from a range of possible channels 274 As part of preset step preset picture attributes such as backlight contrast brightness color tint sharpness view mode and fine sync H Pos V Pos Clock and Phase
17. Identify ing information is of a type that helps identify the user and preferably includes the user s name the user s geographical location or zip code and general information about the user s local network such as the serial number or model of the broadcast receiver 50 and any firewall through which the user is connecting Preference information which typically constitutes the bulk of information collected relates to the specific features the user prefers or wishes to implement in configuring their set This preferably includes for example the language e g English French or Spanish to be used for operating the set the types of external source devices to be connected to the set e g via air antenna cable or satellite the types of peripheral devices to be connected in the set s internal network and the particular settings of various other possible options such as video audio power setting closed captioning parental control remote control mapping per sonalization or external network subscriptions From the above it will be clear that a host of information is preferably requested from each user regarding their personal preferences Notwithstanding the sizable amount of informa tion requested step 130 involves preferably performing such requesting or prompting in a single session Rather than requiring the user to configure the set in a piecemeal fashion over multiple sessions separated by lesser or greater lapses of
18. US008589523B2 az United States Patent 10 Patent No US 8 589 523 B2 Shivaji Rao 45 Date of Patent Nov 19 2013 54 PERSONALIZED ASSISTANCE WITH SETUP ere y iod Yoshida j enkatraman et al DEAMEDIASPEAVINGISET 6 005 597 A 12 1999 Barrett et al 6 006 265 A 12 1999 Ran t al 75 Inventor Vishnu Kumar Shivaji Rao Vancouver 6 008 836 A 12 1999 bud WA US 6 166 778 A 12 2000 Yamamoto et al 6 195 616 Bl 2 2001 Reed et al 6 202 210 3 2001 Ludtke 73 Assignee Sharp of America Inc 6 233 611 Bl 5 2001 Ludtke et al amas WA US 6 343 261 1 2002 Iwanowski et al 6 351 561 Bl 2 2002 Iyengar Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this 6 377 858 4 2002 Roos patent is extended or adjusted under 35 6 393 373 5 2002 Duyar et al U S C 154 b by 1591 days Continued 21 Appl No 11 501 366 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 22 Filed Aug 8 2006 EP 0 798 921 10 1997 EP 0 844 788 5 1998 65 Prior Publication Data Continued US 2008 0046916 A1 Feb 21 2008 Primary Examiner Philip B Tran 51 Int CI 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Chernoff Vilhauer 51 Gir is 2006 01 McClung amp Stenzel LLP 52 U S Cl 57 ABSTRACT USPC 709 221 709 220 709 223 zs system and corresponding method for providing personal 58 Field of Classification Search ized assistance to users with setup of their respective media pius ue pini ge RA 221 220 playing se
19. aiting perhaps indefinitely for a user response Referring again to FIG 9 after self activating the script automatically performs preliminary setup of the set as indi cated by step 240 exemplary listing 241 of the tasks 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 12 performed during preliminary setup is shown in FIG 10 Broadly speaking these tasks are preliminary in the sense of forming the foundation for the more advanced functions that the script later implements In general the tasks are based on the personal information collected from the user on the Net work Setup and Input Source screens see the corre sponding menu items listed in FIG 5 They include task item 242 configuring the set for the language indicated by the user e g English French or Spanish item 244 configuring the clock preferably to synchronize it with a national standard based on the location indicated by the user s zip code item 246 specifying a mapping of allowable channels e g based on scanning through the channels and finding out which work such scanning being limited to those channels available for the external source picked such as channels 1 69 for VHF UHF air broadcast item 248 setting the power set tings item 250 setting the closed captioning setting such option complying with the law and item 252 configuring the basic video and audio reception characteristics refer to the previous desc
20. and setup options The user can decide to pick and choose between the next five menu items depending on whether the user has prefer ence information they wish to submit under the correspond ing category This selection is facilitated by the prominent layout of the menu items on the main menu screen as provided for in step 176 These optional items include a Remote Control menu item 156 for calling up screen 146 FIG 6 to identify the particular peripherals for which the user would like to configure the remote For example based on the setup shown in FIG 1 the user wishes to use the handheld remote 54 to control in addition to the media receiver 50 a video cassette VCR player 90 and a digital videodisc DVD player 92 The model types of these devices are thus selected on the Remote Control screen 144 Although normally a handheld remote only has an output and no inputs the hand held remote 54 has preferably been adapted to include an input port 178 as shown in FIG 7 This input port is mateably engageable with a docking platform not shown on the receiver so that when the receiver is automatically configured as further described below the handheld remote is configured as well This transforms the handheld remote into a univer sal device For example selecting the DVD entry 180 FIG 6 later enables control of the DVD device using the power 182 playback 184 backward 186 forward 188 stop 190 US 8 589 523 B2
21. atically submit the user s personal iden tifying information to this website as needed to subscribe the user to the indicated service The user s preferences as to which services if any to subscribe to are based on the per sonal information collected from the user on the Net Ser vices screen see the corresponding menu item listed in FIG 5 Referring now to step 280 of FIG 2 as the set is being automatically configured by the script preferably the user is kept updated regarding the progress being made by some form of visual notification For example FIG 13 shows the visual notification screen 282 that appears on the output dis play 103 while the script is executing the code sequence or performing the task of step 240 of FIG 9 that is while the script is automatically performing preliminary setup When in accordance with step 256 of FIG 9 the script begins to 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 14 automatically perform advanced setup at first the visual noti fication screen 284 of FIG 14 appears This is shortly fol lowed by the visual notification screen 286 of FIG 15 which is the lead frame announcing the video format that is used in the video tutorials directly following When in accordance with step 278 of FIG 9 script is automatically performing external services setup the visual notification screen 288 of FIG 16 appears In this manner the user is kept informed on the scri
22. d only by the claims which follow I claim 1 A system for providing personalized assistance to users with setup of their respective media playing sets comprising acomputing device remote from each set hosting a web page interface enabling each user to create an individual account and to provide user input comprising personal setup information for entry into said individual account US 8 589 523 B2 15 said setup information including user selections of spe cific features said user prefers to enable on said media playing set b said computing device including a script generator to generate a personalized script for each set of a corre sponding user said script generator without further user input and using said specific features selected by only the corresponding user automatically constructing a composite code sequence from selected ones of a plu rality of preexisting code sequences stored in a location accessible to said script generator each preexisting code sequence associated with a respective feature selectively enabled by a said medial playing set and c said computing device configuring the corresponding set using said composite code sequence 2 The system of claim 1 wherein each personalized script includes a code sequence for self activating said script in response to said set being on and said script being down loaded from said computing device 3 The system of claim 1 wherein said web page interface use
23. d through the entire manual in order to find the section that pertains to the user s question To provide users another avenue for obtaining help many manufacturers contract with or maintain call centers where users can call in and address their questions to a live customer service repre sentative However as the duration and volume of calls increases costs for staffing the call center can increase sig nificantly so it is desirable that another help option be avail able for guiding the user through procedures connected with routine setup Moreover because the customer service staff is under pressure to complete each call in the minimum amount oftime the user may have to call more than once to obtain the information needed to personalize setup to any significant extent This is particularly so where efficient communication between the user and customer service representative is ham pered by educational or language barriers Accordingly certain objects of the present invention include providing a system and method for providing person alized assistance to users with setup of their respective media 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 playing sets in a manner that is more efficient more conve nient more effective and less expensive than previously available BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention a system is provided for giving personalized assistance t
24. e main menu screen a plurality of category menu items each selectable for navigating to a first level one of a corresponding configuration category screen 210 Present a plurality of category menu items on each of the levels of the configuration category screens each category menu item being selectable for returning to a first level one of a corresponding configuration category screen 134 FIG 3 US 8 589 523 B2 US 8 589 523 B2 Sheet 4 of 11 Nov 19 2013 U S Patent V papau A103373 way Youd pojo duroo run swa 029 124 2500 2 yord ued snp 40195 SI 941 S90uo19jo1d pue 195 Ino 1noqe e19u98 14 oq 999S ua unose Jenprarpur ue dn 125 03 IIL u NIDO T Zunes uo 109195 oseo d 425 56220 8 OL ogedqo INO SunisIA JOJ US 8 589 523 B2 Sheet 5 of 11 Nov 19 2013 U S Patent uated lt lt NOILdO 0313S dq VS S LIN 80095 lt lt lt OIanv dnjos q THVO UIV lt lt sjoop NPA 214 US 8 589 523 B2 Sheet 6 of 11 Nov 19 2013 U S Patent 9 DIA LNODOT NOLLONNA 5 INAWLSOLaV Y 104450 LVS ATAVO
25. e protocol Each individual account is assigned its own addressable memory space by processor 44 within the central database 46 As part of setting up the account the user is prompted for a password This password serves to positively identify the user if for example the user later wishes to sign back onto the account in order to modify data to repeat the configuration process or to recover from a communication failure between the set and computing device As described earlier preferably commu nications between the set and the computing device are made using a secure protocol that 15 the user s personal data is protected not only after it has reached the remote device as suggested by the step above but also while in transmission As described above such transmission can occur over tem porary network lines 72 72 a b and c with reliance on conventional telephone and DSL technology with a modern US 8 589 523 B2 7 network language such as XML and a secure protocol such as secure sockets layer SSL also being used Step 126 involves prompting each user to submit personal setup information for entry into their individual account It may be emphasized here that the information obtained is personal to each user and will vary from user to user As the next step 139 makes clear the personal setup information that the user is being prompted for preferably includes personal identifying and personal preference information
26. e script is also generated based on presumed preference information in order to fill in the critical gaps In the above examples for example it is presumed that the user would select the cable link or even more specifically the digital cable link and the PG rating as the triggering level The first presumed selection though it may lead to the inclusion of extra channels ensures that all the potential channels e g channels 1 135 for digital cable are available to the user while the second presumed selection though it may be regarded as overly restrictive for older children ensures that the lock will take effect at a level appropriate for even the youngest child In more arbitrary cases the pre sumed selection can be chosen based on that most popular with other users whose personal characteristics most closely match the present user s This in turn can be gauged by shared favorite channels or demographics gender age etc or presumed socioeconomic status e g as evaluated using census data and the user s zip code It will be noted that such data for other users is conveniently accessible due to the storage ofthe individual accounts in the centralized database 46 above completes the description of the second main stage of the exemplary method 120 which involved generat ing a personalized script based on each user s personal data The third and final stage which will now be described below
27. e user for unassisted setup and operation of the set that is the user can operate the keypad on the remote or interact with a control menu screen on the computer s display using the mouse 60 and keyboard 62 personal computer 58 serves as the lead device in the local network defined by the receiver 50 and its peripherals insofar as the computer s central processing unit CPU 64 US 8 589 523 B2 5 and memory 66 enable it to interact effectively with the remote computing device 40 A server 68 included on the device 40 preferably includes both a querying module and the above described web page interface module both numbered under item 42 The local computer 58 responds to status queries made by this querying module about the receiver s internal attributes by interrogating the receiver 50 and then uploading the status information requested Also the local computer is able to translate the personalized script down loaded from the remote device into a sequence of control signals suitable for processing by the receiver To enable uploading and downloading operations a con nection to the remote device 40 is preferably initiated locally as by dial up operation from the personal computer 58 over temporary network lines 72 and 72 a b and c These lines are provided for example using conventional telephone and digital subscriber line DSL technology Preferably a secure and readily recognizable communications standard is employed
28. ecifically addresses those preexisting setup alternatives that the user would otherwise need to manually configure on their own In particular this system permits each user to configure their set while avoiding any need to hunt through the manual for relevant setup pro cedures and without recourse to telephone support as can cause extra expense for the manufacturer and frustration for the user In accordance with a second aspect of the present inven tion a method is provided for giving personalized assistance to users with setup of their respective media playing sets comprising providing a web page interface on a computing device remote from each set and prompting each user via said web interface to create an individual account and to submit personal setup information for entry into said individual account providing a script generator on the computing device and generating with this script generator a personalized script for each set based on the personal setup information entered into the individual account ofthe corresponding user and by activating each personalized script configuring the corre sponding set based on the personal setup information submit ted by the corresponding user including automatically mak ing personalized setup selections from a plurality of preexisting setup alternatives supported by the corresponding set This second aspect enables each user to configure their set in accordance with an efficient economic easy
29. er the first step 122 involves providing a web page interface on a computing device remote from each media playing set In FIG 1 it will be noted that the server 68 of the remote computing device 40 hosts a web page that is it includes a module or application typically implemented in software that provides a web page interface 42 The web page format pro vides a mode of collecting data that is familiar and easy to use for most users When organized in accordance with a preferred design further described below this format is also suitable for in depth information collection Such a format has significant advantages over for example collecting user data by telephone In particular the format s textual quality eliminates oral transmission difficulties due to accents mis heard statements inattentive listening and limited word retention the format s support for automation supports 24 hour availability eliminates time pressures on users and sup port staff and lowers staffing costs and the format s ordered structure makes it less likely that important data will be over looked Moreover by collecting each user s personal data at a site remote from each set the privacy of such data can be better secured against unauthorized eavesdropping or snoop ing by other users or third parties The next step 124 of the exemplary method involves prompting each user via the web page interface to create an individual account preferably using a secur
30. es up local computing resources and further protects the security and integrity of the user s local network In particular this eliminates any possibility that the user will later be taken by surprise by some part ofthe script restarting It will be recognized here that this inter nally triggered uninstall process is in keeping with the above described self contained character of the script An exemplary system and method for providing personal ized assistance to users with setup of their respective media playing set has now been described which in particular auto matically makes personalized setup selections from a plurality of preexisting setup alternatives supported by the corresponding set It will be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art that at least certain substitutions and combinations other than those set forth above are possible and that the particular structures operations and orderings of tasks described may be subject to alteration without in fact sig nificantly deviating from the core teachings and essential elements of the present invention The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equiva lents ofthe features shown and described or portions thereof it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limite
31. f claim 9 wherein said step of prompting each user for personal setup information includes presenting a main menu screen and further levels of configuration cat egory screens branching off said main menu screen 21 The method of claim 20 further including presenting on said main menu screen a plurality of category menu items each selectable for branching off to a first level one of a corresponding configuration category screen for selecting personal setup information therefrom 22 The method of claim 21 further including presenting said plurality of category menu items on each of said levels of said configuration category screens each category menu item being selectable for returning to a first level one of a corre sponding configuration category screen
32. guration category screens such as the Setup screen 142 in FIG 5 the Remote Control screen 144 in FIG 6 or the Input Source screen 146 in FIG 7 This can be done by using the mouse device 60 to select the corresponding link or category menu item lying to the left of the main menu For example by selecting the Setup category menu item 154 the user calls up the first level Setup configuration category screen 142 30 40 45 50 65 8 In many cases the user can navigate to a second level category screen as well Thus in FIG 5 by selecting the Cable item 170 on the first level Setup configuration category screen 142 the user calls up a second level configu ration category screen not shown listing four types of cable input formats available for the set Standard HRC IRC and Auto here the middle choices are for formats where the channel carriers are harmonically or incrementally related Similarly the user calls up a second level screen with sec ondary audio program SAP options by selecting the MTS SAP stereo item 172 these options enable the user to listen to a secondary audio track such as news or weather while viewing an unrelated media program or a second level screen with parental control options by selecting the parental control menu item 174 e g where the user can set the paren tal password and the least restrictive movie rating level at which the lock take
33. input 80 which shows connection to either an audioplayer recorder 94 e g using left right audio jacks or to a game console 96 e g using an S video cable Input 80 is comprised of four discrete connectors one plug for composite video two plugs for left right audio and one port for S video It may be noted that the handheld remote control 54 is manually operable by the user to control not only the receiver 50 but also certain of the peripherals 90 and 92 as suggested by the alternate paths 98 100 and 102 ofthe remote s output transmission as indi cated in dashed line view The visual output of the receiver is presented on a media output display or screen 103 which for the sake of convenience in description is shown separate from the receiver although typically such display or screen is integrated with the receiver The receiver also includes an audio output device such as a pair of side mounted speakers not shown A full featured media playing set 36 has now been described in connection with the exemplary system 30 shown in FIG 1 This permits a description ofthe present system and method in a context that fully reveals the advantages of such system and method which description follows It will be recognized however that the system is also operable though perhaps not with the same extent of benefit where the media 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 6 entertainment system or set takes a simpler
34. lar shows the visual notification provided when the script is in the early stages of performing the advanced setup operation shown in FIGS 9 and 11 FIG 15 is similar to FIG 14 except for showing the visual notification provided in a later stage of the advanced setup operation and in particular shows the lead frame announcing the video format to be used in the video tutorials directly following FIG 16 shows a screenshot ofthe output display of FIG 1 and in particular shows the visual notification provided to the user while the personalized script is performing the exter nal services setup operation shown in FIG 9 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG 1 shows an exemplary system 30 for providing per sonalized assistance to users with setup of their respective 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 4 media playing sets In the figure the users are denoted by reference numbers 34 and 34 a 5 and c and their respective media playing sets are correspondingly denoted by numbers 36 and 36 a b and c The system 30 includes a computing device 40 physically located remotely from each set to which each set is electronically connectible The term remotely is intended here to signify that the computing device is inacces sible to any user from their home or other quarters This allows for example the personal data collected from each user to be better protected by on staff administrators again
35. o jack input or S video cable input Referring now to step 256 of FIG 9 after performing preliminary setup the script then automatically performs advanced setup An exemplary listing 257 of the tasks per formed during advanced setup are shown in FIG 11 Step 258 involves setting the parental control option password and rating level for triggering the lock Step 260 involves con figuring the digital antenna and performing digital setup where the media receiver 50 for example is a digital televi sion Step 262 involves presenting tutorials visually demon strating how to connect the media source devices to the media inputs of the set Such tutorials can be in the form of graphic images slide presentations or brief movie clips As noted above the user may be prompted for an entry to confirm they have finished reviewing the tutorial though the script prefer ably proceeds automatically with the next task if the user doesn t respond within a reasonable time The media input involved can include the main input 74 for connecting to an external media source For example the tutorial can show or demonstrate which output connectors connect to which input connectors for an indicated type of receiver VCR cable converter and signal splitter so that TV programs or VCR tapes are viewable without concern about the VCR s US 8 589 523 B2 13 TV VCR switch and while enjoying stereo VCR playback The media input involved can include an au
36. o users with setup of their respective media playing sets comprising a computing device remote from each set hosting a web page interface enabling each user to create an individual account and to submit personal setup information for entry into this individual account this computing device including a script generator to generate a personalized script for each set based on the personal setup information entered into the individual account of the corresponding user and each personalized script configuring the corresponding set upon being activated and including a code sequence for automatically making per sonalized setup selections from a plurality of preexisting setup alternatives supported by the corresponding set This first aspect enables a network of users who are remotely distributed geographically to submit their indi vidual information preferably securely to a remote host site where powerful computing resources are concentrated The web page format enables this information to be efficiently collected in a manner that is easy to use and familiar to most users without the level of communication difficulties often found with data collection by telephone The personalized script generated by the script generator allows a setup solu tion to be efficiently developed and implemented based on each user s individual information and preferences Imple mentation of a personalized solution proceeds subject to the script in an ordered manner and sp
37. on off knob turnable for volume adjustment In contrast a modern televi sion set can typically process signals from a variety of periph erals such as a personal computer videocassette recorder digital video disc recorder compact disc player or stereo and can accept signals from a variety of external sources includ ing air broadcast cable and satellite The number of channels or programs received can number into the hundreds Also an on screen control menu is typically employed for adjusting different aspects of the picture sound and other operational features so that these features can be better adapted to the various media and program formats available Moreover hybrid forms have appeared including televisions able to process digitized signals such as in MPEG 2 or 4 format and computers or miniplayers able to process television or other media broadcasts via a tuner card or through upstream conversion of the media signal to digitized format Because of the many options available in configuring a modern media playing set users can encounter difficulties while performing setup tasks such as connecting peripherals programming the remote configuring the set to receive the desired channels adjusting picture and sound subscribing to commercial services and so on Providing the user with a clear instruction manual is a significant help however the user may lose or misplace the manual or simply not have the time or patience to rea
38. ount said setup information including user selections of specific fea tures said user prefers to enable on said media playing set b providing a script generator on said computing device and generating with said script generator a personalized script for each set of a corresponding user said script generator without further user input and using said spe cific features selected by only the corresponding user automatically constructing a composite code sequence from selected ones of a plurality of preexisting code sequences stored in a location accessible to said script 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 16 generator each preexisting code sequence associated with a respective feature selectively enabled by a said medial playing set and c by activating each personalized script configuring the corresponding set using said composite code sequence 10 The method of claim 9 further including determining if said personal setup information submitted is incomplete and if so generating the corresponding personalized script based at least in part on presumed preference information 11 The method of claim 9 wherein said step of automati cally making personalized setup selections includes config uring a media input on each set 12 The method of claim 11 further including presenting on each set a tutorial visually demonstrating how to connect a certain type of source device to said media input 13 The method of claim
39. pt s progress and in particular is not left guessing as to whether the automatic process is working properly Referring to step 290 of FIG 2 when the script is finished configuring the set preferably the script loads a data security component 292 FIG 1 into the local computer 58 that remotely connects the set in order to clear from this computer any personal setup information entered by the user Thus if this computer is later used by a different user as a standalone unit or is later connected to a different remote network the original user s personal identifying information such as name age gender and zip code is protected against unau thorized browsing It will be recognized then that the present system and method provides a threefold system of protection for the user s personal data first when the data is stored remotely in a password protected individual account on the central database 46 second when the data is originally trans ferred by secure protocol from the set to the remote comput ing device and third when unneeded remnants of data are cleared from the local connecting computer after the script has completed configuration of the set The data security component is itself uninstalled together with the script and hence is indicated in dashed line profile in FIG 1 Referring also to step 294 of FIG 9 the personalized script preferably includes a code sequence that then automatically uninstalls the script This fre
40. relates to activating this script Referring to steps 228 and 230 by activating the script the corresponding set is configured based on the personalized setup information submitted by the corresponding user This configuration includes automati cally making personalized setup selections from preexisting setup alternatives supported by the set As the last statement indicates the setup selections made by the script include alternatives that preexist the script and that are sup ported by the set i e alternatives that the set supported US 8 589 523 B2 11 before the script is even generated The term alternatives refers to two or more setup options or selections in mutually exclusive relationship to each other that is selecting one of these options necessarily precludes selecting the other Thus on the Setup screen 142 FIG 5 the user can either select the air item 224 or the cable item 170 but not both together or can enable the parental control item 174 or dis able it by not actively selecting it but not both together In configuring the set although the script automates making these selections the underlying alternatives existed before the script Selection between these alternatives could for example have been made instead though with greater diffi culty manually by the user Thus the script enables the user to take fuller and more effective advantage of the various fea t
41. ription of these items given in reference to the Setup screen 142 of FIG 5 During the earlier information collection stage the user was asked to specify what type of source device was being connected to each media input of the broadcast receiver For example FIG 8 shows the Input Source screen that asked for this information for peripheral input 1 The system of FIG 1 shows a broadcast receiver 50 having three different periph eral inputs namely I1 item 76 I2 item 78 and 13 item 80 so the user was presented in this case with three different Input Source screens the user previously specified the number of peripheral inputs by specifying the receiver s model type under the Network screen As indicated by step 254 of FIG 10 as part of configuring the basic video char acteristics the personalized script configures the peripheral inputs of the receiver each for compatibility with the identi fied source type In the system shown in FIG 1 for example the script configures input 1 11 for connection to the user indicated model of videocassette player recorder 90 e g enabling component or composite video as appropriate Likewise the script configures input 2 I2 for connection to a digital videodisc player 92 Finally depending on whether the user decides to connect the audio player recorder 74 or the game console 96 to input 3 13 the script configures that input accordingly e g for left right audi
42. s a secure protocol for enabling each user to securely submit said personal setup information 4 The system of claim 1 wherein each personalized script includes a code sequence for automatically uninstalling said script upon completing said personalized setup selections 5 The system of claim 1 wherein each set includes an input for selectively receiving media signals from a plurality of source types and said personalized setup selections include a selection for configuring said input for compatibility with a particular one of said source types 6 The system of claim 1 wherein each set includes a media broadcast receiver having a control input and further includes a control device for sending control signals to said control input said control device being manually manipulable for making personalized setup selections from said setup alter natives said setup alternatives being supported by said receiver 7 The system of claim 6 wherein said control device is a handheld remote control unit 8 The system of claim 6 wherein said control device is a personal computer 9 method for providing personalized assistance to users with setup of their respective media playing sets comprising a providing a web page interface on a computing device remote from each set and prompting each user via said web interface to create an individual account and to provide user input comprising personal setup informa tion for entry into said individual acc
43. s effect A significant advantage of the above described multi leveled arrangement of input screens is that only a limited amount of information is presented or requested on any one screen so as not to overwhelm the user while simultaneously the depth of linked screens allows full capture of the desired user information in one session Also where the need for a piece of data is contingent on an earlier piece of data for example the specific minutes of nonuse needed before power off occurs is contingent on the user first selecting the power off feature this linked structure saves the user the trouble of reviewing branches that represent unnecessary information Step 176 in FIG 3 involves presenting on the main menu screen a plurality of category menu items each being select able for navigating to a first level one of a corresponding configuration category screen Referring to FIG 4 the first three of these selectable menu items include 1 a Login item 150 for calling up the screen not shown where the user establishes an account provides a password and provides personal identifying information such as name and location or zip code 2 a Network item 152 to call the screen not shown that identifies the features of the user s local network such as the particular model of the user s receiver 50 and any firewall in place and 3 a Setup item 154 to call the screen 144 FIG 5 for entering basic video audio
44. sonalization tasks include setting the sleep mode Dolby and auto sync for digital reception settings Referring to step 270 these tasks can further include presetting inherent performance attributes of the set each to a particular value selected from a range of possible values This in turn as further set forth in step 272 can involve presetting the favorite channels as selected from the full range of possible channels to those indicated by the user so that for example the user can select each favorite channel with just one key press on the handheld remote Or it can involve as further set forth in step 274 presetting a picture attribute of the set such as backlight contrast bright ness color tint sharpness view mode and fine sync that is individually setting one or more of horizontal H position vertical V position clock and phase for digital reception Or it can involve as further set forth in step 276 presetting an audio attribute of the set such as treble bass balance or volume Referring to step 278 of FIG 9 after performing person alization setup the script next performs external services setup including subscribing the user to a broadcast service or services provided by an external network provider or provid ers For example during this task the script might instruct the personal computer 58 FIG 1 to dial up the subscription website of an external service provider such as HBO or ESPN and to autom
45. st security breaches by other users or outside parties This per sonal data which includes user preferences regarding setup is collected by the main computer by a web page interface module 42 This module prompts each user to create an indi vidual account and to submit personal setup information for entry into this account The computing device includes a processor 44 and central database 46 which processor assigns the data in each account to an addressable memory region of the database for later recall and use After the personal setup information of a particular user has been collected preferably during a single session a script generator 48 included in the computing device 40 generates a personalized script that is specifically based on this informa tion and adapted forthe corresponding set Upon being down loaded and activated this script configures the corresponding set and in particular includes a code sequence for automati cally making personalized setup selections from a plurality of preexisting setup alternatives supported by that type of set Hence in FIG 10 which shows a detailed sequence of opera tions performed by an exemplary script during its preliminary setup cycle the first step involves configuring the set for the indicated language it being understood here that the corre sponding set supports different languages e g English French and Spanish and that the user earlier in their per sonal setup information
46. the user in accordance with the methods of FIGS 2 and 3 FIG 5 is screenshot of the output display of FIG 1 where the menu item for the Setup configuration category has been selected such as from the main menu of FIG 4 FIG 6 is a screenshot of the output display of FIG 1 where the menu item for the Remote Control configuration cat egory has been selected such as from the main menu of FIG 4 FIG 7 is a plan view of a handheld remote control adapted to be configured from information taken from the configura tion category screen of FIG 6 FIG 815 screenshot ofthe output display of FIG 1 where the menu item for the Input Source configuration category has been selected such as from the main menu of FIG 4 FIG 9 shows an exemplary sequence of operations per formed by the personalized script while configuring the set in accordance with the method of FIG 2 FIG 10 shows further details of the preliminary setup operation shown in FIG 9 FIG 11 shows further details of the advanced setup opera tion shown in FIG 9 FIG 12 shows further details of the personalization setup operation depicted in FIG 9 FIG 13 shows a screenshot ofthe output display of FIG 1 and in particular shows the visual notification provided to the user while the personalized script 15 performing the pre liminary setup operation shown in FIGS 9 AND 10 FIG 14 shows a screenshot ofthe output display of FIG 1 and in particu
47. time which approach could lead to redundant and possibly inconsistent data preferably data collection occurs in a con solidated manner All the information required to configure the set is collected in a single session or more specifically only one session is used to collect the data required each time the user desires to reconfigure the set such as by adding or changing the peripheral devices Although the large amount of data concerned would seem to make such a procedure impractical this apparent difficulty is overcome in the next step of the preferred method Step 132 of the exemplary method involves prompting the user for personal setup information using an easy to navi gate multiscreen system suitable for detailed information collection Before passing on to a description of the second stage of the exemplary method an exemplary data collection procedure of the type summarized in step 132 will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS 3 8 The flowchart of FIG 3 shows details of an exemplary procedure 134 for prompting a user for information using an easy to navigate multiscreen system The first step 136 involves presenting a main menu screen and a plurality of levels of configuration category screens navigable from this main menu screen Thus in FIG 4 which shows a screenshot 138 presented to the user in accordance with this step a main menu 140 is presented From this main menu the user can navigate to further confi
48. to follow and well structured procedure that at the same time permits each user s preferences to be individually taken into account In particular this procedure allows the user to make person alized setup selections from the full range of preexisting setup alternatives supported by their particular set which alterna tives the user might otherwise have difficulty implementing without excessive frustration or costly external assistance US 8 589 523 B2 3 The foregoing and other objectives features and advan tages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying draw ings BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG 1 is a diagrammatic view of an exemplary system for providing personalized assistance to users with setup of their respective media playing sets as constructed in accordance with the present invention FIG 2 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for providing personalized assistance to users with setup of their respective media playing sets as practiced in accordance with the present invention FIG 3 is a flowchart showing details of an exemplary procedure for prompting a user for information using a mul tiscreen system as specified in the method of FIG 2 FIG 4 is a screenshot of the output display depicted in FIG 1 showing the main menu of a web page interface presented to
49. ts provides a computing device remote from each ee COMP Ete searc set hosting a web page interface for prompting each user to 56 References Cited create an individual account and to submit personal setup U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 4 264 925 A 4 1981 Freeman et al 4 967 337 A 10 1990 English et al 5 220 496 A 6 1993 Tanaka et al 5 235 414 A 8 1993 Cohen 5 278 565 A 1 1994 Horn 5 353 238 A 10 1994 Neef et al 5 488 427 A 1 1996 Kayashima et al 5 504 896 A 4 1996 Schell et al 5 534 911 A 7 1996 Levitan 5 754 940 A 5 1998 Smith et al 5 799 311 A 8 1998 Agrawal et al 5 815 662 A 9 1998 Ong 5 850 340 A 12 1998 York eb page interface amp querying modules 48 Script Generator 106c 1062 106b P A information for entry into this account a script generator generates a personalized script for each set based on the personal setup information entered into the individual account ofthe corresponding user this personalized script by being activated configures the corresponding set including by automatically making personalized setup selections from a plurality of preexisting setup alternatives supported by the corresponding set These preexisting setup alternatives for example typically are described in a user manual accompa nying or available for the set and absent the present system and method typically require difficult manual configuration to implement 22 Claims 11
50. ures or alternatives normally offered by the set An exemplary sequence of operations 231 that are per formed by the script upon being activated are depicted in FIG 9 In FIG 9 after the first two or three preparatory steps each step corresponds to particular task or code sequence auto matically executed by the script Certain of these tasks are depicted in further detail in FIGS 10 12 The first step 232 of FIG 9 involves determining if the broadcast receiver is on In FIG 1 for example the querying module 42 of the remote computing device 40 sends a query to the local computer 58 requesting this information The computer verifies the power state of the receiver 50 and returns this status information to the remote computing device Referring to step 234 if the receiver isn t on after a suitable interval oftime during which a reminder may be sent to the user to turn the set on the query process is repeated Referring to step 236 if the receiver is on the personalized script is downloaded so that it can be placed into local memory 66 and executed by the local CPU 64 in an alterna tive configuration as noted above the local computer and its elements may be integrated with the receiver 50 As indicated by step 238 after being downloaded the personalized script is self activating or executing That is it contains a code sequence serving as an internal trigger for initiating installation and execution of the script Once initi
51. xiliary input such as item 80 for connecting to a peripheral device For example the tutorial can show or demonstrate the jack to plug connections between the receiver and a DVD player depending on whether component or composite cable is used In accordance with step 264 of FIG 9 the script automati cally performs the task of remote control setup Further details about remote control setup were described in connec tion with FIGS 6 and 7 When this task is complete user indicated ones of the peripheral devices e g devices 90 and 92 in FIG 1 are directly controllable by the handheld remote 54 and in particular each indicated device is controllable by acorresponding set of keys on the remote that are appropriate for controlling that particular type of device In accordance with step 266 of FIG 9 the script automati cally performs the task of performing personalization setup detailed listing 267 of the tasks performed during person alization setup are shown in FIG 12 Broadly stated the particular setup items that are configured during this task enable the particular user to further personalize the set and are optional rather than essential to the set s proper operation In general this task is performed based on the personal infor mation collected from the user on the Personalization and Useful Adjustment screens see the corresponding menu items listed in FIG 5 Referring to step 268 of FIG 12 the per
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