Subscriber Characterization System with Filters

Abstract

A subscriber characterization system with filters in which the subscriber's selections are monitored, including monitoring of the time duration programming is watched, the volume at which the programming is listened to, and any available information regarding the type of programming, including category and sub-category of the programming. The raw subscriber selection data is then processed to eliminate data associated with irrelevant activities such as channel surfing, channel jumping, or extended periods of inactivity. The actual subscriber selection data is used to form program characteristics vectors. The programming characteristics vectors can be used in combination with the actual subscriber selection data to form a subscriber profile. Heuristic rules indicating the relationships between programming choices and demographics can be applied to generate additional probabilistic subscriber profiles regarding demographics and programming and product interest.

1 . A computer-implemented method of inferring the age of a viewer, the method comprising:
 (a) monitoring viewer interactions with a multimedia device;   (b) processing the viewer interactions to obtain viewer interaction data corresponding to the viewer interactions;   (c) retrieving one or more previously developed rules, wherein the previously developed rules relate at least one aspect of the viewer interaction data to the age of the viewer and wherein the previously developed rules have been previously developed through the application of at least one heuristic process;   (d) applying one or more of the previously developed rules to at least a subset of the viewer interaction data; and   (e) inferring the age of the viewer from the viewer interaction data based on the application of the previously developed rules.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inferred age is an age range. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the previously developed rules are probabilistic in nature. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inferred age is expressed as a probability assigned by the rules based on the viewer interaction data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said monitoring includes monitoring at least some subset of channel changes, volume changes, record commands, and time of viewer interaction. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (b) includes evaluating channel change commands and associated viewing times to determine the viewer interaction data. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the viewer interaction data includes at least some subset of:
 viewing time per channel, category, and network;   channel changes per time period;   average volume per time period, channel, category, and network; and   dwell time per channel, category, and network.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the previously developed rules remain unchanged at least during steps (c), (d) and (e). 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the previously developed rules create an inferential link between the viewer interaction data and the age of the viewer. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the application of the previously developed rules provides a predictive value of the age inferred in step (e). 
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method of inferring the age of a user, the method comprising:
 (a) monitoring user interactions with a computer;   (b) processing the user interactions to obtain user interaction data corresponding to the user interactions;   (c) retrieving one or more previously developed rules, wherein the previously developed rules relate at least one aspect of the user interaction data to the age of the user and wherein the previously developed rules have been previously developed through the application of at least one heuristic process;   (d) applying one or more of the previously developed rules to at least a subset of the user interaction data; and   (e) inferring the age of the user from the user interaction data based on the application of the previously developed rules.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the inferred age is an age range. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the user interactions include interactions with data received via the Internet. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , user interactions include interactions entered via a keyboard. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the previously developed rules are probabilistic in nature. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the inferred age is expressed as a probability assigned by the rules based on the user interaction data. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said monitoring includes monitoring at least some subset of requests for the delivery of programming, volume changes, record commands, and time of user interaction. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein step (b) includes evaluating requests for the delivery of programming and associated request times to determine the user interaction data. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the user interaction data includes at least some subset of:
 viewing time per video stream, category, and source;   requests for the delivery of programming per time period; and   average volume per time period, category, and source.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the previously developed rules create an inferential link between the user interaction data and the age of the user. 
     
     
         21 . A user profiling system in a network environment for determining the inferred age of a viewer of a video, the system comprising:
 a viewer interaction module configured to monitor interaction of a viewer of a video and to process the viewer interactions to obtain viewer interaction data;   a storage module for storing previously developed rules, wherein the previously developed rules relate at least one aspect of viewer interaction data to the age of a corresponding viewer; the previously developed rules having been developed through the application of a heuristic process prior to being stored in the storage module;   a rule application module configured to retrieve at least one of the previously developed rules applicable to the viewer interaction data, to apply the at least one retrieved rule to the viewer interaction data and to infer the age of the viewer based on the application of the rule.   
     
     
         22 . The user profiling system of  claim 21 , wherein the network environment includes the Internet. 
     
     
         23 . The user profiling system of  claim 21 , wherein the rule application module inference of the age includes inferring an age range of the viewer. 
     
     
         24 . The user profiling system of  claim 21 , wherein the previously developed rules are probabilistic in nature. 
     
     
         25 . The user profiling system of  claim 21 , wherein the inferred age is expressed as a probability assigned by the rules based on the viewer interaction data.