System and method for providing access to data using customer profiles

Abstract

A system and method for scheduling the receipt of desired movies and other forms of data from a network which simultaneously distributes many sources of such data to many customers, as in a cable television system. Customer profiles are developed for the recipient describing how important certain characteristics of the broadcast video program, movie or other data are to each customer. From these profiles, an “agreement matrix” is calculated by comparing the recipient's profiles to the actual profiles of the characteristics of the available video programs, movies, or other data. The agreement matrix thus characterizes the attractiveness of each video program, movie, or other data to each prospective customer. “Virtual” channels are generated from the agreement matrix to produce a series of video or data programming which will provide the greatest satisfaction to each customer. Feedback paths are also provided so that the customer's profiles and/or the profiles of the video programs or other data may be modified to reflect actual usage. Kiosks are also developed which assist customers in the selection of videos, music, books, and the like in accordance with the customer's objective profiles.

1 .- 115 . (canceled) 
     
     
         116 . A method for assisting customers with the selection of content from a content collection comprising the steps of:
 predetermining descriptive characteristics of the content in said collection;   creating content profiles indicating the presence or absence of said predetermined characteristics;   creating one or more customer profiles without customer explicitly expressing preference for said predetermined characteristics;   said customer profiles representing the customers' preferences for said predetermined characteristics;   finding the most desired subset of said content having said content profiles that match said customer profiles; and   presenting said subset to said customers for selection.