MULTICAST OF STREAM SELECTION FROM PORTABLE DEVICE

摘要

To view media, a user may select a media stream by operating a portable device that controls a media presentation device. The portable device may be configured to multicast this stream selection to both the media presentation device and a selection analysis machine. The remote control may have or include both an infrared emitter and a cellular telephone, and the stream selection may be sent both to the media presentation device and to the selection analysis machine. The selection analysis machine may receive and store stream selections over a period of time, and these aggregated stream selections may form all or part of a profile of a user or a group of users who use the media presentation device. This profile may indicate viewing habits and choices of one or more users of the media presentation device, and the selection analysis machine may analyze this profile.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
detecting an initiation of a stream selection command initiated at a portable device that is configured to send the stream selection command both to a media presentation device via a line-of-sight signal and to a selection analysis machine via a telephone network, the initiation being detected from a user input that originated on the portable device; generating the stream selection command in response to the initiation of the stream selection command, the generating of the stream selection command being performed by a processor of the portable device; and sending the stream selection command from the portable device both to the media presentation device via the line-of-sight signal and to the selection analysis machine via the telephone network.