System and method for personalized tv

Abstract

A Personal TV System receives a plurality of video segments constituting a TV program and information describing each segment, and controls the display of the segments to a viewer in accordance with preferences of the viewer and with the description of each segment. Segments may be omitted or replaced with substitute segments. The viewer may review his preferences and edit or replace them. In a multi-viewer household, the system may prompt a viewer to confirm her preferences. A TV program may contain interactive segments, and when the viewer chooses to interact with a particular segment, the system automatically stores all subsequently received segments for later viewing while the viewer interacts with the selected segment. The system may present TV program choices to the viewer selected and arranged in accordance with her preferences.

1 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A method for displaying video programs to a viewer, comprising:
 receiving a plurality of video segments comprising a video program;   displaying the received video segments sequentially;   allowing the viewer to select a received video segment to interact therewith; and   storing subsequently received video segments while the viewer is interacting with the selected video segment, wherein the plurality of video segments are automatically paused during viewer interaction with the selected received video segment.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 displaying the stored video segments following the viewer interacting with the selected video segment.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein displaying the stored video segments comprises:
 automatically displaying the stored video segments immediately following the viewer interacting with the selected video segment.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein receiving the video segment comprises:
 receiving a plurality of linear video segments at a set-top box connected to a display of the viewer.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein storing the video segments comprises:
 storing the subsequently received video segments at the set-top box.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the video segments are selected from the group of video segments comprising advertising, entertainment, news, weather, financial, sports, educational, and shopping programming. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the selected video segment is an Interactive TV segment. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the plurality of video segments are automatically paused upon the viewer interacting with an Interactive TV segment. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the predicted viewing preferences are based on viewing behavior heuristics. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the predicted viewing preferences are based on previously viewed programming.