Personalization of information content by monitoring network traffic

Abstract

A home network system that personalizes the selection of information content in accordance with an interest of a user of the network is disclosed. More specifically, a method and apparatus are described for automatically presenting an information content of interest to the user, being provided by an Internet site external to the network. The contents of interest may be determined in accordance with an access pattern of the user or a frequency of the use of particular topic in the content.

1 . A method comprising:
 monitoring data traffic at a gateway coupling between first and second data networks, said first data network including a first device having an input for receiving a control data for interactively operating with a second device on said second data network;   analyzing said monitored data traffic to identify a more-frequently-accessed content provided by said second device and said control data indicating a network location of said more-frequently-accessed content to provide a first data indicating said more-frequently-accessed content and a second data indicating a way to access said more-frequently-accessed content; and   selecting said more-frequently-accessed content and said way to access said more-frequently-accessed content.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus comprising:
 a communication interface coupled between first and second data networks, said first data network including a first device having an input for receiving a control data for interactively operating with a second device on said second data network;   a controller coupled to said communication interface for monitoring a data traffic between said first and second data networks, said controller analyzing the monitored traffic data to identify a more-frequently-accessed content provided by said second device and said control data indicating a network location of said more-frequently-accessed content to provide a first data indicating said more-frequently-accessed content and a second data indicating a way to access said more-frequently-accessed content, and   said controller selecting said more-frequently-accessed content and said way to access said more-frequently-accessed content.   
     
     
         3 . An apparatus comprising:
 communication means coupled between first and second data networks, said first data network including a first device having an input for receiving a control data for interactively operating with a second device on said second data network;   control means coupled to said communication means for monitoring a data traffic between said first and second data networks, said controller means analyzing the monitored traffic data to identify a more-frequently-accessed content provided by said second device and said control data indicating a network location of said more-frequently-accessed content to provide a first data indicating said more-frequently-accessed content and a second data indicating a way to access said more-frequently-accessed content, and   said control means selecting said more-frequently-accessed content and said way to access said more-frequently-accessed content.