User profile server passing media content preference between entertainment devices to provide user-tailored entertainment experience

#The invention pertains generally to hospitality media systems. More specifically, the invention relates to providing a user-tailored entertainment experience at first and second hospitality locations by a user profile server passing media content preferences between different entertainment devices.

#Travel is popular both as a recreational activity such as tourism and as a corporate activity such as business trips. One problem with travelling for either pleasure or business, however, is what to do during all the inevitable “downtime” that is associated with travelling. Examples of typical downtown include periods waiting for departure at airports, bus terminals, ferry docks, or train stations; waiting for arrival while on an airplane, car, bus, boat, or train; waiting at transfer points for a next departure; killing time during layovers and overnight stays; waiting for weather to permit travel; waiting for tours to start; waiting for meetings to start; and recovering from jet lag, time zone changes, illness, food differences, and the general fatigue of coping in a new environment.

#Travellers often carry portable electronic devices that, in addition to other functions, provide for personal entertainment during downtime. Examples include mobile phones; personal music players; portable video players; digital cameras; and laptop, notebook, and tablet computers; etc. Additionally, to keep travellers occupied and provide entertainment during waiting periods, electronic entertainment devices and systems are provided in guest-facing locations throughout the travel and hospitality industries. Examples include public televisions; Internet kiosks and WiFi access points; personal music and video players mounted in seatbacks on airplanes, busses, and trains; video games consoles; high definition audio-visual devices in hotel rooms and ocean liner cabins; etc.

#The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent preferred embodiments thereof, wherein:

#FIG. 1 illustrates a system for providing a user-tailored entertainment experience at different hospitality locations according to a first exemplary configuration.

#FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary user profile stored at the user-profile server of FIG. 1.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 for providing a user-tailored entertainment experience at different hospitality locations 120 according to a first exemplary configuration. In this example, the system 100 includes a user-profile server 108, one or more remote content sources 106, content storage 102, a central recording and distribution system 104, a trip planning and reservation system 110, and a plurality of fixed and transient hospitality locations 120. For illustration purposes, two fixed hospitality locations 120a, 120b connected to the Internet 112 with solid lines, and two transient hospitality locations 120c, 120d connected to the Internet 112 with dashed lines are shown. The solid lines from the Internet 112 to the fixed hospitality locations 120a, 120b are meant to represent that the connections are generally fixed and available barring a temporary network problem. Examples of these fixed locations 120a, 120b may include permanent properties such as hotels, buildings, conference halls, resorts, airport terminals, etc. The dotted lines from the Internet 112 to the transient locations 120c, 120d are meant to represent that the connections may be temporary or intermittent in nature, or that the location itself is mobile and changes positions over time. Examples of transient locations include all forms of transportation vehicles, portable and mobile electronic devices, equipment that is only in operation for a limited time duration, etc. Local entertainment systems and devices at the various locations 120 are linked to the user-profile server 108 via the Internet 112 or another network in order to provide a persistent entertainment experience to a user during travel. The system 100 may include any number and type of locations 120 with any connection mechanisms to at least one user-profile server 108. For example, any connection techniques to any network 112 may be used including WiFi, LAN, WAN, WLAN, point-to-point link, optical, radio, infrared, etc.

#In this configuration, the user-profile server 108 stores and manages user profiles 130, trip plans 132, and location and device data 134 so that, as a user moves between different locations 120, the user's entertainment experience is custom-tailored for the user at each new location 120.

#FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary user profile 200 stored at the user-profile server 108. The user profile 200 may also be referred to as a user or guest portfolio in other configurations. For description purposes, the user profile 200 corresponding to an exemplary user identifier #3,453,292 is shown in FIG. 2 including user-specific information such as loyalty program and user identification numbers 210, electronic bookmarks 212, TV show title preferences 214, language preferences 216, movie genre preferences 218, scheduled recordings 219, region preferences 220, a user-specific TV channel lineup 222, and user device information 224. The information stored in this exemplary user profile 200 is not meant as limiting. In other configurations, more, less, or different information may also be stored.