How Remote Servers Automatically Adjust Your TV Settings

A method for a remote server to automatically configure a TV's picture and sound settings by analyzing what other users with similar viewing habits prefer.

What it covers

This patent describes a system where a remote server helps users configure their televisions without manual tweaking. The server collects data from many users to identify 'mutually integrable' settings—groups of settings like brightness, contrast, and audio levels that work well together. When a user specifies their viewing context, the server pushes the most popular, statistically favored configuration to their TV. The system also includes a feedback loop where users can use 'thumbs up' or 'thumbs down' buttons on their remote to accept or reject suggested settings, allowing the server to refine its recommendations over time.

What it doesn't cover

• —Does not cover local-only configuration where settings are stored and applied solely on the TV hardware without a remote server.
• —Does not cover manual configuration methods that require the user to navigate through traditional on-screen menus.
• —Does not cover systems that adjust settings based on real-time ambient light sensors rather than statistical user preference data.

The clever bit

The system treats TV settings as a collaborative statistical problem, using 'mutually integrable' combinations—meaning it doesn't just set one value, but ensures a group of settings (like brightness and color balance) are compatible with each other based on what worked for other people.

Why it matters

This patent addresses the frustration of complex TV calibration. By shifting the burden of configuration from the user to a cloud-based statistical model, it aims to ensure that consumers get optimal picture and sound quality based on the collective experience of others, rather than relying on their own technical knowledge.

Real-world examples

• 1.Smart TV cloud-based picture mode presets
• 2.Remote diagnostic and configuration services for consumer electronics
• 3.Crowdsourced calibration profiles for high-end displays