DISPLAY METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COLLECTING MEDIA PREFERENCE INFORMATION

An end user media preferences "key" captures an end user's personal media interests and tastes in a unique display format that is saved locally to an end user's computer. The key is forged using a display interface on a given site. As the end user later navigates to different web sites having media discovery applications and services, he or she uses the key to facilitate a media discovery process on such sites. In this manner, the key captures, carries and controls access to the end user's personal interests and tastes across multiple sites. On a given site, the key is used (by a local media discovery platform or process) to help match video, audio or other textual content with the end user based on the preference information that has been collected and embedded in the key. Upon receiving the key, the local media discovery platform or process immediately learns what the end user likes and can then locate the movies, video, news or other content that the end user would otherwise have to locate directly or via site-specific entry and processing of end user preference data. The media preference key preferably is displayable as a sphere that comprises a plurality of zones on its surface. Preferably, each zone on the sphere represents a given media type. A user's preferences and the strength of those preferences are represented on the sphere. In particular, one or more crystal-like representations extend from each zone, preferably with each crystal representing an individual media type attribute. The height of the crystal then represents the strength of the preference. Une = clé = de préférences multimédia d'un utilisateur final capture les intérêts et goûts personnels de cet utilisateur final dans un format d'affichage unique qui est sauvegardé localement sur l'ordinateur de l'utilisateur final. La clé est construite en utilisant une interface d'affichage sur un site donné. Lorsque l'utilisateur final navigue ultérieurement sur différents sites Web ayant des applications et services de découverte multimédia, il utilise la clé pour faciliter un processus de découverte multimédia sur de tels sites. De cette manière, la clé capture, transporte et contrôle l'accès aux centres d'intérêts et goûts personnels de l'utilisateur final à travers de multiples sites. Sur un site donné, la clé est utilisée (par une plateforme ou un processus de découverte multimédia local) pour aider à trouver des documents vidéo, audio ou texte correspondant à l'utilisateur final sur la ba