Provisioning commercial-free media content

• US 10,003,858 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2014
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Austin, Jarrod
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Mushfikh I
• Application Number:
  US14/274,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20150326891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence

Abstract

Provisioning commercial-free or break-free media content. Example types of media or media content may include advertising media, broadcast media, social media, news media, and etc. In a satellite broadcast television implementation, subscribers may be provided the ability to search for and optionally access commercial-free programming.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

outputting, by a television receiver, an electronic programming guide that includes indicators of media content that includes commercials;

receiving, by the television receiver, a search string of one or more keywords to identify instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords;

responsive to a selection of a user-selectable option to perform a commercial-free content search, performing, by the television receiver, the commercial-free content search, the commercial-free content search comprising querying a plurality of different data sources, the plurality of different data sources comprising an electronic programming guide database and at least one recorded content database to identify instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords;

organizing, by the television receiver, the identified instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords for selection by a user, wherein the identified instances of media content include at least one instance of media content matched with the one or more keywords comprising commercial-free content and at least one instance of media content matched with the one or more keywords comprising media content having commercials during the instance of media content;

creating, by the television receiver, a commercial-free content list that includes only the identified instances of media content comprising commercial-free content of media content at least in part by removing from the organized identified instances any instance of media content having commercials during the instance of media content;

outputting, by the television receiver, a commercial-free results interface that presents the commercial-free content list for display by a presentation device, wherein the commercial-free content list includes a particular selectable identifier associated with each instance of media content that is matched with the one or more keywords and that is identified as commercial-free, and the commercial-free content list differentiates each instance of media content based at least in part on a data source from which the instance of media content is available, wherein a first instance of media content and a second instance of media content each correspond to a same content item, where the first instance of media content is available from a first data source, and the second instance of media content is available from a second data source; and

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected posts a posting to a user'"'"'s associated social media account for an online social network, wherein the posting includes information identifying the media content as being provided commercial-free and information identifying a source of the commercial-free content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting commercial-free instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords based upon a particular flag or bit associated with each instance of commercial-free content.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

outputting to the presentation device for display a particular instance of commercial-free media content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

outputting to the presentation device for display an option to set a timer to record a particular instance of commercial-free media content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

outputting to the presentation device for display a particular instance of commercial-free media content that is associated with the selectable identifier upon confirmation of payment of fee to access the particular instance of commercial-free media content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

outputting to the presentation device for display device a preview segment of a particular instance of commercial-free media content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected provides an option to define a particular media content source as having priority greater than another media content source.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected provides an option to make available access to commercial-free media content from a particular media content source.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected provides an option to make available media content related to a particular instance of commercial-free media content.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected provides access to a website associated with a particular instance of commercial-free media content.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display a particular advertisement selected based upon a particular association with a particular instance of commercial-free media content.

12. A television receiver, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

output an electronic programming guide that includes a user-selectable option to perform a break-free content search;

detect a selection of the user-selectable option to perform the break-free content search, and query a plurality of different data sources to facilitate the break-free content search, the plurality of different data sources comprising an electronic programming guide database and at least one recorded content database to identify instances of media content matched with the query, wherein the identified instances of media content include at least one instance of media content matched with the query comprising commercial-free content and at least one instance of media content matched with the query comprising media content having commercials during the instance of media content;

organize the identified instances of media content matched with one or more keywords for selection by a user;

create a break-free content list that includes only the identified instances of media content comprising break-free content of media content at least in part by removing from the organized identified instances any instance of media content having breaks during the instance of media content;

output a break-free results interface that presents the break-free content list for display by a presentation device, wherein the break-free content list includes a particular selectable identifier associated with each instance of content that is matched with the query and that is identified as break-free, and the break-free content list differentiates each instance of media content based at least in part on a data source from which the instance of media content is available, wherein a first instance of media content and a second instance of media content each correspond to a same content item, where the first instance of media content is available from a first data source, and the second instance of media content is available from a second data source; and

output to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected posts a posting to a user'"'"'s associated social media account for an online social network, wherein the posting includes information identifying the media content as being provided commercial-free and information identifying a source of the commercial-free content.

13. The television receiver of claim 12, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

select break-free instances of content matched with one or more query keywords based upon a particular flag or bit associated with each instance of break-free content.

14. The television receiver of claim 12, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

detect an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

output to the presentation device a particular instance of break-free content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

15. The television receiver of claim 12, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

detect an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

output to the presentation device an option to set a timer to record a particular instance of break-free content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

16. The television receiver of claim 12, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

output to the presentation device an indicator that when selected generates a request for the television receiver to output an interface that presents advertisement content associated with programming displayed by the presentation device.

17. The television receiver of claim 12, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

output to the presentation device an interface that includes textual content associated with programming displayed by the presentation device.

18. The television receiver of claim 12, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

output to the presentation device an indicator that when selected activates the television receiver to contact a network-based resource other than the television receiver over a communication interface.

19. One or more non-transitory, processor-readable media having processor-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to:

cause output of an electronic programming guide that includes indicators of media content that includes commercials;

process a search string of one or more keywords to identify instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords;

responsive to a selection of a user-selectable option to perform a commercial-free content search, causing performance the commercial-free content search that comprises querying with respect to a plurality of different data sources, the plurality of different data sources comprising an electronic programming guide database and at least one recorded content database to identify instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords;

organize the identified instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords for selection by a user, wherein the identified instances of media content include at least one instance of media content matched with the one or more keywords comprising commercial-free content and at least one instance of media content matched with the one or more keywords comprising media content having commercials during the instance of media content;

create a commercial-free content list that includes only the identified instances of media content comprising commercial-free content of media content at least in part by removing from the organized identified instances any instance of media content having commercials during the instance of media content;

cause output of a commercial-free results interface that presents the commercial-free content list for display by a presentation device, wherein the commercial-free content list includes a particular selectable identifier associated with each instance of media content that is matched with the one or more keywords and that is identified as commercial-free, and the commercial-free content list differentiates each instance of media content based at least in part on a data source from which the instance of media content is available, wherein a first instance of media content and a second instance of media content each correspond to a same content item, where the first instance of media content is available from a first data source, and the second instance of media content is available from a second data source; and

cause output to the presentation device for display of an indicator that when selected posts a posting to a user'"'"'s associated social media account for an online social network, wherein the posting includes information identifying the media content as being provided commercial-free and information identifying a source of the commercial-free content.