Matrix code-based user interface

• US 10,015,550 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Gerhards, Keith, Minnick, Dan J., Kilaru, Kranti
• Primary Examiner(s): Chokshi, Pinkal R
• Application Number:
  US14/852,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20160066050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for presenting a matrix code may include receiving, at a content receiver, a signal carrying identifying data relating to a remotely accessible program, generating, at a content receiver, a matrix code from the identifying data relating to the remotely accessible program, transmitting the matrix code as part of a content presentation to a presentation device for display, and receiving the remotely accessible program in response to a user capture of the matrix code. A method for remotely controlling a set top box and a method for setting a recording time on a set top box are also described. A method of preparing a program guide may include gathering program information, generating matrix codes for each program including program data, and associating the matrix codes with respective programs.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a television service provider server, television programming to a television receiver device over a television network;

receiving, by the television service provider server, a communication from a mobile device, the communication containing identifying data associated with the television receiver device and program information;

in response to the communication received from the mobile device;

(a) searching, by the television service provider server, a database to locate a program corresponding to the program information received from the mobile device;

(b) generating, by the television service provider server, an instruction for the television receiver device to record the program, wherein the instruction corresponds to an instruction for the television receiver device to detect a predetermined signal associated with the program, and to record the program in response to detecting the predetermined signal; and

(c) transmitting, by the television service provider server, the instruction for the television receiver device to detect the predetermined signal associated with the program and to record the program in response to detecting the predetermined signal, to the television receiver device over the television network;

after transmitting the instruction to the television receiver device, determining, by the television service provider server, a time to transmit the program to the television receiver device;

in response to the arrival of the determined time to transmit the program to the television receiver device, transmitting, by the television service provider server, the predetermined signal to the television receiver device at the determined time; and

transmitting, by the television service provider server, the program to the television receiver device after the transmission of the predetermined signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the program information received from the mobile device includes data identifying an on-demand program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication received from the mobile device further comprises user account information associated with the television receiver device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the program information received from the mobile device includes scheduling information of a program already scheduled for recording by the television receiver device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating and transmitting the record instruction to the television receiver device comprises:

determining a delayed time at which to schedule the transmission of the record instruction to the television receiver device; and

transmitting the record instruction to the television receiver device at the determined delayed time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the delayed time at which to schedule the transmission of the record instruction to the television receiver device is determined based on the determined patterns of network traffic over the television network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the time to transmit the program to the television receiver device, based on an efficiency calculation for the program transmission;

after determining the time to transmit the program to the television receiver device, transmitting the signal to the television receiver device at the selected time; and

transmitting the program to the television receiver device following the transmission of the signal.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by the television service provider server, a channel over which to transmit the signal to the television receiver device; and

transmitting the signal to the television receiver device over the selected channel.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a plurality of time slots to transmit segments corresponding to the program, to the television receiver device;

transmitting a plurality of signals to the television receiver device, wherein each of the plurality of signals is transmitted at the corresponding determined time slot; and

transmit a single segment of the program to the television receiver device following the transmission of one of the plurality of signals.

5. A television provider server, comprising:

a first wireless network interface configured to receive wireless signals from one or more mobile devices;

a second network interface configured to transmit television signals to one or more television receiver devices over a television network;

one or more processors; and

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

transmit television programming to a television receiver device over the television network;

receive a communication from a mobile device, the communication containing identifying data associated with the television receiver device and program information;

in response to the communication received from the mobile device;

(a) search a database within the television provider server to locate a program corresponding to the program information received from the mobile device;

(b) generate an instruction for the television receiver device to record the program, wherein the instruction corresponds to an instruction for the television receiver device to detect a predetermined signal associated with the program, and to record the program in response to detecting the predetermined signal; and

(c) transmit the instruction for the television receiver device to detect the predetermined signal associated with the program and to record the program in response to detecting the predetermined signal, to the television receiver device over the television network;

after transmitting the instruction to the television receiver device, determine a time to transmit the program to the television receiver device;

in response to the arrival of the determined time to transmit the program to the television receiver device, transmit the predetermined signal to the television receiver device at the determined time; and

transmit the program to the television receiver device after the transmission of the predetermined signal.

6. The television provider server of claim 5, the memory having stored therein additional processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the television provider server to:

determine a time to transmit the instruction to the television receiver device, wherein the determined time is based on a determination of network traffic patterns associated with the television network.

13. The television provider server of claim 5, the memory having stored therein additional processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the television provider server to:

determine a delayed time at which to schedule the transmission of the record instruction to the television receiver device; and

transmit the record instruction to the television receiver device at the determined delayed time.

14. The television provider server of claim 13, wherein the delayed time at which to schedule the transmission of the record instruction to the television receiver device is determined based on the determined patterns of network traffic over the television network.

15. The television provider server of claim 5, the memory having stored therein additional processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the television provider server to:

determine the time to transmit the program to the television receiver device, based on an efficiency calculation for the program transmission;

after determining the time to transmit the program to the television receiver device, transmit the signal to the television receiver device at the selected time; and

transmit the program to the television receiver device following the transmission of the signal.

16. The television provider server of claim 5, the memory having stored therein additional processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the television provider server to:

select a channel over which to transmit the signal to the television receiver device; and

transmit the signal to the television receiver device over the selected channel.

17. The television provider server of claim 5, the memory having stored therein additional processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the television provider server to:

determine a plurality of time slots to transmit segments corresponding to the program, to the television receiver device;

transmit a plurality of signals to the television receiver device, wherein each of the plurality of signals is transmitted at the corresponding determined time slot; and

transmit a single segment of the program to the television receiver device following the transmission of one of the plurality of signals.

7. A system, comprising:

a television receiver device, comprising;

one or more processors; and

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

receive a first signal carrying matrix code data associated with a matrix code stored by the television receiver device; and

generate the matrix code as part of a content presentation to a presentation device for display;

a mobile device, comprising;

one or more processors; and

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

scan the matrix code displayed via the presentation device;

generate a communication to a television provider server based on scanned matrix code; and

transmit the communication to the television provider server in response to scanning the matrix code; and

the television provider server, comprising;

one or more processors; and

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

transmit television programming to the television receiver device over a television network;

receive the communication from the mobile device, the communication containing identifying data associated with the television receiver device and program information;

in response to receiving the communication from the mobile device;

(a) search a database within the television provider server to locate a program corresponding to the program information received from the mobile device;

(b) generate an instruction for the television receiver device to record the program, wherein the instruction corresponds to an instruction for the television receiver device to detect a predetermined signal associated with the program, and to record the program in response to detecting the predetermined signal; and

(c) transmit the instruction for the television receiver device to detect the predetermined signal associated with the program and to record the program in response to detecting the predetermined signal, to the television receiver device over the television network;

after transmitting the instruction to the television receiver device, determine a time to transmit the program to the television receiver device;

in response to the arrival of the determined time to transmit the program to the television receiver device, transmit the predetermined signal to the television receiver device at the determined time; and

transmit the program to the television receiver device after the transmission of the predetermined signal.