Electronic grouping of titles of content

• US 10,194,207 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2015
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Steading, David K., Stefanik, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, Hsiungfei
• Application Number:
  US14/695,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20150229999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 725 38- 61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

Content titles are electronically arranged in different groups. An electronic wrapper surrounds all the titles in each group. The electronic wrapper displays content information that is common to all the titles in each group.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating, by a hardware processor, an electronic grid of cells associated with titles of content and a pay per view package;

generating, by the hardware processor, an electronic wrapper that surrounds all the cells in the electronic grid of the cells that are associated with the titles of content and the pay per view package, the electronic wrapper simultaneously displaying a title common to all the titles of content associated with the pay per view package;

determining, by the hardware processor, that the pay per view package is associated with non-contiguous cells in the electronic grid of the cells;

generating, by the hardware processor, a prompt to switch to a different mode of operation in response to the determining that the pay per view package is associated with the non-contiguous cells; and

switching, by the hardware processor, to the different mode of operation to allow scrolling between the non-contiguous cells in the electronic grid of the cells.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising scrolling along programming events associated with the pay per view package.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising scrolling along the non-contiguous cells.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising scrolling from a programming event to a different programming event associated with the pay per view package.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising scrolling from one of the non-contiguous cells to a different one of the non-contiguous cells associated with the pay per view package.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a highlight of the electronic wrapper associated with the pay per view package.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a highlight of the electronic wrapper surrounding the non-contiguous cells.

8. A system, comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing instructions, the instructions when executed causing the hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

generating an electronic grid of cells associated with titles of content and a pay per view package;

generating an electronic wrapper that surrounds all the cells in the electronic grid of the cells that are associated with the titles of content and the pay per view package, the electronic wrapper simultaneously displaying a title common to all the titles of content;

determining that the electronic wrapper surrounds non-contiguous cells in the electronic grid of the cells;

generating a prompt to switch to a different mode of operation; and

switching to the different mode of operation to allow scrolling within the wrapper from one of the non-contiguous cells to another one of the non-contiguous cells.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise electronically scrolling along the titles of content associated with the pay per view package.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise electronically scrolling along the non-contiguous cells.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a response to the prompt to switch to the different mode of operation.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise electronically scrolling within the cells surrounded by the electronic wrapper.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise generating an electronic highlight of the electronic wrapper.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise generating an electronic highlight of any one of the cells surrounded by the electronic wrapper.

15. A hardware memory storing instructions that when executed cause a hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

generating an electronic grid of cells, each cell in the electronic grid of the cells associated with a title of content and a pay per view package;

generating an electronic wrapper that surrounds all the cells in the electronic grid of cells that are associated with the pay per view package, the electronic wrapper simultaneously displaying a package title assigned to the pay per package;

determining that the electronic wrapper surrounds non-contiguous cells in the electronic grid of the cells;

generating a prompt to switch to a different mode of operation in response to the determining that the electronic wrapper surrounds the non-contiguous cells; and

switching to the different mode of operation to allow scrolling within the wrapper from one of the non-contiguous cells to another one of the non-contiguous cells.

16. The hardware memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise electronically scrolling along the cells associated with the pay per view package.

17. The hardware memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise electronically scrolling along the non-contiguous cells.

18. The hardware memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise electronically scrolling from a cell of the cells to a different cell of the cells.

19. The hardware memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise electronically scrolling from one of the non-contiguous cells surrounded by the electronic wrapper to a different one of the non-contiguous surrounded by the electronic wrapper.

20. The hardware memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise generating an electronic highlight of the electronic wrapper.