System for providing music content to a user

• US 10,219,027 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2017
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Music Choice
• Original Assignee: Music Choice
• Inventors: O'Neill, Donna M., Boone, Kevin, Del Beccaro, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sumaiya A
• Application Number:
  US15/677,236
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A user may employ a user device (e.g., a television (TV) and a set-top box (STB)) to access a television system via a network. The television system may include one or more content servers (CSs) (e.g., a VOD server, an HTTP server, or other media server) for providing, among other things, a VOD service to the user and a broadcast transmission system for transmitting a multitude of linear television channels. Television system and/or user device is/are operable to enable the user to interact with an enhanced TV service (ETS) that allows the user to easily navigate among various different programmed linear channels (a.k.a., “streaming channels”) and VOD services. The ETS may be hosted in the television system, in user device, or in a combination of the two.

Claims

1. A method for providing an enhanced television service to a user of a user device in communication with a television system, the method comprising:

receiving information indicating that the user desires to consume a selected programmed linear video channel; and

in response to receiving the information, displaying on a display device of the user device a user interface screen, wherein the user interface screen comprises;

i) a first display area for displaying scheduled video content transmitted by the television system on the selected programmed linear channel and in accordance with a video content schedule for the selected programmed linear video channel,

ii) a second display area for displaying a group of graphic images;

displaying, in the first display area, first scheduled video content transmitted by the television system on the selected programmed linear channel in accordance with the video content schedule for the selected programmed linear video channel;

while displaying the first scheduled video content;

     1) displaying in the second display area a first group of at least four graphic images, wherein the first group of graphic images is displayed in the second display area in a grid pattern having at least two rows and two columns and

     2) displaying an artist list for enabling the user to select an artist, wherein the artist list comprises a set of at least two artist images including a first artist image and a second artist image, where each artist image included in the set identifies an artist, and wherein displaying the artist list comprises displaying the first artist image so that the first artist image is not obscured, further wherein and each graphic image included in the first group of graphic images is associated with a different music video associated with the artist identified by the first artist image;

after the first scheduled video content has ended;

     1) automatically displaying, in the first display area, second scheduled video content transmitted by the television system on the selected programmed linear channel in accordance with the video content schedule for the selected programmed linear video channel;

     2) automatically adding to the displayed artist list a third artist image such that the third artist image is not obscured; and

     3) automatically displaying in the second display area a second group of at least four graphic images, wherein the second group of graphic images is displayed in the second display area in a grid pattern having at least two rows and two columns and each graphic image included in the second group of graphic images is associated with a different music video associated with the artist identified by the third artist image;

while displaying the second scheduled video content in the first display area and the second group of graphic images in the second display area, receiving a user input indicating that the user has selected one of the graphic images included in the second group of graphic images; and

after receiving the user input, causing the music video associated with the selected graphic image to be streamed on-demand to the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the music video to be streamed to on-demand the user device comprises:

a) the user device transmitting to a content server a request for a playlist file associated with the music video;

b) the user device receiving the playlist file, the playlist file identifying a segment of video data corresponding to the music video;

a) the user device transmitting to a content server a request for the segment of video data corresponding to the music video;

b) the user device receiving the segment of video data; and

c) the user device rendering the segment video data in the display area.

3. A method for providing an enhanced television service to a user of a user device in communication with a television system, the method comprising:

receiving information indicating that the user desires to consume a selected programmed linear video channel; and

in response to receiving the information, displaying on a display device of the user device a user interface screen, wherein the user interface screen comprises;

i) a first display area for displaying scheduled video content transmitted by the television system on the selected programmed linear channel and in accordance with a video content schedule for the selected programmed linear video channel, and

ii) a second display area for displaying a group of graphic images;

while displaying the first scheduled video content;

     1) displaying in the second display area a first group of at least four graphic images, wherein the first group of graphic images is displayed in the second display area in a grid pattern having at least two rows and two columns and

     2) displaying an artist carousel for enabling the user to select an artist, wherein the artist carousel comprises a set of at least two artist images including a first artist image and a second artist image, where each artist image included in the set identifies an artist, and wherein displaying the artist carousel comprises displaying the first artist image such that the first artist image is not obscured and the other artist images included in the set are at least partially obscured, and wherein the image that is not obscured identifies the selected artist, further wherein and each graphic image included in the first group of graphic images is associated with a different music video associated with the artist identified by the first artist image;

after the first scheduled video content has ended;

     1) automatically displaying, in the first display area, second scheduled video content transmitted by the television system on the selected programmed linear channel in accordance with the video content schedule for the selected programmed linear video channel;

     2) automatically adding to the displayed artist carousel a third artist image such that the third artist image is not obscured but the first artist image is obscured; and

     3) automatically displaying in the second display area a second group of at least four graphic images, wherein the second group of graphic images is displayed in the second display area in a grid pattern having at least two rows and two columns and each graphic image included in the second group of graphic images is associated with a different music video associated with the artist identified by the third artist image; and

in response to receiving a user input directed to the artist carousel;

a) moving the third artist image so that the third artist image is at least partially obscured;

b) moving the first artist image so that the first artist image is not obscured; and

c) modifying the video content list such that the video content list includes a set of videos associated with the artist identified by the first artist image.

4. A user device for providing an enhanced television service to a user, the user device comprising:

a user input detector for receiving information indicating that the user desires to consume a selected programmed linear video channel; and

a computer system comprising one or more processors, wherein the computer system is configured to;

display, on a display device and in response to receiving the information, a user interface screen, wherein the user interface screen comprises;

i) a first display area for displaying scheduled video content transmitted by the television system on the selected programmed linear video channel and in accordance with a video content schedule for the selected programmed linear video channel,

ii) a second display area for displaying a group of graphic images;

display, in the first display area, first scheduled video content transmitted by a television system on the selected programmed linear video channel in accordance with the video content schedule for the selected programmed linear video channel;

while displaying the first scheduled video content;

     1) display in the second display area a first group of at least four graphic images, wherein the first group of graphic images is displayed in the second display area in a grid pattern having at least two rows and two columns and

     2) display an artist list for enabling the user to select an artist, wherein the artist list comprises a set of at least two artist images including a first artist image and a second artist image, where each artist image included in the set identifies an artist, and wherein displaying the artist list comprises displaying the first artist image so that the first artist image is not obscured, further wherein and each graphic image included in the first group of graphic images is associated with a different music video associated with the artist identified by the first artist image;

after the first scheduled video content has ended;

     1) automatically display, in the first display area, second scheduled video content transmitted by the television system on the selected programmed linear channel in accordance with the video content schedule for the selected programmed linear video channel;

     2) automatically add to the displayed artist list a third artist image such that the third artist image is not obscured; and

     3) automatically display in the second display area a second group of at least four graphic images, wherein the second group of graphic images is displayed in the second display area in a grid pattern having at least two rows and two columns and each graphic image included in the second group of graphic images is associated with a different music video associated with the artist identified by the third artist image; and

after receiving a user input indicating that the user has selected one of the graphic images displayed in the second display area, cause the music video associated with the selected graphic image to be streamed on-demand to the user device.

5. A television system for providing an enhanced television service to a user, the television system comprising:

a receiver for receiving information indicating that the user desires to consume a selected programmed linear video channel; and

a computer system comprising one or more processors, wherein the computer system is configured to;

cause a user device to display, on a display device and in response to receiving the information, a user interface screen, wherein the user interface screen comprises;

i) a first display area for displaying scheduled video content transmitted by the television system on the selected programmed linear video channel and in accordance with a video content schedule for the selected programmed linear video channel,

ii) a second display area for displaying a group of graphic images;

cause the user device to display in the second display area while the first scheduled video content is displayed in the first display area a first group of at least four graphic images, wherein the first group of graphic images is displayed in the second display area in a grid pattern having at least two rows and two columns;

cause the user device to display an artist list while the first scheduled video content is displayed in the first display area, wherein the artist list comprises a set of at least two artist images including a first artist image and a second artist image, where each artist image included in the set identifies an artist, and wherein the user device is caused to display the artist list so that the first artist image is not obscured;

after the first scheduled video content has ended;

     1) automatically cause the user device to display, in the first display area, second scheduled video content transmitted by the television system on the selected programmed linear channel in accordance with the video content schedule for the selected programmed linear video channel;

     2) automatically cause the user device to add to the displayed artist list a third artist image such that the third artist image is not obscured; and

     3) automatically cause the user device to display a second group of at least four graphic images, wherein the second group of graphic images is displayed in the second display area in a grid pattern having at least two rows and two columns and each graphic image included in the second group of graphic images is associated with a different music video associated with the artist identified by the third artist image.