System and method for blending linear content, non-linear content or managed content

• US 10,237,617 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Moreau, Samuel, Ahrens, Donald, Gibbs, Georgia, Carney, John, de Andrade, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US15/639,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20180146247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A user interface allows for blending of television program choices from which a viewer may select, the blending representing options for linear and non-linear programming presented together within a single hierarchy of a designated category. The blending may further include managed content relevant to the designated category, where desired. Such designated categories may include television programming categories and/or content categories. The options for linear and non-linear programming may be presented together within a single screen of the user interface.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more first computing devices; and

a second computing device;

wherein the one or more first computing devices comprise;

one or more first processors; and

one or more first memories storing first executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the one or more first computing devices to;

combine data that describes two or more of linear content, non-linear content or managed content to produce, in at least two levels of a hierarchy of levels for a user interface, a blending of user-selectable content that is of the two or more of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content;

send, to the second computing device, the blending of user-selectable content; and

based on data that indicates one or more user interactions with the blending of user-selectable content, send, to the second computing device, a portion of first content that is of the two or more of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content; and

wherein the second computing device comprises;

one or more second processors; and

one or more second computer-readable media storing second executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the second computing device to;

cause display of the blending of user selectable content;

send, to the one or more first computing devices, the data that indicates the one or more user interactions with the blending of user-selectable content; and

cause display of the portion of the first content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data that indicates the one or more user interactions with the blending of user-selectable content indicates a navigation of an on-screen cursor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the blending of user-selectable content comprises user-selectable linear content and user-selectable non-linear content.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the user-selectable linear content comprises programming that is scheduled to be transmitted at particular times, and wherein the user-selectable non-linear content comprises on-demand programming.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein a first of the at least two levels comprises a combined list of content options that is of the user-selectable linear content and the user-selectable non-linear content.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second computing device comprises a set-top box.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first executable instructions, when executed by the one or more first processors cause the one or more first computing devices to send the blending of user-selectable content by broadcasting, via a network, the blending of user-selectable content.

8. A system comprising:

one or more first computing devices; and

a second computing device;

wherein the one or more first computing devices comprise;

one or more first processors; and

one or more first memories storing first executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the one or more first computing devices to;

send, to the second computing device, data that describes two or more of linear content, non-linear content or managed content; and

send, to the second computing device and based on a request received from the second computing device, a portion of first content that is of the two or more of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content; and

wherein the second computing device comprises;

one or more second processors; and

one or more second computer-readable media storing second executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the second computing device to;

combine the data that describes the two or more of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content to produce, in at least two levels of a hierarchy of levels for a user interface, a blending of user-selectable content that is of the two or more of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content;

cause display of the blending of user selectable content;

send, to the one or more first computing devices and based on data that indicates one or more user interactions with the blending of user-selectable content, the request, wherein the request indicates the first content; and

cause display of the portion of the first content.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the data that indicates the one or more user interactions with the blending of user-selectable content indicates a navigation of an on-screen cursor.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the blending of user-selectable content comprises user-selectable linear content and user-selectable non-linear content.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the user-selectable linear content comprises programming that is scheduled to be transmitted at particular times, and wherein the user-selectable non-linear content comprises on-demand programming.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein a first of the at least two levels comprises a combined list of content options that is of the user-selectable linear content and the user-selectable non-linear content.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the second computing device comprises a set-top box.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the first executable instructions, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the one or more first computing devices to transmit the data that describes the two or more of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content by broadcasting, via a network, the data that describes the two or more of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content.

15. A system comprising:

one or more first computing devices;

one or more second computing devices;

wherein the one or more first computing devices comprise;

one or more first processors; and

one or more first memories storing first executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the one or more first computing devices to;

combine data that describes two or more of linear content, non-linear content or managed content to produce, in at least two levels of a hierarchy of levels for a user interface, a blending of user-selectable content that is of the two or more of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content; and

send, to the one or more second computing devices, the blending of user-selectable content; and

wherein the one or more second computing devices comprise;

one or more second processors; and

one or more second computer-readable media storing second executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the one or more second computing devices to;

cause display of the blending of user-selectable content.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the linear content comprises programming that is scheduled to be transmitted at particular times, and wherein the non-linear content comprises on-demand programming.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein a first of the at least two levels comprises a combined list of user-selectable content options that is of the linear content and the non-linear content.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first executable instructions, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the one or more first computing devices to send the blending of user-selectable content by broadcasting, to the one or more second computing devices, the blending of user-selectable content.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein a first of the at least two levels comprises a scrolling list of content options that is of the linear content and the non-linear content.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more second computing devices comprises one or more set top boxes.