Hybrid electronic program guide

• US 10,257,575 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2015
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NagraStar LLC (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: NagraStar LLC (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Duval, Gregory, Tirpak, Christopher Boyd, Casagrande, Steven Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Newlin, Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US14/818,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20170041669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring

Abstract

The various examples described herein generally provide systems and methods for generating a hybrid electronic programming guide (EPG) that includes both broadcast content and other types of content, such as over-the-top (OTT) content. In examples, broadcast content may be content provided by a satellite, terrestrial, or cable television provider. Other types of content, e.g., the OTT content, may be content that is delivered over an open network, such as the Internet. In examples, a secure processor may be employed to determine if a subscriber is authorized to access the OTT content based on subscription information received via a broadcast transmission.

Claims

1. A method for generating a hybrid electronic programming guide (EPG) by a device, the method comprising:

in response to a request to generate the hybrid EPG, receiving, from a headend device, service information at a removable secure processor, wherein the service information comprises data relating to a first channel, and wherein the first channel is an over-the-top (OTT) channel;

sending, to the removable secure processor, a first query for the first channel;

using, by the removable secure processor, the service information to determine whether the removable secure processor has access to the first channel;

when it is determined that the removable secure processor does not have access to the first channel, adding the first channel to the hybrid EPG with a first indicator that the first channel is inaccessible and a second indicator that the first channel is an OTT channel;

when it is determined that the removable secure processor has access to the first channel, adding the first channel to the hybrid EPG; and

displaying the hybrid EPG, wherein the hybrid EPG is generated using the service information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving service information comprising information about a first channel from a broadcast transmission, and wherein the first response is based at least upon the service information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information about the first channel comprises at least one of:

a channel number;

a subscription identifier;

an Internet Protocol (IP) address;

a uniform resource locator (URL); and

a port number.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending a second query for a second channel to the removable secure processor, wherein the second channel is a broadcast channel;

in response to providing the second query, receiving a second response to the second query from the removable secure processor;

determining whether the second channel should be added to the hybrid EPG, wherein the determination is based at least on the second response; and

adding the second channel to the hybrid EPG.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the service information further comprises information about the second channel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information about the second channel comprises at least one of:

a channel number;

a subscription identifier; and

a transponder Packet ID (PID).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the first channel to the hybrid EPG further comprises:

determining whether a connection to the Internet is available; and

when the connection to the Internet is available, adding the first channel to the hybrid EPG.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein when the connection to the Internet is not available, the first channel is not added to the hybrid EPG.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

when the connection to the Internet is not available, determining whether the first channel should be displayed in the hybrid EPG; and

when it is determined that the first channel should be displayed in the hybrid EPG, displaying the first channel in the hybrid EPG with an indication that the channel is currently unavailable.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the first channel in the hybrid EPG with an indicator that the first channel is an OTT channel.

11. A set-top-box comprising:

at least one processor;

a removable secure processor; and

memory encoding computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform a method comprising;

in response to a request for channel access, receiving service information at a removable secure processor, wherein the service information comprises data relating to a first channel, wherein the first channel is an over-the-top (OTT) channel;

sending, to the removable secure processor, a first query for the first channel;

using, by the removable secure processor, the service information to determine whether the removable secure processor has access to the first channel;

when it is determined that the removable secure processor does not have access to the first channel, adding the first channel to a hybrid EPG with a first indicator that the first channel is inaccessible;

displaying the hybrid EPG, wherein the hybrid EPG is generated using the service information.

12. The set-top-box of claim 11, wherein the removable secure processor receives service information from a satellite transmission.

13. The set-top-box of claim 12, wherein the service information is received prior to sending the first query.

14. The set-top-box of claim 12, wherein the service information comprises at least one of:

a channel number;

a subscription identifier;

a transponder Packet ID (PID);

an Internet Protocol (IP) address;

a uniform resource locator (URL); and

a port number.

15. The set-top-box of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

sending a second query for a second channel to the removable secure processor, wherein the second channel is a broadcast channel;

in response to providing the second query, receiving a second response to the second query from the removable secure processor; and

determining whether the second channel should be added to the hybrid EPG, wherein the determination is based at least on the second response;

adding the second channel to the hybrid EPG.

16. The set-top-box of claim 11, wherein adding the first channel to the hybrid EPG further comprises:

determining whether a connection to the Internet is not available; and

when the connection to the Internet is available, adding the first channel to the hybrid EPG.

17. The set-top-box of claim 16, wherein adding the first channel to the hybrid EPG further comprises:

when the connection to the Internet is not available, determining whether the first channel should be displayed in the hybrid EPG; and

when it is determined that the first channel should be displayed in the hybrid EPG, displaying the first channel in the hybrid EPG with an indication that the channel is currently unavailable.

18. A computer storage device comprising:

at least one processor;

memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, performs a method comprising;

in response to a request for channel access, receiving, from a headend device, service information at a removable secure processor, wherein the service information comprises data relating to a first channel and a second channel, wherein the first channel is an over-the-top (OTT) channel and the second channel is not an OTT channel;

sending, to the removable secure processor, a first query for the first channel;

using, by the removable secure processor, the service information to determine whether the removable secure processor has access to the first channel and the second channel;

in response to determining that the removable secure processor does not have access to the first channel, adding the first channel to the hybrid EPG with a first indicator that the first channel is inaccessible;

in response to determining that the removable secure processor has access to the second channel, adding the second channel to the hybrid EPG; and

displaying the hybrid EPG.

19. The computer storage device of claim 18, one or more modules are further capable of being executed by the at least one processor to:

receive service information comprising information about the first channel from a broadcast transmission.

20. The computer storage device of claim 19, wherein the service information is received prior to sending the first query.