Method and system for searching content using a content time based window within a user device

• US 10,334,298 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2012
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leong, Peter, Hansen, Flemming R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Michael H
• Application Number:
  US13/452,716
• Time in Patent Office: 2,622 Days
• Field of Search: 725 39, 725 43
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

A system and method for searching using a user device that includes a memory and an event table formation module forming an event table in the memory having event objects comprising an event time and container object identifier for each program event. The user device includes a user interface that generates search criteria associated with a content type. A search module forms a search window based on the content type, searches for event objects within the event table by comparing the event time and the search window, determines content data based from the container object associated with the event object, and displays content data on a display associated with the user device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating an event table having event objects comprising an event time and a container object identifier for each program event, each container object identifier corresponding to a container object comprising content data from a program guide object, schedule object or a catalog object;

generating first search criteria associated with a first content type;

generating second search criteria associate with a second content type, said second content type different than the first content type;

determining, at a search window determination module, a first search window having a first time interval based on the first search criteria and the first content type;

determining, at the search window determination module, a second search window having a second time interval based on the second search criteria and the second content type, said second time interval different than the first time interval;

searching for event objects within the event table by comparing the event time and the first search window to form first screened event objects and by comparing the event time and the second search window to form second screened event objects;

after searching, identifying first container object identifiers from the first screened event objects;

after searching, identifying second container object identifiers from the second screened event objects;

determining first content data from the first container objects associated with the first screened event objects after searching;

determining second content data from the second container objects associated with the second screened event objects after searching;

searching the first content data corresponding to the first screened event objects using the first search criteria to form first content data search results;

searching the second content data corresponding to the second screened event objects using the second search criteria to form second content data search results;

displaying first content search results data on a display associated with a user device; and

displaying second content search results data on a display associated with a user device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating the event table comprises generating the event table in the user device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein searching for event objects within the event table comprises searching for container objects within the event table in the user device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating the event table comprises generating the event table comprising a broadcast start time.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating the event table comprises generating the event table comprising a broadcast start time and a broadcast end time.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating the event table comprises generating the event table based on program objects, schedule objects, broadband catalog objects or combinations thereof.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving program objects and schedule objects at the user device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising associating a first plurality of cases with the first time interval for the first search window and the first content type and a second plurality of cases with the second time interval for the second search window and the second content type.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining first content data comprises determining a first plurality of names, titles, and keywords and wherein determining second content data comprises determining a second plurality of names, titles, and keywords.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining first content data comprises determining first content data from the container object and retrieving the first content data from a program object, schedule object or broadband catalog object corresponding to the container object.

11. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising continually updating the event table as program objects and schedule objects are received.

12. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein determining the first search window comprises determining the first search window using the first plurality of cases which comprises at least two of:

past events, events that overlap a start of the first search window, events within the search window, events that overlap an end of the first search window and future events.

13. A user device comprising:

a memory;

an event table formation module forming an event table in the memory having event objects comprising an event time and container object identifier for each program event, each container object identifier corresponding to a container object comprising content data from a program guide object, schedule object or a catalog object;

a user interface generating first search criteria associated with a first content type and generating second search criteria associated with a second content type; and

a search module comprising a search determination window module determining a first search window having a first time window based on the first search criteria and the first content type and determining a second search window having a second time window based on the second search criteria and the second content type, said search module searching for event objects within the event table by comparing the event time and the first search window and by comparing the event time and the second search window, to form first screened event objects and second screened event objects respectively, after searching, identifying first container object identifiers from the first screened event objects;

identifying second container object identifiers from the second screened event objects, determining first content data from the first container-objects associated with the first screened event object;

determining second content data from the second container objects associated with the second screened event object, searching the first content data corresponding to the first screened event objects using the first search criteria to form first content data search results;

searching the second content data corresponding to the second screened event objects using the second search criteria to form second content data search results, displaying first content data on a display associated with the user device and displaying second content data on a display associated with the user device.

14. The user device as recited in claim 13 wherein the search module searches container objects within the event table.

15. The user device as recited in claim 13 wherein the event table comprises a broadcast start time.

16. The user device as recited in claim 13 wherein the event table comprises a broadcast start time and a broadcast end time.

17. The user device as recited in claim 13 wherein the event table module forms the event table based on program objects, schedule objects, broadband catalog objects or combinations thereof.

18. The user device as recited in claim 13 wherein the event table module continually updates the event table as program objects, broadband catalog objects and schedule objects are received by the user device.

19. The user device as recited in claim 13 wherein the search module associates a first plurality of cases with a first time interval for the first search window and the first content type and a second plurality of cases with a second time interval for the second search window and the second content type.

20. The user device as recited in claim 13 wherein the first content data comprises a first plurality of names, titles, or keywords and the second content data comprises a second plurality of names, titles, or keywords.

21. The user device as recited in claim 13 wherein the search module obtains first content data from a program object, schedule object or broadband catalog object corresponding to the container object.

22. A system comprising:

a head end;

the user device as recited in claim 13; and

a communication network communicating container objects from the head end to the user device.

23. The user device as recited in claim 19 wherein the first plurality of cases corresponds to at least two of:

past events, events that overlap a start of the first search window, events within the search window, events that overlap an end of the first search window and future events.

24. The system as recited in claim 22 wherein the communication network comprises a satellite.

25. The system as recited in claim 22 wherein the user device comprises a set top box.

26. The system as recited in claim 22 wherein the user device comprises a satellite television receiving device.

27. The system as recited in claim 22 wherein the user device comprises a cable television receiving device.