Method and system for providing access to content data for previously broadcasted content

• US 10,412,458 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2018
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaudhry, Kapil, Nidichenametla, Sri Hari Swaroop, Chung, Jin H., Grigoryan, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierorazio, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US15/959,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20180249221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 725 55
• 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 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

A system and method for accessing past program guide data includes a program guide repository storing past program guide data and a controller receiving a request for past program guide data and communicating the past program guide data to a user device located separated from the controller.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing past program guide data for first content broadcasted in the past in a program guide repository;

generating a link corresponding to a first content being presently viewed at a first user device using a first user interface of the first user device;

communicating the link to a second user device using an email, a website or a text message;

selecting the link from the second user device from a second user interface of the second user device;

in response to selecting the link, generating, at the second user device, a request for past program guide data from the program guide repository;

retrieving the past program guide data from the program guide repository in response to the request; and

communicating the past program guide data to the second user device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein storing past program guide data for content broadcasted in the past in the program guide repository comprises storing past program guide data for content broadcasted in the past in the program guide repository of a head end.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the request for past program guide data comprises generating a search request having search criteria for past program guide data and wherein retrieving the past program guide data comprises retrieving past program guide data corresponding to the search criteria.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the request for past program guide data comprises generating the request for past program guide data from a set top box.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the request for past program guide data comprises generating the request for past program guide data from a mobile device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the request for past program guide data comprises generating the request for past program guide data from a mobile device corresponding to content stored within the mobile device.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising transferring content from a set top box to the mobile device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the request for past program guide data comprises generating the request for past program guide data and related data and further comprising retrieving the related data from an external source disposed separate from the program guide repository.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising communicating related data to the second user device.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the past program guide data comprises communicating past program guide data through a network.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the past program guide data comprises communicating past program guide data through a satellite.

12. A system comprising:

a first user device generating a link corresponding to a first content being presently viewed in response to actions at a first user interface of the first user device;

a second user device receiving and accessing the link, and selecting the link in response to actions at a second user interface of the second user device;

a program guide repository storing past program guide data; and

a controller accessing past program guide data when the link is selected and communicating the past program guide data to the second user device located separate from the controller.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein the second user device comprises a mobile user device.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the mobile user device requests past program guide data for content stored in the mobile user device.

15. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein the user device comprises a set top box.

16. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein the program guide repository is disposed in a head end.

17. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein the controller communicates related data to the user device.

18. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein the first user device communicates the link to the second user device in an email.

19. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein the first user device communicates the link to the second user device in a website.

20. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein the first user device communicates the link to the second user device in a text message.