Method and apparatus for acquiring program information

• US 10,459,879 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2018
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Stone, Christopher, Leary, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Chae, Kyu
• Application Number:
  US15/862,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20180129652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A method receives, by a first user device, content from a second user device. The content was previously provided through a transmission from a distribution system to the second user device. The method receives, by the first user device from the second user device, transmission data indicative of the previous transmission of the content from the distribution system to the second user device. The method sends, by the first user device to a server, a request for program data associated with the content. Responsive to the request, the method receives, by the first user device, the program data that identifies a title of the content. The program data is identified using the transmission data that is specific to the previous transmission of the content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, by a first user device, content received from a second user device, the content being previously provided through a transmission from a distribution system to the second user device;

receiving, by the first user device from the second user device, transmission data that describes the previous transmission of the content from the distribution system to the second user device without identifying a title of the content, wherein program data that describes the content and identifies the title of the content is not made available to the first user device by the second user device;

sending, by the first user device to a server, a request for the program data that describes the content, wherein the request comprises the transmission data that describes the previous transmission of the content from the distribution system to the second user device without identifying the title of the content; and

responsive to the request, receiving, by the first user device, the program data that identifies the title of the content, wherein the program data is identified using the transmission data that is specific to the previous transmission of the content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises video content or audio content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission data comprises one or more transmission identifiers that identify and are specific to the previous transmission of the content from the distribution system to the second user device, and wherein the program data is identified using the one or more transmission identifiers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user device is a set top box.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising responsive to receiving the program data, causing a presentation of the title of the content on the first user device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission data comprises a program identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission data comprises a virtual channel map identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission data comprises a source identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission data comprises a source name.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission data comprises a time stamp.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the program data comprises a description of the content.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the program data is encoded at the second user device such that the first user device is unable to decode the program data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission data does not identify a transmission of the content from the second user device to the first user device.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instruction that, responsive to execution by a processor, cause the processor to:

store, by the processor of a first user device, content received from a second user device, the content being previously provided through a transmission from a distribution system to the second user device;

receive, by the first user device from the second user device, transmission data that describes the previous transmission of the content from the distribution system to the second user device without identifying a title of the content, wherein program data that describes the content and identifies the title of the content is not made available to the first user device by the second user device;

send, by the first user device to a server, a request for the program data that describes the content, wherein the request comprises the transmission data that describes the previous transmission of the content from the distribution system to the second user device without identifying the title of the content; and

responsive to the request, receive, by the first user device, the program data that identifies the title of the content, wherein the program data is identified using the transmission data is specific to the previous transmission of the content.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the program data is encoded at the second user device such that the first user device is unable to decode the program data.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the transmission data comprises a program identifier.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the transmission data comprises a virtual channel map identifier.

18. A device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, to;

storing, by the processor of a first user device, content received from a second user device, the content being previously provided through a transmission from a distribution system to the second user device;

receiving, by the first user device from the second user device, transmission data that describes the previous transmission of the content from the distribution system to the second user device without identifying a title of the content, wherein program data that describes the content and identifies the title of the content is not made available to the first user device by the second user device;

sending, by the first user device to a server, a request for the program data that describes the content, wherein the request comprises the transmission data that describes the previous transmission of the content from the distribution system to the second user device without identifying the title of the content; and

responsive to the request, receiving, by the first user device, the program data that identifies the title of the content, wherein the program data is identified using the transmission data that is specific to the previous transmission of the content.

19. The first user device of claim 18, wherein the content comprises video content.

20. The first user device of claim 18, wherein the program data is encoded at the second user device such that the first user device is unable to decode the program data.