Smart channel device

• US 10,462,527 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Qi, Kevin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kurien, Christen A
• Application Number:
  US15/427,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20180227639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/735 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a channel device includes a memory, an interface, and a processor. The memory stores a watch list. The watch list includes n predetermined number of channels, wherein n is an integer and the predetermined number of channels are ranked from one to n. The interface is configured to receive program information for a first channel, wherein the first channel is a channel of a watch list. The processor is further configured to determine a change from a previous channel to a current channel. The processor dynamically updates the watch list to include the previous channel, wherein the previous channel is ranked as one. The processor removes the channel ranked as n from the watch list.

Claims

1. A channel device, comprising:

a memory configured to store a watch list, the watch list comprising n predetermined number of channels, wherein n is an integer and wherein the predetermined number of channels are ranked from one to n;

an interface configured to receive program information for a first channel, wherein the first channel is a channel of the watch list;

a processor configured to;

determine a change from a previous channel to a current channel;

determine a viewing time associated with the previous channel;

determine that the viewing time associated with the previous channel equals or exceeds a predetermined amount of time;

determine to update the watch list based at least in part on determining that the viewing time associated with the previous channel equals or exceeds the predetermined amount of time, wherein the watch list is not updated in the event the viewing time is less than the predetermined amount of time;

dynamically update the watch list to include the previous channel, wherein the previous channel is ranked as one;

remove the channel ranked as n from the watch list;

revise the watch list to include a list of most watched channels upon a determination that the channel device is powered off.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a first time to display a first notification, wherein the first time is a predetermined amount of time before a start time of a first program; and

generate the first notification for display at the first time, the first notification comprising a title and the start time of the first program.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the first notification comprises an image associated with the program.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the interface is further configured to receive an input in response to the first notification, the input comprising one of a record input indicating to record the first program and a watch input indicating to display the first program.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine program information for a second program on a second channel;

determine that the input to the first notification is not received for a predetermined amount of time;

upon a determination that the input is not received for a predetermined amount of time, generate a second notification for display that indicates a title and a start time of the second program.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to update the watch list to include the first channel upon a determination that the channel device is powered off.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the watch list is obtained from one of a persistent memory and a network memory.

8. A method, comprising:

storing a watch list, the watch list comprising n predetermined number of channels, wherein n is an integer and wherein the predetermined number of channels are ranked from one to n;

receiving program information for a first channel, wherein the first channel is a channel of the watch list;

determining a change from a previous channel to a current channel;

determining a viewing time associated with the previous channel;

determining that the viewing time associated with the previous channel equals or exceeds a predetermined amount of time;

determining to update the watch list based at least in part on determining that the viewing time associated with the previous channel equals or exceeds the predetermined amount of time, wherein the watch list is not updated in the event the viewing time is less than the predetermined amount of time;

dynamically updating the watch list to include the previous channel, wherein the previous channel is ranked as one;

removing the channel ranked as n from the watch list; and

revising the watch list to include a list of most watched channels upon a determination that the channel device is powered off.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a first time to display a first notification, wherein the first time is a predetermined amount of time before a start time of a first program; and

generating the first notification for display at the first time, the first notification comprising a title and the start time of the first program.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first notification comprises an image associated with the program.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving an input in response to the first notification, the input comprising one of a record input indicating to record the first program and a watch input indicating to display the first program.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining program information for a second program on a second channel;

determining that the input to the first notification is not received for a predetermined amount of time;

upon a determination that the input is not received for a predetermined amount of time, generating a second notification for display that indicates a title and a start time of the second program.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising updating the watch list to include the first channel upon a determination that the channel device is powered off.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the watch list is obtained from one of a persistent memory and a network memory.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising software, the software when executed by one or more processing units operable to:

store a watch list, the watch list comprising n predetermined number of channels, wherein n is an integer and wherein the predetermined number of channels are ranked from one to n;

receive program information for a first channel, wherein the first channel is a channel of the watch list;

determine a change from a previous channel to a current channel;

determine a viewing time associated with the previous channel;

determine that the viewing time associated with the previous channel equals or exceeds a predetermined amount of time;

determine to update the watch list based at least in part on determining that the viewing time associated with the previous channel equals or exceeds the predetermined amount of time, wherein the watch list is not updated in the event the viewing time is less than the predetermined amount of time;

dynamically update the watch list to include the previous channel, wherein the previous channel is ranked as one;

remove the channel ranked as n from the watch list; and

revise the watch list to include a list of most watched channels upon a determination that the channel device is powered off.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the software when executed by one or more processing units is further operable to:

determine a first time to display a first notification, wherein the first time is a predetermined amount of time before a start time of a first program; and

generate the first notification for display at the first time, the first notification comprising a title and the start time of the first program.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the first notification comprises an image associated with the program.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the software when executed by one or more processing units is further operable to receive an input in response to the first notification, the input comprising one of a record input indicating to record the first program and a watch input indicating to display the first program.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the software when executed by one or more processing units is further operable to:

determine program information for a second program on a second channel;

determine that the input to the first notification is not received for a predetermined amount of time;

upon a determination that the input is not received for a predetermined amount of time, generate a second notification for display that indicates a title and a start time of the second program.

20. The medium of claim 15, wherein the software when executed by one or more processing units is further operable to update the watch list to include the first channel upon a determination that the channel device is powered off.