Dedicated channel for displaying programs

• US 20020083448A1
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Johnson, Carolynn Rae
• Granted Patent: US 7,096,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• 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 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

A system and method for processing program guide information are described. A user processing request information is selected or entered by the user. This allows the user, for example, to request the system to suggest a program, or to perform a search of the program guide information based on user-entered information. The program guide information is then processed based on the entered user processing request information. The processed result is then displayed in a dedicated channel.

Claims

1. A method of processing program guide information, comprising the steps of:

entering user processing request information;

processing program guide information based on entered user processing request information; and

displaying processed result in a dedicated channel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of displaying processed result in a dedicated channel further comprising the step of first arranging the processed result into respective time slots.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of displaying in the dedicated channel only one program in a respective time slot from the processed result.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein if the one program in the respective time slot is highlighted, other programs in that time slot will be then displayed.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of entering user processing request information comprising selecting a request for suggesting a program.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of entering user processing request information comprising selecting a search of program guide information based on user-entered text.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the dedicated channel is displayed along with other channels in a program guide.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the entered user processing request information comprising a request for suggesting a program.

13. The system of claim 7 wherein the entered user processing request information comprising a request for a search of program guide information based on user-entered text.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein the dedicated channel is displayed along with other channels in a program guide.

8. A system for processing program guide information, comprising the steps of:

a user controller for entering user processing request information;

a microprocessor for processing program guide information based on entered user processing request information; and

said microprocessor causing the processed result to be displayed in a dedicated channel.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the microprocessor arranging the processed result into respective time slots before the processed result is displayed.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the microprocessor displaying only one program in a respective time slot from the processed result in the dedicated channel.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the microprocessor, if the one program in the respective time slot is highlighted, causing other programs in that time slot to be displayed.