Method for displaying EPG video-clip previews on demand

• US 20030126605A1
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Franken, Alan, Haas, Herman Paul, Betz, Steve Craig
• Application Number:
  US10/033,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20030126605A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An interactive television system designed to populate an electronic program guide (EPG), which provides Video-Clip Previews on Demand by automatically launching a video clip preview, after browsing and navigating through the EPG'"'"'s grid guide to a highlighted program titled cell, and remaining at such highlighted cell for a predetermined delay. The display process is a “No-Touch Display” process requiring no selections by the viewer while browsing.

Claims

1. An interactive television/broadcast system comprising:

a display screen;

an electronic program guide (EPG) having at least one display window and a grid guide, the grid guide including a plurality of program titled cells displayed on the display screen, wherein the EPG displays a video-clip preview in the at least one display window on demand by automatically launching the video clip preview, after browsing and navigating through the grid guide to highlight a program titled cell, and remaining at the highlighted program titled cell for a predetermined delay.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one display window includes a first display window for displaying a currently tuned program and a second display window for displaying the video clip preview wherein an audio track of the video clip preview is heard.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the second display window immediately displays a still image of the video clip preview if the video clip preview is available for the highlighted program titled cell prior to the display of the video clip preview.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one display window displays a loading message or icon representative of an imminent video clip preview.

5. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a remote control device, the remote control device having means for navigating to the at least one display window and selecting the at least one display window to display the video clip preview on the display screen.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a remote control device, the remote control device including:

navigation buttons for navigating and browsing through the grid guide; and

,

a preview button for selecting to display the video clip preview on the display screen.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the remote control device further includes a record button for recording a program, the program having associated therewith a video clip preview adapted to be displayed on the at least one display window.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the EPG includes at least one user profile for excluding at least one content-rated program and associated video clip preview.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein those program titled cells of the plurality of program titled cells having associated therewith a video clip preview are distinguished in appearance from other program titled cells not having an associated video clip preview to indicate the availability of the video clip preview.

10. A method of displaying video-clip previews on demand comprising the steps of:

displaying, on a display screen, an electronic program guide (EPG) having at least one display window and a grid guide, the grid guide including a plurality of program titled cells;

browsing through the grid guide;

during the browsing step, highlighting a program titled cell; and

,

during the highlighting step, automatically displaying a video clip preview in the at least one display window when the highlighted programmed titled cell remains highlighted for a predetermined delay.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one display window includes a first display window and a second display window;

and

further comprising the steps of;

displaying in the first display window a currently tuned program; and

displaying in the second display window the video clip preview;

playing an audio track of the video clip preview simultaneously with the displaying step of the video clip preview.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of prior to the step of displaying the video clip preview, displaying in the second display window a still image of the video clip preview if the video clip preview is available for the highlighted program titled cell.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of displaying in the at least one display window a loading message or icon representative of an imminent video clip preview.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of navigating to the at least one display window and selecting the at least one display window to display the video clip preview on the display screen.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of selecting a preview button and displaying the video clip preview on the display screen.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of selecting a record option for recording a program, wherein the program has associated therewith a video clip preview adapted to be displayed on the at least one display window and wherein the selecting may be performed during or after playing of the video clip preview.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the recording option may record the program associated with the video clip preview scheduled to be broadcast in the future or at a present time.

18. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

determining a user profile for controlled scheduled programming of the EPG; and

,

restricting the content rating of the controlled scheduled programming to exclude at least one content-rated type of programming and video clip previews associated with the at least one type of content-rated programming.

19. An interactive television/broadcast system comprising:

a display screen device having a display screen;

an electronic program guide (EPG) having at least one display window and a grid guide, the grid guide includes a plurality of program titled cells, displayed on the display screen, wherein the EPG displays a full-screen video clip preview on demand when selecting a preview option.

20. The system according to claim 19, further comprising a remote control device for controlling the display screen device and selecting the preview option.