System and method for speculative tuning

• US 20030193619A1
• Filed: 04/11/2002
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vulcan Ventures Inc. (Vulcan, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vulcan Ventures Inc. (Vulcan, Inc.)
• Inventors: Farrand, Toby
• Application Number:
  US10/121,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20030193619A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/731
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• 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 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

A method implemented on a multi-tuner receiver system is disclosed, comprising: monitoring user input on the multi-tuner receiver system; identifying a first channel which the user is likely to select based on the user input; and speculatively tuning to the first channel using a first tuner prior to the user selecting the first channel.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a multi-tuner receiver system, comprising:

monitoring user input on said multi-tuner receiver system;

identifying a first channel which said user is likely to select based on said user input; and

speculatively tuning to said first channel using a first tuner prior to said user selecting said first channel.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

providing multimedia content from said first channel to a television or other multimedia rendering device responsive to said user selecting said first channel.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein monitoring comprises determining a second channel which said user has selected for viewing, said second channel tuned to by a second tuner in said multi-tuner receiver system,

wherein said first channel is identified based on said first channel being logically adjacent to said second channel.

4. The method as in claim 3 wherein whether said first channel is considered logically adjacent is based on said first channel being selectable by said user providing a “

channel up”

or “

channel down”

command to said multi-channel receiver system.

5. The method as in claim 3 wherein whether said first channel is considered logically adjacent is based on said first channel being a next or previous channel in numerical sequence with respect to said second channel.

6. The method as in claim 3 wherein whether said first channel is considered logically adjacent is based on said first channel being a next or previous channel in alphabetical sequence with respect to said second channel.

7. The method as in claim 1 wherein monitoring user input comprises monitoring a manner in which said user manipulates a selection element on an electronic program guide (“

EPG”

).

8. The method as in claim 7 further comprising identifying said first channel based on said user positioning said selection element so as to identify a representation of said first channel on said EPG.

9. The method as in claim 1 further comprising identifying said first channel based on past channel selection behavior of said user.

10. A multi-tuner receiver system:

a first tuner and a second tuner to tune to broadcast channels; and

speculative tuning logic to identify a first channel which said user is likely to select based on user input and to speculatively tune to said first channel using said first tuner prior to said user selecting said first channel.

11. The system as in claim 10 further comprising:

a channel output selector to provide multimedia content from said first channel to a television or other multimedia rendering device responsive to said user selecting said first channel.

12. The system as in claim 10 wherein said user input comprises a second channel which said user has selected for viewing, said second channel tuned to by said second tuner in said multi-tuner receiver system, and

wherein said speculative tuning logic identifies said first channel based on said first channel being logically adjacent to said second channel.

13. The system as in claim 12 wherein whether said first channel is considered logically adjacent is based on said first channel being selectable by said user providing a “

channel up”

or “

channel down”

command to said multi-channel receiver system.

14. The system as in claim 12 wherein whether said first channel is considered logically adjacent is based on said first channel being a next or previous channel in numerical sequence with respect to said second channel.

15. The system as in claim 12 wherein whether said first channel is considered logically adjacent is based on said first channel being a next or previous channel in alphabetical sequence with respect to said second channel.

16. The system as in claim 10 wherein said user input comprises a manner in which said user manipulates a selection element on an electronic program guide (“

EPG”

).

17. The system as in claim 16 wherein said speculative tuning logic identifies said first channel based on said user positioning said selection element so as to identify a representation of said first channel on said EPG.

18. The system as in claim 10 wherein said speculative tuning logic identifies said first channel based on past channel selection behavior of said user.

19. A method implemented on a multi-tuner receiver system, comprising:

monitoring a user'"'"'s current channel selections; and

speculatively tuning to a first channel based on said user'"'"'s current channel selections prior to said user selecting said first channel.

20. The method as in claim 19 further comprising:

providing multimedia content from said first channel to a television or other multimedia rendering device responsive to said user selecting said first channel.

21. The method as in claim 19 wherein monitoring comprises determining a second channel which said user has selected for viewing, said second channel tuned to by a second tuner in said multi-tuner receiver system,

wherein said first channel is identified based on said first channel being logically adjacent to said second channel.

22. The method as in claim 21 wherein whether said first channel is considered logically adjacent is based on said first channel being selectable by said user providing a “

channel up”

or “

channel down”

command to said multi-channel receiver system.

23. The method as in claim 21 wherein whether said first channel is considered logically adjacent is based on said first channel being a next or previous channel in numerical sequence with respect to said second channel.

24. The method as in claim 21 wherein whether said first channel is considered logically adjacent is based on said first channel being a next or previous channel in alphabetical sequence with respect to said second channel.

25. The method as in claim 19 further comprising:

monitoring a manner in which said user manipulates a selection element on an electronic program guide (“

EPG”

); and

identifying said first channel based on said user positioning said selection element so as to identify a representation of said first channel on said EPG.

26. The method as in claim 19 further comprising identifying said first channel based on past channel selection behavior of said user.