Methods and systems for constructing and editing electronic program guide lineups

• US 20060026643A1
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pritchett, Thaddeus C., Schwesinger, Mark D., Silverberg, Eric J., Curtis, Glenn A., Pickett, Shawn E., Shield, Alan E., Pezzee, Christopher F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,562,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• 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 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4755 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Various embodiments provide accurate EPG lineup construction and PVR scheduling for users, regardless of their geographic location. In accordance with the described embodiments, the guide retrieves and aggregates data from multiple available sources, particularly in-band scanning and EPG metadata download. Services are then identified and sorted into logically equivalent groups. Once the services are grouped, in accordance with one embodiment, an analysis is conducted the outcome of which is directed to selecting which services to use for tuning and which services to use for scheduling on a given channel/preset. In addition, various embodiments can, in an automated fashion, assign services to presets/channels, as well as provide a user interface and methods for editing a lineup, modifying tuning information and personalizing presets/channels.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving service-related data from multiple different sources;

processing the service-related data sufficient to construct a lineup comprising an association of presets/channels, services, program, scheduling and tuning information; and

displaying an electronic program guide (EPG) grid embodying the lineup.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the sources comprises at least one guide data service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the sources comprises at least one frequency scanner.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the sources comprises a user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the sources comprises at least one pre-delivered file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the sources comprises at least one user-provided file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the sources comprises at least one user-sharable file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sources comprise at least one guide data service and at least one frequency scanner.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of processing comprises decoupling tuning information from scheduling and program information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of processing comprises sorting services into groups in accordance with predefined criteria.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said act of sorting attempts to group services in accordance with predefined criteria comprising service call signs.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of processing comprises sorting services together in groups of logically equivalent services.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of processing comprises sorting services together in groups in accordance with predefined criteria and then separating services within each group into primary services comprising at least tuning information, and secondary services comprising at least scheduling information.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising attempting to establish individual primary and secondary service associations.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said act of attempting is performed by establishing associations based at least on which row in an EPG grid a service indicates that it is to appear in.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said act of attempting comprises ascertaining whether there are any conflicts between primary services and, if so, attempting to resolve the conflict.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said act of ascertaining comprises ascertaining whether two or more primary services indicate that they are to occupy the same row of an EPG grid.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising, in an event of a conflict, assigning a preset/channel to a first of the primary/secondary service associations and setting aside at least a second of the associations of a conflicting primary service until additional non-conflicting primary/secondary service associations are assigned to presets/channels.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising for at least some established associations, assigning presets/channels.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said act of assigning comprises manually assigning at least one preset/channel.

21. A system comprising:

one or more computer-readable media;

one or more processors;

computer-readable instructions embodied on the one or more computer-readable media which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to;

receive service-related data from multiple different sources, at least some of which comprise at least one guide data service and a frequency scanner;

process the service-related data sufficient to construct a lineup comprising an association of presets/channels and tuning information by;

sorting services together in groups in accordance with predefined criteria;

separating services within each group into primary services comprising at least tuning information, and secondary services comprising at least scheduling information;

attempting to establish individual primary and secondary service associations; and

for at least some established associations, assigning presets/channels; and

display an EPG grid embodying the lineup.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said act of attempting is performed by establishing associations based at least on which row in an EPG grid a service indicates that it is to appear in.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said act of attempting comprises ascertaining whether there are any conflicts between primary services and, if so, attempting to resolve the conflict.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said act of ascertaining comprises ascertaining whether two or more primary services indicate that they are to occupy the same row of an EPG grid.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising, in an event of a conflict, assigning a preset/channel to a first of the associations of a conflicting primary service and setting aside a second of the associations of a conflicting primary service until additional non-conflicting primary service associations are assigned presets/channels.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein said act of assigning comprises manually assigning at least one preset/channel.

27. A computer-implemented method comprising:

decoupling one or more of;

(a) presets/channels and tuning information associations, or (b) tuning information and scheduling information associations; and

allowing one or more heuristics to be applied to decoupled associations sufficient to establish associations between one or more of;

(a) presets/channels and services;

(b) services and tuning information, or (c) services and program/scheduling information.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the act of allowing comprises allowing heuristics to be applied that can give a preference to one or more of:

one source of tuning information over another source of tuning information, or one source of scheduling information over another source of scheduling information.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein tuning information sources can comprise one or more of:

at least one guide data service, a frequency scanner, a user interface, or one or more files.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein scheduling information sources can comprise one or more of:

at least one guide data service, a frequency scanner, a user interface, or one or more files.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the act of allowing comprises allowing heuristics for rule-based signal selection to be applied.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the act of allowing comprises allowing heuristics to establish an association between at least one service and multiple tune requests.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the act of allowing comprises allowing heuristics to establish an association between at least one tune request and multiple services.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the act of allowing comprises allowing heuristics to establish an association between at least one preset/channel and multiple different services.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein the act of allowing comprises allowing heuristics to establish an association between at least one service and multiple presets/channels.

36. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to implement the method of claim 27.

37. A system comprising:

one or more computer-readable media;

one or more processors;

computer-readable instructions embodied on the computer-readable media which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to;

decouple one or more of;

(a) presets/channel and tuning information associations, or (b) tuning information and scheduling information associations;

allow one or more heuristics to be applied to decoupled associations sufficient to establish associations between one or more of;

(a) presets/channels and services;

(b) services and tuning information, or (c) services and program/scheduling information; and

display an electronic program guide grid that embodies established associations.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the instructions allow heuristics to be applied that can give a preference to one or more of:

one source of tuning information over another source of tuning information, or one source of scheduling information over another source of scheduling information.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein tuning information sources can comprise one or more of:

at least one guide data service, a frequency scanner, a user interface, or one or more files.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein scheduling information sources can comprise one or more of:

at least one guide data service, a frequency scanner, a user interface, or one or more files.

41. The system of claim 37, wherein the instructions allow heuristics for rule-based signal selection to be applied.

42. The system of claim 37, wherein the instructions allow heuristics to establish an association between at least one service and multiple tune requests.

43. The system of claim 37, wherein the instructions allow heuristics to establish an association between at least one tune request and multiple services.

44. The system of claim 37, wherein the instructions allow heuristics to establish an association between at least one preset/channel and multiple different services.

45. The system of claim 37, wherein the instructions allow heuristics to establish an association between at least one service and multiple presets/channels.

46. A computer-implemented method comprising:

associating an individual channel object with an individual row in an electronic program guide grid; and

supporting, with said channel object, at least one API call associated with acquiring tuning information for the row and at least one API call associated with acquiring scheduling and program information for the row.

47. The method of claim 46 further comprising using the channel object to acquire tuning information from a first source, and to acquire scheduling information from a second different source.

48. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to implement the method of claim 46.

49. A computing device embodying the one or more computer-readable media of claim 48.