SEARCH ENGINE FOR A VIDEO RECORDER

• US 20060149709A1
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Bumgardner, James A., Ombao, Geoffrey Z., Krakirian, Haig H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/43 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/438 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/738 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7867 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title and artist information, manually generated time, location and usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a search engine for a video recorder. One embodiment of the present invention operates in an environment that includes one or more set-top boxes connected to or integrated within one or more output devices. The set-top boxes are used to transfer shows from a broadcast input source to one or more types of storage devices and to play back the shows from the storage devices to the output devices, either in a delayed-live fashion or at a later time of the user'"'"'s choosing. The set-top box displays a graphical user interface (GUI), which gives the user the ability to watch and/or record timeslot based programming, to order on-demand programming, and to playback previously recorded shows that reside on a local or remote storage device. A search engine is added to the GUI that lets the search for shows and receive results in an enhanced manner.

Claims

1. A method for searching for shows comprising:

providing a search engine application;

receiving one or more characters in said search engine application;

matching said characters using said search engine application to one or more database entries;

providing one or more results from said database entries;

presenting said results on an output device, including organizing said results into one or more optional categories;

providing for a user to select one of said results; and

providing for said user to perform an action using said one of said results.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said database entries are related to timeslot based programming.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said database entries are related to on-demand programming.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said database entries are related to saved shows.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said optional categories includes an actor or actress name category.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said optional categories includes a category for multiple instances of a same show.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of receiving one or more characters further comprises:

providing an alpha-numeric input area on said output device; and

providing for the selection of one of said characters using said alpha-numeric input area.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining whether one or more entries in said an alpha-numeric input area are no longer valid;

disabling said entries that are no longer valid; and

providing a visual indication to a user as to which of said entries are no longer valid.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said visual indication comprises making inaccessible said entries that are no longer valid.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of receiving one or more characters further comprises providing a keyword search field.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of providing for said user to perform an action comprises providing for said user to watch said result.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of providing for said user to perform an action comprises providing for said user to record said result.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of providing for said user to perform an action comprises providing for said user to schedule said result to be recorded later.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of providing for said user to perform an action comprises providing for said user to obtain additional information about said result.

15. A system for searching for shows comprising:

a search engine application;

one or more characters configured to be received using said search engine application;

one or more database entries configured to be used by said search engine application to match to said characters;

one or more results configured to be displayed from said database entries on an output device, including organizing said results into one or more optional categories; and

an device for selecting one of said results and for performing an action using said one of said results.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said database entries are related to timeslot based programming.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said database entries are related to on-demand programming.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein said database entries are related to saved shows.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein said optional categories includes an actor or actress name category.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein said optional categories includes a category for multiple instances of a same show.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein said search engine application further comprises further comprises an alpha-numeric input area configured to be provided on said output device.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said alpha-numeric input area further comprises a mechanism for determining whether one or more entries in said an alpha-numeric input area are no longer valid and for disabling said entries that are no longer valid.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising visual indication configured to be provided to a user indicating which of said entries are no longer valid.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said visual indication comprises making inaccessible said entries that are no longer valid.

25. The system of claim 15 wherein said search engine application includes a keyword search field.

26. The system of claim 15 wherein said action comprises watching said result.

27. The system of claim 15 wherein said action comprises watching said result.

28. The system of claim 15 wherein said action comprises obtaining additional information about said result.

29. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer to search for a show, comprising,

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to provide a search engine application;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive one or more characters in said search engine application;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to match said characters using said search engine application to one or more database entries;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to provide one or more results from said database entries;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to present said results on an output device, including organizing said results into one or more optional categories;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to provide for a user to select one of said results; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to provide for said user to perform an action using said one of said results.

30. The computer program product of claim 29 further comprising:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to present said priorities to a user; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to change said priorities.

31. A method for searching for shows comprising:

providing a pre-defined list to a user;

narrowing said pre-defined list based upon one or more inputs from said user to achieve a narrower pre-defined list;

invoking a background search engine application;

matching one or more characteristics of said narrower pre-defined list to one or more database entries;

providing one or more results from said database entries;

presenting said results on an output device

providing for said user to select one of said results; and

providing for said user to perform an action using said one of said results.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said database entries are related to timeslot based programming.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein said database entries are related to on-demand programming.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein said database entries are related to saved shows.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein said step of providing for said user to perform an action comprises providing for said user to watch said result.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein said step of providing for said user to perform an action comprises providing for said user to record said result.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein said step of providing for said user to perform an action comprises providing for said user to schedule said result to be recorded later.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein said step of providing for said user to perform an action comprises providing for said user to obtain additional information about said result.