Methods, systems, and products for providing sample content

• US 20060288398A1
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McQuaide, Arnold C. Jr., Huslak, Nicholas Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,860,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/136
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• 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 21/42204 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 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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

Abstract

Methods, systems, devices, and products provide sample content. One such device includes a processor that receives an electronic programming guide including a listing of available content. The processor also receives an ancillary stream of including samples of content listed in the electronic programming guide. The processor receives a subscriber input that selects a particular content from the electronic programming guide. The processor filters unselected samples of content from the ancillary stream of data to produce a sample of the selected particular content. The processor processes the sample as a video signal, thus producing a preview of the selected particular content.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processor receiving an electronic programming guide comprising a listing of available content and also receiving an ancillary stream of data, the ancillary stream of data comprising samples of content listed in the electronic programming guide; and

an input for receiving a subscriber input that selects a particular content from the electronic programming guide, wherein the processor filters at least one of i) unselected samples of content from the ancillary stream of data and ii) compressed streams for low resolution display of real time programming content to produce a sample of the selected particular content, and the processor processes the sample as a video signal, thus producing a preview of the selected particular content.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the ancillary stream of data comprises samples of all the available content listed in the electronic programming guide.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the ancillary stream of data comprises samples of a subset of the available content listed in the electronic programming guide.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the ancillary stream of data comprises samples of content matching a profile of the subscriber.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the processor filters the ancillary stream of data to produce samples of content matching a profile of the subscriber, and when the processor receives the subscriber input that selects the particular content from the electronic programming guide, the processor filters unselected samples of the demographic content to produce the sample of the selected particular content.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the input receives subscriber input from an on-screen cursor that selects the particular content from the electronic programming guide.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic programming guide comprises a listing of current and future content available at a future time, and wherein the ancillary stream of data comprises samples of the future content matching a profile of the subscriber.

8. A method for providing sample content, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic programming guide comprising a listing of available content;

receiving an ancillary stream of data comprising samples of content listed in the electronic programming guide;

receiving a subscriber input that selects a particular content from the electronic programming guide;

filtering at least one of i) unselected samples of content from the ancillary stream of data and ii) compressed streams for low resolution display of real time programming content to produce a sample of the selected particular content; and

processing the sample as a video signal, thus producing a preview of the selected particular content.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein receiving the ancillary stream of data comprises receiving samples of all the available content listed in the electronic programming guide.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein receiving the ancillary stream of data comprises receiving samples of a subset of the available content listed in the electronic programming guide.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein receiving the ancillary stream of data comprises receiving samples of content matching a profile of the subscriber.

12. A method according to claim 8, further comprising filtering the ancillary stream of data to produce samples of content matching a profile of the subscriber, and when the subscriber input is received, then filtering unselected samples of the demographic content to produce the sample of the selected particular content.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein receiving the electronic programming guide comprises receiving a listing of future content available at a future time, and wherein the ancillary stream of data comprises samples of the future content matching a profile of the subscriber.

14. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

a sampling application stored on the computer-readable medium, the sampling application comprising computer code for

receiving an electronic programming guide comprising a listing of available content;

receiving an ancillary stream of data comprising samples of content listed in the electronic programming guide;

receiving a subscriber input that selects a particular content from the electronic programming guide;

filtering at least one of i) unselected samples of content from the ancillary stream of data and ii) compressed streams for low resolution display of real time programming content to produce a sample of the selected particular content; and

processing the sample as a video signal, thus producing a preview of the selected particular content.

15. A computer program product according to claim 14, wherein receiving the ancillary stream of data comprises receiving samples of all the available content listed in the electronic programming guide.

16. A computer program product according to claim 14, wherein receiving the ancillary stream of data comprises receiving samples of a subset of the available content listed in the electronic programming guide.

17. A computer program product according to claim 14, wherein receiving the ancillary stream of data comprises receiving samples of content matching a profile of the subscriber.

18. A computer program product according to claim 14, further comprising computer code for filtering the ancillary stream of data to produce samples of content matching a profile of the subscriber, and when the subscriber input is received, then filtering unselected samples of the content to produce the sample of the selected particular content.

19. A computer program product according to claim 14, wherein receiving the electronic programming guide comprises receiving a listing of future content available at a future time, and wherein the ancillary stream of data comprises samples of the future content matching a profile of the subscriber.