TV Program Database

• US 20060294548A1
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Taylor, Thomas H., Potrebic, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,209,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• 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 21/4622 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4823 using a channel name
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Before a programming guide is created, a unique code is assigned to each TV program that can be identified in the programming guide. Prior to the creation of the programming guide, a viewer selects the unique code corresponding to the TV show that the viewer would like to record whenever that TV show is broadcast. When the programming guide is created, the corresponding unique codes are associated with each TV program in the programming guide. The TV program corresponding to the viewer-selected unique code is then scheduled to be recorded in accordance with the announced broadcast schedule in the programming guide. A recording is made of the TV program corresponding to the viewer-selected unique code as the TV program is broadcast in accordance with the announced broadcast schedule in the programming guide.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

means for maintaining a plurality of show identifiers (IDs) that each represent a television (TV) program that may, at some future time, be available;

means for associating a primary request ID with a particular one of the show IDs to indicate a user'"'"'s interest in a TV program represented by a particular show ID, wherein the TV program represented by the show ID is not currently available;

means for receiving at a later time, programming guide data that identifies TV programs scheduled to be available, where the TV programs that are scheduled to be available comprise a subset of the TV programs represented by the show IDs;

means for identifying the TV program associated with the primary request ID in the programming guide data, wherein the programming guide data indicates that the TV program associated with the primary request ID is scheduled to be available; and

,

means for updating a log file, responsive to viewing of the TV program, which includes a history of TV programs viewed, to indicate that the TV program has been viewed.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the programming guide data comprises an electronic program guide.

3. The system as defined in claim 1 further comprising means for automatically generating a program event, thereby scheduling the TV program associated with the primary request ID to be streamed when available.

4. The system as defined in claim 1 further comprising means for automatically generating a program event, thereby scheduling the TV program associated with the primary request ID to be streamed and recorded when available.

5. The system as defined in claim 4 further comprising means for automatically recording the TV program associated with the primary request ID upon streaming.

6. A method implemented, at least in part, by a computing device, the method comprising:

maintaining a plurality of show identifiers (IDs) that each represent a television (TV) program that may, at some future time, be available on-demand;

associating a primary request ID with a particular one of the show IDs to indicate a user'"'"'s interest in the TV program represented by the particular show ID, wherein the TV program represented by the show ID is not currently available on demand;

receiving at a later time, programming guide data that identifies TV programs scheduled to be available during an upcoming time, where the TV programs that are scheduled to be available comprise a subset of the TV programs represented by the show IDs;

identifying the TV program associated with the primary request ID in the programming guide data, wherein the programming guide data indicates that the TV program associated with the primary request ID is scheduled to be available;

automatically generating a program event, thereby scheduling the TV program associated with the primary request ID to be streamed and recorded according to the programming guide data;

automatically recording the TV program associated with the primary request ID upon streaming when availability based on the program event; and

,

responsive to playback of the TV program, updating a log file, which includes a history of TV programs watched, to indicate that the TV program has been watched.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the associating comprises:

receiving a request to identify the TV program represented by the particular show ID from an entity selected from a group comprising a household, a client device in the household, and a viewer in the household.

8. The method as defined in claim 6, further comprising associating each of the TV programs identified in the programming guide data with a corresponding show ID, wherein the plurality of show IDs collectively represent the universe of all TV programs that can be identified in the programming guide data.

9. The method as defined in claim 6, further comprising associating a secondary request ID with the particular show ID to indicate that the TV program has been recorded.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

playing back a recording of the TV program; and

,

associating a third request ID with the particular show ID to indicate that a recording of the TV program has been played back.

11. The method as defined in claim 6, further comprising associating a secondary request ID with a second show ID to indicate a request to not record the TV program represented by the second show ID.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the secondary request ID comprises an identity of a requestor responsible for associating the primary request ID with the particular show ID representing the TV program.

13. A database comprising:

a plurality of show identities (IDs) each representing an audio-visual content item, wherein the plurality of show IDs respectively represent a universe of all audio-visual content items that can be made available to a viewer, including at least one audio-visual content item that is not currently scheduled to be available and at least one different audio-visual content item that is scheduled to be available as indicated by an electronic programming guide (EPG);

a log file which contains a history of audio-visual content items viewed by a user, and which can be updated to indicate that a particular audio-visual content item has been viewed; and

,

a comparison mechanism operable to detect patterns in the user'"'"'s viewing history and to compare the patterns to EPG data to detect audio-visual content scheduled to be available that are consistent with the viewing patterns and have not yet been viewed by the user.

14. The database as defined in claim 13, wherein the universe of all audio-visual content items that can be made available to a user comprises the universe of all audio-visual content items that can be made available to the user by one or more of:

broadcasting and streaming on-demand.

15. The database as defined in claim 13, wherein the comparison mechanism operable to detect patterns in the user'"'"'s viewing history and to compare the patterns to EPG data to determine audio-visual content scheduled to be available that are consistent with the viewing patterns and have not yet been viewed by the user comprises identifying a series that the user tends to watch and identifying episodes of the series that are scheduled to be available and that the user has not viewed.

16. The database as defined in claim 13, wherein the comparison mechanism is further configured to inform the user of the identified episodes.

17. The database as defined in claim 13, wherein the comparison mechanism is further configured to automatically schedule recording of the identified episodes at a time identified in the EPG.

18. The database as defined in claim 13, wherein the comparison mechanism is further configured to inform the user of the identified episodes and to automatically schedule recording of the identified episodes at a time identified in the EPG.

19. The database as defined in claim 13, wherein the comparison mechanism operable to detect patterns in the user'"'"'s viewing history is operable to identify a class of sporting events that the user tends to watch and identifying an upcoming sporting event of the class in the EPG.

20. The database as defined in claim 19, wherein the comparison mechanism is further configured to update a log file, responsive to viewing of the identified sporting event, which includes a history of audio-visual content items viewed, to indicate the identified sporting event as a viewed audio-visual content item.