System and method for controlling settings for television services

• US 20070186231A1
• Filed: 02/03/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Lee, Christopher, McCarthy, Mary, Cox, Ross, Pettit, Scott, Haeuser, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US11/346,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20070186231A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• 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 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• 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 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method that enables a customer to create a favorite list of channels for a main programming list of channels and switch between the favorite list and the main programming list and block any channel on either of the lists.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium accessible to a processor for executing instructions contained in a computer program embedded in the computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to provide a first list of channels for display on a television set;

instructions to create a second list of channels, at least in part from the first list; and

instructions to switch between the first list and the second list for viewing the lists on the television set.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to block a channel from appearing on one of the first list and second list in response to an input from a customer device.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to alter appearance of a blocked channel.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to automatically block a channel on the second list that is blocked on the first list.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the customer device is one of a set top box (STB), personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone and a computer.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first list comprises channels selected from a list consisting of scheduled programming, Video on Demand (VOD), Internet access, Pay Per View (PPV) programs, and channels for interactive transactions.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected channel is selected from a group consisting of a channels grouped by selected categories, video-on-demand channel, pay-per-view channel, interactive channel for purchasing a product, and interactive channel that enables data or voice communication over the internet.

7. A method for providing television services, comprising:

providing a first list of channels to a customer device for viewing the channels on a television set;

creating a second list of channels selected at least in part from the first list; and

switching between the first list and the second list for viewing on a television set in response to an input from the customer device.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising blocking a channel on one of the first list and the second list from viewing on a television set in response to an input from the customer device.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising affecting appearance of a selected channel in response to an input for blocking the selected channel.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the customer device is one of a CPE, a cellular phone, PDA, and computer.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising blocking a channel on the second list that is blocked on the first list.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising providing a web portal to a customer device for blocking a channel from one of the first and second lists.

13. An apparatus for use with a television set, comprising:

a computer readable medium accessible to a processor for executing instructions contained in a computer program embedded in the computer readable medium, the computer program comprising;

instructions to receive a first list of channels for display on the television set;

instructions to receive input for selecting a second list of channels from the first list of channels;

instructions to display the second list of channels on the television set; and

instructions to switch between display of the first list and second list of channels on the television set.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to block a selected channel on the first list in response to an input.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to automatically block the selected channel on the second list.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

a remote device operatively coupled to the apparatus that provides input for selecting the second list of channels and input to switch between the display of the first and second lists of channel.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to block a channel on the second list in response to an input from a remote device associate with the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising an interface operatively coupled to a communications network for receiving content and an interface operatively coupled to the television set for displaying the content on the television set.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to block a channel upon receiving a customer identifier.