Interactive program manager and methods for presenting program content

• US 20070186269A1
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2006
• 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: Malik, Dale
• Granted Patent: US 8,402,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/135
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• 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 21/4532 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/814 comprising emergency warnings arrangements specially adapted for emergency or urgency in broadcast systems H04H20/59; arrangements for providing alarms, notifications, alerts to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An interactive program manager comprises a receiver, a controller and an analyzer. The receiver presents audio and visual content for display. The controller directs the receiver to select a first channel and to forward a second channel different from the first channel. The analyzer monitors a program guide and at least the second channel for content of interest in accordance with a user profile. The controller also directs the receiver in response to an operator input.

Claims

1. A multimedia system comprising:

a receiver configured to present for display multimedia content on a first device;

a controller configured to direct the receiver to select a first channel and to direct the receiver to forward multimedia content received on a second channel, different from the first channel, to a second device; and

an analyzer coupled to the receiver, the analyzer configured to monitor a program guide and at least the second channel for content of interest in accordance with a user profile, the analyzer configured to communicate information via the receiver and the first device in response to an operator input communicated via the controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer is configured to direct the first device to present one of an image in video content and a message in audio content.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver forwards the content received on the second channel to a recording device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller directs the receiver to present for display the multimedia content from the second channel and directs the analyzer to monitor the first channel.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to direct a change from a first display mode to a second display mode.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second display mode is selected from a group comprising:

presenting visual information from each of the first and second channels, presenting audio and visual information from one of the first and second channels with closed captioning information from the remaining channel, and presenting audio and visual information from one of the first and second channels with a representation driven by a data feed associated with the content of the remaining channel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to present for display multimedia content from a non-broadcast source in accordance with a command communicated via the controller.

8. A method for interactively presenting alternative content, comprising:

analyzing a program guide in response to a user profile to identify alternative content;

presenting for display an indicator that indicates that the alternative content is available;

providing a mechanism that enables a user to explore the alternative content, wherein exploration of the alternative content comprises a multiple level interactive menu; and

providing a mechanism that enables a user to direct the alternative content to a select device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the select device is selected from the group consisting of a recording device, a first audio/video input port of a monitor, a second audio/video input port of a monitor, and a program analyzer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

modifying an operating mode of the monitor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein modifying an operating mode of the monitor comprises integrating a video signal from a first source with a second video signal from a second source.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

analyzing content provided on a select channel for information that matches a user interest prior to the step of modifying the operating mode of the monitor.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the alternative content comprises a data stream.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

establishing an interactive session with a user in response to a command from a control device.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein presenting for display an indicator that indicates that the alternative content is available comprises one of an image presented to a user in the video content and a message in the audio content.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein providing a mechanism that enables a user to direct the alternative content comprises requesting information responsive to the alternative content.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein providing a mechanism that enables a user to direct the alternative content comprises a layered interface.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein providing a mechanism that enables a user to direct the alternative content comprises forwarding the alternative content to a device configured to record the alternative content.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein providing a mechanism that enables a user to direct the alternative content comprises forwarding the alternative content to a monitor.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein modifying an operating mode of a monitor comprises applying a text stream over a select portion of a display.