ADAPTABLE PROGRAMMING GUIDE FOR NETWORKED DEVICES

• US 20080077960A1
• Filed: 12/03/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Resource Consortium Limited, LLC
• Original Assignee: Digital Deck, Inc.
• Inventors: Griggs, Theodore
• Application Number:
  US11/949,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20080077960A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• 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 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for scheduling and distributing program is disclosed. The schedule utilized in the system and method preferably comprises a source field and one or more corresponding content data fields. The source field lists program providers and the content fields lists programs that are available from the program providers. The schedule is preferably configured to list programs having different start times and/or different ranges of duration times within entries of the same column. In the preferred method of the instant invention, the schedule is generated from user preferences that include selected program providers. In the system of the instant invention, the schedule is a displayable electronic schedule, wherein a user can select programs listed within the schedule with a suitable control device in order to initiate the distribution of the selected program to a user location over a network.

Claims

1. An electronic program schedule comprising:

a source field for listing content providers;

a content field for listing a first set of variable program time corresponding to times when content data is available from the content providers; and

an appliance field for providing a listing of at least one network enabled home appliance.

2. The electronic program schedule of claim 1, wherein the content field is configured for listing program titles available from the content providers corresponding to a first set of entries with program times.

3. The electronic program schedule of claim 2, wherein the source field and the content field are displayable in parallel columns with each one of the content providers aligned with a corresponding program title and a corresponding program time.

4. The electronic program schedule of claim 1, further comprising a second set of entries in the content field.

5. The electronic program schedule of claim 4, wherein the second set of entries list program times corresponding to times when a second set of content data is available from the content providers.

6. The electronic program schedule of claim 5, wherein the second set of entries further list program titles corresponding to the second set of content data.

7. The electronic program schedule of claim 1, further comprising a descriptor field for displaying a detailed description of a portion of the content data available from one or more of the content providers.

8. The electronic program schedule of claim 7, wherein the portion of the content data is selected by a user.

9. The electronic program schedule of claim 1, further comprising a filter field with at least one filter selection, wherein each filter selection is configured to select content providers listed in the source field.

10. The electronic program schedule of claim 2, further comprising a filter field with at least one filter selection, wherein each filter selection is configured to select the program titles listed in the source data field.

11. The electronic program schedule of claim 1, further comprising a search field for searching content data available from the content providers.

12. The electronic program schedule of claim 1, wherein the appliance field is configured for listing a status of each network enabled home appliance.

13. The electronic program schedule of claim 1, further comprising a control field for selectively operating each network enabled home appliance.

25. The schedule of claim 1, wherein said at least one appliance is a kitchen refrigerator.

14. A schedule for simultaneously displaying program availabilities from scheduled content providers and on-demand content providers, the schedule comprising:

a source field for listing the scheduled content providers and for listing the on-demand providers; and

a content field for listing the program availabilities, wherein the content field is further configured for listing at least one network enabled home appliance and a status corresponding to the appliance.

15. The schedule of claim 14, wherein the source field is configured for listing the content providers in a first column and corresponding program availabilities in an adjacent and second column.

16. The schedule of claim 15, wherein the content field further comprises a third column for listing additional program availabilities.

17. The schedule of claim 14, wherein the content field is configured for listing variable program times from the scheduled program providers.

18. The schedule of claim 14, wherein the content field is configured to provide a description of a selected program availability.

19. The schedule of claim 14, wherein the program availability are selectable with a control device.

20. The schedule of claim 14, further comprising a filter field with one or more filter sections for filtering content provider listed in the source field.

21. The schedule of claim 14, further comprising a filter field with one or more filter selections for filtering program availabilities listed in the content field.

22. The schedule of claim 14, further comprising a search field for searching program availabilities from the content providers.

23. The schedule of claim 22, wherein the search field is configured for searching program availabilities from a selected content provider.

24. The schedule of claim 14, further comprising control field for selectively controlling the one or more network enabled home appliances.

26. The schedule of claim 14, wherein said at least one appliance is a kitchen refrigerator.