SYSTEM FOR PRESENTING AN ELECTRONIC PROGRAMMING GUIDE IN A MEDIA SYSTEM

• US 20090019483A1
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: WHITE, SCOTT
• Granted Patent: US 8,776,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• 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 21/47 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

A system for presenting an electronic programming guide in a media system is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media receiver having a controller element to transmit to a portal information associated with an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG). The portal processes the information to present a Graphical User Interface (GUI) window corresponding to a slideable canvas of the EPG in an Internet browser of a communication device requesting the EPG. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium in a portal, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a request from a communication device to access an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) by way of a Set-Top Box (STB) operating in an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media system;

establishing broadband communications with the STB by way of a gateway coupled to the STB;

receiving from the STB information associated with the EPG; and

presenting a Graphical User Interface (GUI) window corresponding to a slideable canvas of the EPG in an Internet browser of the communication device.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the slideable canvas has a virtual view that is larger than the GUI window presented at the Internet browser, and wherein the GUI window is defined by the portal according to a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

3. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for presenting in the slideable canvas a matrix of the EPG comprising a plurality of media program channels IDs, a corresponding plurality of media programs for each media program channel, and a viewing time for each of the plurality of media programs.

4. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

detecting a request to pan the slideable canvas; and

panning the slideable canvas within the GUI window according to the request.

5. The storage medium of claim 4, comprising computer instructions for detecting the request from a selection and drag of the slideable canvas by a navigation element of the communication device.

6. The storage medium of claim 4, comprising computer instructions for presenting at the GUI window a plurality of GUI control elements for panning the slideable canvas.

7. The storage medium of claim 6, wherein the plurality of GUI control elements comprise a pan right GUI button for panning the slideable canvas to the left, a pan left GUI button for panning the slideable canvas to the right, a pan up GUI button for panning the slideable canvas down, and a pan down GUI button for panning the slideable canvas up.

8. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for zooming in or out of the slideable canvas.

9. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

selecting a media program from the slideable canvas of the EPG;

directing the STB to transmit a media stream associated with the selected media program; and

presenting the streamed media program at the Internet browser of the communication device.

10. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

presenting a GUI element that presents a plurality of selectable EPGs;

receiving a selection associated with the plurality of selectable EPGs; and

replacing the slideable canvas of the EPG with a new slideable EPG canvas.

11. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

presenting a GUI element that presents a plurality of selectable days of the week;

receiving a selection associated with the plurality of selectable days; and

adjusting the slideable canvas of the EPG according to the selected day.

12. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

presenting a prime time GUI element;

detecting a selection of the prime time GUI element; and

adjusting the slideable canvas of the EPG to display in the GUI window a portion of the slideable canvas associated with prime time viewings of media programs.

13. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

presenting a current time GUI element;

detecting a selection of the current time GUI element; and

adjusting the slideable canvas of the EPG to display in the GUI window a portion of the slideable canvas associated with current time viewings of media programs.

14. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

presenting a channel number GUI window;

detecting an entry of a channel number in the channel number GUI window; and

adjusting the slideable canvas of the EPG to display in the GUI window a portion of the slideable canvas associated the channel number entered.

15. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for presenting a local time from which the STB is operating.

16. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the IPTV media system comprises at least one among a super head office server coupled to a network of video head office servers and video head servers.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, comprising computer instructions for exchanging messages with the STB over a unicast channel of the IPTV media system.

18. An Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media receiver, comprising a controller element to transmit to a portal information associated with an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG), wherein the portal processes the information to present a Graphical User Interface (GUI) window corresponding to a slideable canvas of the EPG in an Internet browser of a communication device requesting the EPG.

19. The IPTV media receiver of claim 18, wherein the slideable canvas has a virtual view that is larger than the GUI window presented at the Internet browser, and wherein the slideable canvas corresponds to a matrix comprising a plurality of media program channels IDs, a corresponding plurality of media programs for each media program channel, and a viewing time for each of the plurality of media programs.

20. The IPTV media receiver of claim 18, wherein the controller element transmits to the portal updated information associated with the EPG responsive to a pan adjustment of the slideable canvas of the EPG about the GUI window according to instructions supplied by the Internet browser of the communication device.

21. The IPTV media receiver of claim 20, wherein said instructions comprise at least one among a pan up request, a pan down request, a pan right request, a pan left request, a pan to a prime time viewing request, a pan to a current time viewing request, a pan to a select channel request, and a pan to a select day request.

22. The IPTV media receiver of claim 18, wherein the controller element transmits to the portal information associated with a new EPG responsive to a request to present a different EPG, wherein the portal presents in the GUI window a slideable canvas of the new EPG.

23. A gateway, comprising a controller element to provide a portal access to an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) supplied by an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media receiver, wherein the portal presents a Graphical User Interface (GUI) window corresponding to a slideable canvas of the EPG in an Internet browser of a communication device requesting the EPG.

24. The gateway of claim 23, wherein the slideable canvas has a virtual viewing larger than the GUI window presented at the Internet browser, and wherein the slideable canvas corresponds to a matrix comprising a plurality of media program channels IDs, a corresponding plurality of media programs for each media program channel, and a viewing time for each of the plurality of media programs.

25. The gateway of claim 23, wherein the controller provides the portal access to the IPTV media receiver upon the portal supplying valid authentication information, and wherein communications between the IPTV media receiver and the portal take place over a unicast channel of an IPTV media system from which the IPTV media receiver operates.