METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING MULTI-LEVEL PROGRAM GUIDE CATEGORY SEARCHES

• US 20090030879A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: SHARKEY, JEFFREY L., TRAN, HUY Q.
• Granted Patent: US 9,727,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A method and system for performing multi-level searches includes a user device and a display associated with the user device. A guide system receives a content provider category for a first content and receives a global guide category different than the content provider category for the first content. A communication network communicates the global guide category and the provider category to the user device. The user device performs a global search and displays on the display the first content in response to the global guide category and displays on the display a provider homepage with the first content displayed under the content provider category.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a content provider category for a first content;

providing a global guide category different than the content provider category for the first content;

performing a global search;

displaying the first content in response to the global guide category and the global search;

performing a content provider search in response to a content provider category; and

displaying the first content in response to the content provider category and the content provider search.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising associating the global guide category with a linear content.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 further comprising displaying the linear content in response to performing a global search.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising associating the global category to a program object.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising associating the content provider category with a broadband catalog object.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising receiving content having a second provider category, and changing the broadband catalog object in response to the second provider category.

7. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising removing the provider content category from the broadband catalog object when the program window expires and no other content has the provider content category.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the steps of displaying comprise displaying on a display associated with a set top box.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the steps of displaying comprise displaying on a display associated with a satellite television set top box.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the steps of displaying comprise displaying on a display associated with a mobile user device.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the steps of displaying comprise displaying on a display associated with a fixed user device.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

generating a selection corresponding to the first content;

communicating a material identification associated with the selection to the content processing system; and

communicating the content corresponding to the selection to the user device.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a satellite.

14. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a broadband communication system.

15. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a terrestrial system.

16. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein communicating a material identification comprises communicating the material identification through a broadband communication system.

17. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein communicating a material identification comprises communicating the material identification through a terrestrial system.

18. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising selecting a linear title and tuning the user device in response to selecting.

19. A system comprising:

a user device;

a display associated with the user device;

a guide system receiving a content provider category for a first content, receiving a global guide category different than the content provider category for the first content; and

a communication network communicating the content provider category and the global guide category to the user device;

said user device performing a global search and displaying on the display the first content in response to the global guide category and displaying on the display a provider homepage with the first content displayed under the content provider category.

20. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the user device comprises a set top box.

21. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the user device comprises a satellite television set top box.

22. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the user device comprises a mobile user device.

23. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the user device comprises a fixed user device.

24. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the communication network comprises a broadband network.

25. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the communication network comprises a satellite.

26. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the communication network comprises a terrestrial network.

27. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the user device generates a selection corresponding to the first content and communicates a material identification associated with the selection to a content processing system;

wherein the content processing system communicates the content corresponding to the selection to the user device.

28. A system as recited in claim 27 further comprising a satellite communicating the content.

29. A system as recited in claim 27 further comprising a broadband communication system communicating the content.

30. A system as recited in claim 27 further comprising a terrestrial system communicating the content.

31. A system as recited in claim 27 further comprising a broadband communication system communicating the material identification.

32. A system as recited in claim 27 further comprising a terrestrial communication system communicating the material identification.

33. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the content processing system associates the global category to a program object.

34. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the content processing system associates the content provider category in a broadband catalog object.

35. A method of searching content on a user device comprising:

performing a global search by,

obtaining global labels from a category system object;

obtaining a global hierarchy from a broadband home object within an associated index;

selecting a global category; and

displaying content having the associated index;

performing a content provider search by,

obtaining content provider content, category labels, hierarchy and references to programs from a broadband category object;

selecting a category; and

displaying content having the provider content category labels in response to the references to programs.