Content filter

• US 20090100464A1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Migos, Charles J.
• Application Number:
  US11/974,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100464A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Techniques are described to filter content. In an implementation, channels are filtered according to whether a respective item of content that is currently available via a respective channel complies with one or more criteria. Direct sequential navigation is then provided through a lineup of the filtered channels such that at least one channel having respective content that does not comply with the one or more criteria is not available via the direct sequential navigation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

filtering channels according to whether a respective item of content that is currently available via a respective said channel complies with one or more criteria; and

providing direct sequential navigation through a lineup of the filtered said channels such that at least one said channel having respective said content that does not comply with the one or more criteria is not available via the direct sequential navigation.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the lineup of the filtered channels provides a sequential ordering of channels that comply with the one or more criteria according to channel number.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the filtering is performed by examining metadata associated with corresponding said content available via the respective said channel.

4. A method as described in claim 3, wherein the metadata is obtained from a head end that is to broadcast the corresponding said content via the respective said channels.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the providing of the direct sequential navigation is performed without output of an electronic program guide (EPG).

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the providing of the direct sequential navigation includes use of a channel up or channel down function.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the providing of the direct sequential navigation is performed without manual entry of a channel number by a user.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the at least one said channel having respective said content that does not comply with the one or more criteria has a channel number that is between a channel number of a first said channel having respective said content that does comply with the one or more criteria and a second said channel having respective said content that does comply with the one or more criteria; and

the providing of the direct sequential navigation is performed such that sequential navigation is performed from the first said channel to the second said channel directly without outputting the respective said content of the at least one said channel.

9. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising outputting a user interface that is configured to receive one or more inputs that specify the one or more criteria.

10. A method comprising:

filtering electronic program guide (EPG) data that describes one or more items of content that are to be available via a channel from a future broadcast according to one or more criteria; and

when at least one said item of content meets the one or more criteria, outputting a representation of the at least one said item of content along with a representation of an item of content that is currently available from a broadcast via the channel regardless of whether the item of content meets the one or more criteria.

11. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the representation of the at least one said item of content and the representation of the item of content that is currently available from the broadcast are included in an electronic program guide (EPG).

12. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the representation of the at least one said item of content and the representation of the item of content that is currently available from the broadcast via the channel are not output with another representation of an item of content available via another channel.

13. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the representation of the at least one said item of content and the representation of the item of content that is currently available from the broadcast via the channel are output with another representation of an item of content available via another channel in a grid array.

14. A method as described in claim 13, wherein the other representation of an item of content available via the other channel meets the one or more criteria.

15. One or more computer-readable media comprising instructions that are executable to provide a mode to enable sequential navigation through channels that include content that meet one or more criteria specified by a user such that at least one said channel that includes content that does not meet the one or more criteria is not available via the sequential navigation when in the mode.

16. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 15, wherein the computer executable instructions are further executable to output a user interface to specify the one or more criteria by the user.

17. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 15, wherein the computer executable instructions are further executable on a client configured as a set-top box to receive an input that is originated by a remote control associated with the set-top box to initiate the mode.

18. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 15, wherein the sequential navigation is performed directly without output of an electronic program guide (EPG).

19. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 15, wherein the sequential navigation includes use of a channel up or channel down function.

20. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 15, wherein the sequential navigation is performed without manual entry of a channel number by a user.