INTERACTIVE MEDIA GUIDANCE APPLICATION WITH INTELLIGENT NAVIGATION AND DISPLAY FEATURES

• US 20100153999A1
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TV Guide Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Yates, Doug
• Granted Patent: US 8,316,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• 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 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/47 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed that allow a user to efficiently navigate media selections in an interactive media guidance application and easily identify media for viewing. The disclosed methods and systems provide an environment wherein video assets are displayed according to a user preference on a mosaic page with multiple cells. A subset of the assets appropriate for display in a particular cell is determined based on the user preference. Relevance scores of the assets meeting the user preference are computed, and the asset having the greatest relevance for the user is selected and displayed the corresponding cell. The relevance scores can be computed based on the user'"'"'s historic viewing habits, user interaction with a media guidance application, or on specific user input.

Claims

1. A method for displaying video assets of interest to a user, comprising:

arranging on a mosaic page a plurality of cells, at least one of the plurality of cells adapted to display a video asset within the cell;

based on a historic or expressed user preference, associating with the at least one cell a subset of the video assets;

determining, in a processor, relevance of the video asset for the user by comparing the historic or expressed user preference with data selected from a group consisting of an interactive media guidance application, a web-based interactive media guide, a mobile platform and locally stored program content;

selecting, based on the determination, from the associated subset of video assets, for display in the at least one cell, the video asset having a greatest relevance for the user; and

displaying the selected video asset in the at least one cell on a user equipment device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preference includes at least one of an asset'"'"'s genre, a broadcast channel supplying the asset, and a media source supplying the asset.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevance for the user is associated with a user'"'"'s viewing frequency of the asset.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preference is entered in form of alphanumeric characters using a remote input device or a keyboard.

5. The method of claim 1, and further displaying on the mosaic page information associated with the displayed video asset.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting comprises displaying on the mosaic page an asset from the associated assets having a lesser relevance for the user than the asset having the greatest relevance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preference is entered by the user manually or selected from a displayed list.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the relevance for the user further comprises comparing the user preference with at least one of a title, a name of a performer, a show time, a media channel, and a synopsis of the identified content supplied by the interactive media guidance application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the video asset is selected from a television channel, a television service provider, a video-on-demand (VOD) channel, a pay-per-view (PPV) channel, a recorded video (DVR) program, an interactive media guidance application, a web-site, a program guide service provider, a service, a digital music programmer, a radio station, and any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected video asset is displayed as a full-motion video.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mosaic page is personalized for a user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a layout of the plurality of cells on the mosaic page is selected from at least one template.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein comparing includes performing a fuzzy match between the user preference and the data.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the at least one cell of the mosaic page with interactive features.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the interactive features are accessed via a remote control device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the interactive features are selected from the group consisting of a shopping opportunity, a program promotion, a selection of additional program content, a recording button, and availability of interactive program snipes.

17. The method of claim 1, and further providing a plurality of mosaic pages, said plurality of mosaic pages arranged hierarchically, with each mosaic page containing at least one cell having the greatest relevance for the user.

18. The method of claim 1, and further making information about the mosaic page on a first user device available on a second different user device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein making the information available comprises storing the information on a portable medium, storing the information at a central location accessible to the first and second user device, or transmitting the information from the first to the second user device via a network connection, or a combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the portable medium is selected from the group consisting of an infrared remote control, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cell phone, a memory stick, a memory card, a recordable CD and a recordable DVD.

21. A system for displaying video assets of interest to a user, comprising:

a display displaying a mosaic page having a plurality of cells, at least one of the plurality of cells adapted to display a video asset within the cell; and

user equipment configured to;

based on a historic or expressed user'"'"'s preference, associate with the at least one cell a subset of the video assets;

determine relevance of the video asset for the user by comparing the historic or expressed user preference with data selected from a group consisting of an interactive media guidance application, a web-based interactive media guide, a mobile platform and locally stored program content;

select, based on the determination, from the associated video assets, for display in the at least one cell, the video asset having a greatest relevance for the user; and

display the selected video asset in the at least one cell on the display.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the user preference includes at least one of an asset'"'"'s genre, a broadcast channel supplying the asset, and a media source supplying the asset.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the relevance for the user is associated with a user'"'"'s viewing frequency of the asset.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the user preference is entered in form of alphanumeric characters using a remote input device or a keyboard.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the display further displays on the mosaic page information associated with the displayed video asset.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the user equipment is configured to select for display on the mosaic page an asset from the associated assets having a lesser relevance for the user than the asset having the greatest relevance.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the user preference is entered by the user manually or selected from a displayed list.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the relevance for the user is determined by comparing the user preference with at least one of a title, a name of a performer, a show time, a media channel, and a synopsis of the identified content supplied by the interactive media guidance application.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the video asset is selected from a television channel, a television service provider, a video-on-demand (VOD) channel, a pay-per-view (PPV) channel, a recorded video (DVR) program, an interactive media guidance application, a web-site, a program guide service provider, a service, a digital music programmer, a radio station, and any combination thereof.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the selected video asset is displayed as a full-motion video.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein the mosaic page is personalized for a user.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein a layout of the plurality of cells on the mosaic page is selected from at least one template.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein the user equipment is configured to perform a fuzzy match between the user preference and the data.

34. The system of claim 21, wherein the user equipment is configured to associate the at least one cell of the mosaic page with interactive features.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the interactive features are accessed via a remote control device.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the interactive features are selected from the group consisting of a shopping opportunity, a program promotion, a selection of additional program content, a recording button, and availability of interactive program snipes.

37. The system of claim 21, wherein the user equipment is configured to configure a plurality of mosaic pages, said plurality of mosaic pages arranged hierarchically, with each mosaic page containing at least one cell having the greatest relevance for the user.

38. The system of claim 21, wherein the user equipment is configured to make information about the mosaic page on a first user device available on a second different user device.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the information is made available by storing the information on a portable medium, storing the information at a central location accessible to the first and second user device, or transmitting the information from the first to the second user device via a network connection, or a combination thereof.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the portable medium is selected from the group consisting of an infrared remote control, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cell phone, a memory stick, a memory card, a recordable CD and a recordable DVD.