SEARCH-BASED MEDIA PROGRAM GUIDE SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20100333139A1
• Filed: 06/29/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Busse, Martin, Velarde, Jimena
• Granted Patent: US 8,990,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/44
• 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

An exemplary method includes receiving a program guide data search request, associating a time block with the program guide data search request, identifying a set of program guide data associated with the time block, searching the set of program guide data associated with the time block to identify at least one matching media content instance based on the program guide data search request, and generating data representative of a search-based program guide view for display in a graphical user interface, the search-based program guide view exhibiting graphical data representative of the at least one matching media content instance. In certain embodiments, the method further comprises generating a virtual search channel associated with the program guide data search request and providing graphical data representative of the virtual search channel for display in the search-based program guide view. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a program guide data search request with a media content access subsystem;

associating, by said media content access subsystem, a time block with said program guide data search request;

identifying, by said media content access subsystem, a set of program guide data associated with said time block;

searching, by said media content access subsystem, said set of program guide data associated with said time block to identify at least one matching media content instance based on said program guide data search request; and

generating, by said media content access subsystem, data representative of a search-based program guide view for display in a graphical user interface, said search-based program guide view exhibiting graphical data representative of said at least one matching media content instance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating of said time block with said program guide data search request comprises automatically identifying said time block based on a time period associated with said search-based program guide view.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said search-based program guide view exhibits graphical data representative of at least one programming time slot associated with said at least one matching media content instance; and

said time block corresponds to a period of time spanned by said at least one programming time slot.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving navigational input with said media content access subsystem;

identifying, by said media content access subsystem, another time block based on said navigational input;

identifying, by said media content access subsystem, another set of program guide data associated with said another time block;

searching, by said media content access subsystem, said another set of program guide data associated with said another time block to identify at least one other matching media content instance based on said program guide data search request; and

updating, by said media content access subsystem, said search-based program guide view to exhibit graphical data representative of said at least one other matching media content instance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said updating comprises:

removing said graphical data representative of said at least one matching media content instance from said search-based program guide view; and

adding said graphical data representative of said at least one other matching media content instance to said search-based program guide view.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said search-based program guide view comprises at least one channel row associated with a media content carrier channel associated with said at least one matching media content instance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said updating further comprises replacing said media content carrier channel with another media content carrier channel in said channel row in said search-based program guide view, said another media content carrier channel associated with said at least one other matching media content instance.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising scrolling, by said media content access subsystem, said search-based program guide view along a time axis to transition from a display of said time block to a display of said another time block in said search-based program guide view in response to said navigational input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said search-based program guide view comprises:

graphical data representative of at least one programming time slot arranged along a time axis;

graphical data representative of at least one media content carrier channel arranged along a channel axis; and

graphical data representative of at least one cell including said graphical data representative of said at least one matching media content instance;

wherein said at least one cell is positioned relative to said graphical data representative of said at least one media content carrier channel and said graphical data representative of said at least one programming time slot in said search-based program guide view to indicate at least one relationship between said at least one matching media content instance, said at least one media content carrier channel, and said at least one programming time slot.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one cell comprises a plurality of cells, at least one of said plurality of cells comprising an empty placeholder cell representing at least one other media content instance not matching said program guide data search request.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by said media content access subsystem, a virtual search channel associated with said program guide data search request; and

providing graphical data representative of said virtual search channel for display in said search-based program guide view, wherein said graphical data representative of said at least one matching media content instance is exhibited within said graphical data representative of said virtual search channel in said search-based program guide view.

12. The method of claim 1, tangibly embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one computer-readable medium.

13. A method comprising:

maintaining, by a media content access subsystem, data representative of a plurality of program guide data search requests;

searching, by said media content access subsystem, program guide data to identify at least one matching media content instance for each of said program guide data search requests;

generating, by said media content access subsystem, a plurality of virtual search channels, each of said virtual search channels corresponding to one of said program guide data search requests; and

generating, by said media content access subsystem, data representative of a search-based program guide view for display in a graphical user interface, said search-based program guide view including graphical data representative of said plurality of virtual search channels and, within each of said virtual search channels, graphical data representative of said at least one matching media content instance.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said searching of said program guide data comprises restricting said searching to a subset of said program guide data associated with a time block corresponding to a time period indicated in said search-based program guide view.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said search-based program guide view comprises:

graphical data representative of at least one programming time slot arranged along a time axis;

graphical data representative of said plurality of virtual search channels arranged along a channel axis; and

within each of said virtual search channels, graphical data representative of at least one cell including said graphical data representative of said at least one matching media content instance.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein one of said virtual search channels comprises graphical data representative of a single row corresponding to at least one media content carrier channel associated with said at least one matching media content instance corresponding to said one of said virtual search channels.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein:

said at least one matching media content instance comprises a plurality of matching media content instances for one of said virtual search channels; and

said one of said virtual search channels comprises graphical data representative of a plurality of rows corresponding to a plurality of media content carrier channels associated with said plurality of matching media content instances.

18. A system comprising:

a processing facility;

a storage facility communicatively coupled to said processing facility, said storage facility storing program guide data;

a search guide facility communicatively coupled to said processing facility and configured to direct said processing facility to

associate a time block with a program guide data search request,

identify a subset of said program guide data associated with said time block,

search said subset of said program guide data associated with said time block to identify at least one matching media content instance based on said program guide data search request, and

generate and provide data representative of a search-based program guide view for display in a graphical user interface, said search-based program guide view exhibiting graphical data representative of said at least one matching media content instance.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said time block comprises a display time block spanning a time period indicated in said search-based program guide view.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said search guide facility is further configured to direct said processing facility to

identify another time block based on navigational input,

identify another subset of said program guide data associated with said another time block,

search said another subset of said program guide data associated with said another time block to identify at least one other matching media content instance based on said program guide data search request, and

update said data representative of said search-based program guide view to exhibit graphical data representative of said at least one other matching media content instance in said search-based program guide view.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said search guide facility is further configured to direct said processing facility to scroll said search-based program guide view along a time axis to transition from a display of said time block to a display of said another time block in said search-based program guide view in response to said navigational input.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein said search-based program guide view comprises:

graphical data representative of at least one programming time slot arranged along a time axis;

graphical data representative of at least one media content carrier channel arranged along a channel axis; and

graphical data representative of at least one cell including said graphical data representative of said at least one matching media content instance;

wherein said at least one cell is positioned relative to said graphical data representative of said at least one media content carrier channel and said graphical data representative of said at least one programming time slot in said search-based program guide view to indicate at least one relationship between said at least one matching media content instance, said at least one media content carrier channel, and said at least one programming time slot.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein said search guide facility is further configured to direct said processing facility to

generate a virtual search channel associated with said program guide data search request, and

provide graphical data representative of said virtual search channel for display in said search-based program guide view, wherein said graphical data representative of said at least one matching media content instance is exhibited within said graphical data representative of said virtual search channel in said search-based program guide view.

24. A system comprising:

a processing facility;

a storage facility communicatively coupled to said processing facility, said storage facility storing program guide data;

a search guide facility communicatively coupled to said processing facility and configured to direct said processing facility to

maintain data representative of a plurality of program guide data search requests,

search said program guide data to identify at least one matching media content instance for each of said program guide data search requests,

generate a plurality of virtual search channels, each of said virtual search channels corresponding to one of said program guide data search requests, and

generate data representative of a search-based program guide view for display in a graphical user interface, said search-based program guide view including graphical data representative of said plurality of virtual search channels and, within each of said virtual search channels, graphical data representative of said at least one matching media content instance.