Providing a Media Guide Including Parental Information

• US 20110072455A1
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nijim, Yousef Wasef, Patil, Anant, Pickelsimer, Lisa A., Thompson, Catherine
• Granted Patent: US 8,869,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts

Abstract

A user interface may be provided including a media guide. The media guide may comprise at least two display elements. One of the displayed at least two display elements may comprise an action card. The action card may be configured to display a plurality of actions that can be taken with respect to the one of the plurality of programs. The plurality of actions may include a parental information action.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface, the method comprising displaying a media guide comprising at least two display elements wherein one of the displayed at least two display elements comprises an action card configured to display a plurality of actions that can be taken with respect to one of a plurality of programs, the plurality of actions including a parental information action.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of the parental information action.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying, in response to receiving the selection of the parental information action, displaying parental information.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying, in response to receiving the selection of the parental information action, displaying parental information including a name of a program corresponding to the displayed parental information.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying, in response to receiving the selection of the parental information action, displaying parental information including a name of a program corresponding to the displayed parental information.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying, in response to receiving the selection of the parental information action, displaying a children'"'"'s age range a program corresponding to the displayed parental information is appropriate for.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a tab button.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising scrolling the parental information in response to receiving a selection of the tab button.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the parental information from a neutral third party.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the parental information from a neutral third party not comprising a system operator providing the user interface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the media guide comprises displaying the media guide in response to a received first input.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying the media guide in response to the received first input comprises displaying the media guide in response to the first input received from a control device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the media guide comprises displaying the media guide in response to a received first input, the first input being received in response to a user selecting a menu element from a displayed menu.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the media guide comprises:

shrinking a currently displayed programming content; and

displaying the shrunken programming content concurrently with the media guide.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying the shrunken programming content concurrently with the media guide comprises displaying the shrunken programming content concurrently with the media guide to fit at least the width of a high-definition television (HDTV) display.

16. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing a user interface, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

receiving a first input;

shrinking, in response to the received first input, a currently displayed programming content;

displaying the shrunken programming content; and

displaying a media guide comprising at least two display elements wherein one of the displayed at least two display elements comprises an action card configured to display a plurality of actions that can be taken with respect to the one of the plurality of programs, the plurality of actions including a parental information action.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising receiving a selection of the parental information action.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising displaying, in response to the selection of the parental information action, displaying parental information.

19. A system for providing a user interface, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

receive a first input;

shrink, in response to the received first input, a currently displayed programming content;

display the shrunken programming content;

display a media guide comprising an action card configured to display a plurality of actions that can be taken with respect to one of a plurality of programs, the plurality of actions including a parental information action;

receive a selection of the parental information action;

display, in response to the received selection of the parental information action, parental information having been obtained from a neutral third party not comprising a system operator providing the user interface the parental information including a name of a program corresponding to the displayed parental information and a children'"'"'s age range the program corresponding to the displayed parental information is appropriate for;

display a tab button; and

scroll the parental information in response to a selection of the tab button.