SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SEARCHING MEDIA CONTENT

• US 20110158610A1
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sling Media LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sling Media Incorporated (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Cagney, Myles, Paul, John, Hennessy, Peter Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,275,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/297
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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 21/4622 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 21/47214 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for searching media files using a set-top box (STB), a television receiver, digital video recorder (DVR), placeshifting device or other media device, or any type of network host that communicates with a media device of any sort. Search criteria is received from a user, and the search criteria is identified in listings of media programming available from one or more sources. In some implementations, a combined search result can be provided that identifies instances of the search criteria found in program guide listings, files stored on a digital video recorder (DVR), available on-demand content, or any other sources as desired. Some implementations may prioritize search results using information about files stored on a DVR, user preferences, or any other information as desired.

Claims

1. A method executable by a data processing system to identify desired media programming, the method comprising:

receiving, by the data processing system, search criteria provided by a user that indicates the desired media programming;

searching, by the data processing system, for the search criteria in both of a first listing of media programming available from a first source and in a second listing of media programming available from a second source that is different from the first source; and

providing a combined search result from the data processing system that identifies instances of the search criteria found in both the first and the second listings of media programming.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first listing is an electronic program guide and the second listing is a listing of files stored on a digital video recorder.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising prioritizing the search result based on the listing of files stored on the digital video recorder.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the prioritizing is adjusted based upon an age of the files stored on the digital video recorder.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising prioritizing the search result based on a future recording planned for the digital video recorder.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining whether the user is interested in a programming series, and, if the user is interested in the programming series, prioritizing the programming series in the search result.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the determining comprises identifying a future recording associated with the programming series that is planned for the digital video recorder.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the determining comprises identifying episodes of the programming series in the listing of files stored on the digital video recorder.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the first source is selected from a satellite, a cable and a broadcast source of television content.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the files stored on the digital video recorder are pre-recorded programming files that are associated with the user.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the data processing system is a server communicating with a remotely-located device over a digital network, wherein the first listing comprises an electronic program guide that comprises information about programming available to the remotely-located device via at least one of a broadcast, a satellite and a cable television source, and wherein the second listing comprises a listing of pre-recorded programming files stored on a digital video recorder associated with the remotely-located device.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising initiating contact with the remotely-located device over the digital network, establishing a session with the remotely-located device, and receiving the second listing from the remotely-located device via the session.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the initiating comprises contacting a message server having a pre-existing connection with the remotely-located device.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising authenticating the user, and wherein the initiating is performed in real-time in response to a successful authentication.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the data processing system is a media server associated with a digital video recorder, wherein the first listing comprises an electronic program guide listing programming available to the media server via at least one of a broadcast, a satellite and a cable television source, and wherein the second listing comprises a listing of pre-recorded programming files stored on the digital video recorder.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein first listing is received via the at least one of the broadcast, the satellite and the cable television source.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising combining the instances of the search criteria found in both the first and the second listings of media programming into a common search result.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising prioritizing the search result based on a viewer preference.

19. The system of claim 1 further comprising identifying instances of the search criteria available from an on-demand programming source in the combined search result.

20. A system that communicates via a network with a client and a media server having stored programming content, the system comprising:

a message server configured to communicate with the media server via the network using a pre-existing connection; and

a guide server configured to receive a request from the client via the network, to direct the message server to send a message to the media server via the pre-existing connection in response to the request, to establish a session via the network with the media server, to receive information about the media content stored at the media server via the session, to receive search criteria from the client, to search for the search criteria in both program guide information and in the information about the media content stored at the media server, and to provide a search result to the client that identifies instances of the search criteria found in both the program guide information and in the media content stored at the media server.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the guide server is configured to identify the search criteria in available on-demand programming in the combined search result.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the guide server is configured to prioritize the search result based on the information about the media content stored at the media server.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the guide server is configured to adjust the prioritizing based upon an age of the files stored on the media server.

24. A system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive television programming and an electronic program guide, wherein the electronic program guide describes the television programming that is available to the receiver;

a digital video recorder configured to store a plurality of programs received as part of the television programming; and

a controller configured to receive search criteria from a user, to search for the search criteria in both the electronic program guide and in the plurality of programs stored on the digital video recorder, and to provide a search result to the user that identifies instances of the search criteria found in both the electronic program guide and in the plurality of programs stored on the digital video recorder.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising an interface to a network having a source of available on-demand programming, and wherein the controller is configured to identify instances of the search criteria in the available on-demand programming in the combined search result.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the controller is configured to prioritize the search result based on the plurality of programs stored on the digital video recorder.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the controller is configured to adjust the prioritizing based upon an age of the programs stored on the digital video recorder.

28. A method executable by a data processing system, the method comprising:

obtaining search results at the data processing system that identify a plurality of programs;

determining a score for each of the plurality of programs, wherein the data processing system determines the score for each program based at least in part upon whether the program is associated with content recorded by a digital video recorder; and

ranking the plurality of programs according to the score determined for each program.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the obtaining comprises searching for search criteria in both of an electronic program guide and in content recorded by a digital video recorder.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the determining comprises identifying a future recording of the program, and, if the future recording of the program is identified, increasing the score of the program.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the determining comprises identifying an interest in a series associated with the program.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the determining comprises increasing the score for each instance of the program contained in the content recorded by the digital video recorder.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the determining comprises reducing the score based upon an age of the instance.

34. The method of claim 28 wherein the determining comprises adjusting the score based upon a user preference associated with the program.