SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A CHANNEL SURFING APPLICATION ON A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE

• US 20110167447A1
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Wong, Ka Chun
• Application Number:
  US12/652,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20110167447A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/4856 for language selection, e.g. for the menu or subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739

Abstract

A wireless communications device provides users with opportunities to access interactive media guidance or other applications and to control user equipment and interactive media guidance applications. In an exemplary embodiment, users can access a surfing guide application which allows browsing of screenshots of programs playing on broadcast channels on the wireless communications device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a channel surfing application on a wireless communications device configured to communicate with user equipment, comprising:

obtaining screenshots of programs corresponding to a plurality of channels;

displaying the screenshots on the wireless communications device;

receiving user selection of at least one of the screenshots on the wireless communications device; and

instructing the user equipment to display the program corresponding to the selected screenshot in response to the user selection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a preview of the program corresponding to the selected screenshot on the wireless communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a description of the program corresponding to the selected screenshot on the wireless communications device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the preview comprises obtaining the preview from a media provider via the Internet.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying the description comprises obtaining the description from a media provider via the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

instructing the user equipment comprises instructing the user equipment to tune to the channel corresponding to the selected screenshot in response to user selection of the screenshot.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user selection comprises receiving input via a touch sensitive screen on the wireless communications device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the screenshots comprises receiving the screenshots from a media provider.

9. The method claim 1, wherein obtaining the screenshots comprises receiving the screenshots from a channel capture device.

10. A system for providing a channel surfing application on a wireless communications device configured to communicate with user equipment, comprising:

a wireless communications device;

wherein the wireless communications device is configured to;

obtain screenshots of programs corresponding to a plurality of channels;

display the screenshots on the wireless communications device;

receive user selection of at least one of the screenshots on the wireless communications device; and

instruct the user equipment to display the program corresponding to the selected screenshot in response to the user selection.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless communications device is further configured to:

display a preview of the program corresponding to the selected screenshot.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless communications device is further configured to

display a description of the program corresponding to the selected screenshot.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein displaying the preview comprises obtaining the preview from a media provider via the Internet.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein displaying the description comprises obtaining the description from a media provider via the Internet.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein instructing the user equipment comprises instructing the user equipment to tune to the channel corresponding to the selected screenshot in response to user selection of the screenshot.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein receiving the user selection comprises receiving input via a touch sensitive screen on the wireless communications device.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein obtaining the screenshots comprises receiving the screenshots from a media provider.

18. The system claim 10, wherein obtaining the screenshots comprises receiving the screenshots from a channel capture device.

23. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for obtaining the description from a media provider via the Internet.

19. A system for providing a channel surfing application on a wireless communications device configured to communicate with user equipment, comprising:

means for obtaining screenshots of programs corresponding to a plurality of channels;

means for displaying the screenshots on the wireless communications device;

means for receiving user selection of at least one of the screenshots on the wireless communications device; and

means for instructing the user equipment to display the program corresponding to the selected screenshot in response to the user selection.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for displaying the screenshots is further configured to display a preview of the program corresponding to the selected screenshot on the wireless communications device.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for displaying the screenshots is further configured to display a description of the program corresponding to the selected screenshot on the wireless communications device.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

means for obtaining the preview from a media provider via the Internet.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for instructing the user equipment is further configured to instruct the user equipment to tune to the channel corresponding to the selected screenshot in response to user selection of the screenshot.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for receiving user selection is further configured to receive input via a touch sensitive screen on the wireless communications device.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for obtaining is further configured to receive the screenshots from a media provider.

27. The system claim 19, wherein the means for obtaining is further configured to receive the screenshots from a channel capture device.