APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONSTRAINED SELECTION OF FAVORITE CHANNELS

• US 20110173664A1
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Knudson, Edward B.
• Application Number:
  US13/070,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20110173664A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An interactive program guide system is provided in which an interactive program guide offers a user access to content from multiple available media types. The program guide system provides for designating a preferred media type which reflects the user'"'"'s interests. The program guide system also provides the user with the option of designating favorite channels. The user is subsequently allowed to navigate among only favorite channels of the preferred media type.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to content from a plurality of available media types with an interactive program guide, comprising:

displaying on a screen a first channel;

receiving a user request from a user control device to tune to a second channel;

determining if the user requested second channel is a favorite channel;

determining if the user requested second channel is a channel of a preferred media type by determining if one or more media types associated with the user requested second channel is the preferred media type; and

tuning to the user requested second channel only if the user requested second channel is determined to be a favorite channel of the preferred media type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the user requested second channel is a favorite channel further comprises determining if the user has designated the second channel as a favorite channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the one or more media types is the preferred media type further comprises determining if the user has designated one of the one or media types as the preferred media type.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more media types is selected from a group including television, video, music, audio, video-on-demand, digital audio, and game media types.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a display, wherein the display includes information for the first channel;

in response to the tuning to the user requested second channel only if the user requested second channel is determined to be a favorite channel of the preferred media type, updating the display to include information for the second channel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the display is a flip display or a browse display.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing information about at least one favorite channel of the preferred media type in a preference profile.

8. A system for providing access to content from a plurality of available media types with an interactive program guide, the system comprising user equipment configured to:

display on a screen a first channel;

receive a user request from a user control device to tune to a second channel;

determine if the user requested second channel is a favorite channel;

determine if the user requested second channel is a channel of a preferred media type by determining if one or more media types associated with the user requested second channel is the preferred media type; and

tune to the requested second channel only if the user requested second channel is determined to be a favorite channel of the preferred media type.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user equipment is further configured to determine if the user requested second channel is a favorite channel by determining if the user has designated the second channel as a favorite channel.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the user equipment is further configured to determine if the one or more media types is the preferred media type by determining if the user has designated the media type as the preferred media type.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more media types is selected from a group including television, video, music, audio, video-on-demand, digital audio, and game media types.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

present a display, wherein the display includes information for the first channel;

in response to the tune to the user requested second channel only if the user requested second channel is determined to be a favorite channel of the preferred media type, update the display to include information for the second channel.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the display is a flip display or a browse display.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

store information about at least one favorite channel of the preferred media type in a preference profile.