METHODS AND TECHNIQUES FOR ADAPTIVE SEARCH

• US 20110179453A1
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Poniatowski, Robert F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,152,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• 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: G06F 16/7867 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title and artist information, manually generated time, location and usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/787 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 21/4622 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 21/4826 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

Abstract

A user may establish a reservation for content that is not currently available to the user via a group of sources, including broadcast, streaming, and/or download sources. For example the a user may establish a reservation to record a broadcast of specific content that is currently not scheduled for broadcast. As another example, the user may establish a reservation for the purpose of alerting the user once a new movie becomes available through a subscription streaming service. Based on a reservation, the service provider and/or the user'"'"'s media playback device may monitor content availability data for one or more sources. When the content is indicated as available, the user may be so informed. The content may then be streamed or downloaded, or a recording of the content may be scheduled. Additionally, or alternatively, the content may be automatically scheduled for recording or download.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a first time, receiving a selection of a particular item of media content that is not yet known to be available at a specific time via a specific source in a set of one or more sources;

based on the selection, monitoring content availability data for the one or more sources;

at a second time subsequent to the first time, determining from the monitored content availability data that the particular item of media content is or will be available at least at a particular time via at least a particular source in the set of one or more sources;

based at least upon the determining, informing a user that the particular item of media content is available at the particular time via the particular source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular time is the second time, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to informing the user that the particular item of media content is available, receiving an instruction from the user to download or stream the particular item from the particular source;

in response to the instruction, requesting that the particular source provide the particular item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular time is subsequent to the second time, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to informing the user that the particular item of media content is available, receiving an instruction from the user to schedule retrieval of the particular item from the particular source;

in response to the instruction, performing one of;

scheduling a recording of the particular item;

or scheduling a download of the particular item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sources include at least a broadcast source and an Internet Protocol source.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the one or more sources based on of one or more of:

data indicating a plurality of sources available to a device operated by the user;

data indicating a plurality of sources to which the user is subscribed; and

data indicating a plurality of sources approved by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the one or more sources on account of a user-specified preference specific to the particular item.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically scheduling a recording or download of the particular item in response to determining that the particular item will be available at a particular time, without requesting that the user confirm the scheduling.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining from the monitored content availability data that the particular item of media content is or will be available at least at a second particular time via at least a second particular source in the set of one or more sources;

requesting that the user specify from which of the particular source and the second particular source a particular device is to obtain the particular item.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a unique identifier for the particular item;

wherein monitoring the content availability data comprises monitoring for the unique identifier.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting an interface comprising information about the particular item;

receiving the selection via the interface.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

presenting the interface in response to a search request;

wherein the interface further comprises information about one or more additional items of media content known to be available at a specific time via a specific source in a set of one or more sources.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising presenting the interface responsive to showing one of:

a preview of the particular item, or a list of movies showing in local theaters.

13. One or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of:

at a first time, receiving a selection of a particular item of media content that is not yet known to be available at a specific time via a specific source in a set of one or more sources;

based on the selection, monitoring content availability data for the one or more sources;

at a second time subsequent to the first time, determining from the monitored content availability data that the particular item of media content is or will be available at least at a particular time via at least a particular source in the set of one or more sources;

based at least upon the determining, informing a user that the particular item of media content is available at the particular time via the particular source.

14. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the particular time is the second time, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to informing the user that the particular item of media content is available, receiving an instruction from the user to download or stream the particular item from the particular source;

in response to the instruction, requesting that the particular source provide the particular item.

15. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the particular time is subsequent to the second time, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to informing the user that the particular item of media content is available, receiving an instruction from the user to schedule retrieval of the particular item from the particular source;

in response to the instruction, performing one of;

scheduling a recording of the particular item;

or scheduling a download of the particular item.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the one or more sources include at least a broadcast source and an Internet Protocol source.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of selecting the one or more sources based on of one or more of:

data indicating a plurality of sources available to a device operated by the user;

data indicating a plurality of sources to which the user is subscribed; and

data indicating a plurality of sources approved by the user.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of selecting the one or more sources on account of a user-specified preference specific to the particular item.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of automatically scheduling a recording or download of the particular item in response to determining that the particular item will be available at a particular time, without requesting that the user confirm the scheduling.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

determining from the monitored content availability data that the particular item of media content is or will be available at least at a second particular time via at least a second particular source in the set of one or more sources;

requesting that the user specify from which of the particular source and the second particular source a particular device is to obtain the particular item.

21. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

obtaining a unique identifier for the particular item;

wherein monitoring the content availability data comprises monitoring for the unique identifier.

22. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

presenting an interface comprising information about the particular item;

receiving the selection via the interface.

23. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 22, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

presenting the interface in response to a search request;

wherein the interface further comprises information about one or more additional items of media content known to be available at a specific time via a specific source in a set of one or more sources.

24. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 22, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of presenting the interface responsive to showing one of:

a preview of the particular item, or a list of movies showing in local theaters.