APPARATUS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTENT AVAILABILITY NOTIFICATION

• US 20110296456A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Pandala, Sri Ramana
• Granted Patent: US 9,128,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/47214 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods are operable to notify a user of content availability. An exemplary embodiment receives a content availability notification request that specifies at least one content of interest, searches current electronic program guide (EPG) information to identify the content of interest, determines that the information identifying the specified content of interest is unavailable based upon the search of the current EPG information, generates a content availability reminder that is associated with the specified content of interest, monitors a content database to determine an availability of the specified content of interest identified in the content availability reminder, determines that the specified content of interest is available when the monitored content database indicates availability of the specified content of interest, and generates a content availability reminder notification that indicates at least a title of the specified content of interest.

Claims

1. A method of notifying a user of content availability, the method comprising:

presenting information identifying a plurality of programs to a user, wherein the information identifying the plurality of programs is based on a content database;

receiving a content availability notification request specifying a program of interest identified from the presented plurality of programs;

searching current electronic program guide (EPG) information to identify the program of interest;

determining that the information identifying the specified program of interest is unavailable based upon the search of the current EPG information;

generating a content availability reminder based on the content database, wherein the content availability reminder is associated with the specified program of interest;

monitoring to determine availability of the specified program of interest;

determining that the specified program of interest is available when the monitoring indicates availability of the specified program of interest; and

generating a content availability reminder notification, wherein the content availability reminder notification indicates at least a title of the specified program of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises:

monitoring updates to an electronic program guide on a periodic basis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises:

monitoring a local content database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises:

monitoring a remote content database.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

communicating the content availability notification request to a remote site, wherein the remote site monitors the remote content database to determine availability of the specified program of interest, wherein the remote site determines that the specified program of interest is available when the monitored remote content database indicates availability of the specified program of interest, and wherein the remote site communicates information indicating the availability of the specified program of interest; and

receiving the information from the remote site indicating the availability of the specified program of interest.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the content availability reminder notification, wherein the content availability reminder notification is presented on a display.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the content availability reminder notification is communicated when the availability of the specified program of interest is determined.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the content availability reminder notification is communicated at a predefined time prior to a scheduled availability of the specified program of interest.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the content availability reminder notification is presented as a graphical user interface (GUI) content availability reminder notification that is configured to receive at least one user generated command, and further comprising:

recording the program of interest in response to the user generated command.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the content availability reminder notification is presented as a graphical user interface (GUI) content availability reminder notification that is configured to receive at least one user generated command, and further comprising:

tuning to a program content stream containing the program of interest in response to the user generated command.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the content availability reminder notification is presented as a graphical user interface (GUI) content availability reminder notification that is configured to receive at least one user generated command authorizing payment for at least one for-pay program of interest, and further comprising:

tuning to a program content stream containing the for-pay program of interest in response to the user generated command authorizing payment for the for-pay program of interest.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the content availability reminder notification further indicates a scheduled presentation time of the specified program of interest.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the content availability reminder notification further indicates a source of the specified program of interest.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting information identifying a plurality of programs to the user further comprises:

generating a searchable content guide based on the content database; and

presenting the searchable content guide in a graphical user interface (GUI) format on a display, wherein the searchable content guide is configured to receive at least one search command to interactively assist a user in identifying programs, and wherein the searchable content guide is configured to receive a specification of one of the identified programs; and

generate the content availability notification request based upon the specified identified program.

15. A content availability notification system in a media device, comprising:

a memory;

a program content stream interface configured to receive at least one program content stream;

a processor system communicatively coupled to the memory and the program content stream interface, wherein the processor system is configured to process the received program content stream into content;

at least one content information source stored in the memory, wherein the at least one content information source identifies a plurality of content; and

content availability reminder logic residing in the memory and configured, when executed by the processor system, to;

receive a content availability notification request, wherein the content availability notification request specifies at least one content of interest;

determine that the specified content of interest is unavailable;

generate a content availability reminder, wherein the content availability reminder is associated with the specified content of interest;

monitor the content information source to determine an availability of the specified content of interest identified in the content availability reminder;

determine that the specified content of interest is available when the monitored content information source indicates availability of the specified content of interest; and

generate a content availability reminder notification, wherein the content availability reminder indicates at least a title of the specified content of interest.

16. The content availability notification system of claim 15, further comprising:

a remote interface configured to receive the content availability notification request from a remote control.

17. The content availability notification system of claim 15, further comprising:

a presentation device interface configured to communicate the generated content availability reminder to a display.

18. The content availability notification system of claim 15, further comprising:

a digital video recorder configured to record the content of interest identified in the content availability notification request.

19. A method of notifying a user of content availability, the method comprising:

receiving a content availability notification request from a remote device, wherein the content availability notification request specifies at least one content of interest;

determining that the specified content of interest is unavailable;

generating a content availability reminder, wherein the content availability reminder is associated with the specified content of interest;

monitoring a content database to determine an availability of the specified content of interest identified in the content availability reminder;

determining that the specified content of interest is available when the monitored content database indicates availability of the specified content of interest; and

communicating content availability information to a media device associated with the remote device that originated the content availability notification request.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

tracking a number of requests for the specified content of interest from a plurality of requestors;

storing the number of requests and an identifier associated with each of the plurality of requestors, wherein the number of requests is updated each time a new content availability notification is received;

scheduling the specified content of interest in response to the number of requests reaching a threshold; and

communicating the content availability information to each of the media devices associated with the plurality of requestors.