SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A SCAN

• US 20120076473A1
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Kunkel, Gerard, Radloff, Jon P., Ellis, Michael D., Craner, Michael L., Iyer, Rajeshwari B., Jakubowski, Andrzej
• Granted Patent: US 8,429,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/297
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• 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 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• 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 21/84 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

Systems and methods for a video scan are provided. The scan may be dynamically interactive and a function of characteristics of the programs in the scan (e.g., commercial breaks or the end of a program approaching) The scan may simultaneously display multiple scan windows for a plurality of programs, for example in a scan wizard. The scan wizard allows the user to simultaneously view a scan window and an information panel, select criteria for the scan from a criteria panel, and control the scan using a scan control panel. The scan may allow the user to record a program displayed in the scan without interrupting the scan (e.g., by using an additional tuner). The scan may display, within the scan interface, trick-play functions for appropriate scanned programs (e.g., recorded, cached and on-demand programs). The user may select and perform trick-play functions for a scanned program without exiting the scan mode.

Claims

1. A method for providing a video scan, comprising:

identifying programs from available programs for a video scan;

automatically sequentially displaying the video of the identified programs in the order defined by a scan sequence in a scan mode using a first video tuner; and

while automatically sequentially displaying the video of the identified programs in the order defined by the scan sequence;

receiving a request to record the program that is currently being displayed in the scan sequence;

determining whether a second video tuner is available for recording the program that is currently being displayed in the scan sequence; and

in response to receiving the request to record and determining that the second video tuner is available for recording the program, tuning the second tuner to the program and recording the requested program using the second video tuner while simultaneously automatically sequentially displaying the video of the identified programs in the order defined by the scan sequence using the first video tuner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second tuner include one of an analog tuner, a digital tuner, a network socket, and an MPEG encoder/decoder.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein remaining in the scan mode comprises not interrupting the automatic sequential display of the video of the identified programs.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein recording the program comprises temporarily placing a hold on the presently displayed program from the scan sequence to provide time for interaction with the user related to the record.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein recording the program further comprises:

receiving instructions from a user to perform one of recording the program from the present playing point of the program, recording a future occurrence of the program in its entirety, setting up a series recording for a series associated with the program, and recording a similar program; and

in response to the receiving of instructions from the user, performing the requested recording.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the available programs comprise at least one non-on-demand program, at least one recording in progress, at least one recorded program, and at least one on-demand program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the available programs comprise at least one purchased pay-per-view program and at least one program for which the user has set a reminder.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining criteria for the scan; and

wherein identifying programs for the scan comprises identifying programs related to the determined criteria.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining criteria for a scan comprises receiving a user selection of a criterion for the scan.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving a user selection of criteria for the scan comprises receiving a user selection of at least one node in a tree structure display of criteria.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving a user indication of a proximity threshold; and

wherein identifying programs for the scan comprises identifying the programs that are related to the determined criteria and that satisfy the proximity threshold.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising simultaneously displaying a video window for the scanned programs, selectable criteria for selecting the programs, and scan instruction buttons.

43. The method claim of claim 1 wherein identifying programs from available programs further comprises identifying programs from available programs for a video scan based on titles of the programs.

44. The method claim of claim 1 wherein automatically sequentially displaying the video of the identified programs comprises displaying the video of at least two identified programs received from a same content source.

45. The method claim of claim 1 wherein automatically sequentially displaying the video of the identified programs comprises sequentially displaying two programs without directing a tuner to change channels.

46. The method claim of claim 1 wherein automatically sequentially displaying the video of the identified programs comprises automatically sequentially displaying each video for an equal predetermined time period.

2. (canceled)

14-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A system for providing a video scan, comprising a display device, a recording device, and control circuitry, the control circuitry configured to:

identify programs from available programs for a video scan;

direct the display device to automatically sequentially display the video of the identified programs in the order defined by a scan sequence in a scan mode using a first video tuner; and

while automatically sequentially displaying the video of the identified programs in the order defined by the scan sequence using a first tuner;

receive a request to record the program that is currently being displayed in the scan sequence;

determine whether a second video tuner is available for recording the program that is currently being displayed in the scan sequence; and

in response to receiving the request to record and determining that the second video tuner is available for recording the program, tune the second tuner to the program and direct the recording device to record the requested program using the second tuner while simultaneously sequentially displaying the video of the identified programs in the order defined by the scan sequence using the first tuner.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the first and second tuner include one of an analog tuner, a digital tuner, a network socket, and an MPEG encoder/decoder.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to not interrupt the automatic sequential display of the video of the identified programs.

26. The system of claim 25 the control circuitry is further configured to temporarily place a hold on the presently displayed program from the scan sequence to provide time for interaction with the user related to the record.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive instructions from a user to perform one of recording the program from the present playing point of the program, recording a future occurrence of the program in its entirety, setting up a series recording for a series associated with the program, and recording a similar program; and

in response to the receiving of instructions from the user, perform the requested recording.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the available programs comprise at least one non-on-demand program, at least one recording in progress, at least one recorded program, and at least one on-demand program.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the available programs comprise at least one purchased pay-per-view program and at least one program for which the user has set a reminder.

30. The system of claim 22 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine criteria for the scan; and

identify programs related to the determined criteria.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive a user selection of a criterion for the scan.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive a user selection of at least one node in a tree structure display of criteria.

33. The system of claim 30 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a user indication of a proximity threshold; and

identify the programs that are related to the determined criteria and that satisfy the proximity threshold.

34. The system of claim 22, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to direct the display device to simultaneously display a video window for the scanned programs, selectable criteria for selecting the programs, and scan instruction buttons.

23. (canceled)

35-42. -42. (canceled)