MERGED PROGRAM GUIDE

• US 20120117598A1
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Concert Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Eloy Technology, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Pons, Juan A., Svendsen, Hugh, Farrelly, Eugene Matthew, Curtis, Scott, Sutherland, Harold
• Granted Patent: US 9,015,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/43615 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 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• 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 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• 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 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• 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 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A merged program guide which includes program metadata from a plurality of different media controllers. A first media controller receives program metadata that identifies a first plurality of programs. The first plurality of programs corresponds to a first content package provided by a content provider. A first program record identifying a first program of the first plurality of programs is generated. The first program record includes first program metadata associated with the first program. The first program metadata is transmitted onto a network to make the first program metadata available to a second media controller. The first media controller receives second program metadata associated with a second program of a second plurality of programs which correspond to a second content package associated with the second media controller. The first program metadata and the second program metadata are stored in a program guide on the first media controller.

Claims

1. A method for generating a program guide, comprising:

receiving, by a first media controller, from a content provider, program metadata identifying a first plurality of programs, wherein the first plurality of programs corresponds to a first content package provided by the content provider;

generating, by the first media controller, a first program record identifying a first program of the first plurality of programs, the first program record comprising first program metadata associated with the first program;

transmitting the first program metadata onto a network to make the first program metadata available to a second media controller;

receiving, by the first media controller, second program metadata, the second program metadata associated with a second program of a second plurality of programs which correspond to a second content package associated with the second media controller; and

storing the first program metadata and the second program metadata in a program guide on the first media controller.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a globally unique identifier (GUID), and storing the GUID in the first program record prior to transmitting the first program metadata onto the network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media controller receives the first content package via a subscription associated with the first media controller, and wherein the first content package is different from the second content package.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second media controller receives the second content package via a subscription associated with the second media controller.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the second program metadata to the first program metadata;

determining that the second program metadata identifies a same program as the first program; and

storing the second program metadata in a second program record in association with the first program record wherein the second program is identified as the same program as the first program.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a request to present guide information;

obtaining the first program record and the second program record; and

causing a display on a display device that concurrently identifies the first program as being associated with the first media controller and the second program as being associated with the second media controller.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the first media controller, third program metadata associated with a third program stored on the second media controller, and storing the third program metadata in a third program record in the program guide.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

comparing the third program metadata to the first program metadata;

determining that the first program comprises a same program as the third program; and

storing the third program record in association with the first program record wherein the third program record is identified as comprising the same program as the first program.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a request to present the program guide;

obtaining the first program record and the third program record; and

causing a display on a display device that concurrently identifies the first program as being associated with the first media controller and the third program as being stored on a third media controller.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing a display of the first program on a display device;

determining that a first viewer is in proximity to the first media controller;

storing in the first program record a first identifier identifying the first viewer to generate an updated first program record; and

transmitting the updated first program record onto the network to make the updated first program record available to the second media controller.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining that a second viewer is in proximity to the first media controller;

and

storing in the first program record the first identifier identifying the first viewer and a second identifier identifying the second viewer to generate the updated first program record.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a request to display program guide information at a point in time after the first program has been displayed on the display device;

in response to the request, obtaining the updated first program record; and

displaying on the display device the first identifier and the second identifier.

13. A media controller, comprising:

a network interface adapted to interface with a network; and

a control system coupled to the network interface, the control system including a processor and adapted to;

receive from a content provider, program metadata identifying a first plurality of programs, wherein the first plurality of programs corresponds to a first content package provided by the content provider;

generate a first program record identifying a first program of the first plurality of programs, the first program record comprising first program metadata associated with the first program;

transmit the first program record onto the network via the network interface to make the first program record available to a second media controller;

receive a second program record, the second program record comprising second program metadata associated with a second program of a second plurality of programs which correspond to a second content package associated with the second media controller; and

store the first program record and the second program record in a program guide.

14. The media controller of claim 13, wherein the control system is further adapted to:

compare the second program metadata to the first program metadata;

determine that the second program comprises a same program as the first program; and

store the second program record in association with the first program record wherein the second program record is identified as comprising the same program as the first program.

15. The media controller of claim 14, wherein the control system is further adapted to:

receive a request to display guide information;

obtain the first program record and the second program record; and

cause a display on a display device that concurrently identifies the first program as being associated with the media controller and the second program as being associated with the second media controller.

16. The media controller of claim 13, wherein the control system is further adapted to:

cause a display of the first program on a display device;

determine that a first viewer is in proximity to the media controller;

store in the first program record a first identifier identifying the first viewer to generate an updated first program record; and

transmit the updated first program record onto the network via the network interface to make the updated first program record available to the second media controller.

17. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for generating a program guide, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first media controller, from a content provider, program metadata identifying a first plurality of programs, wherein the first plurality of programs corresponds to a first content package provided by the content provider;

generating, by the first media controller, a first program record identifying a first program of the first plurality of programs, the first program record comprising first program metadata associated with the first program;

transmitting the first program record onto a network to make the first program record available to a second media controller;

receiving, by the first media controller, a second program record, the second program record comprising second program metadata associated with a second program of a second plurality of programs which correspond to a second content package associated with the second media controller; and

storing the first program record and the second program record in a program guide on the first media controller.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

comparing the second program metadata to the first program metadata;

determining that the second program comprises a same program as the first program; and

storing the second program record in association with the first program record wherein the second program record is identified as comprising the same program as the first program.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a request to display guide information;

obtaining the first program record and the second program record; and

causing a display on a display device that concurrently identifies the first program as being associated with the first media controller and the second program as being associated with the second media controller.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

causing a display of the first program on a display device;

determining that a first viewer is in proximity to the first media controller;

storing in the first program record a first identifier identifying the first viewer to generate an updated first program record; and

transmitting the updated first program record onto the network via a network interface to make the updated first program record available to the second media controller.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises receiving a request to display information about the first program after the first program has been displayed on the display device;

in response to the request, obtaining the first program record; and

displaying on the display device the first identifier.