SMART CATCH-UP FOR MEDIA CONTENT VIEWING

• US 20120311640A1
• Filed: 12/10/2010
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Cahnbley, Jens, Anthru, Shemimon Manalikudy, Campana, David Anthony, Anderson, David Brian, Mandrekar, Ishan
• Granted Patent: US 8,887,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method and system of providing access to related content includes a primary display that is tuned to a desired program. Information that identifies the desired program is retrieved from an electronic program guide using a content processor. A plurality of locations on a communication network are automatically searched for additional episodes of the desired program using the retrieved information via an interne interface. Links for accessing the additional episodes of the tune program are provided via a user interface display processor on a secondary display.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to related content comprising the activities of:

tuning a primary display device to a desired program;

retrieving information via content processor that identifies the desired program from an electronic program guide;

automatically searching locations on a communication network, via an internet interface, for additional episodes of the desired program using the retrieved information; and

providing links via a user interface display processor on a secondary display device, the provided links enabling access to the additional episodes of the tuned program.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the activities of:

displaying the desired program on a first display device and

displaying the links providing access to the additional episodes on a second display device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving a request signal via the interne interface in response to user selection of a provided link representing a respective additional episode, and

automatically displaying the selected additional episode on at least one of the first and second displays.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising

ceasing display of the desired program upon selection of the link associated with the respective additional episode, and

automatically recording the desired program in a memory.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the activity of

acquiring location information associated with respective additional episodes identifying a location on a communication network at which the respective additional episodes are stored.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the activity of

acquiring at least one of (a) access level information identifying a level of access available to respective additional episode and (b) access type information indentifying a type of access to the additional episode that may be provide to a requesting user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein

the desired program is an episode in a programming series, and

the additional episodes are episodes that occur earlier in the series timeline than the desired episode.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the activity of

acquiring description data associated with each of the desired program and respective additional episodes of the desired program;

and

providing the acquired description data to the user interface display processor for generating the user interface including the links to respective additional episodes and including the description data associated with the respective additional episodes.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the activity of

Displaying the provided links on a same display as the desired program enabling a user to a respective additional episode of the desired program to be accessed.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising the activity

Automatically scheduling a recording of a series to which the desired program belongs in response to receipt of the request signal requesting a respective additional episode is being accessed by a user.

11. A system for providing access to related content comprising:

a tuner that tunes a primary display device to a desired program;

a content processor coupled to the tuner that retrieves information identifying the desired program from an electronic program guide;

an interne interface that automatically searches locations on a communication network for additional episodes of the desired program using the retrieved information; and

a user interface display processor that provides links enabling a user to access the additional episodes of the tuned program to a secondary display device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein

the desired program is displayed on a first display device and

said user interface processor displays the links providing access to the additional episodes on a second display device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein

Said internet interface receives a request signal in response to user selection of a provided link representing a respective additional episode, and

Said content processor automatically displays the selected additional episode on at least one of the first and second displays.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein

Said tuner ceases to display the desired program upon selection of the link associated with the respective additional episode, and further comprising

A recorder coupled to the tuner that automatically records the desired program in a memory.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein

Said content processor acquires location information associated with respective additional episodes identifying a location on a communication network at which the respective additional episodes are stored.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein

Said content processor acquires at least one of (a) access level information identifying a level of access available to respective additional episode and (b) access type information indentifying a type of access to the additional episode that may be provide to a requesting user.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein

the desired program is an episode in a programming series, and

the additional episodes are episodes that occur earlier in the series timeline than the desired episode.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein

Said content processor acquires description data associated with each of the desired program and respective additional episodes of the desired program and provides the acquired description data to the user interface display processor to generate the user interface including the links to respective additional episodes and including the description data associated with the respective additional episodes.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein

Said user interface display generator displays the provided links on a same display as the desired program enabling a user to a respective additional episode of the desired program to be accessed.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein

Said content processor signals said recorder to automatically schedule a recording of a series to which the desired program belongs in response to receipt of the request signal requesting a respective additional episode is being accessed by a user.