User Interface

• US 20130055304A1
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Kirby, Morgan Haden, Martch, Henry Gregg
• Granted Patent: US 8,627,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23895 involving multiplex stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• 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 21/43853 involving multiplex stream decryption arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4823 using a channel name
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

A method of providing access to a block of stored content includes transmitting a general EPG at a content receiver for display on a presentation device, the EPG including a plurality of channels having a plurality of programs available at a plurality of times, receiving input from a user to display a block guide, and transmitting the block guide wherein, the block guide is associated with the block of stored content for accessing the block of stored content, the block guide including a plurality of channels having a plurality of programs available for a selected airing time.

Claims

7-1. The method of claim 1, wherein the tuner is a component of an additional content receiver with which the content receiver is configured to communicate.

8. A method for providing access to content, the method comprising:

determining, utilizing a content receiver, a plurality of instances of content being received by a tuner from a same frequency band of at least one content provider broadcast or a plurality of instances of stored content that were received by the tuner from the same frequency band of the at least one content provider broadcast;

outputting a block list from a content receiver to a presentation device, the block list including the plurality of instances of content;

receiving user input requesting display of an instance of content listed in the block list;

determining if the instance of content is available live or from a stored state;

transmitting the instance of content being received by the tuner to the presentation device live if the program is available live; and

accessing the instance of content from the plurality of instances of stored content if the program is not available live and transmitting the accessed instance of content to the presentation device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the block list is configured as a plurality of channels having a plurality of programs available for the selected airing time, the airing time corresponding to a time frame for which content has been or is scheduled to be stored as a block of stored content.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing a drop down menu for each instance of content available in the block list, the menu providing access to previous episodes of the respective instance of content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the drop down menu comprises a link to a program menu including a listing of all stored previous episodes of the respective instance of content.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the tuner is a component of an additional content receiver with which the content receiver is configured to communicate.

13. A system for providing access to content, the method comprising:

at least one content receiver, comprising;

at least one processing unit that determines a plurality of instances of content being received by a tuner from a same frequency band of at least one content provide and that receives an input from a user to display a block list that lists that plurality of instances of content and that generates the block list ;

at least one output component that transmits the block list from the content receiver to a presentation device responsive to the input;

wherein the processing unit receives a selection from a user of a first one of the plurality of instances of content and accesses the first one of the instances of content responsive to the selection, the output component operable to output the first one of the plurality of instances of content responsive to the selection.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of instances of content are received by the tuner encrypted in association with a single control word.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the tuner is incorporated into the at least one content receiver.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the tuner is incorporated into another content receiver, the processing unit configured to communicate with the other content receiver and instruct the other content receiver to transmit the first one of the instances of content to the content receiver.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is configured to coordinate storage of the plurality of instances of content on a storage medium associated with the content receiver.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is configured to output the block list overlaid onto a second one of the plurality of instances of content being output by the content receiver.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the block list identifies the plurality of instances of content by a program title.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a tuner;

the output component operable to output the first one of the plurality of instances of content to a first presentation device and output a second one of the plurality of instances of content to a second presentation device.