AUTOMATIC SEARCH

• US 20130086614A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Eldon Technology Limited (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Mountain, Dale Llewelyn
• Granted Patent: US 9,706,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/53
• 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 21/42212 Specific keyboard arrangements
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• 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

Embodiments of the invention provide a method for searching program metadata using a media device, such as a set-top-box, to search for other programs related to a particular program. Program metadata is received at the media device, the program metadata comprising a plurality of data fields populated with accompanying data for each of a plurality of television programs. The media device is controlled by an input device, such as a remote control, and an input, such as a button, of the input device is associated with a data field. It is determined when an input, associated with a data field, is activated and in response the accompanying data within the associated data field, for a first program, is compared with the corresponding accompanying data of a plurality of other television programs. Data is then presented to the user, relating to those television programs having substantially equivalent data in the selected data field to the selected program. A corresponding apparatus is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for searching program metadata in a media device controlled by an input device having a plurality of inputs, the method comprising:

receiving program metadata at the media device, the program metadata comprising a plurality of data fields populated with accompanying data for each of a plurality of television programs;

associating an input of the input device with a data field;

determining when the input is activated and in response comparing the accompanying data of the data field for a first program with the corresponding accompanying data of at least a subset of the plurality of television programs; and

presenting data relating to those television programs having substantially equivalent data in the data field.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

associating one or more further inputs of the input device with one or more respective further data fields;

determining when one of the inputs is activated, and in response comparing the accompanying data of the data field of the input, for a first program, with the corresponding accompanying data of at least a subset of the plurality of television programs; and

presenting data relating to those television programs having substantially equivalent data in the associated data field of the activated input.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first program is selected by:

controlling the media device to output the program to a display;

or

selecting the program within a menu such as an electronic program guide.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the data fields include one or more of:

the program title;

the actors appearing in the program;

the program director; and

the category of the program.

5. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the step of presenting data relating to those television programs having substantially equivalent data in the first data field comprises highlighting the matching television programs in a list output on a display, such as an electronic program guide.

6. A method according to claim 2 further comprising:

waiting a predetermined period of time after determining an input is activated before comparing the accompanying data;

determining, during the predetermined period, whether one or more further inputs of the input device are activated; and

, if they are;

comparing the accompanying data of the further data fields, for the first program, with the corresponding accompanying data of at least a subset of the plurality of television programs; and

presenting data relating to those television programs having substantially equivalent data in the associated data field of all the activated inputs.

7. The method according to claim 2 further comprising:

associating an input of the input device with a logical search operator;

determining when said input is activated and, in response, adjusting the search in accordance with the search operator.

15. The media device configured for use in the method of claim 1.

8. An apparatus for searching program metadata comprising a media device and an input device having a plurality of inputs for controlling the media device, the apparatus comprising:

an input, located at the media device, for receiving program metadata comprising a plurality of data fields populated with accompanying data for each of a plurality of television programs;

at least one memory for storing the metadata and for storing associations between one or more inputs of the input device and one or more respective data fields; and

at least one processor configured to;

a) determine when a given input of the input device is activated, and in response to compare the accompanying data of the data field associated with the input based on the associations stored in memory, for a first program, with the corresponding accompanying data of at least a subset of the plurality of television programs; and

b) control a display to present data relating to those television programs having substantially equivalent data in the data field.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

c) associate one or more inputs of the input device with one or more respective data fields and to store these associations in memory.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to associate one or more of the inputs of the input device with one or more respective data fields based upon user input.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the input device is a remote control and the inputs are buttons of the remote control.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein a memory, located at the media device, is provided for storing the metadata.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the memory for storing the associations is located at the input device or at the media device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the media device is a television receiver or set-top-box.