PRESENTING LINEAR AND NONLINEAR CONTENT VIA DVR

• US 20130114940A1
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Habliston, Christopher, Fontan, Antonio, Welden, Chris, Merzon, Alan, Herby, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 9,077,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26275 for distributing content or additional data in a staggered manner, e.g. repeating movies on different channels in a time-staggered manner in a near video on demand system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/44226 on social networks
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• 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 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments related to the presentation of linear content and non-linear content in an integrated user experience are disclosed. One embodiment provides a method of identifying linear content and non-linear content for presentation via a video recording device. The method includes detecting a trigger to perform a search for content items, and providing, responsive to the trigger, a search request to one or more metadata sources, each metadata source containing locations of one or more of linear content items and non-linear content items available at one or more content sources. The method further includes receiving from each metadata source a search response including metadata associated with available content at one or more of the content sources, and outputting a list of content items identifying one or more linear content items and one or more non-linear content items from one or more metadata sources.

Claims

1. On a computing device, a method of identifying linear content and non-linear content for presentation, the method comprising:

detecting a trigger to perform a search for content items;

providing, responsive to the trigger, a search request to one or more metadata sources, each metadata source containing information regarding locations of one or more of linear content items and non-linear content items at one or more content sources;

receiving, responsive to the search request, from each metadata source a search response including metadata associated with available content at one or more of the content sources; and

outputting a list of content items identifying one or more linear content items and one or more non-linear content items from one or more metadata sources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger comprises one or more of a user input to record a video program, a user input to view a video program, a user input to update recording preferences, and an automated request to update series information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the search request is provided to a local metadata source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the search request is provided to one or more remote metadata sources via a computer network.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, for each remote metadata source, translating the search request before sending the search request to the remote metadata source.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing account access information for a secure remote metadata source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the list comprises one or more of:

providing a user interface listing previously recorded linear content items and immediately available non-linear content items; and

providing a user interface comprising linear content items and non-linear content items scheduled for recording.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the list comprises outputting a user interface image comprising linear content items and non-linear content items in the user interface image.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether a selected linear content item is available from another content source, and displaying a notification in the user interface image if the selected linear content item is available from another content source.

10. A video recording device configured to provide access to linear content and non-linear content, the video recording device comprising:

a logic subsystem; and

a data-holding subsystem comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by the logic subsystem to;

obtain an update of a first content series, the update of the first content series identifying a first list of content items for recording, the first list of content items comprising one or more linear content items and one or more non-linear content items;

obtain an update for a second content series, the update of the second content series identifying a second list of content items for recording, the second list of content items comprising one or more linear content items and one or more non-linear content items;

record each of the one or more linear content items from one or more linear content sources according to a scheduled presentation time for each linear content item;

receive a user input requesting to view available series; and

in response, provide to a display device a user interface image comprising a representation of the first content series and a representation of the second content series.

11. The video recording device of claim 10, wherein the instructions are executable to record each non-linear content item by recording a pointer indicating a remote location from which the non-linear content item is obtainable.

12. The video recording device of claim 11, wherein the instructions are executable to record a copy of an expiring non-linear content item prior to an expiration of the expiring non-linear content item.

13. The video recording device of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further executable to receive a user input requesting to view a selected non-linear content item, and in response obtain the selected non-linear content item from the remote location indicated by the pointer for the selected non-linear content item.

14. The video recording device of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further executable to receive a playback user interface from the remote location along with the selected non-linear content item.

15. The video recording device of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further executable to utilize a locally stored user interface for playback of non-linear content.

16. On a computing device, a method of alerting a user of a video recording device regarding an alternate source of availability of a content item available from a first content source, the method comprising:

detecting a trigger to access information regarding the content item at the first content source;

responsive to the trigger, determining if the content item is available at a second source; and

if the content item is available from the second content source, then performing one or more of providing a notification regarding availability of the content item at the second content source and automatically switching to the content item at the second content source.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the notification includes a user-selectable option to access the content item from the second content source.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the notification comprises one or more of text and a graphic associated with an entry for the content item in an electronic program guide.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the notification comprises an overlay displayed on top of playback of the content item.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising delaying the notification for an amount of time after the playback begins.