Notification of Upcoming Media Content of Interest

• US 20130326562A1
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bi, Haifeng, Bi, Xiaolian
• Granted Patent: US 9,560,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• 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 21/4532 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• 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

Abstract

A method includes receiving search criteria from a media device associated with a user account. The method includes performing a first search of media content information. The method includes in response to identifying particular media content that satisfies the search criteria, sending a first notification identifying a first occurrence of the particular media content to a device associated with the user account. The method includes, at a time indicated by the search criteria, performing a second search of updated media content information. The method includes in response to the second search identifying a second occurrence of the particular media content, determining whether the second occurrence matches the first occurrence. The method also includes sending a second notification when the second occurrence does not match the first occurrence and refraining from sending the second notification when the second occurrence matches the first occurrence.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving search criteria from a media device associated with a user account;

performing a first search of media content information, the media content information descriptive of media content that, when the first search is performed, is accessible to the media device based on the user account and includes information descriptive of media content that, when the first search is performed, is scheduled to be available to the media device based on the user account;

in response to identifying particular media content that satisfies the search criteria, sending a first notification identifying a first occurrence of the particular media content to a device associated with the user account;

at a time indicated by the search criteria, performing a second search of updated media content information, the updated media content information descriptive of media content that, when the second search is performed, is accessible to the media device based on the user account and includes information descriptive of media content that, when the second search is performed, is scheduled to be available to the media device based on the user account;

in response to the second search identifying a second occurrence of the particular media content, determining whether the second occurrence matches the first occurrence;

when the second occurrence does not match the first occurrence, sending a second notification; and

when the second occurrence matches the first occurrence, refraining from sending the second notification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria include an indication of a user selected notification type, wherein the user selected notification type includes at least one of an e-mail message, a short messaging service message, and data pushed to a notification application of a mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first notification includes at least one selectable interface element that is selectable to cause a computing device to schedule performance of an action related to the particular media content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein scheduling performance of the action related to the particular media content includes scheduling a reminder notification to be sent to a device that received the first notification related to the first occurrence of the particular media content.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein scheduling performance of the action related to the particular media content includes scheduling a reminder notification to be sent to a second device different than a first device that received the first notification related to the first occurrence of the particular media content.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein scheduling performance of the action related to the particular media content includes scheduling recording of the first occurrence of the particular media content.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after sending the first notification, receiving a reply message indicating an action related to the particular media content that is to be performed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria are generated based on user history information associated with the user account.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria are received via a user interface at the media device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria include a search duration, a media genre, a media title, a keyword, a media content provider identifier, or a combination thereof

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the time indicated by the search criteria is based on a frequency at which searches based on the search criteria are to be performed.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the media content information includes electronic program guide data and the updated media content information includes updated electronic program guide data, wherein the first occurrence is associated with a first electronic program guide identifier and the second occurrence is associated with a second electronic program guide identifier, and wherein a determination of whether the second occurrence matches the first occurrence is performed by comparing the first electronic program guide identifier to the second electronic program guide identifier.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first occurrence is associated with a first date, a first time, and a first title and the second occurrence is associated with a second date, a second time, and a second title, and wherein a determination of whether the second occurrence matches the first occurrence is performed by comparing the first date to the second date, the first time to the second time, and the first title to the second title.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria are received via a search configuration display at a communication device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria are received via a search configuration display at the media device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the search configuration display includes an option to provide a communication address to which notifications are to be sent, and the first notification is sent to a default communication address when the communication address is not provided.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving search criteria from a media device associated with a user account;

performing a first search of media content information, the media content information descriptive of media content that, when the first search is performed, is accessible to the media device based on the user account and includes information descriptive of media content that, when the first search is performed, is scheduled to be available to the media device based on the user account;

in response to identifying particular media content that satisfies the search criteria, sending a first notification identifying a first occurrence of the particular media content to a device associated with the user account;

at a time indicated by the search criteria, performing a second search of updated media content information, the updated media content information descriptive of media content that, when the second search is performed, is accessible to the media device based on the user account and includes information descriptive of media content that, when the second search is performed, is scheduled to be available to the media device based on the user account;

in response to the second search identifying a second occurrence of the particular media content, determining whether the second occurrence matches the first occurrence;

when the second occurrence does not match the first occurrence, sending a second notification; and

when the second occurrence matches the first occurrence, refraining from sending the second notification.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the search criteria are received via a search configuration display at a communication device, the media device, or a combination thereof

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

after sending the first notification, receiving a reply message; and

scheduling transmission of a reminder notification based on the reply message, wherein the first notification is sent to a first device and the reminder notification is scheduled to be sent to a second device that is different from the first communication device.

20. A system comprising:

a processor; and

memory accessible to the processor, the memory storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving search criteria from a media device associated with a user account;

performing a first search of media content information, the media content information descriptive of media content that, when the first search is performed, is accessible to the media device based on the user account and includes information descriptive of media content that, when the first search is performed, is scheduled to be available to the media device based on the user account;

in response to identifying particular media content that satisfies the search criteria, sending a first notification identifying a first occurrence of the particular media content to a device associated with the user account;

at a time indicated by the search criteria, performing a second search of updated media content information, the updated media content information descriptive of media content that, when the second search is performed, is accessible to the media device based on the user account and includes information descriptive of media content that, when the second search is performed, is scheduled to be available to the media device based on the user account;

in response to the second search identifying a second occurrence of the particular media content, determining whether the second occurrence matches the first occurrence;

when the second occurrence does not match the first occurrence, sending a second notification; and

when the second occurrence matches the first occurrence, refraining from sending the second notification.