Systems and Methods of Facilitating Browsing of Media Programs Distributed By Way of a Plurality of Different Media Distribution Models

• US 20140157124A1
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon and Redbox Digital Entertainment Services, LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian F., Maskatia, Imran Arif, Bowers, Paul Bradley
• Granted Patent: US 9,400,587 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/20 Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/218 Source of audio or video content , e.g. local disk arrays details of retrieval in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/27 Server based end-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/40 Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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

Abstract

Exemplary systems and methods may provide a user interface configured to provide a user with access to a plurality of browse contexts associated with a plurality of distribution models by way of which media programs are distributed through a media service, provide one or more user interface tools for use by the user to select which of the browse contexts is presented in the user interface and values of a refinement setting to be applied to refine the content of the browse contexts, track the values of the refinement setting individually for each of the browse contexts, and use the tracked values of the refinement setting to refine the content of the browse contexts presented in the user interface. Corresponding systems and methods are also described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by a media service provider system, a user interface configured to provide a user with access to a plurality of browse contexts associated with a plurality of media distribution models by way of which media programs are distributed through a media service;

providing, by the media service provider system in the user interface, a browse context selection tool for use by the user to select which of the browse contexts is presented in the user interface;

providing, by the media service provider system in the user interface, a refinement tool for use by the user to select a value of a refinement setting to be used to refine browse content of whichever of the browse contexts is currently presented in the user interface; and

tracking, by the media service provider system throughout a user interface session, a plurality of values of the refinement setting that respectively correspond to the browse contexts.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the media service provider system during the user interface session, a request to access a first browse context included in the browse contexts, the first browse context associated with a first media distribution model included in the media distribution models and corresponding to a first value included in the plurality of tracked values of the refinement setting; and

providing, by the media service provider system in response to the request, the first browse context for presentation in the user interface by

filtering, based on the first media distribution model associated with the first browse context, the media programs distributed through the media service to determine a filtered set of the media programs for the first browse context,

refining, based on the first value of the refinement setting corresponding to the first browse context, the filtered set of the media programs for the first browse context to determine a refined filtered set of the media programs for the first browse context, and

populating the first browse context with browse content representing the refined filtered set of the media programs for the first browse context.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by the media service provider system during the user interface session, a request to access a second browse context included in the browse contexts, the second browse context associated with a second media distribution model included in the media distribution models and corresponding to a second value included in the plurality of tracked values of the refinement setting; and

providing, by the media service provider system in response to the request, the second browse context for presentation in the user interface by

filtering, based on the second media distribution model associated with the second browse context, the media programs distributed through the media service to determine a filtered set of the media programs for the second browse context,

refining, based on the second value of the refinement setting corresponding to the second browse context, the filtered set of the media programs for the second browse context to determine a refined filtered set of the media programs for the second browse context, and

populating the second browse context with browse content representing the refined filtered set of the media programs for the second browse context.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the providing of the second browse context for presentation in the user interface is part of a toggling from a presentation of the first browse context to a presentation of the second browse context in the user interface.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the first media distribution model comprises a digital media distribution model that utilizes a digital media distribution channel; and

the second media distribution model comprises a physical media distribution model that utilizes a physical media distribution channel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the physical media distribution channel comprises a media vending kiosk-based distribution channel.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the first media distribution model comprises a subscription-based media distribution model; and

the second media distribution model comprises a transactional-based media distribution model.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the browse context selection tool comprises a menu of toggle buttons associated with the media distribution models.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the refinement tool comprises a media format selection tool.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the refinement tool comprises a media rating selection tool.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the refinement tool comprises a media sort selection tool.

12. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

13. A method comprising:

providing, by a media service provider system in a user interface, a media browse view that provides a user with access to a plurality of media program browse contexts associated with a plurality of media distribution models by way of which media programs are distributed through a media distribution service;

tracking, by the media service provider system during a user interface session, a plurality of values of a refinement setting for the plurality of media program browse contexts;

receiving, by the media service provider system during the user interface session, a request to access a media program browse context included in the plurality of media program browse contexts, the media program browse context associated with a media distribution model included in the plurality of media distribution models and a value of the refinement setting included in the plurality of values of the refinement setting; and

providing, by the media service provider system in response to the request, the media program browse context for display in the media browse view, the providing of the media program browse context comprising

filtering, based on the media distribution model associated with the media program browse context, the media programs distributed through the media distribution service to determine a filtered set of the media programs,

refining, based on the value of the refinement setting for the media program browse context, the filtered set of the media programs to determine a refined filtered set of the media programs, and

populating the media program browse context with browse content representing the refined filtered set of the media programs.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein tracking comprises:

detecting, during the user interface session, a user selection of the value of the refinement setting; and

mapping, in response to the user selection, the value of the refinement setting to the media program browse context.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing, by the media service provider system in the media browse view, a browse context selection tool for use by the user to select which of the browse contexts is presented in the media browse view.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing, by the media service provider system in the media browse view, a refinement tool for use by the user to select a value of the refinement setting to be used to refine browse content of whichever of the browse contexts is currently presented in the media browse view.

17. The method of claim 13, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

18. A system comprising:

at least one physical computer processor; and

a user interface facility that directs the at least one physical computer processor to;

provide a user interface configured to provide a user with access to a plurality of browse contexts associated with a plurality of media distribution models by way of which media programs are distributed through a media service;

provide, in the user interface, a browse context selection tool for use by the user to select which of the browse contexts is presented in the user interface;

provide, in the user interface, a refinement tool for use by the user to select a value of a refinement setting to be used to refine browse content of whichever of the browse contexts is currently presented in the user interface; and

track, throughout a user interface session, a plurality of values of the refinement setting that respectively correspond to the browse contexts.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user interface facility further directs the at least one physical computer processor to provide a browse context included in the plurality of browse contexts for presentation in the user interface by:

filtering, based on a media distribution model included in the plurality of media distribution models and associated with the browse context, the media programs distributed through the media service to determine a filtered set of the media programs for the browse context,

refining, based on a value of the refinement setting included in the plurality of values of the refinement setting and corresponding to the browse context, the filtered set of the media programs for the browse context to determine a refined filtered set of the media programs for the browse context, and

populating the browse context with browse content representing the refined filtered set of the media programs for the browse context.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of media distribution models comprises at least one digital media distribution model that utilizes a digital media distribution channel and a physical media distribution model that utilizes a physical media distribution channel.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the at least one digital media distribution model that utilizes a digital media distribution channel comprises a digital subscription-based media distribution model and a digital transactional-based media distribution model; and

the physical media distribution channel comprises a media vending kiosk-based distribution channel.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the browse context selection tool comprises a menu of browse context toggle buttons associated with the media distribution models.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the refinement tool comprises one of a media format selection tool, a media rating selection tool, and a media sort selection tool.