METHODS AND APPARATUS THAT FACILITATE CHANNEL SWITCHING DURING COMMERCIAL BREAKS AND/OR OTHER PROGRAM SEGMENTS

• US 20150040176A1
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hybertson, Eric D., Hasek, Charles, Osborne, Dean
• Granted Patent: US 11,134,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Methods and apparatus that facilitate watching of programming content on a secondary channel during a program segment, e.g., commercial break or program portion which is not of interest to a user, on a primary channel are described. In various embodiments when a user switches to a secondary channel during a program segment, the switch is detected and the program on the primary channel continues to be received and buffered while the content from the secondary channel is output to the display. The program segment on the primary channel may be a commercial break including one or more commercials or a portion of a program identified as a segment in information communicated with the program or via out of band signaling. The end of the segment on the primary channel is detected and the user is notified or automatically switched back to the primary channel at the end of the segment.

Claims

1. A method of operating a set top box, comprising:

outputting to a display content corresponding to a first program being received via a first channel;

receiving user input indicating a change during a first program segment on said first channel to a second channel communicating a second program; and

performing at least one of;

i) providing a notification to a user indicating an end of the first program segment on the first channel during display of content received on said second channel;

or

ii) automatically switching from the second channel back to the first channel in response to detecting the end of the first program segment on the first channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first program segment is a commercial break including one or more commercials.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving and processing content corresponding to said first program during said commercial break; and

receiving, processing, and outputting for display content corresponding to said second program for display during said commercial break.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving and processing content corresponding to said first program during said commercial break includes:

receiving content corresponding to said first program via a first tuner tuned to said first channel;

processing the content corresponding to said first program to detect the end of the commercial break.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing content corresponding to said first program during said commercial break; and

outputting content beginning at the end of said commercial break following a switch from the second channel back to the first channel at or after the end of said commercial break.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first program segment is a commercial break, the method further comprising:

providing a notification to a user indicating an end of the commercial break on the first channel during display of the content corresponding to the second program t received on said second channel, said notification being a visual indication of the end of said commercial break presented on a portion of a display displaying said content corresponding to the second program.

7. The method of claim 6, where providing a notification to a user includes:

generating a countdown timer showing a count down to the end of said commercial break.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

monitoring, while the content corresponding to the second program is being output for display, for user input indicating a user command to switch to the first channel; and

switching to the first channel from the second channel in response to said monitoring detecting user input indicating a user command to switch to the first channel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first program segment is a commercial break, the method further comprising:

detecting said commercial break on the first channel; and

determining when said commercial break on the first channel ends.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting said commercial break includes:

determining a location and duration of the commercial break from commercial information communicated to said set top box.

11. The method of claim 9,

wherein detecting said commercial break on the first channel includes detecting a queue tone used to indicate the start of a program break;

and

determining when said commercial break on the first channel ends includes detecting another queue tone indicating an end to the break.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting said commercial break on the first channel includes receiving out of band signaling indicating the start and the end or duration of the commercial break.

13. A set top box, comprising:

a content output control module configured to output, to a display, content corresponding to a first program being received via a first channel;

a monitoring and user input detection module configured to receive user input indicating a change, during a program segment on said first channel, to a second channel communicating a second program; and

at least one of;

i) a notifications generation module configured to generate and provide a notification to a user indicating an end of the program segment on the first channel during display of content received on said second channel;

or

ii) an automatic channel switching module configured to automatically switch from the second channel back to the first channel in response to detecting the end of the program segment on the first channel.

14. The set top box of claim 13, wherein said program segment is commercial break including one or more commercials, the set top box further comprising:

an interface configured to;

receive and process content corresponding to said first program during said commercial break; and

receive and process content corresponding to said second program for display during said commercial break; and

wherein said content output control module is further configured to output said content corresponding to said second program for display during said commercial break.

15. The set top box of claim 14, wherein said interface includes a first tuner tuned to said first channel for receiving content corresponding to said first program, said first tuner receiving said content corresponding to said first program during said commercial break;

wherein said set top box further includes a content processing module configured to process the content corresponding to said first program to detect the end of the commercial break.

16. The set top box of claim 15, wherein said interface includes a second tuner tuned to said second channel for receiving content corresponding to said second program;

wherein said content processing module is further configured to process the received content corresponding to said second program; and

wherein said content output control module is configured to output the processed content corresponding to said second program on said display during said commercial break.

17. The set top box of claim 14, further comprising:

a first buffer for storing content corresponding to said first program during said commercial break; and

wherein said content output control module is further configured to output the content corresponding to the first program beginning at the end of said commercial break following a switch from the second channel back to the first channel at or after the end of said commercial break.

18. The set top box of claim 13, wherein said program segment is a commercial break, and wherein the set top box includes a notifications generation module configured to generate and provide a notification to a user indicating an end of the commercial break on the first channel during display of the content corresponding to said second program received on said second channel, said notification being a visual indication of the end of said commercial break presented on a portion of a display displaying said content corresponding to the second program.

19. The set top box of claim 18, wherein said notifications generation module is further configured to generate and provide a countdown timer showing a count down to the end of said commercial break, as part of being configured to generate and provide a notification to the user indicating an end of the commercial break on the first channel.

20. The set top box of claim 18, wherein said notifications generation module is further configured to generate and provide an audible signal indicating that the end of the commercial break has been reached, as part of being configured to generate and provide a notification to the user indicating an end of the commercial break on the first channel.