PROVISIONING COMMERCIAL-FREE MEDIA CONTENT

• US 20150326891A1
• Filed: 05/09/2014
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Austin, Jarrod
• Granted Patent: US 10,003,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• 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 21/4622 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence

Abstract

Provisioning commercial-free or break-free media content. Example types of media or media content may include advertising media, broadcast media, social media, news media, and etc. In a satellite broadcast television implementation, subscribers may be provided the ability to search for and optionally access commercial-free programming.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving by a television receiver a search string of one or more keywords to identify instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords;

querying by the television receiver an electronic programming guide database and at least one recorded content database to identify instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords; and

outputting by the television receiver for display by a presentation device a particular selectable identifier associated with each instance of media content that is matched with the one or more keywords and that is identified as commercial-free.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting commercial-free instances of media content matched with the one or more keywords based upon a particular flag or bit associated with each instance of commercial-free content.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

outputting to the presentation device for display a particular instance of commercial-free media content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

outputting to the presentation device for display an option to set a timer to record a particular instance of commercial-free media content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

outputting to the presentation device for display a particular instance of commercial-free media content that is associated with the selectable identifier upon confirmation of payment of fee to access the particular instance of commercial-free media content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

outputting to the presentation device for display device a preview segment of a particular instance of commercial-free media content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected provides an option to define a particular media content source as having priority greater than another media content source.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected provides an option to make available access to commercial-free media content from a particular media content source.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected provides an option to make available media content related to a particular instance of commercial-free media content.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected provides access to a website associated with a particular instance of commercial-free media content.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display an indicator that when selected provides access to an online social network.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting to the presentation device for display a particular advertisement selected based upon a particular association with a particular instance of commercial-free media content.

13. A television receiver, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

detect a query to identify instances of content matched with the query;

access an electronic programming guide database and at least one recorded content database to identify instances of content matched with the query; and

output for display by a presentation device a particular selectable identifier associated with each instance of content that is matched with the query and that is identified as break-free.

14. The television receiver of claim 13, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

select break-free instances of content matched with one or more query keywords based upon a particular flag or bit associated with each instance of break-free content

15. The television receiver of claim 13, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

detect an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

output to the presentation device a particular instance of break-free content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

16. The television receiver of claim 13, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

detect an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

output to the presentation device an option to set a timer to record a particular instance of break-free content that is associated with the selectable identifier.

17. The television receiver of claim 13, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

output to the presentation device an indicator that when selected generates a request for the television receiver to output an interface that presents advertisement content associated with programming displayed by the presentation device.

18. The television receiver of claim 13, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

output to the presentation device an interface that includes textual content associated with programming displayed by the presentation device

19. The television receiver of claim 13, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

output to the presentation device an indicator that when selected activates the television receiver to contact a network-based resource other than the television receiver over a communication interface.

20. A method for provisioning commercial-free content, comprising:

receiving at least one keyword to identify instances of media content;

querying an electronic programming guide database and at least one recorded content database to identify instances of media content matched with the at least one keyword;

selecting commercial-free instances of media content matched with the at least one keyword based upon a particular flag or bit associated with each instance of commercial-free content;

outputting for display by a presentation device a particular selectable identifier associated with each instance of media content that is matched with the at least one keyword and that is identified as commercial-free;

detecting an indication of selection of a selectable identifier; and

one of outputting for display by the presentation device a particular instance of commercial-free media content that is associated with the selectable identifier and an option to set a timer to record a particular instance of commercial-free media content that is associated with the selectable identifier.