APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING A PROGRAM GUIDE

• US 20160112752A1
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Published: 04/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA), Vijay Selvaraj
• Inventors: SELVARAJ, Vijay Anand
• Application Number:
  US14/894,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20160112752A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• 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 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a generating and displaying a program guide including visual images is described. The method (600) includes receiving (610) text information associated with a plurality of programs, determining (630) at least one visual element associated with a program based on the received text information, and generating (640) a graphical window including the at least one visual element for the program in the subset of the plurality of programs. The apparatus includes a receiver circuit (302) that receives text information associated with a plurality of programs from a media content source, a controller (314) determining at least one visual element associated with a program based on the received text information for the program, and a video processor (310) generating a graphical window, the graphical window including the at least one visual element for the program in the subset of the plurality of programs.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving text information associated with a plurality of programs from a media content source;

determining at least one visual element associated with a program in a subset of the plurality of programs based on the received text information for the program, the text information received from a broadcast content service provider, the determining further including searching a database for the visual element based on the received text information for the program, the database being acquired from a source that is different than the broadcast content service provider; and

generating a graphical window, the graphical window including the at least one visual element for the program in the subset of the plurality of programs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the text information is received from a broadcast content service provider, and wherein the at least one visual element is acquired from a source that is different than the broadcast content service provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical window that includes the at least one visual element for each program in the subset of the plurality of programs is arranged in a grid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining includes identifying the visual element from the received text information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining includes searching a database for the visual element based on the received text information for the program.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual element is at least one of a thumbnail, a poster image, and a still video image from a portion of the video content for the program.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of changing the graphical window in response to an input from a user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the input from the user include a pointer hovering over one of the at least one visual elements.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of changing the graphical window includes providing a video clip of a portion of video associated with the program.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of changing the graphical window includes enlarging the at least one visual element with respect any other visual elements.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of changing the graphical window includes generating a text box for displaying additional information associated with the program.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the additional information indicates availability of the program from a media content source other than the current source.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the media content source other than the content source includes a program recorded on a media content source.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver circuit that receives text information associated with a plurality of programs from a media content source;

a controller coupled to the receiver circuit, the controller determining at least one visual element associated with a program in a subset of the plurality of programs based on the received text information for the program, the text information received from a broadcast content service provider, the controller determining the at least one visual element by searching a database for the visual element based on the received text information for the program, the database being acquired from a source that is different than the broadcast content service provider; and

a video processor coupled to the controller and the receiver circuit, the video processor generating a graphical window, the graphical window including the at least one visual element for the program in the subset of the plurality of programs.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the text information is received from a broadcast content service provider, and wherein the at least one visual element is acquired from a source that is different than the broadcast content service provider.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the graphical window includes the at least one visual element for each program in the subset of the plurality of programs are arranged in a grid.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller further identifies the visual element from the received information.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller further searches a database for the visual element based on the received information for the specific program.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the video processor changes the graphical window in response to an input from the user associated with one of the at least one visual elements for each program in the subset of the plurality of programs.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the video processor changes the graphical window by at least one of providing a video clip of a portion of video associated with the program, enlarging the visual element with respect to the remaining visual elements, and generating a text box for displaying additional information associated with the program.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the text box displays availability of the program from a media content source other than the current source.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the media content source other than the content source includes a program recorded on a media content source.

34. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the visual element is at least one of a thumbnail, a poster image, and a still video image from a portion of the video content for the program.

35. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the input from the user includes a pointer hovering over one of the at least one visual elements.

23. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving text information associated with a plurality of programs from a media content source;

means for determining at least one visual element associated with a program in a subset of the plurality of programs based on the received text information for the program, the text information received from a broadcast content service provider, the means for determining further including searching a database for the visual element based on the received text information for the program, the database being acquired from a source that is different than the broadcast content service provider; and

means for generating a graphical window, the graphical window including the at least one visual element for the program in the subset of the plurality of programs.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the graphical window that includes the at least one visual element for each program in the subset of the plurality of programs is arranged in a grid.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for determining includes identifying the visual element from the received text information.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the visual element is at least one of a thumbnail, a poster image, and a still video image from a portion of the video content for the program.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for changing the graphical window in response to an input from a user.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the input from the user include a pointer hovering over one of the at least one visual elements.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the means for changing the graphical window includes providing a video clip of a portion of video associated with the program.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the means for changing the graphical window includes enlarging the at least one visual element with respect any other visual elements.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the means for changing the graphical window includes generating a text box for displaying additional information associated with the program.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the additional information indicates availability of the program from a media content source other than the current source.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the media content source other than the content source includes a program recorded on a media content source.