Preferred service management system for a multimedia video decoder

• US 6,182,287 B1
• Filed: 02/04/1999
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Dinwiddie, Aaron Hal, Schneidewend, Daniel Richard, Rhoads, Steven Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Application Number:
  US09/244,218
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.700, H04/N.711, 348/7, 348/13, 348/906, 348/564, 348/10, 348/6, 345/327, 345/353
• US Class Current: 725/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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 video decoder provides an interface enabling a User to create, manage and maintain favorite service lists for facilitating User navigation through a complex array of multimedia services. The on-screen display interface system generates an abbreviated menu list of favorite multimedia services available from both local and remote sources to enable navigation through user selected favorite services. A database associates individual services and corresponding menu items in the favorite services menu with their respective sources and supports service selection, tuning and acquisition. Additional abbreviated lists of favorite multimedia services, comprising sub-sets of parent service lists, are also hierarchically displayed in response to User command in order to facilitate and focus a search for a desired service.

Claims

1. Apparatus for receiving video program data from a plurality of different multimedia sources and including an on-screen display interface system enabling navigation through user selected favorite multimedia services, comprising:

a menu display generator for generating a first menu display of favorite multimedia services comprising an abbreviated list of available services and including a broadcast video service available from a remote broadcast source and a non-broadcast video service available from a local device peripherally connected to said apparatus, wherein

said first menu display of favorite multimedia services lists at least two of (a) a video channel, (b) an Internet web page, (c) an Email address, and (d) a telephone number;

a database associating individual services and corresponding menu items in said favorite services menu with their respective remote and local sources;

a selection processor selecting a desired service within said menu of favorite services in response to user input; and

a processor for acquiring said selected desired service.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

said menu display generator generates a second hierarchical menu display of favorite services comprising a sub-set of services in said first menu display of favorite multimedia services.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

said first menu display of favorite multimedia services comprises a composite sub-set of multimedia services listed in a second menu display.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

said remote broadcast source includes at least one of (a) satellite, (b) cable, (c) terrestrial, and (d) Internet network sources, and

said local device peripherally connected to said apparatus includes at least one of (i) a VCR, (ii) a DVD, (iii) a local area network source, (iv) a PC, and (v) a set top box, (vi) a local video decoder.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

said first menu display of favorite multimedia services contains favorite services associated with at least one of (a) a first user, (b) a first service type, and (c) a first source.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 including

a menu update processor for adding a multimedia service to said favorite multimedia services menu in response to a user favorite service input selection.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

said menu display generator generates a second hierarchical menu display of favorite multimedia services comprising a sub-set of services in said first menu display of favorite multimedia services, and

said second menu is hierarchically displayed in response to user selection of an item displayed in said first menu.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

said database associates an individual multimedia service with a signal format for use in acquiring and decoding a selected multimedia service.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

said first menu display of favorite multimedia services is automatically generated based on at least one of (a) predetermined User preference criteria and (b) records of the most frequently used services.

5. Apparatus for receiving video program data from a plurality of different multimedia sources and including an on-screen display interface system enabling navigation through user selected favorite multimedia services, comprising:

a menu display generator for generating a first menu display of favorite multimedia services comprising an abbreviated list of available services and including a broadcast video service available from a remote broadcast source and a non-broadcast video service available from a local device peripherally connected to said apparatus;

a database associating individual services and corresponding menu items in said favorite services menu with their respective remote and local sources

wherein

said database further associates an individual favorite service with one of, (a) an analog signal, and (b) a digital signal;

a selection processor selecting a desired service within said menu of favorite services in response to user input; and

a processor for acquiring said selected desired service.

11. Apparatus for receiving video program data from a plurality of different sources and including an on-screen display interface system enabling navigation through user selected favorite services, comprising:

a menu display generator for generating menu displays of favorite services available from a plurality of different sources, said menu displays including,

a first menu display of a first set of services comprising a sub-set of available services, and

a second hierarchical menu display of favorite services comprising a sub-set of said first set of services, said second menu being hierarchically displayed in response to user selection of an item displayed in said first menu wherein said second hierarchical menu display comprises favorite multimedia services including a broadcast video service and a non-broadcast video service;

a selection processor selecting a desired service within said second menu of favorite services in response to user input; and

a processor for acquiring said selected desired service.

14. Apparatus according to claim 11 including

a menu update processor for adding a multimedia service to said second hierarchical menu display in response to a user input selection.

16. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein

said different sources include,

a remote broadcast video source including at least one of (a) satellite, (b) cable, (c) terrestrial, (d) Internet network sources, and

include a local device peripherally connected to said apparatus comprising at least one of (i) a VCR, (ii) a DVD, (iii) a local area network source, (iv) a PC, and (v) a set top box, (vi) a local video decoder.

17. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein

said first menu display contains services associated with at least one of (a) a first user, and (b) a first service type.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein

said second hierarchical menu display contains favorite services associated with at least one of (a) a second service type, (b) a second source, and (c) a program category.

12. Apparatus for receiving video program data from a plurality of different sources and including an on-screen display interface system enabling navigation through user selected favorite services, comprising:

a menu display generator for generating menu displays of favorite services available from a plurality of different sources, said menu displays including,

a first menu display of a first set of services comprising a sub-set of available services, and

a second hierarchical menu display of favorite services comprising a sub-set of said first set of services, said second menu being hierarchically displayed in response to user selection of an item displayed in said first menu;

a selection processor selecting a desired service within said second menu of favorite services in response to user input; and

a processor for acquiring said selected desired service wherein

said second hierarchical menu display lists services including a broadcast video service available from a remote broadcast video source and a non-broadcast video service available from a local device peripherally connected to said apparatus.

13. Apparatus for receiving video program data from a plurality of different sources and including an on-screen display interface system enabling navigation through user selected favorite services, comprising:

a menu display generator for generating menu displays of favorite services available from a plurality of different sources, said menu displays including,

a first menu display of a first set of services comprising a sub-set of available services, and

a second hierarchical menu display of favorite services comprising a sub-set of said first set of services, said second menu being hierarchically displayed in response to user selection of an item displayed in said first menu;

a database associating individual services and corresponding menu items in said second hierarchical menu display with their respective remote and local sources;

a selection processor selecting a desired service within said second menu of favorite services in response to user input; and

a processor for acquiring said selected desired service.

15. Apparatus for receiving video program data from a plurality of different sources and including an on-screen display interface system enabling navigation through user selected favorite services, comprising:

a menu display generator for generating menu displays of favorite services available from a plurality of different sources, said menu displays including,

a first menu display of a first set of services comprising a sub-set of available services, and

a second hierarchical menu display of favorite services comprising a sub-set of said first set of services, said second menu being hierarchically displayed in response to user selection of an item displayed in said first menu wherein

said second hierarchical menu display includes favorite multimedia services and lists at least two of (a) a video channel, (b) an Internet web page, (c) an Email address, and (d) a telephone number;

a selection processor selecting a desired service within said second menu of favorite services in response to user input; and

a processor for acquiring said selected desired service.

19. Apparatus for receiving video program data from a plurality of different sources and including an on-screen display interface system enabling navigation through user selected favorite services, comprising:

a menu display generator for generating menu displays of favorite services available from a plurality of different sources, said menu displays including,

a first menu display of a first set of services comprising a sub-set of available services, and

a second hierarchical menu display of favorite services comprising a sub-set of said first set of services, said second menu being hierarchical displayed in response to user selection of an item displayed in said first menu wherein

said first menu display comprises a list including at least one of (a) a plurality of peripheral devices locally attached to said apparatus, and (b) a plurality of interfaces for use in locally attaching devices to said apparatus;

a selection processor selecting a desired service within said second menu of favorite services in response to user input; and

a processor for acquiring said selected desired service.

20. In a device for receiving video program data from a plurality of different sources and including an on-screen display interface system enabling navigation through user selected favorite services, a method comprising the steps of:

generating menu displays of favorite services available from a plurality of different sources, said menu displays including,

a first menu display of a first set of services comprising a sub-set of available services, and

a second hierarchical menu display of favorite services comprising a sub-set of said first set of services;

hierarchically displaying said second hierarchical menu in response to user selection of an item displayed in said first menu;

selecting a desired service within said second menu of favorite services in response to user input using a database associating individual services and corresponding menu items in said second hierarchical menu display with their respective remote and local sources; and

acquiring said selected desired service.

21. A method according to claim 20 including the steps of

adding a service to said second hierarchical menu in response to a user input selection.

22. In a device for receiving video program data from a plurality of different multimedia sources and including an on-screen display interface system enabling navigation through user selected favorite multimedia services, a method comprising the steps of:

generating a first menu display of favorite multimedia services comprising an abbreviated list of available services and including a broadcast video service and a non-broadcast video service available from a local device peripherally connected to said apparatus and from a remote broadcast video source;

selecting a desired service within said menu of favorite services in response to user input; and

acquiring said selected desired service using a database associating individual services and corresponding menu items in said favorite services menu with their respective remote and local sources wherein said database further associates an individual favorite service with one of, (a) an analog signal, and (b) a digital signal.

23. A method according to claim 22 including the step of

generating a second hierarchical menu display of favorite services comprising a sub-set of services in said first menu display of favorite multimedia services.