Method and system for providing dynamically changing programming categories
First Claim
1. A method for providing a dynamically changing set of categories of television programming, the method comprising:
- generating a first data set identifying a first plurality of programming categories based on a number of television programming choices available for viewing within each category at a first time exceeding a threshold;
transmitting the first data set to at least one remote receiver;
generating a second data set identifying a second plurality of programming categories based on a number of television programming choices available for viewing within each category at a second time later than the first time exceeding a threshold; and
transmitting the second data set to the at least one remote receiver;
thereby avoiding presentation of programming categories which are extraneous according to predetermined criteria.
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Abstract
A method and system for providing dynamically changing sets of categories of television programming. The method involves a person or intelligent agent generating at a head end a first data set identifying programming categories based at least in part on programming choices available for viewing at a first time. This data set is transmitted from the head end to remote receivers, which display the set of programming categories to the viewer who can select a category and view the various programming choices within the category. The method further involves generating a second data set identifying different programming categories based at least in part on programming choices available for viewing at a second time later than the first time. This second set is also transmitted to remote receivers so that viewers see an updated set of programming categories. Thus, viewers are always presented with categories for which programming is currently available.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for providing a dynamically changing set of categories of television programming, the method comprising:
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generating a first data set identifying a first plurality of programming categories based on a number of television programming choices available for viewing within each category at a first time exceeding a threshold;
transmitting the first data set to at least one remote receiver;
generating a second data set identifying a second plurality of programming categories based on a number of television programming choices available for viewing within each category at a second time later than the first time exceeding a threshold; and
transmitting the second data set to the at least one remote receiver;
thereby avoiding presentation of programming categories which are extraneous according to predetermined criteria. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for presenting a dynamically changing set of categories of programming, the method comprising:
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receiving a first set of programming categories based on a number of television programming choices available for viewing within each category at a first time exceeding a threshold;
presenting the programming categories in the first set on a display device;
receiving a second set of programming categories based on a number of television programming choices available for viewing within each category at a second time later than the first time exceeding a threshold; and
presenting the plurality of programming categories in the second set on the display device;
thereby avoiding presentation of programming categories which are extraneous according to predetermined criteria. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A system for presenting a dynamically changing set of categories of programming available for viewing at a given time, the method comprising:
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a transmitter for transmitting from a central station to at least one receiver first data identifying a first set of categories available at a first time and second data identifying a second set of categories available at a second time, each category in the first and second sets being associated with a set of television programming choices available for viewing at the first and second times and being based on a number of television programming choices available for viewing within each category at the first and second times exceeding a threshold, respectively;
a receiver for receiving the first and second data; and
means for presenting on a display device coupled to the receiver the plurality of categories in the first and second data sets;
thereby avoiding presentation of programing categories which are extraneous according to predetermined criteria. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A computer readable medium containing program code, which, when executed on one or more computers, causes the computer(s) to perform a method for providing a dynamically changing set of categories of television programming, the method comprising:
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generating a first data set identifying a first plurality of programming categories based on a number of television programming choices available for viewing within each category at a first time exceeding a threshold;
transmitting the first data set to at least one remote receiver;
generating a second data set identifying a second plurality of programming categories based on a number of television programming choices available for viewing within each category at a second time later than the first time exceeding a threshold; and
transmitting the second data set to at least one receiver;
thereby avoiding presentation of programming categories which are extraneous according to predetermined criteria. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A computer readable medium containing program code, which, when executed on one or more computers, causes the computer(s) to perform a method for presenting a dynamically changing set of categories of programming, the method comprising:
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receiving a first set of programming categories based on a number of television programming choices within each category available for viewing at a first time exceeding a threshold;
presenting the programming categories in the first set on a display device;
receiving a second set of programming categories based on a number of television programming choices with each category available for viewing at a second time later than the first time exceeding a threshold; and
presenting the plurality of programming categories in the second set on the display device;
thereby avoiding presentation of programming categories which are extraneous according to predetermined criteria.
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Specification