Method and apparatus for finding the same of similar shows

• US 7,213,256 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/752,612
• Time in Patent Office: 2,314 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 40, 725 44- 52, 725/53, 348/563, 348/564, 348/569
• US Class Current: 725/53
• 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 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method and apparatus providing for expanded search functionality in an electronic program guide (EPG) for television is described. The expanded search function finds show titles that are the same or similar to the show title of the program data currently displayed by the EPG. The expanded search function also finds shows similar to the one currently displayed by the EPG by using additional search elements based on the descriptive part of the EPG program data, such as actors, director, genre, etc., as well as search parameters based on the show time, channel, etc. Rather than only finding exact matches, the expanded search function uses fuzzy logic to find near matches and prioritizes the results according to the search elements and parameters as specified by the viewer.

Claims

1. A method for searching an electronic program guide comprising:

displaying a schedule for a first program from program data;

extracting a selected program'"'"'s title from said schedule;

displaying a plurality of first search elements derived from the description of the first program and a selected program'"'"'s title;

enabling a user to modify the selected title, the modified title being at least one of an abbreviation, a truncation and an expansion of the selected title;

selecting at least one of the plurality of first search elements;

enabling a user to assign discrete incremental weight to at least one of said plurality of first search elements, the discrete incremental weight being a discrete value specified via an input device;

finding at least one of a plurality of second programs similar to the first program, the found program having at least one of a plurality of second search elements derived from the description of the second program that matches the selected search element; and

displaying the found programs most similar to the first program before the found programs least similar to the first program, wherein the found programs most similar to the first program have the greatest number of search element matches.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a plurality of search parameters derived from the schedule of the first program;

selecting at least one of the plurality of search parameters; and

displaying the found programs most within the search parameters before the found programs least within the search parameters.

3. The method of claim 2 further wherein the found programs most similar to the first program have the greatest number of search element matches having the greatest weight.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

specifying a parameter weight associated with a selected search parameter, wherein the found programs most within the search parameters are the found programs most within the search parameters having the greatest weight.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the parameter weight is a second discrete value specified via an input device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second discrete value is selected from a second range of values displayed as a continuum.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second range of values displayed as a continuum is a slider graphic.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the second discrete value is selected using a keypad.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the second discrete value is selected using a slider mechanism on a remote control device.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of search parameters is selected from the group consisting of a show time and a channel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the discrete value is selected from a range of values displayed as a continuum.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the range of values displayed as a continuum is a slider graphic.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first search elements is selected from the group consisting of a program title, an actor, a director, and a genre.

14. An apparatus for searching an electronic program guide comprising:

a first display of a schedule for a first program from a program data;

a second display, associated with the first display, of a plurality of first search elements derived from the description of the first program and a selected program'"'"'s title;

enabling a user to modify the selected title, the modified title being at least one of an abbreviation, a truncation and an expansion of the selected title;

a device, coupled to the second display, to select at least one of the displayed first search elements, to allow a user to modify the selected title and to assign a discrete incremental weight to at least one of said plurality of first search elements, the discrete incremental weight being a discrete value specified via an input-device;

a search logic, coupled to the selector, to find at least one of a plurality of programs similar to the first program, the found program having at least one of a plurality of second search elements derived from the description of the second program that matched the selected first search element; and

a results display, associated with the second display, of the found programs most similar to the first program before the found programs least similar to the first program, wherein the found programs most similar to the first program have the greatest number of search element matches.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

the second display further comprising of a plurality of search parameters derived from the schedule of the first program;

a second selector, coupled to the second display, to select at least one of the plurality of search parameters; and

the results display, further comprising the found programs most within the search parameters before the found programs least within the search parameters.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the found program most similar to the first program have the greatest number of search element matches having the greatest weight.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a parameter weight associated with a selected search parameter, wherein the found programs most within the search parameters are the found programs most within the search parameters having the greatest weight.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the parameter weight is a second discrete value specified via an input device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second discrete value is selected from a second range of values displayed as a continuum.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the second range of values displayed as a continuum is a slider graphic.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second discrete value is selected using a keypad.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second discrete value is selected using a slider mechanism on a remote control device.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the plurality of search parameters is selected from the group consisting of a show time and a channel.

24. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the discrete value is selected from a range of values displayed as a continuum.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the range of values displayed as a continuum is a slider graphic.

26. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the plurality of first search elements is selected from the group consisting of a program title, an actor, a director, and a genre.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a machine-accessible medium including instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform;

displaying a schedule for a first program from program data;

extracting a selected program'"'"'s title from said schedule;

displaying a plurality of first search elements derived from the description of the first program and a selected program'"'"'s title;

enabling a user to modify the selected title, the modified title being at least one of an abbreviation, a truncation and an expansion of the selected title;

selecting at least one of the plurality of first search elements;

enabling a user to assign discrete incremental weight to at least one of said plurality of first search elements, the discrete incremental weight being a discrete value specified via an input device;

finding at least one of a plurality of programs similar to the first program, the found program having at least one of a plurality of second search elements derived from the description of the second program that matches the selected first search element; and

displaying the found programs most similar to the first program before the found programs least similar to the first program, wherein the found programs most similar to the first program have the greatest number of search element matches.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the instructions cause the machine to further perform:

displaying a plurality of search parameters derived from the schedule of the first program;

selecting at least one of the plurality of search parameters; and

displaying the found programs most within the search parameters before the found programs least within the search parameters.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the found programs most similar to the first program have the greatest number of search element matches having the greatest weight.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the instructions cause the machine to further perform:

specifying a parameter weight associated with a selected search parameter, wherein the found programs most within the search parameters are the found programs most within the search parameters having the greatest weight.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the parameter weight is a second discrete value specified via an input device.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the second discrete value is selected from a second range of values displayed as a continuum.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the second range of values displayed as a continuum is a slider graphic.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the second discrete value is selected using a keypad.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the second discrete value is selected using a slider mechanism on a remote control device.

36. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the plurality of search parameters is selected from the group consisting of a show time and a channel.

37. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the discrete value is selected from a range of values displayed as a continuum.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the range of values displayed as a continuum is a slider graphic.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the discrete value is selected using a keypad.

40. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the discrete value is selected using a slider mechanism on a remote control device.

41. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the plurality of first search elements is selected from the group consisting of a program title, an actor, a director, and a genre.