Apparatus and method for constrained selection of favorite channels

• US 7,254,823 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Knudson, Edward B
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US10/917,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 725/38, 725/39, 725/46, 725/59, 725/61, 348/552, 348/553
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An interactive program guide system is provided in which an interactive program guide is implemented on user multi-media equipment of a user for displaying programming for a plurality of channels on the user equipment, wherein each channel carries primarily one of a plurality of media types. In the interactive program guide system, program listings data and information on the media types that are associated with each of the channels is supplied to the interactive program guide. The program guide system provides for designating a preferred media type which reflects the user'"'"'s interests. The program guide system provides the user with the option of designating favorite channels, and with the option of channel selection, while constraining channel selection to the favorite channels of the preferred media type. The user is provided with the option of displaying program listings, tuning to channels, or browsing among channels, constrained to favorite channels of the preferred media type.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to content from a plurality of available media types with an interactive program guide comprising:

designating at least one television channel as a favorite channel based on user selections;

designating at least one of the available media types as a preferred media type for a current viewing session independently from designating a favorite channel;

providing a user with the ability to designate at least one favorite channel from each of the available media types; and

providing the user with an option to navigate among only favorite channels of the preferred media types.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein providing the user with the option to navigate among only favorite channels of the preferred media types comprises:

displaying a list of television channels comprising at least two favorite channels of the preferred media types;

providing a highlight surrounding a first favorite channel from the at least two favorite channels of the preferred media types;

receiving a user indication to navigate to a second favorite channel from the at least two favorite channels of the preferred media types; and

in response to the user indication, moving the highlight to surround the second favorite channel.

3. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

tuning to a favorite channel of the preferred media types;

displaying one display of a flip display and a browse display, wherein the one display comprises information for the tuned favorite channel of the preferred media types;

receiving a user indication to navigate to another favorite channel of the preferred media types; and

in response to the user indication;

tuning to the another favorite channel of the preferred media types, and

updating the one display to include information for the another favorite channel of the preferred media types.

4. The method defined in claim 1, wherein designating at least one of the available media types as a preferred media type for a current viewing session comprises designating a media type associated with a current channel as a preferred media type.

5. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising providing the user with the ability to store information about at least one favorite channel from each of the preferred media types in a preference profile.

6. The method defined in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of the available media types is selected from a group consisting of television, video, music, audio, video-on-demand, digital audio, and games media types.

7. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying to a user a single favorite channel listing from each of the preferred media types, wherein each favorite channel listing is selectable by the user.

8. A system for providing access to content from a plurality of available media types, the system comprising:

a user input device configured to accept user selections; and

user equipment configured to;

designate at least one television channel as a favorite channel based on user selections;

designate at least one of the available media types as a preferred media type for a current viewing session independently from designating a favorite channel;

provide a user with the ability to designate at least one favorite channel from each of the available media types, and

provide the user with an option to navigate among only favorite channels of the preferred media types.

9. The system defined in claim 8, wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

display a list of television channels comprising at least two favorite channels of the preferred media types;

provide a highlight surrounding a first favorite channel from the at least two favorite channels of the preferred media types;

receive a user indication to navigate to a second favorite channel from the at least two favorite channels of the preferred media types; and

in response to the user indication, move the highlight to surround the second favorite channel.

10. The system defined in claim 8, wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

tune to a favorite channel of the preferred media type;

display one display of a flip display and a browse display, wherein the one display comprises information for the tuned favorite channel of the preferred media types;

receive a user indication to navigate to another favorite channel of the preferred media types; and

in response to the user indication;

tune to the another favorite channel of the preferred media types, and

update the one display to include information for the another favorite channel of the preferred media types.

11. The system defined in claim 8, wherein the user equipment is further configured to designate media types associated with a current channel as a preferred media type.

12. The system defined in claim 8 wherein the user equipment is further configured to provide the user with the ability to store information about at least one favorite channel from each of the preferred media types in a preference profile.

13. The system defined in claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of the available media types is selected from a group consisting of television, video, music, audio, video-on-demand, digital audio, and games media types.

14. The system defined in claim 8,

wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

display to a user a single favorite channel listing from each of the preferred media types, wherein each favorite channel listing is selectable by the user.

15. Machine-readable media for providing access to content from a plurality of available media types, the media comprising machine-readable instructions executable by a computer processor recorded thereon for:

designating at least one television channel as a favorite channel based on user selections;

designating at least one of the available media types as a preferred media type for a current viewing session independently from designating a favorite channel;

providing a user with the ability to designate at least one favorite channel from each of the available media types; and

providing the user with an option to navigate among only favorite channels of the preferred media types.

16. The machine-readable media defined in claim 15 further comprising machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for:

displaying a list of television channels comprising at least two favorite channels of the preferred media types;

providing a highlight surrounding a first favorite channel from the at least two favorite channels of the preferred media types;

receiving a user indication to navigate to a second favorite channel from the at least two favorite channels of the preferred media types; and

in response to the user indication, moving the highlight to surround the second favorite channel.

17. The machine-readable media defined in claim 15 further comprising machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for:

tuning to a favorite channel of the preferred media types;

displaying one display of a flip display and a browse display, wherein the one display comprises information for the tuned favorite channel of the preferred media types;

receiving a user indication to navigate to another favorite channel of the preferred media types; and

in response to the user indication;

tuning to the another favorite channel of the preferred media types, and

updating the one display to include information for the another favorite channel of the preferred media types.

18. The machine-readable media defined in claim 15 further comprising machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for designating a media type associated with a current channel as a preferred media type.

19. The machine-readable media defined in claim 15 further comprising machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for providing the user with the ability to store information about at least one favorite channel from each of the preferred media types in a preference profile.

20. The machine-readable media defined in claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of the available media types is selected from a group consisting of television, video, music, audio, video-on-demand, digital audio, and game media types.

21. The machine-readable media defined in claim 15, further comprising machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for:

displaying to a user a single favorite channel listing from each of the preferred media types, wherein each favorite channel listing is selectable by the user.