Program guide environment

• US 7,779,439 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2002
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Beyler, John C., Sie, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl; Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENG, FRED H
• Application Number:
  US10/128,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20020178446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,039 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32- 36
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 : the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

According to the invention, a method for suggesting alternative content for a video service in a content distribution system is disclosed. In one step, it is detected when a user stops viewing a program associated with a content provider. Alternative programs associated with the content provider are determined without considering content from other providers. Those alternative programs are presented to the user.

Claims

1. A method for suggesting alternative feature content for a video service in a content distribution system, the method comprising steps of:

detecting with the content distribution system when a user stops viewing a feature program supplied by a content provider, wherein;

the content provider is one of a plurality content providers providing feature programs viewable by the user,

the feature program has a beginning and an end,

the feature program includes everything between the beginning and the end, and

the feature program optionally includes interstitial commercial programs;

upon detecting that the user stops viewing the feature program, presenting the user with a choice of viewing first feature programs supplied by the content provider or viewing second feature programs supplied by other content providers of the plurality of content providers; and

upon the user choosing to view the first feature programs supplied by the content provider;

determining a plurality of alternative feature programs from the first feature programs supplied by the content provider, whereby second feature programs supplied by other content providers of the plurality of content providers are excluded from the plurality of alternative feature programs, and

presenting in a signal the plurality of alternative feature programs for selection to the user based on the detecting step.

2. The method for suggesting alternative feature content for the video service in the content distribution system as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises a step of determining which of a plurality of users was viewing the feature program.

3. The method for suggesting alternative feature content for the video service in the content distribution system as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises steps of:

determining a first list of alternative feature programs;

loading preference information for the user; and

culling down the first list based on the preference information to form the plurality of alternative feature programs.

4. The method for suggesting alternative feature content for the video service in the content distribution system as recited in claim 1, wherein the presenting step further comprises a step of organizing the alternative feature programs according to preference information of the user.

5. The method for suggesting alternative feature content for the video service in the content distribution system as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting step comprises detection one or more of the following:

a user stopping the feature program,

playback of the feature program to its end,

the user choosing to exit playback of the feature program, and

detecting playback skipping ahead in the feature program to a point equal to the end of the feature program.

6. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-implementable method for execution on a computing device that suggests alternative feature content for the video service in the content distribution system of claim 1.

7. The method for suggesting alternative feature content for the video service in the content distribution system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the alternative feature programs being presented in an interactive program guide that has a linear schedule of feature programs arranged in a grid, the interactive program guide including a plurality of zones separate from the grid that each have promotional data for an alternative feature program described in that zone, and

a column of the grid is selectable by the user, whereby feature programs located in the selected column and available on a plurality of channels are described in the plurality of zones.

8. The method for suggesting alternative feature content for the video service in the content distribution system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the alternative feature programs being presented in an interactive program guide that has a linear schedule of feature programs arranged in a grid, the interactive program guide including a plurality of zones separate from the grid that each have promotional data for an alternative feature program described in that zone, and

a row of the grid is selectable by the user, the row including a plurality of feature programs supplied by the content provider on a given channel, whereby feature programs located in the selected row are described in the plurality of zones.

9. A method for suggesting alternative feature content for a video service in a content distribution system, the method comprising steps of:

detecting using the content distribution system when a user stops viewing a feature program supplied by a content provider, wherein;

the content provider is one of a plurality content providers providing feature programs viewable by the user,

the feature program has a beginning and an end,

the feature program includes everything between the beginning and the end, and

the feature program optionally includes interstitial commercial programs;

determining a plurality of feature program categories, wherein the plurality of feature program categories include first feature programs supplied by the content provider and second feature programs supplied by other content providers of the plurality of content providers; and

presenting the plurality of feature program categories for selection to the user based on the detecting step through a signal configured to be displayed on a display screen.

10. The method for suggesting alternative feature content for the video service in the content distribution system as recited in claim 9, further comprising a step of arranging the plurality of feature program categories according to a profile for the user.

11. The method for suggesting alternative feature content for the video service in the content distribution system as recited in claim 9, further comprising a step of determining, among a plurality of users, that the user is interacting with the video service.

12. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-implementable method for execution on a computing device that suggests alternative feature content for the video service in the content distribution system of claim 9.

13. A method for suggesting alternative feature content for a video service in a content distribution system, the method comprising steps of:

detecting with the content distribution system when a user stops viewing a feature program associated with a content provider, wherein;

the content provider is one of a plurality content providers providing feature programs viewable by the user,

the feature program has a beginning and an end,

the feature program includes everything between the beginning and the end, and

the feature program optionally includes interstitial commercial programs;

upon detecting that the user stops viewing the feature program, presenting the user with a choice of viewing first feature programs supplied by the content provider or viewing second feature programs supplied by other content providers of the plurality of content providers;

determining a plurality of alternative feature programs associated with the content provider from the first feature programs;

arranging the plurality of alternative feature programs according to preferences for the user; and

presenting the plurality of alternative feature programs for selection to the user.

14. The method for suggesting alternative feature content for the video service in the content distribution system as recited in claim 13, further comprising a step of arranging the alternative programs according to a profile for the user.

15. The method for suggesting alternative feature content for the video service in the content distribution system as recited in claim 13, further comprising a step of grouping the alternative programs by category.

16. The method for suggesting alternative feature content for the video service in the content distribution system as recited in claim 13, wherein the presenting step includes a step of presenting the alternative programs in a program guide that has a plurality of zones that each have promotional data for an alternative program described in that zone.

17. The method for suggesting alternative feature content for the video service in the content distribution system as recited in claim 13, further comprising a step of determining, among a plurality of users, that the user is interacting with the video service.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method for execution on a computing device that suggests alternative feature content for the video service in a content distribution system of claim 13.