Media planner
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- receiving, at a client device, a plurality of descriptors associated with a plurality of programs scheduled for broadcast, wherein the plurality of programs are scheduled for broadcast on a plurality of different broadcast channels;
generating a graphical user interface that is structured as a two-dimensional grid with days represented on a first axis and day parts represented on a second axis, the day parts each representing a block of time greater than one hour;
associating, via a processor executing on the client device, a day and day part with each descriptor, the day being based on a scheduled broadcast date and the day part being based on a scheduled broadcast time; and
generating a layout of descriptor blocks for display on the graphical user interface, each of the descriptor blocks displaying a descriptor associated with a particular program and being equal in size, regardless of program duration, such that the descriptor blocks are presented in the two-dimensional grid of the graphical user interface according to day and day part, such that within a portion of the two-dimensional grid corresponding to a particular day and a particular day part, multiple descriptor blocks are displayed in a non-temporal order, representing programs that are scheduled for broadcast on the particular day during the particular day part, and on any number of a plurality of channels, such that each descriptor block does not directly correspond to an indicated actual broadcast start time.
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Abstract
A media planner displays descriptors that represent programs that are scheduled for broadcast on tiles according to a layout. The layout arranges the tiles according to a day and a day part based on a scheduled broadcast date and time associated with a program.
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Citations
65 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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receiving, at a client device, a plurality of descriptors associated with a plurality of programs scheduled for broadcast, wherein the plurality of programs are scheduled for broadcast on a plurality of different broadcast channels; generating a graphical user interface that is structured as a two-dimensional grid with days represented on a first axis and day parts represented on a second axis, the day parts each representing a block of time greater than one hour; associating, via a processor executing on the client device, a day and day part with each descriptor, the day being based on a scheduled broadcast date and the day part being based on a scheduled broadcast time; and generating a layout of descriptor blocks for display on the graphical user interface, each of the descriptor blocks displaying a descriptor associated with a particular program and being equal in size, regardless of program duration, such that the descriptor blocks are presented in the two-dimensional grid of the graphical user interface according to day and day part, such that within a portion of the two-dimensional grid corresponding to a particular day and a particular day part, multiple descriptor blocks are displayed in a non-temporal order, representing programs that are scheduled for broadcast on the particular day during the particular day part, and on any number of a plurality of channels, such that each descriptor block does not directly correspond to an indicated actual broadcast start time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 64)
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21. A method, comprising:
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receiving, at a client device, a plurality of descriptors associated with a plurality of programs scheduled for broadcast, wherein the plurality of programs are broadcast on a plurality of different channels; filtering, via a processor executing on the client device, the descriptors to select recommended descriptors that are associated with recommended programs; and generating a layout of the recommended descriptors for display on a graphical user interface, such that the recommended descriptors are presented via the graphical user interface according to a plurality of day parts arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of broadcast days arranged in a plurality of columns, wherein; a first column represents a first day and a second column represents a different second day; for each of the plurality of broadcast days, a group of recommended descriptors are listed in a non-temporal order and the group is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of day parts; broadcast channels are not initially presented via the graphical user interface; and the layout is generated in association with a weekly media planner presenting the recommended descriptors via a single display screen. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 65)
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32. A system, comprising:
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one or more processors; a memory configured to store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure a graphical user interface to generate a display screen, comprising; a two-dimensional grid having a plurality of day indicators along a first axis of the grid and a plurality of day part indicators along a second axis of the grid; and a plurality of schedule areas within the grid, each displaying a plurality of equal sized tiles via the display screen, each tile representing a scheduled program, each schedule area associated with a day indicator and a day part indicator, wherein; the display screen is generated in association with a weekly media planner presenting the plurality of approximately equal sized tiles; at least one tile is associated with a first day indicator; at least one tile is associated with a second day indicator; and for each of the plurality of schedule areas, the plurality of equal sized tiles are listed in a non-temporal order such that there is no direct link between a particular scheduled program start time and a tile representing the particular scheduled program. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A system, comprising:
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a processor; a memory; a data repository in the memory to store descriptors, broadcast dates, and broadcast times associated with programs scheduled for broadcast, wherein the programs scheduled for broadcast correspond to a plurality of different channels; and a layout generator executed by the processor to generate a layout of the descriptors for display, the layout arranging the descriptors such that each descriptor is associated with a day based on a broadcast date and a day part based on a broadcast time, wherein; the layout includes descriptors associated with the programs for a plurality of broadcast dates; and for each of a plurality of day parts, a group of descriptors are listed in a non-temporal order and the group is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of day parts. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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44. A media planning system, comprising:
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a memory; a processor; storage means, implemented as part of the memory, for storing a plurality of descriptors associated with a plurality of programs, wherein the plurality of programs are associated with a plurality of broadcast dates and a plurality of broadcast channels; and planner generation means, executed by the processor, for generating a layout of the descriptors, the layout arranging the descriptors such that each descriptor is associated with a day based on a broadcast date associated with the descriptor and a day part based on a broadcast time associated with the descriptor, wherein for each of a plurality of day parts associated with a particular day, a group of descriptors is listed in a non-temporal order and the group is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of day parts. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46)
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47. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, configure a computing system to perform operations comprising:
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receiving data describing programs scheduled for broadcast, wherein; a first of the programs is scheduled for broadcast on a first date and a second of the programs is scheduled for broadcast on a second date; and the first and second programs are broadcast on different channels; filtering the data describing programs scheduled for broadcast to select descriptors to be displayed; sorting the selected descriptors according to a rank, wherein the rank is based on an interest of a viewer in the programs scheduled for broadcast; determining additional functionality that is available in association with each selected descriptor; generating a display layout that arranges the selected descriptors associated with the programs such that each descriptor is associated with a day and a day part, wherein the day is based on a scheduled broadcast date associated with the descriptor and the day part is based on a scheduled broadcast start time associated with the descriptor, and wherein; the display layout includes a descriptor associated with the first of the programs and a descriptor associated with the second of the programs; the descriptor associated with the first of the programs and the descriptor associated with the second of the programs are not displayed in broadcast program slots corresponding directly to a starting time; and the display layout is presented in association with a weekly media planner such that a viewer is presented, via a single display screen presenting the display layout, with the selected descriptors corresponding to each of seven days in a week; displaying the display layout so that the selected descriptors associated with the first date are displayed in a first column, and the selected descriptors associated with the second date are displayed in a second column, wherein each column includes one or more schedule areas that each display a plurality of equal sized tiles corresponding to the selected descriptors, such that the size of the tiles does not correspond to a duration of a represented program; receiving an indication from the viewer selecting a particular descriptor; and in response to the indication, generating a subsequent display of information associated with a program associated with the particular selected descriptor. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, configure a computing system to perform operations comprising:
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generating a display layout that arranges descriptors in a plurality of columns, each column representing an associated date, wherein a first column represents a first date and a second column represents a different second date, the descriptors being associated with programs such that each descriptor is associated with a day and a day part, wherein the day is based on a scheduled broadcast date associated with the descriptor and the day part is based on a scheduled broadcast start time associated with the descriptor, wherein; for each program associated with a descriptor that is displayed, the display layout does not indicate a specific start time of the program, a duration of the program, or a channel over which the program is scheduled to be available; the programs generated for display have a plurality of broadcast dates and are broadcast on a plurality of different programming channels; and for each of a plurality of day parts, a group of descriptors are listed in a non-temporal order and the group is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of day parts such that each descriptor does not directly correspond to an indicated actual broadcast start time; receiving an indication of a selected descriptor; and generating a subsequent display of information associated with a program associated with the selected descriptor, wherein the subsequent display of information comprises an actual broadcast start time and a broadcast channel.
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55. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, configure a computing system to perform operations comprising:
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generating a display layout that arranges descriptors associated with programs such that each descriptor is associated with a day and a day part, wherein the day is based on a scheduled broadcast date associated with the descriptor and the day part is based on a scheduled broadcast start time associated with the descriptor, wherein; the programs displayed have a plurality of broadcast dates and are broadcast on a plurality of different programming channels; and for each of a plurality of day parts corresponding to a particular day, a group of descriptors are listed in a non-temporal order and the group is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of day parts; receiving an indication of a selected descriptor; and scheduling a recording device to record a program associated with the selected descriptor.
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56. A client device, comprising:
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a memory; a processor; and a media planner application stored in memory and executed via the processor to generate a displayable layout of program descriptors presented via a graphical user interface according to a plurality of day parts arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of broadcast days arranged in a plurality of columns that each represent a different associated broadcast day, wherein; the program descriptors correspond to programs broadcast on a plurality of different channels; and for each of a plurality of days, a group of descriptors are listed in a non-temporal order and the group is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of day parts. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A digital video recorder comprising:
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a program memory to store broadcast programs; a processing unit to generate a displayable layout of program descriptors associated with programs scheduled to be broadcast on multiple dates and multiple channels, wherein; the program descriptors are presented via a graphical user interface according to a plurality of day parts arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of broadcast days arranged in a plurality of columns; for each of the plurality of day parts, a group of program descriptors are listed in a non-temporal order and the group is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of day parts; and upon user selection of a particular program descriptor, the processing unit stores a broadcast program in the program memory. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63)
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Specification