On-screen program guide with interactive programming recommendations

• US 8,069,461 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kanarek, Jordan, Angiolillo, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Beliveau; Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corbo; Nicholas T
• Application Number:
  US11/392,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,070 Days
• Field of Search: 725 39- 51
• US Class Current: 725/46
• 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 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• 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 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A subscriber to a video service generally has available to them an on-screen program guide. The program guide lists programming (e.g., TV shows) that are available to the subscriber for a certain upcoming time period. The programming guide may sort the listings by channel and time, areas of interest, age appropriateness and/or MPAA or TV rating, free or additional cost, etc. In an embodiment, the programming guide includes an ability to make a selection to see which TV shows are recommended by reviewers. Such reviewers may be individuals or panels or institutions to which some credibility may be attached—a trusted source. After selecting a reviewer, the subscriber is made aware of the programs recommended by the selected reviewer.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a provider system including a source of a plurality of video programs, program guide information associated with the plurality of video programs,

a recommended programming information system storing recommended programming information associated with the plurality of video programs, the provider system configured to transmit the plurality of video programs and the program guide information over an access network connected to the provider system; and

a subscriber computing device connected to the provider system via the access network, wherein said computing device is configured to

receive at least one video program of the plurality of video programs and the program guide information over the access network,

receive the recommended programming information over the access network, the recommended programming information including a plurality of trusted sources and a plurality of recommendation indicators, each recommendation indicator being associated with at least one of the plurality of trusted sources and pertaining to at least one of the plurality of video programs,

maintain a history of subscriber actions, the history including subscriber requests for recommended programming information from at least one of the plurality of trusted sources, and

provide a signal to a display device that includes the program guide information, wherein the displayed program guide information includes a list of at least two of the plurality of trusted sources, and for each listed trusted source the displayed program guide further includes a list of video programs indicated as being recommended by the listed trusted source based on at least one of the plurality of recommendation indicators, the list of at least two of the plurality of trusted sources being arranged according to the history of subscriber actions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said subscriber computing device is a set top box.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the recommended programming information system includes a server, wherein said server is connected to the subscriber computing device over the access network and configured to receive the recommended programming information and provide the recommended programming information over the access network to the subscriber computing device upon request.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said subscriber computing device is further configured to receive the at least one video program via at least one video channel over the access network, and to receive the recommended programming information via one of the at least one video channel and an internet protocol (IP) channel over the access network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber computing device is further configured to send a request to the recommended programming information system for the recommended programming information, and the recommended programming information system is further configured to transmit the recommended programming information in response to the request.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the request includes selection criteria, the selection criteria including an indication of current recommendations.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said recommended programming information is associated with at least one trusted source, and the recommended programming information includes an identifier for each one of the at least one trusted source and identification information for at least some of the plurality of video programs.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the recommended programming information includes, for each video program of the plurality of video programs, at least one of:

an identifier of a trusted source associated with recommendation information for the video program, identification information associated with the video program, recommendation indicators and a review of the video program provided by said trusted source.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein said subscriber computing device is further configured to:

receive a selection of a recommended video program from said list of video programs; and

provide a signal to a display device that includes an indication of said recommended video program, an indication of which trusted source is associated with said recommended video program, and an option to read a review by said indicated trusted source of said recommended video program.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the list of at least two of the plurality of trusted sources is represented as a list of channels in the program guide, and the list of video programs indicated as being recommended by the listed trusted source is represented as channel programming in the program guide.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein said subscriber computing device is further configured to convey the history of subscriber actions to the provider system, and the provider system is further configured to bill the subscriber according to the history of subscriber actions.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein said list of at least two of the plurality of trusted sources is arranged such that recommendations of a trusted source most often selected by a subscriber are displayed first.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein said subscriber computing device is further configured to:

determine a preference of the subscriber for a preferred trusted source according to the history of subscriber actions; and

proactively notify the subscriber of a recommendation of the preferred trusted source without the subscriber having to request the notification.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein the provider system further comprises an interface configured to allow one of the plurality of trusted sources to enter recommendation programming information.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the provider system is further configured to access commercially-available network sites to obtain recommendation programming information from one of the plurality of trusted sources.

9. A system, comprising:

a network interface to an access network, the network interface configured to receive at least one video program of a plurality of video programs available over the access network and receive program guide information associated with the plurality of video programs over the access network,

an output interface to a display device, the network interface configured to provide a video signal to the display device;

a processing system connected to the network interface and the output interface, the processing system configured to

receive and store the program guide information,

receive a first request for recommended programming information associated with the plurality of video programs, the recommended programming information including a plurality of trusted sources and a plurality of recommendation indicators, each recommendation indicator being associated with at least one of the plurality of trusted sources and pertaining to at least one of the plurality of video programs,

provide a second request indicating the requested recommended programming information to the network interface for transmission over the access network,

receive the requested recommended programming information from the network interface in response to the second request,

maintain a history of subscriber actions, the history including subscriber requests for recommended programming information from at least one of the plurality of trusted sources, and

provide the program guide information to the output interface for inclusion in the video signal to said display device, wherein the displayed program guide information includes a list of at least two of the plurality of trusted sources, and for each listed trusted source further including a list of video programs that the listed trusted source recommends based on at least one of the plurality of recommendation indicators, the list of at least two of the plurality of trusted sources being arranged according to the history of subscriber actions.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the network interface, output interface and processing system are within a set top box.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said network interface is configured to

receive the at least one video program via at least one video channel over the access network, and to receive the recommended programming information via one of the at least one video channel and an internet protocol (IP) channel over the access network.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the second request includes at least one of an identifier of a trusted source, an identifier of a video program, and a time period.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the output interface is configured to

provide the recommended programming information to the display device by overlaying the recommended programming information over an image included in the video signal to the display device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said recommended programming information includes, for each video program of the plurality of video programs, at least one of:

an identifier of a trusted source associated with recommendation information for the video program, identification information associated with the video program, recommendation indicators and a review of the video program provided by said trusted source.

23. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first and second requests includes selection criteria, the selection criteria including an indication of current recommendations.

15. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of video programs for transmission over an access network;

receiving recommended programming information associated with a subset of the plurality of video programs, the recommended programming information including a plurality of trusted sources and a plurality of recommendation indicators, each recommendation indicator being associated with at least one of the plurality of trusted sources and pertaining to at least one of the plurality of video programs;

providing program guide information over the access network, the program guide information associated with the plurality of video programs;

receiving an indication to provide a selected amount of the recommended programming information over the access network to a computing device;

determining the selected amount of the recommended programming information;

providing the selected amount of the recommended programming information over the access network to the computing device;

maintaining a history of subscriber actions, the history including subscriber requests for the recommended programming information from at least one of the plurality of trusted sources;

providing the program guide information to a display device, wherein the displayed program guide information includes a list of at least two of the plurality of trusted sources, and for each listed trusted source further including a list of video programs that the listed trusted source recommends based on at least one of the plurality of recommendation indicators; and

arranging the list of at least two of the plurality of trusted sources according to the history of subscriber actions.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the selected amount of recommended programming information includes transmitting the recommended programming information via an Internet Protocol (IP) channel over the access network.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the indication to provide the selected amount of the recommended programming information is received over the access network from the computing device, the indication including selection criteria, the selection criteria including an indication of current recommendations.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the selected amount of recommended programming information includes receiving selection criteria, and producing the selected amount of recommended programming information from the received recommended programming information using the selection criteria.

19. A method comprising:

providing a user interface containing program guide information for a plurality of video programs over an access network to a display device for viewing by a user;

listing a plurality of trusted sources in the user interface, and for each listed trusted source further including a list of video programs that the listed trusted source recommends;

maintaining a history of subscriber actions, the history including subscriber requests for the recommended programming information from at least one of the plurality of trusted sources;

arranging the listing of the plurality of trusted sources in the user interface according to the history of subscriber actions;

receiving a first request for recommended programming information, the first request including an indication of a video program recommended by at least one of the plurality of trusted sources;

transmitting a second request over the access network, the second request indicating the requested recommended programming information; and

providing the recommended programming information to the display device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein providing the recommended programming information to the display device includes identifying at least some of the plurality of video programs by title.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the requested recommended programming information includes a review of a recommended video program by the selected trusted source.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein providing the recommended programming information to the display device comprises overlaying the recommended programming information upon an image of the interactive programming guide generated by a video signal from the set top box to the display device.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first and second requests includes selection criteria, the selection criteria including an indication of current recommendations.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising upon selection of a recommended video program from the list of video programs, displaying in the user interface an indication of the recommended video program, an indication of which trusted source is associated with the recommended video program, and an option to read a review by said indicated trusted source of the recommended video program.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising displaying the review of the recommended video program upon selection of the option to read the review.