Apparatus and method for managing media content

• US 8,191,088 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Edwards, Gerard, Sanchez, Loraine
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEPARD, JUSTIN E
• Application Number:
  US11/855,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 725/34
• US Class Current: 725/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box having a controller to present media content to a user, and provide the user with access to related media content based upon access information, where the related media content is determined based upon monitoring of the media content, where the related media content is retrieved based on a query of a plurality of sources over the Internet, and where the access information is associated with each of the plurality of sources. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

monitoring media content for presentation by a set top box, wherein the monitoring of the media content is based on information extracted from at least one of playback recordings and viewing of regularly scheduled recordings, wherein the scheduled recordings are of media programming scheduled for future broadcast;

monitoring at least a query of a plurality of media sources over the Internet for ancillary information;

determining related media content having a degree of relation to the media content while the media content is being presented and having a degree of relation to the query of the plurality of media sources for ancillary information, wherein the media content and the related media content differ in content;

querying the plurality of media sources over the Internet for the ancillary information associated with the related media content;

parsing the ancillary information based on content criteria, wherein the ancillary information is at least one among a video blog, a pod cast, and a website, and wherein the content criteria is based at least in part on viewed previous ancillary information;

retrieving access information associated with each of the media sources and the related media content;

presenting viewing options based at least in part on the media content and the access information, wherein the access information includes information regarding complimentary episodes and fee-based episodes; and

providing access to the related media content based upon a selection of one of the viewing options.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the related media content is at least one among an earlier-aired episode of a TV program, a sequel to a movie, a prequel to the movie, and another part to a mini-series, wherein the viewing options comprise quality information associated with the related media content, wherein the quality information is based on monitoring of quality of the related media content previously received by other set top boxes.

3. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for querying a plurality of set top boxes in communication with each other over the Internet for the related media content.

4. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

determining a plurality of related media content for the media content associated with the subscriber; and

querying the media sources for a portion of the plurality of related media content.

5. A server, comprising a memory coupled with a controller configured to:

monitor media content for presentation by a set top box, wherein the monitoring of the media content is based on scheduled recordings of media programming scheduled for future broadcast;

monitor at least a query of a plurality of sources over the Internet for ancillary information;

determine related media content having a degree of relation to the media content while the media content is being presented by the set top box and having a degree of relation to the query of the plurality of sources for ancillary information, wherein the media content and the related media content are distinct;

query the plurality of sources over the Internet for the ancillary information associated with the related media content and access information associated with each of the plurality of sources;

parse the ancillary information based on content criteria, wherein the ancillary information is at least one among a video blog, a pod cast, and a website, and wherein the content criteria is based at least in part on viewed previous ancillary information; and

provide access on the set top box to a selected one of the related media content based upon the access information, wherein the access information includes information distinguishing between complimentary episodes and fee-based episodes.

6. The server of claim 5, wherein the related media content is at least one among an earlier-aired episode of a TV program, a sequel to a movie, a prequel to the movie, and another part to a mini-series.

7. The server of claim 5, wherein the access information is at least one among cost, format, download type, and quality.

8. The server of claim 5, wherein the controller is adapted to:

query one or more databases for the related media content and the access information; and

store information associated with a content of the one or more databases.

9. The server of claim 5, wherein the controller is adapted to:

determine a quality of the related media content; and

store information associated with the quality of the related media content for episodes.

10. The server of claim 5, wherein the controller is adapted to query one or more other set top boxes for the related media content.

11. The server of claim 5, wherein the monitoring of the media content is based on at least one of playback of recordings and viewing of regularly scheduled programming.

12. The server of claim 5, wherein the monitoring of the media content is based at least in part on a user profile.

13. A server, comprising a memory coupled with a controller configured to:

monitor media content for presentation by a set top box wherein the monitoring of the media content is based on scheduled recordings of media programming scheduled for future broadcast;

monitor at least a query of a plurality of sources over the Internet for ancillary information having a degree of relation to the media content while the media content is being presented, wherein the media content and the ancillary information differ in content;

determine related media content having a degree of relation to the media content while the media content is being presented by the set top box and having a degree of relation to the query of the plurality of sources for ancillary information;

query the plurality of sources over the Internet for the ancillary information associated with the related media content and access information associated with each of the plurality of sources;

parse the ancillary information based on a content criteria wherein the ancillary information is at least one among a video blog, a pod cast, and a website, and wherein the content criteria is based at least in part on viewed previous ancillary information; and

provide access on the set top box to a selected one of the related media content based upon the access information, wherein the access information includes information distinguishing between complimentary episodes and fee-based episodes.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the content criteria is at least one among an actor'"'"'s name, a genre, a quality of service, and a cost.

15. A set top box, comprising a controller to:

present media content, wherein the media content is monitored based on at least scheduled recordings of media programming scheduled for future broadcast and based on at least a query of a plurality of media sources over the Internet for ancillary information;

provide access to related media content based upon access information, wherein the related media content is determined according to a degree of relation to the media content while the media content is being presented and based on a degree of relation to the query of the plurality of media sources for ancillary information, wherein the related media content is retrieved based on the query of a plurality of sources over the Internet, and wherein the access information is associated with each of the plurality of sources, and the access information includes information distinguishing between complimentary episodes and fee-based episodes;

wherein the controller is adapted to provide access to a selection of ancillary information, wherein the ancillary information is determined based at least in part on the viewed previous ancillary information and based at least in part on the monitoring of the media content and a query of a plurality of sources over the Internet for the ancillary information, and wherein the ancillary information is parsed by the controller based on a content criteria wherein the ancillary information is at least one among a video blog, a pod cast, and a website; and

present viewing options based on the media content and the access information.

16. The set top box of claim 15, wherein the related media content is at least one among an earlier-aired episode of a TV program, a sequel to a movie, a prequel to the movie, and another part to a mini-series.

17. The set top box of claim 15, wherein the controller is adapted to:

determine a quality of the related media content; and

store information associated with the quality of the related media content.

18. The set top box of claim 15, wherein the controller is adapted to query one or more other set top boxes for the related media content.

19. The set top box of claim 15, wherein the controller is adapted to present viewing options based on the access information in at least one among a picture-in-picture, pop-up window, and transparent window wherein the set top box has an interface to an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network.

20. The set top box of claim 15, wherein the monitoring of the media content is further based on at least one of playback of recordings and viewing of regularly scheduled programming.

21. The set top box of claim 15, wherein the monitoring of the media content is based at least in part on a user profile.

22. A method at a network element, comprising:

monitoring media content for presentation by a set top box, wherein the monitoring of the media content is based on at least scheduled recordings of media programming scheduled for future broadcast;

monitoring at least a query of a plurality of media sources over the Internet for ancillary information

determining related media content having a degree of relation to the media content while the media content is being presented and having a degree of relation to the query of the plurality of media sources for ancillary information;

querying the plurality of media sources over the Internet for the ancillary information associated with the related media content from the network element;

parsing the ancillary information based on content criteria, wherein the ancillary information is at least one among a video blog, a pod cast, and a website, and wherein the content criteria is based at least in part on viewed previous ancillary information;

retrieving access information associated with each of the media sources wherein the access information includes information distinguishing between complimentary episodes and fee-based episodes; and

presenting viewing options based on the media content and the access information.