Content access

• US 8,234,668 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Potrebic, Peter J., Jha, Prashant K., Tozer, Mark B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Kieu Oanh T
• Application Number:
  US12/343,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20100162292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 725/25, 725/38, 725/93
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 7/12 Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal H04N7/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Techniques are described to provide content access. In an implementation, a determination is made at a client that a high-definition channel has content that matches content provided by a standard-definition channel. Access is provided to the content via the high-definition channel and access is restricted to the content via the standard-definition channel up the client is capable of outputting the content and high definition.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a high-definition channel and a standard-definition channel at a client device via a broadcast;

determining at the client device that the high-definition channel has content that matches content provided by the standard-definition channel; and

responsive to the determining by the client device, providing access to the content at the client device via the high-definition channel by including a representation of the high-definition channel in an electronic program guide (EPG) and restricting access to the content via the standard-definition channel by not including a representation of the standard-definition channel in the EPG if the client device is capable of outputting the content in high definition.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the providing access to the content via the high-definition channel and restricting access to the content via the standard-definition channel involves mapping the high-definition channel to a channel map of the client device and excluding the standard-definition channel from the channel map.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the providing access to the content via the high-definition channel and restricting access to the content via the standard-definition channel involves redirecting a request for the standard-definition channel to the high-definition channel.

4. A method as described in claim 3, wherein the redirecting is performed automatically and without user intervention.

5. A method as described in claim 3, wherein the redirecting includes outputting an option that is selectable to confirm that the redirecting is to be performed.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the providing access to the content via the high-definition channel and restricting access to the content via the standard-definition channel is performed such that the high-definition channel is accessible via the client device using a channel up or channel down function and the standard-definition channel is not.

7. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising ascertaining whether the client is capable of displaying the content in high definition.

8. A method as described in claim 7, wherein the ascertaining is based on hardware and software content capabilities of the client device.

9. A method as described in claim 7, wherein the ascertaining is performed at least in part by querying a driver.

10. A client device comprising one or more modules implemented at least partially in hardware to:

determine that a high-definition channel received via a broadcast at the client device has content that matches content provided by a standard-definition channel that is received via the broadcast at the client device;

ascertain that the client device is capable of outputting the content in high definition; and

responsive to the determination, provide access to the content via the high-definition channel by including a representation of the high-definition channel in an electronic program guide (EPG) and restrict access to the content via the standard-definition channel by not including a representation of the standard-definition channel in the EPG if the client device is capable of outputting the content in high definition.

11. A client device as described in claim 10, wherein the providing of access to the content via the high-definition channel and restricting access to the content via the standard-definition channel involves mapping the high-definition channel to a channel map and excluding the standard-definition channel from the channel map.

12. A client device as described in claim 10, wherein the providing access to the content via the high-definition channel and restricting access to the content via the standard-definition channel involves redirecting a request for the standard-definition channel to the high-definition channel.

13. A client device as described in claim 12, wherein the redirecting is performed automatically and without user intervention.

14. A client device as described in claim 12, wherein the redirecting includes outputting an option that is selectable to confirm that the redirecting is to be performed.

15. A client device as described in claim 10, wherein the providing access to the content via the high-definition channel and restricting access to the content via the standard-definition channel is performed such that the high-definition channel is accessible via the client device using a channel up or channel down function and the standard-definition channel is not.

16. A client device as described in claim 10, wherein the ascertaining is based on hardware and software content capabilities of the client or by querying a driver.

17. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that are stored thereon that, responsive to execution by a client device, causes the client device to perform operations comprising:

ascertaining that the client device is capable of high definition output;

determining that a high-definition channel received at the client device via a network has content that matches content provided by a standard-definition channel received at the client device via the network; and

responsive to the ascertaining and the determining, restricting access to the content via the standard-definition channel by not including a representation of the standard-definition channel in an electronic program guide (EPG).

18. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 17, further comprising providing access to the content via the high-definition channel by including a representations of the high-definition channel in the electronic program guide (EPG).

19. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 17, wherein the restricting access to the content via the standard-definition channel involves mapping the high-definition channel to a channel map of the client device and excluding the standard-definition channel from the channel map.

20. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 17, wherein the restricting access to the content via the standard-definition channel involves redirecting a request for the standard-definition channel to the high-definition channel.

21. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 17, wherein the restricting access to the content via the standard-definition channel is performed such that the high-definition channel is accessible via the client device using a channel up or channel down function and the standard-definition channel is not.

22. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 17, wherein the ascertaining is based on hardware and software content capabilities of the client device.

23. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 17, wherein the ascertaining is performed at least in part by querying a driver.