Arrangement of content within a custom television channel

• US 8,255,953 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Rowson, James A., Gossweiler, Richard C. III, MacDonald, Kurt W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saint Cyr, Jean D
• Application Number:
  US11/174,260
• Time in Patent Office: 2,616 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/47
• US Class Current: 725/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

Techniques for content arrangement with a custom television (TV) channel in a custom TV system for providing a viewer with custom channels of content based on viewer preferences is described. Various examples of channel content ordering criteria upon which arrangement of content selections within a custom TV channel is based are also described. The custom TV system is suitable for execution on a digital video recorder.

Claims

1. A method for arranging content selections within a custom TV channel according to a content ordering criteria for the custom TV channel comprising:

receiving a request for an order position in a playlist of the custom TV channel for a content selection, wherein the playlist includes a list of previously selected content selections and an order for playing the previously selected content selections, and wherein the content selections within the custom TV channel include recorded content and streamed broadcasts; and

determining, by a processor, the order position for the content selection in the playlist based on the content ordering criteria for the custom TV channel such that;

responsive to a channel having sub-units, selecting a sub-unit for the content selection based on the content ordering criteria for the selected sub-unit; and

determining the order position in the playlist of the sub-unit for the content selection based on the content ordering criteria for the sub-unit; and

wherein the order position identifies a position in the order of the playlist for playing the content selection.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the content ordering criteria includes a genre associated with the custom TV channel.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the content ordering criteria includes chronology with respect to another criteria.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the other criteria is order of being recorded.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the other criteria is order of being played.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the other criteria is order of being broadcast on either broadcast television or the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein content ordering criteria includes chronology of a series of content selections.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the content ordering criteria includes clustered chronology criteria of clustering content selections of a same series together in the playlist and placing them in chronological order.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the content ordering criteria includes source of content criteria.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the content ordering criteria includes a viewer'"'"'s typical viewing order of types of content selections.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the content ordering criteria includes whether the content selection has been played or not.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the content ordering criteria includes viewer ratings.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the content ordering criteria includes ratings for age appropriateness used by a television industry.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the content ordering criteria includes a time to live parameter associated with the selection as a basis for ordering a content selection in a playlist.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the content ordering criteria includes relative order of being most recently downloaded as a basis for ordering a content selection in a playlist.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching contents provided by content providers based on the content ordering criteria to select the content selections for the custom TV channel.

17. A system for arranging content selections within a custom TV channel according to a content ordering criteria for the custom TV channel, the system comprising:

a memory storing a custom channel model storage module including a selection of channels including a custom TV channel and an ordered playlist for the custom TV channel, wherein the playlist includes a list of previously selected content selections and an order for playing the previously selected content selections, and wherein the content selections within the custom TV channel include recorded content and streamed broadcasts;

a channel content ordering criteria storage module including content ordering criteria for the custom TV channel;

a content arrangement module having access to the custom channel model storage module and the channel content ordering criteria storage module which arranges content selections within the ordered playlist of the custom TV channel according to the content ordering criteria for the custom TV channel, the content arrangement module to determine an order position for the content selection in the playlist based on that channel'"'"'s content ordering criteria by selecting a sub-unit for the content selection based on the content ordering criteria for the selected sub-unit responsive to a channel having sub-units and determining the order position in the playlist of the sub-unit for the content selection based on the content ordering criteria for the sub-unit; and

a processor for executing one or more modules stored in the memory.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a personalized viewing profile storage module including a viewing order pattern for content selections of a genre type being accessible to the content arrangement module as a content ordering criteria for the custom TV channel.

19. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a personalized viewing profile storage module including viewer ratings of one or more content selections being accessible to the content arrangement module as a content ordering criteria for the custom TV channel.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the custom channel model storage module, the ordered playlist for the custom TV channel includes a playlist order for sub-units of the channel, and a playlist order for the selections within each sub-unit.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a content selection module to search contents provided by content providers based on the content ordering criteria to select the content selections for the custom TV channel.

22. A non-transitory computer usable medium comprising instructions for causing a processor to execute a method for arranging content selections within a custom TV channel according to a content ordering criteria for the custom TV channel, the method comprising:

receiving a request for an order position in a playlist of the custom TV channel for a content selection, wherein the playlist includes a list of previously selected content selections and an order for playing the previously selected content selections, and wherein the content selections within the custom TV channel include recorded content and streamed broadcasts; and

determining the order position for the content selection in the playlist based on that channel'"'"'s content ordering criteria such that;

responsive to a channel having sub-units, selecting a sub-unit for the content selection based on the content ordering criteria for the selected sub-unit; and

determining the order position in the playlist of the sub-unit for the content selection based on the content ordering criteria for the sub-unit; and

wherein the order position identifies a position in the order of the playlist for playing the content selection.

23. The non-transitory computer usable medium of claim 22, wherein the streamed broadcasts are live and not recorded.

24. The non-transitory computer usable medium of claim 22, further comprising:

searching contents provided by content providers based on the content ordering criteria to select the content selections for the custom TV channel.