Method and system for using various content and content information in multiple menu structures

• US 8,281,255 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kidd, Deanna R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/828,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20090031255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 715/719, 715/721, 715/723, 715/841, 715/845, 715/853, 715/854
• US Class Current: 715/845
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A system includes a user device and a content processing system establishing a provider homepage template and a plurality of content categories. The content processing system receives a first plurality of content and a first plurality of metadata from a first content provider, receives a first plurality of content categories corresponding to each of the respective first plurality of content. The content processing system receives a second plurality of content and a second plurality of metadata from a second content provider and receives a second plurality of content categories corresponding to each of the respective second plurality of content at a content processing system. The content processing system also receives homepage information for a first provider and communicates the first plurality of metadata, the second plurality of metadata, the first plurality of content categories and the second plurality of content categories to the user device. The user device forms a first menu structure with the first homepage information and the first plurality of metadata corresponding to the first content provider without the second plurality of metadata and forming a second menu structure with at least some of the first plurality of metadata and at least some of the second plurality of metadata and at least one of the first and second content categories.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a provider homepage template at a content processing system of a television distribution system, said template having a category area;

receiving a first plurality of content and a first plurality of metadata from a first content provider at the content processing system;

receiving a first plurality of content categories corresponding to each of the respective first plurality of content at the content processing system from the first content provider;

receiving a second plurality of content and a second plurality of metadata from a second content provider at the content processing system;

receiving a second plurality of content categories corresponding to each of the respective second plurality of content at the content processing system from the second content provider;

communicating homepage information for a first provider to the content processing system;

communicating the first plurality of metadata, the second plurality of metadata, the first plurality of content categories and the second plurality of content categories to a user device;

forming a first menu structure using the provider homepage template with the first homepage information, the first plurality of content categories filling the category area and the first plurality of metadata corresponding to the first content provider without the second plurality of metadata and without the second plurality of content categories; and

forming a second menu structure with at least some of the first plurality of metadata and at least some of the second plurality of metadata and at least one of each of the first content category and second content category filling the category area; and

separately displaying on a display associated with the user device the first menu structure and the second menu structure based upon user input into the user device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein displaying the first menu structure comprises displaying the first menu structure on the display associated with a set top box.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein displaying the first menu structure comprises displaying the first menu structure on the display associated with a satellite television set top box.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein displaying the first menu structure comprises displaying the first menu structure on the display associated with a mobile user device.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein displaying the first menu structure comprises displaying the first menu structure on the display associated with a fixed user device.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the first plurality of metadata, the second plurality of metadata, the first plurality of content categories and the second plurality of content categories to a user device comprises communicating the first plurality of metadata, the second plurality of metadata, the first plurality of content categories and the second plurality of content categories to the user device through a broadband network.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the first plurality of metadata, the second plurality of metadata, the first plurality of content categories and the second plurality of content categories to a user device comprises communicating the first plurality of metadata, the second plurality of metadata, the first plurality of content categories and the second plurality of content categories to the user device through a satellite.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the first plurality of metadata, the second plurality of metadata, the first plurality of content categories and the second plurality of content categories to a user device comprises communicating the first plurality of metadata, the second plurality of metadata, the first plurality of content categories and the second plurality of content categories to the user device through a terrestrial network.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

generating a menu selection from the first menu structure or the second menu structure;

communicating a material identification associated with the menu selection to the content processing system; and

communicating the content corresponding to the menu selection to the user device.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a satellite.

11. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a broadband communication system.

12. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a terrestrial system.

13. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein communicating the material identification comprises communicating the material identification through a broadband communication system.

14. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein communicating the material identification comprises communicating the material identification through a terrestrial system.

15. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein communicating the metadata comprises communicating the metadata through a satellite and wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a satellite.

16. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein communicating the metadata comprises communicating the metadata through a satellite and wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a broadband communication system.

17. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein communicating the metadata comprises communicating the metadata through a satellite and wherein communicating the content comprises communicating the content through a terrestrial system.

18. A system comprising:

a user device; and

a content processing system of a television distribution system establishing a provider homepage template and a plurality of content categories, said template having a category area, said content processing system receiving a first plurality of content and a first plurality of metadata from a first content provider, receiving a first plurality of content categories corresponding to each of the respective first plurality of content, receiving a second plurality of content and a second plurality of metadata from a second content provider, receiving a second plurality of content categories corresponding to each of the respective second plurality of content, receiving homepage information for a first provider, communicating the first plurality of metadata, the second plurality of metadata, the first plurality of content categories and the second plurality of content categories to the user device;

said user device forming a first menu structure using the provider homepage template with the first homepage information, the first plurality of content categories filing the category area and the first plurality of metadata corresponding to the first content provider without the second plurality of metadata and forming a second menu structure with at least some of the first plurality of metadata and at least some of the second plurality of metadata and at least one each of the first content categories and the second content categories filling the categories area;

said user device separately displaying on a display associated with the user device the first menu structure and the second menu structure based on user input into the user device.

19. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the user device comprises a set top box.

20. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the user device comprises a satellite television set top box.

21. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the user device comprises a mobile user device.

22. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the user device comprises a fixed user device.

23. A system as recited in claim 18 further comprising a broadband network communicating the first plurality of metadata, the second plurality of metadata, the first plurality of content categories and the second plurality of content categories to the user device.

24. A system as recited in claim 18 further comprising a satellite communicating the first plurality of metadata, the second plurality of metadata, the first plurality of content categories and the second plurality of content categories to the user device.

25. A system as recited in claim 18 further comprising a terrestrial network communicating the first plurality of metadata, the second plurality of metadata, the first plurality of content categories and the second plurality of content categories to the user device.

26. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the user device generates a menu selection from the first menu structure or the second menu structure and communicates a material identification associated with the menu selection to the content processing system;

wherein the content processing system communicates the content corresponding to the menu selection to the user device.

27. A system as recited in claim 26 further comprising a satellite communicating the content.

28. A system as recited in claim 26 further comprising a broadband communication system communicating the content.

29. A system as recited in claim 26 further comprising a terrestrial system communicating the content.

30. A system as recited in claim 26 further comprising a broadband communication system communicating the material identification.

31. A system as recited in claim 26 further comprising a terrestrial communication system communicating the material identification.

32. A system as recited in claim 26 further comprising a satellite communicating the metadata and the content.

33. A system as recited in claim 26 further comprising a satellite communicating the metadata and the content and a broadband communication system communicating the content.

34. A system as recited in claim 26 further comprising a satellite communicating the metadata and the content and a terrestrial system communicating the content.