Methods and devices for presenting an interactive media guidance application

• US 8,327,402 B1
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.), OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Archer, Kuan Hidalgo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Kieu Oanh T
• Application Number:
  US12/177,790
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 725/34, 725/35, 725/39, 725/44, 725/46, 725/56, 725/58
• US Class Current: 725/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2625 for delaying content or additional data distribution, e.g. because of an extended sport event
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time

Abstract

Methods and devices for presenting an interactive media guidance application are provided in accordance with various embodiments. In some embodiments, the methods comprise: determining that a first portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for a first amount of time has been displayed on the user equipment device; automatically requesting a second portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for a second amount of time from a database having guidance information in response to determining that the first portion of guide listings has been displayed, wherein the second amount of time succeeds the first amount of time in time order and wherein the second portion of guide listings is stored in a cache located between the database and the user equipment device; receiving an indication that a user has requested at least one guide listing within the second portion of guide listings; and receiving the second portion of guide listings from the cache in response to receiving the indication from the user.

Claims

1. A method for presenting an interactive media guidance application in a user equipment device, comprising:

determining that a first portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for a first time period has been displayed on the user equipment device;

determining that a user is likely to use the user equipment device during a second time period based on a profile associated with the user equipment device, wherein the second time period succeeds the first time period in time order;

automatically requesting a second portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for the second time period from a database having guidance information in response to (1) determining that the first portion of guide listings has been displayed and (2) determining that the user is likely to use the user equipment device during the second time period;

storing, while the first portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for the first time period is displayed, the requested second portion of guide listings in a cache;

receiving an indication that the user has requested at least one guide listing within the requested second portion of guide listings; and

receiving the at least one guide listing within the requested second portion of guide listings from the cache in response to receiving the indication from the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive media guidance application is an interactive television program guide.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting a third portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for a third time period from the database of guidance information in response to providing the second portion of guide listings, wherein the third time period succeeds the second time period in time order.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication from the user comprises detecting one or more button depressions on a remote control.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication from the user comprises detecting one or more movements on a remote control.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cache is connected to the user equipment device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the cache is located in the user equipment device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication from the user equipment device to provide the second portion of guide listings.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the received indication is based on a location of a highlighted region, and wherein the highlighted region selects a guide listing of the first portion of guide listings.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the received indication is based on a given amount of time spent displaying the first portion of guide listings.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting the second portion of guide listings from the database comprises transmitting the second time period to the database.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a weight to each of the first portion of guide listings and the second portion of guide listings.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the assigned weight is based at least in part on at least one of the first time period, the second time period, one or more of a plurality of media represented by the first portion of guide listings, and one or more of a plurality of media represented by the second portion of guide listings.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving an indication from the user equipment device to retrieve the second portion of guide listings from the cache based at least in part on the assigned weight.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile indicates that the user is likely to use the media guidance application during a part of day that is associated with the second time period.

16. A device for presenting an interactive media guidance application in a user equipment device, comprising:

processing circuitry that is configured to;

determine that a first portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for a first time period has been displayed on the user equipment device;

determine that a user is likely to use the user equipment device during a second time period based on a profile associated with the user equipment device;

wherein the second time period succeeds the first time period in time order;

automatically request a second portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for the second time period from a database having guidance information in response to (1) determining that the first portion of guide listings has been displayed and (2) determining that the user is likely to use the user equipment device during the second time period;

store, while the first portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for the first time period is displayed, the requested second portion of guide listings in a cache;

receive an indication that the user has requested at least one guide listing within the requested second portion of guide listings; and

receive the at least one guide listing within the requested second portion of guide listings from the cache in response to receiving the indication from the user.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the interactive media guidance application is an interactive television program guide.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to request a third portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for a third time period from the database of guidance information in response to providing the second portion of guide listings, wherein the third time period succeeds the second time period in time order.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to detect one or more button depressions on a remote control.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to detect one or more movements on a remote control.

21. The device of claim 16, wherein the cache is connected to the user equipment device.

22. The device of claim 16, wherein the cache is located in the user equipment device.

23. The device of claim 16, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive an indication from the user equipment device to provide the second portion of guide listings.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the received indication is based on a location of a highlighted region, and wherein the highlighted region selects a guide listing of the first portion of guide listings.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the received indication is based on a given amount of time spent displaying the first portion of guide listings.

26. The device of claim 16, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit the second time period to the database.

27. The device of claim 16, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to assign a weight to each of the first portion of guide listings and the second portion of guide listings.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the assigned weight is based at least in part on at least one of the first time period, the second time period, one or more of a plurality of media represented by the first portion of guide listings, and one or more of a plurality of media represented by the second portion of guide listings.

29. The device of claim 27, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive an indication from the user equipment device to retrieve the second portion of guide listings from the cache based at least in part on the assigned weight.

30. The system of claim 16, wherein the profile indicates that the user is likely to use the media guidance application during a part of day that is associated with the second time period.

31. A device for presenting an interactive media guidance application in a user equipment device, comprising:

means for determining that a first portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for a first time period has been displayed on the user equipment device;

means for determining that a user is likely to user the user equipment device during a second time period based on a profile associated with the user equipment device, wherein the second time period succeeds the first time period in time order;

means for automatically requesting a second portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for the second time period from a database having guidance information in response to (1) determining that the first portion of guide listings has been displayed and (2) determining that the user is likely to use the user equipment device during the second time period;

means for storing, while the first portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for the first time period is displayed, the requested second portion of guide listings in a cache;

means for receiving an indication that the user has requested at least one guide listing within the requested second portion of guide listings; and

means for receiving the at least one guide listing within the requested second portion of guide listings from the cache in response to receiving the indication from the user.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the interactive media guidance application is an interactive television program guide.

33. The device of claim 31, further comprising means for requesting a third portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for a third time period from the database of guidance information in response to providing the second portion of guide listings, wherein the third time period succeeds the second time period in time order.

34. The device of claim 31, further comprising means for detecting one or more button depressions on a remote control.

35. The device of claim 31, further comprising means for detecting one or more movements on a remote control.

36. The device of claim 31, wherein the cache is connected to the user equipment device.

37. The device of claim 31, wherein the cache is located in the user equipment device.

38. The device of claim 31, further comprising means for receiving an indication from the user equipment device to provide the second portion of guide listings.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein the received indication is based on a location of a highlighted region, and wherein the highlighted region selects a guide listing of the first portion of guide listings.

40. The device of claim 38, wherein the received indication is based on a given amount of time spent displaying the first portion of guide listings.

41. The device of claim 38, further comprises means for transmitting the second time period to the database.

42. The device of claim 31, further comprising means for assigning a weight to each of the first portion of guide listings and the second portion of guide listings.

43. The device of claim 42, wherein the assigned weight is based at least in part on at least one of the first time period, the second time period, one or more of a plurality of media represented by the first portion of guide listings, and one or more of a plurality of media represented by the second portion of guide listings.

44. The device of claim 42, further comprising means for receiving an indication from the user equipment device to retrieve the second portion of guide listings from the cache based at least in part on the assigned weight.