Programming contextual interactive user interface for television

• US 8,352,983 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2003
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Chane, Lena, Moreau, Samuel, Marenghi, Matt, Haber, Darrell
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US10/618,210
• Time in Patent Office: 3,469 Days
• Field of Search: 725/37, 725/39, 725/40, 725/43, 725/51, 725/42, 725/61, 348/563, 348/564, 348/565
• US Class Current: 725/43
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A user interface for interactive television services is represented as a visual overlay that provides a viewer with knowledge of a library of available content relating to a currently tuned to television channel and navigation options for selecting desired portions of the available content from the library, the available content being designated according to business rules specified by a provider of the interactive television services. The visual overlay may be displayed over full-screen or embedded television programming, which may be broadcast television programming or on-demand television programming.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

causing a content guide to be displayed with video of a first program, wherein a portion of the content guide includes a textual description of the first program;

receiving, at a terminal, a selection of a second program; and

responsive to the selection of the second program;

receiving, at the terminal, content specific to the second program, the content specific to the second program comprising interactive content,

populating the portion of the content guide with the content specific to the second program; and

causing the content guide populated with the content specific to the second program to be displayed with video of the second program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the content guide populated with the content specific to the second program to be displayed with the video of the second program includes causing display of the content guide as an overlay over full-screen programming for the second program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the content guide populated with the content specific to the second program to be displayed with the video of the second program includes causing the content guide populated with the content specific to the second program to be presented in combination with embedded programming for the second program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the content guide populated with the content specific to the second program to be displayed with the video of the second program includes causing the content guide populated with the content specific to the second program to be presented in combination with programming for the second program.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the programming for the second program comprises broadcast programming.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the programming for the second program comprises on-demand programming.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content specific to the second program is based on business rules comprising one or more of the following:

time of day, channel, current broadcast content, current on-demand content, preferred placement of content, viewer demographic information, viewer behavior, navigation context, or current content category.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content guide comprises a grouping of tiles for displaying options within a library of available content.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein placement and content of the tiles within the content guide depends upon business rules comprising one or more of the following:

time of day, channel, current broadcast content, current on-demand content, preferred placement of content, viewer demographic information, viewer behavior, navigation context, or current content category.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the content of the tiles includes one or more of channel logos, specific program logos or brands, including images, and images of people and things.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the terminal, a selection of a third program; and

responsive to receiving the selection of the third program, populating the portion of the content guide with a non-interactive textual description of the third program.

12. An apparatus comprising:

memory storing an application client that, when executed, causes the apparatus to;

cause a content guide to be displayed with video of a first program, wherein a portion of the content guide includes a textual description of the first program;

receive a selection of a second program; and

responsive to the selection of the second program;

receive content specific to the second program, the content specific to the second program comprising interactive content,

populate the portion of the content guide with the content specific to the second program, and

cause the content guide populated with the content specific to the second program to be displayed with video of the second program.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein content specific to the second program comprises a data file generated by a server based on a configuration file that comprises an identification of a location of a plurality of sources, an identification of syndication sources, a number of items for each of the plurality of sources and the syndication sources, and an indication of where the data file is to be deployed.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the interactive content comprises a poll, and wherein the application client, when executed, causes the apparatus to:

transmit, to a server, a user response to the poll, and

receive, from the server, current results of the poll based on a sample audience segment.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the portion of the content guide is an overlay menu, and wherein the application client, when executed, causes the apparatus to:

arrange the content specific to the second program in the overlay menu based on business rules comprising one or more of the following;

time of day, channel, current broadcast content, current on-demand content, preferred placement of content, viewer demographic information, viewer behavior, navigation context, or current content category specified by an interactive service provider.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the application client, when executed, causes the apparatus to:

arrange the content specific to the second program in the content guide as a plurality of tiles scrollable via a remote control device.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the content guide is an on-demand services interface associated with a network operator.

18. A system comprising:

a terminal configured to;

cause a content guide to be displayed with video of a first program, wherein a portion of the content guide includes a textual description of the first program;

receive a selection of a second program; and

responsive to the selection of the second program;

receive content specific to the second program, the content specific to the second program comprising interactive content,

populate the portion of the content guide with the content specific to the second program, and

cause the content guide populated with the content specific to the second program to be displayed with video of the second program.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a server; and

a broadcast file server,

wherein the server is configured to dynamically harvest content from a plurality of sources, format the harvested content as a content file in accordance with instructions included in a configuration file generated by at least one of a network and content service provider, and upload the content file to the broadcast file server,

wherein the broadcast file server is configured to distribute the uploaded content file to the terminal, and

wherein the terminal comprises a client application that is stored onto the terminal as an extension of at least one other application resident on the terminal, wherein the client application is configured to read data contained in the content file to populate the content guide.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the broadcast file server is configured to distribute the uploaded content file to the terminal using at least one of TCP/IP over an existing signaling channel or a data carousel channel.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the configuration file comprises an identification of a location of the plurality of sources, an identification of syndication sources, a number of items for each of the plurality of sources and the syndication sources, and an indication of where the content file is to be deployed.