Interactive media guide with media guidance interface

• US 8,424,038 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomas, William L., Herrington, W. Benjamin, Berezowski, David M., Knee, Robert A., Ellis, Michael D., Walker, Todd A., Reichardt, M. Scott, Hedges, L. Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): SHANG, ANNAN Q
• Application Number:
  US13/005,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20110173657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 61, 725 87-118, 209217-232
• US Class Current: 725/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing guidance to users for finding media are described. Such systems and methods may be provided in interactive media guides such as program guides, web browsers, or other suitable interactive media guides.

Claims

1. A method for presenting media provided by a plurality of media sources, the method comprising:

providing one or more media group options, wherein the media group options indicate media available to the user without indicating any of the content, title, or source of the media;

providing a plurality of media indicators associated with a selected media group option, wherein;

the plurality of media indicators identify media provided by at least one of the media sources, and

the plurality of media indicators includes a first media indicator for media available at a scheduled time and a second media indicator for media available without a scheduled time; and

in response to receiving a selection of a media indicator from the plurality of media indicators, performing an action associated with the selected media indicator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the one or more media group options further comprises indicating the number of presently available media that are associated with a media group option.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more media group options are defined by a user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a media sub-group option associated with a media group option, wherein at least one of the plurality of media indicators is associated with the media sub-group option.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising indicating the number of media indicators that are associated with the media sub-group option.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of a media group option from a user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of a media indicator is received from a user.

8. A system for presenting media provided by a plurality of media sources, the system comprising:

means for providing one or more media group options, wherein the media group options indicate media available to the user without indicating any of the content, title, or source of the media;

means for providing a plurality of media indicators associated with a selected media group option, wherein;

the plurality of media indicators identify media provided by at least one of the media sources, and

the plurality of media indicators includes a first media indicator for media available at a scheduled time and a second media indicator for media available without a scheduled time; and

means for performing, in response to receiving a selection of a media indicator from the plurality of media indicators, an action associated with the selected media indicator.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for providing the one or more media group options further comprises means for indicating the number of presently available media that are associated with a media group option.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more media group options are defined by a user.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for providing a media sub-group option associated with a media group option, wherein at least one of the plurality of media indicators is associated with the media sub-group option.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for indicating the number of media indicators that are associated with the media sub-group option.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for receiving the selection of a media group option from a user.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for receiving the selection of a media indicator from a user.