System and method for construction, delivery and display of iTV applications that blend programming information of on-demand and broadcast service offerings

• US 8,448,208 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2011
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Moreau, Samuel, Ahrens, Donald, Gibbs, Georgia, Carney, John, de Andrade, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US13/049,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20110167453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 725/37, 725 44- 49
• US Class Current: 725/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• 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 allows for blending of television program choices from which a viewer may select, the blending representing options for linear and non-linear programming presented together within a single hierarchy of a designated category. The blending may further include managed content relevant to the designated category, where desired. Such designated categories may include television programming categories and/or content categories. The options for linear and non-linear programming may be presented together within a single screen of the user interface.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing, by an apparatus, in at least two levels of a hierarchy of levels, a blending of content from which a viewer may select,

wherein the blending comprises at least two of linear content, non-linear content, and managed content presented together within the at least two levels.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a display of one of the levels of the hierarchy of levels for a single screen of a display device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the blending comprises linear content and non-linear content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the linear content comprises television programming that is scheduled to be transmitted at particular times, and wherein the non-linear content comprises on-demand programming that is available irrespective of a scheduled transmission time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a remote control configured to navigate through the hierarchy of levels.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a search function configured to allow a user to search for content across the at least two of linear content, non-linear content, and managed content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the levels are defined by a service provider.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, at the at least two levels, a blending of information about content previously stored on the apparatus.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a terminal device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a server.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the server is configured to transmit the at least two levels to a terminal device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a widget control configured to sequence a video inset window of a multi-level program guide based at least in part on content included in a selected content category.

13. An apparatus comprising a memory having stored therein a software module including instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

provide, in at least two levels of a plurality of levels, a blending of content from which a viewer may select,

wherein the blending comprises at least two of linear content, non-linear content, and managed content presented together within the at least two levels.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the blending comprises linear content and non-linear content.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the software module includes instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

generate a display of one of the levels of the plurality of levels for display on a single screen of a display device.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the software module includes instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

provide a search function configured to allow a user to search for content across the at least two of linear content, non-linear content, and managed content.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the software module includes instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

receive data elements of linear programming data and non-linear programming data relating to a single category of content; and

aggregate the data elements in the single category.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the software module includes instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

configure the blended at least two of linear content, non-linear content, and managed content as a plurality of programming categories arranged around the circumference of a displayable circle.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

provide, in at least two levels of a plurality of levels, a blending of content from which a viewer may select,

wherein the blending comprises at least two of linear content, non-linear content, and managed content presented together within the at least two levels.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

generate a display of one of the levels of the plurality of levels for display on a single screen of a display device.