Program guide enhancements

• US 8,566,873 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2002
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Sie, John J., Beyler, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US10/128,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20020184629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,201 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/42
• US Class Current: 725/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4318 by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00
• 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 21/472 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 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• 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 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739

Abstract

According to the invention, a method for formulating a program guide screen is disclosed. In various steps, program description information and promotional data is received. The promotional data comprises one or more of the following: a video clip, a video clip with audio accompaniment, an audio clip, an animation, an animation with audio accompaniment, a still image with audio accompaniment, a still image, a plurality of still images, and a plurality of still images with audio accompaniment. A predetermined program is associated with the promotional data and program description information. The guide screen is formulated with the promotional data and program description information.

Claims

1. A method for formulating a program guide screen on a set top box used by a customer of a service provider, the method comprising steps of:

identifying a plurality of predetermined programs from a content provider for which the set-top box is eligible;

receiving program description information from the service provider, wherein;

receiving the program description information occurs at a storage device, and

the service provider is remote to the set top box and the storage device is located in proximity to the set top box;

receiving a plurality of video clips from the service provider at the storage device, wherein at least one of the video clips comprises video scenes extracted from one of the plurality of predetermined programs;

storing the video clips at the storage device without input from the customer selecting one of the video clips, wherein at least two of the video clips include respective first and second audio tracks;

associating the predetermined programs with the video clips at the service provider;

associating respective portions of the program description information with respective ones of the predetermined programs at the service provider;

automatically removing from the storage device at least a portion of the video clips or at least a portion of the program description information if the associated predetermined programs are no longer available from the content provider;

formulating the program guide screen by retrieving at least respective portions of the plurality of previously stored video clips and at least respective portions of the program description information from the storage device; and

providing a user interface, configured to;

generate at least two selectable regions on the program guide screen, the at least two selectable regions each simultaneously displaying a dynamic representation of the previously stored respective video clips of the predetermined programs;

selectively switch play between the first and second audio tracks;

display notification symbols for each of the stored video clips when the associated predetermined programs are immediately available for playback with full or partial control of the playback, wherein the notification symbols are selected from a plurality of variants; and

allow the customer to watch from a beginning one of the predetermined programs from the service provider by selecting one of the selectable regions.

2. The method for formulating the program guide screen as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the video clips comprises content different from the respective predetermined program.

3. The method for formulating the program guide screen as recited in claim 1, wherein the first audio track plays when the selectable region associated with the first video clip is selected.

4. The method for formulating the program guide screen as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the video clips or a portion of the program description information is transported with the predetermined program.

5. The method for formulating the program guide screen as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the video clips is embedded in the associated predetermined program.

6. The method for formulating the program guide screen as recited in claim 1, wherein the program description information includes two or more of:

a title, a description, a program length, a start time for programs in the linear schedule, an actor, a content advisory rating, or a reviewers rating.

7. The method for formulating the program guide screen as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of receiving one of a second video clip or second program description information wherein the one of a second video clip or second program description information is associated with a first one of the predetermined programs that is associated with a first video clip and first program description information.

8. The method for formulating the program guide screen as recited in claim 7, wherein the first video clip and the first program description information are presented to a user in a first program guide screen and the one of a second video clip or second program description information is presented to the user in a second program guide screen.

9. The method for formulating the program guide screen as recited in claim 1, wherein the program guide screen includes video clips for a plurality of programs.

10. The method for formulating the program guide screen as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of at least a portion of the video clips or at least a portion of the program description information is sent with the predetermined programs prior to formulating the program guide screen.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-implementable method for formulating the program guide screen of claim 1.

12. The method for formulating the program guide screen as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the video clips or a portion of the program description information is exclusively assigned to one of the predetermined programs.

13. The method recited in claim 1, wherein selecting the representation of the predetermined program is performed using a remote control associated with the set top box.

14. The method recited in claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of predetermined programs is performed at the service provider.

15. The method recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the selectable regions intersects with at least a portion of the respective representation of the respective video clip.

16. A method for formulating a program guide screen, the method comprising steps of:

identifying first and second predetermined programs at a location away from a user location;

receiving program description information for the first predetermined program and the second predetermined program in non-volatile memory at the user location;

receiving a first video clip, associated with the first predetermined program, and the first predetermined program and storing the first video clip and at least a portion of the first predetermined VOD program in non-volatile memory at the user location, wherein the first video clip is different from a segment of the first predetermined program and the first video clip is sent from the location away from the user location simultaneously with at least a portion of the first predetermined program, and wherein the first video clip is stored in the non-volatile memory substantially upon its receipt at the user location without a viewer selecting the first video clip, and the first video clip includes a first audio track;

receiving a second video clip, associated with the second predetermined program and including a second audio track, and storing the second video clip in non-volatile memory at the user location;

associating the first and second video clips and the first and second program description information with the first and second predetermined programs, respectively, at the location away from the user location;

automatically removing from the non-volatile memory at least a portion of the first video clip or at least a portion of the first program description information if the first predetermined program is no longer available from a content provider;

formulating the program guide screen using the stored first and second video clips and the program description information, wherein the program guide screen includes a first selectable region and a second selectable region whereby the user interacts with the first or second selectable region to initiate a retrieval of the first or second predetermined program, respectively, from the non-volatile memory, and the program guide screen includes first and second display regions simultaneously playing the first and second video tracks, respectively, while selectively playing one of the first and second audio tracks;

displaying a first notification symbol for the first video clip if the first predetermined program is immediately available for playback with full or partial control of the playback, wherein the first notification symbol is selected from a plurality of variants;

displaying a second notification symbol for the second video clip if the second predetermined program is immediately available for playback with full or partial control of the playback, wherein the second notification symbol is selected from the plurality of variants;

receiving a user interaction with the first or second selectable region; and

retrieving at least a portion of the first or second predetermined program from the non-volatile memory in response to the user interaction.

17. The method for formulating the program guide screen as recited in claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the program description information is sent with at least one of the predetermined programs.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-implementable method for formulating the program guide screen of claim 16.

19. The method for formulating the program guide screen as recited in claim 16, further comprising a step of automatically removing from the non-volatile memory at least one of at least a portion of one of the first or second video clips or at least a portion of the program description information if either is obsolete.

20. The method for formulating the program guide screen as recited in claim 16, wherein at least one of the first video clip or a portion of the program description information is exclusively assigned to the first predetermined program.

21. A method for formulating a program guide screen, the method comprising steps of:

receiving first program description information for a first predetermined program;

receiving second program description information for a second predetermined program;

receiving a first video clip, a first audio track, and the first predetermined program and storing the first video clip, the first audio track and at least a portion of the first predetermined program in non-volatile memory located at a user location, wherein the first video clip is different from a segment of the first predetermined program and the video clip is sent from a location away from the user location simultaneously with at least a portion of the predetermined program, and wherein each of the first video clip and the first predetermined program is stored in the non-volatile memory substantially upon its respective receipt at the user location without a viewer selecting the video clip;

receiving a second video clip and a second audio track for the second predetermined program, wherein the second video clip is different from a segment of the second predetermined program;

receiving the second predetermined program, wherein at least a portion of the second video clip or at least a portion of the second program description information is sent with the second predetermined program;

automatically removing from the non-volatile memory at least a portion of the first video clip or at least a portion of the first program description information if the first predetermined program is no longer available from a content provider; and

formulating the program guide screen using the stored first video clip and the second video clip and the first and second program description information, wherein;

the program guide screen includes a first selectable region whereby the user interacts with the first selectable region to initiate retrieval of the first predetermined program from the non-volatile memory, the first predetermined program being retrieved from the non-volatile memory only after the user interacts with the first selectable region;

the program guide screen includes a second selectable region whereby the user interacts with the second selectable region to initiate play of the second predetermined program,

the program guide screen includes first and second display portions simultaneously displaying the first and second video clips, respectively, while selectively playing one of the first or second audio tracks,

the program guide screen includes a first notification symbol for the first video clip if the first predetermined program is immediately available for playback with full or partial control of the playback, wherein the first notification symbol is selected from a plurality of variants;

the program guide screen includes a second notification symbol for the second video clip if the second predetermined program is immediately available for playback with full or partial control of the playback, wherein the second notification symbol is selected from the plurality of variants;

the receiving the first program description, receiving the first video clip, storing the first video clip, and storing the first program description information steps occur prior to the formulating the program guide screen step, and

the receiving the second program description and receiving the second video clip steps occur subsequent to the formulating the program guide screen step.

22. The method for formulating the program guide screen as recited in claim 21, wherein the receiving and storing steps are performed proximate to the user location.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-implementable method for formulating the program guide screen of claim 21.