Electronic program guide presentation

• US 8,572,649 B1
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gossweiler, Richard C. III, Patel, Manish G., Blackburn, John, Gupta, Neha, Taylor, Thomas H., Sahami, Mehran III, Brown, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): OKEKE, ONYEDIKA C
• Application Number:
  US11/742,515
• Time in Patent Office: 2,374 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/39
• 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 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes receiving a request associated with a user for media-related programming information, obtaining a plurality of media episode indicators for a time period associated with the request and with the user, and generating code for displaying the plurality of media episode indicators in a calendar associated with the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving at a computer system a request associated with a user for media-related programming information;

obtaining, from a personalized media schedule of the user stored by the computer system, a plurality of media episode indicators for a time period associated with the request and with the user, wherein the personalized media schedule for the user comprises indicators for a plurality of media programs to be broadcast by a plurality of media providers that the user previously selected from a schedule of programs for inclusion in the personalized media schedule, each media program associated with a viewing time selected by the user which can be different than a broadcast time of the media program;

generating with the computer system code for displaying the plurality of media episode indicators in a personal calendar associated with the user at calendar times that correspond to the associated viewing times selected by the user, wherein the personal calendar is displayed in a format that is preconfigured for the user;

receiving a selection of a media episode indicator displayed at a first viewing time in the calendar and receiving an indication of a second viewing time in the personal calendar, the second viewing time being a revised viewing time selected by the user for a media program associated with the selected media episode indicator; and

generating code for displaying the media episode indicator in the calendar at the revised second viewing time different from the first viewing time, and rescheduling the viewing time of the media program in the personalized media schedule to the second viewing time, the media episode indicator being displayed in the same interface in the personal calendar as personal schedule information for the user that is unrelated to the media episode indicator and media programs;

wherein the plurality of media programs included in the personalized media schedule are presented to the user with a media player/recorder controlled in accordance with the personalized media schedule at the viewing times selected by the user, and as a result of receiving the revised viewing time, updating personalized media schedules provided to one or more other users determined to have an acquaintance relationship with the first user in a social network system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received from a gadget on a personalized web page associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each media episode indicator includes an icon, and wherein selection of the icon causes details regarding a program that corresponds to the media episode indicator to be displayed.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the media episode indicators that are associated with the user by searching a user information database storing a personalized media schedule of programs selected by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the user a selection of one or more media programs to add to the personalized media schedule for the user, and generating code for displaying media episode indicators corresponding to the added media programs in the calendar.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the selection of one or more media program comprises clicking on one or more media episode indicators corresponding to the one or more media programs followed by dragging of the one or more media episode indicators to an area defined by the calendar.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a command to share a program and creating an invitation to join a showing of the program to a second user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding information about the plurality of media programs to a general daily calendar schedule of the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating code for displaying categories of programs in the calendar and for showing different categories with differing visual groupings.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a search request including media-related terms;

generating a response to the request of one or more programs, the response comprising grouped search results that pertain to the media-related terms and that include;

(a) a list of web pages, particular ones of the listed web pages identified by a title indicator, a snippet indicator, and a uniform resource locator; and

(b) a list of media programming items, particular ones of the listed media programming items identified by a title indicator, a broadcast time indicator, and a channel indicator; and

generating code for displaying on the calendar the grouped search results listed in the list of media programming items.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating one or more advertisements targeted to content in the calendar.

22. The method of claim 10, wherein the grouped search results are grouped according to program genre.

12. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving at a computer system a user command to display a personal calendar of the user;

submitting with the computer system a request to a central information provider for calendar-related information;

in response to the request, receiving at the computer system calendar-related information including personal schedule information of the user combined with personalized media programming of the user obtained from a personalized media schedule of the user, and displaying the personal calendar that includes indicators for the personalized media programming, wherein the personalized media schedule for the user comprises a plurality of media program episodes previously selected by the user for inclusion in the personalized media schedule, each media program episode associated with a user-selected viewing time that can be different than a broadcast time of the media program, wherein the personal calendar is displayed in a format that is preconfigured for the user;

receiving a selection of a media episode indicator displayed at a first viewing time in the calendar and receiving an indication of a second viewing time in the calendar, the second viewing time being a revised viewing time selected by the user for a media program associated with the selected media episode indicator; and

displaying the media episode indicator in the calendar at the revised second viewing time and not the first viewing time and rescheduling the viewing time of the media program in the personalized media schedule to the second viewing time, the media episode indicator being displayed in the same interface as personal schedule information that is in the personal calendar and is unrelated to the media episode indicator and the media programs;

wherein the plurality of media programs included in the personalized media schedule are presented to the user with a media player/recorder controlled in accordance with the personalized media schedule at the viewing times selected by the user, and as a result of receiving the revised viewing time, updating personalized media schedules provided to one or more other users determined to have an acquaintance relationship with the first user in a social network system.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising alerting the user of conflicts between personal schedule information and personalized media programming in the calendar.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the user command is received by a portable program module in a personalized home page.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying detail about a program in the calendar when a pointer floats over a visual presentation for the program.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising displaying a plurality of media-related search results having one or more program groupings simultaneously with the calendar.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a selection of a control associated with a program displayed in the calendar, and displaying a details page containing particularized information about the selected program.

18. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

a request processor for receiving and parsing requests for media programming related information;

a user information database storing information relating to media programs in personalized program guides for a plurality of users, wherein a personalized program guide for a particular one of the users comprises a plurality of media program episodes selected by the user from a schedule of program episodes to be broadcast by a plurality of media providers for inclusion in the personalized program guide, each media program episode associated with a user-selected viewing time that can be different than a broadcast time of the media program episode;

a grid builder configured to generate code for causing a display of personal calendars for registered users of the user information database, each personal calendar for a user including personal schedule information for the user and media programming information for the user obtained from the personalized program guide for the user, wherein the user can select a media episode indicator displayed at a first viewing time in the personal calendar and indicate a second viewing time in the personal calendar, the second viewing time being a revised viewing time selected by the user for a media program associated with the selected media episode indicator, the media episode indicator being displayed in the same interface as personal schedule information that is in the personal calendar and is unrelated to the media episode indicator and the media programs, and the grid builder is further configured to generate code for causing a display of the calendar for the user with the media episode indicator in the calendar at the revised second viewing time and not the first viewing time and to reschedule the viewing time of the media program in the personalized program guide for the user to the second viewing time; and

wherein the plurality of media programs included in the personalized media schedule are presented to the user with a media player/recorder controlled in accordance with the personalized media schedule at the viewing times selected by the user, and as a result of receiving the revised viewing time, updating personalized media schedules provided to one or more other users determined to have an acquaintance relationship with the first user in a social network system.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the grid builder generates XML data for processing by a portable program module in response to a JavaScript-initiated request.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the grid builder generates code for processing by a portable program module with a redisplay of the calendar.

21. The system of claim 18, further comprising a page formatter configured to generate code for displaying one or more media-related search results simultaneously with the calendar.