Locally stored content previews: representative of programming content in an electronic programming guide through a graphic image accessed from the hard drive of a set top box

• US 8,584,163 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SDI Development Incorporated, Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: SDI Development Incorporated, Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Proehl, Andy, Ventura, Kimberly
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US13/715,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20130104171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/41
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• 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 21/4821 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6106 specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• 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

An integrated DSS/WebTV receiver is communicatively connected to an Internet service provider, a DSS service provider, and (optionally) a local broadcast station to provide a display of DSS programs, Internet web sites, and local broadcast channels in a seamless fashion. The DSS/WebTV receiver downloads graphic images, corresponding to DSS programs, from a DSS communication medium or the Internet into a local memory. The graphic images are periodically updated by the DSS service provider or Internet service provider. The DSS/WebTV receiver generates a graphical user interface (GUI), displayed on a television screen, for facilitating a user'"'"'s navigation through the DSS, Internet, and local broadcast data. The GUI includes a selectable DSS program listing that displays DSS programs that are currently being broadcast or that will be broadcasted in the future. If a user selects a currently broadcasted program, the DSS/WebTV receiver displays the selected program on the television. If the user selects a program that is broadcasted in the future, the DSS/WebTV receiver displays a downloaded graphic image, corresponding to the selected program, on the television. The graphic image may be the selected program'"'"'s name or logo, still shots from the selected program, short video clips related to the selected program, or advertisements related to the selected program.

Claims

1. An apparatus for displaying information to a user via a television, comprising:

a computer readable medium for storing a video file; and

a first processing element adapted to receive programming broadcasted over and received from a communication medium, the first processing element communicatively coupled to the computer readable medium for retrieving the video file from the computer readable medium, and configured to be communicatively coupled to the television, where the first processing element comprises a digital satellite system (DSS) processing element, an internet processing element communicatively connected with a distributed internet network, and a buffer logic circuit that couples with both the DSS processing element and the internet processing element, where the DSS processing element is configured to receive and tune the programming broadcasted over and received from the communication medium, the internet processing element is configured to transmit and receive data over the internet, wherein the buffer logic circuit comprises a video processor configured to process at least a portion of video data received from the DSS processing element, and wherein the buffer logic circuit is configured to facilitate communication between the DSS processing element and the internet processing element;

the first processing element is configured to display, through the internet processing element, a graphical user interface displaying, on at least the television, selectable representations of television programs that are currently being broadcast over the communication medium and selectable representations of television programs that are to be broadcast in the future, wherein the video file corresponds to one of the selectable representations that is currently selectable in the graphical user interface, and

the first processing element is configured to display a first graphic image on the television in response to the user selecting the selectable representation of the first television program when the first television program has not been received from the communication medium.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first processing element is configured to display the first graphic image on the television and additional textual information about the content of the first television program in response to the user selecting the selectable representation of the first television program when the first television program has not been received from the communication medium while not displaying any graphic images corresponding to selectable representations of television programs actively displayed within the graphical user interface that have not been selected.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first processing element is configured receive a search term from a user and search programs based on the search term.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the video file is stored prior to a broadcasting of the first television program and prior to a user selecting the selectable representation of the first television program.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first processing element is configured to display a first television program on the television in response to a user selecting a selectable representation of a first television program when the first television program has been received from the communication medium.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of tuners comprising the digital satellite system (DSS) processing element.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of tuners comprises a terrestrial tuner in communication with the buffer logic circuit.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first processing element is configured to update the video file stored in the computer readable medium such that the updated video file corresponds to the one of the selectable representations that is currently selectable.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first processing unit updates the video file stored in the computer readable medium based on data received over the communication medium.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first processing unit updates the video file stored in the computer readable medium based on data received over the Internet.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first processing element is configured to store received programming data from the plurality of tuners.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the computer readable medium comprises a hard disk drive for storing the video file.

13. A method of displaying information to a user via a television, comprising the steps of:

receiving, through a digital satellite system (DSS) processing element, programming broadcasted over and received from a communication medium;

receiving, through an internet processing element data over the internet;

facilitating, through a buffer logic circuit, a transfer of commands and at least some of the programming between the DSS processing element and the internet processing element;

processing, through a video processor of the buffer logic circuit, at least a portion of data received from the DSS processing element providing processed video data and forwarding the processed video data to the internet processing element;

displaying, through the internet processing element, a graphical user interface on the television, the graphical user interface displaying representations of television programs that are currently being broadcast over communication medium and selectable representations of television programs that are to be broadcast over the communication medium in the future;

receiving a video file, wherein the video file corresponds to one of the selectable representations of television programs that is currently selectable in the graphical user interface where the one of the selectable representations corresponds to a specific television program;

storing the video file on a computer readable medium;

receiving a request for a television program based on a user'"'"'s interaction with the graphical user interface; and

displaying a first graphic image on the television in the graphical user interface if the request for the television program is received before the television program is broadcast over the communication medium;

displaying the television program on the television in the graphical user interface when the request for the television program is received while the television program is being broadcast.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying the first graphic image on the television and additional textual information about the content of the specific television program in response to the user selecting the one of the selectable representations corresponds to the specific television program when the specific television program has not been received from the communication medium while not displaying any graphic images corresponding to selectable representations of television programs actively displayed within the graphical user interface that have not been selected.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a search term from a user and search programs based on the search term.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying a first graphic image on the television in the graphical user interface when the request for the television program is received before the television program is broadcast over the communication medium.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

tuning, through a plurality of tuners comprising the digital satellite system (DSS) processing element, multiple programming; and

storing the received programming data from the plurality of tuners.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

updating the stored video file such that the updated video file corresponds to the one of the selectable representations that is currently selectable and corresponds to the specific date and time that the corresponding television program is intended to be played back;

displaying a planner option; and

displaying a planner screen in response to detecting a selection of the planner option that displays multiple time periods, and further displays, within the multiple time periods and according to times corresponding to playback times, programs previously selected by a user to be purchased and programs previously selected by a user to be recorded, and further distinguishes between the programs selected to be purchased and the programs selected to be recorded.