Apparatus, systems and methods for providing travel information related to a streaming travel related event

• US 8,621,516 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Napigkit, Darius
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Jonathan V
• Application Number:
  US13/083,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20120260289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4025 where none of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. downloading a file in a parallel FTP session, initiating an email or combinational services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing travel information associated with a presently viewed media content event. An exemplary method receives a selection for a media content event, receives a media content stream corresponding to the selected media content event, communicates the selected media content event to a media presentation device, communicates to the media presentation device a travel indicator during communication of the media content event, receives a user selection associated with the travel indicator, and presents travel information to the user based on the received user selection. The travel information is based on an analysis of content of the EPG information. The media content event is paused after receiving the user selection of the travel indicator. The travel information associated with the media content event is saved after receiving the user selection of the travel indicator.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a media device, a selection from a user for presentation of a media content event;

receiving, at the media device, a media content stream corresponding to the selected media content event;

receiving, at the media device, first travel information from a travel company, wherein the first travel information is associated with a first travel location and was generated by the travel company based on electronic program guide (EPG) information received by the travel company;

communicating, from the media device, the selected media content event to a media presentation device, wherein the media content event is presented on the media presentation device to the user;

communicating, from the media device, a travel indicator to the media presentation device during communication of the media content event, wherein the travel indicator is presented concurrently with the media content event on the media presentation device to the user;

receiving a user selection associated with the travel indicator; and

presenting the first travel information to the user based on the received user selection, wherein the first travel information is associated with the media content event, the method further comprising;

analyzing, at the media device, audio content of the media content event to identify a second travel location that is different from the first travel location, wherein the second travel location is a hotel that a travel program host is discussing in the audio content of the presented media content event;

communicating a request to the travel company for second travel information that provides information for the user to prepare for travel to the hotel, wherein the request identifies the second travel location;

receiving the second travel information from the travel company in response to communicating the request, wherein the second travel information describes a travel package for travel by the user to the second travel location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first travel information generated by the travel company is based on an analysis of content of the electronic program guide (EPG) information that describes scheduled programming for and the nature of each of a plurality of media content events, or wherein the first travel information generated by the travel company is based on an analysis of content of on-demand information that describes the nature of a plurality of on-demand media content events.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the analysis of the content of the EPG information or the on-demand information comprises identifying travel related words in text of a description portion of the EPG information or in text of the on-demand information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting travel package information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

pausing the media content event in response to receiving the user selection of the travel indicator, wherein the first travel information is presented to the user while the media content event is paused;

ending presentation of the first travel information; and

resuming presentation of the media content event from a point that the media content event was paused.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first travel information from the travel company is received with the broadcast of the media content event, and further comprising:

saving the first travel information associated with the media content event after receiving the user selection of the travel indicator, wherein the user may interact with the saved travel first travel information at a later time.

7. A media device comprising:

a tuner configured to;

receive a first one of a plurality of media content streams, wherein each media content stream comprises a plurality of media content events; and

receive a broadcast of first travel information associated with at least one of the media content events, wherein the first travel information was previously generated by a travel source system based on electronic program guide (EPG) information received by a travel company, wherein the first travel information is associated with a first travel location;

a remote interface configured to receive a user selection associated with a travel indicator that is associated with the first travel information;

a processor system communicatively coupled to the tuner and the remote interface, the processor system configured to;

present the selected one of the media content events on a media presentation device;

present the travel indicator with the presented selected media content event on the media presentation device if the selected media content event includes the first travel information associated with the travel indicator;

analyze audio content of the media content event to identify a second travel location that is different from the first travel location, wherein the second travel location is a hotel that a travel program host is discussing in the audio content;

communicate a request to the travel company for second travel information that provides information for the user to prepare for travel to the hotel, wherein the request identifies the second travel location; and

receive the second travel information from the travel company in response to communicating the request, wherein the second travel information describes a travel package for travel by the user to the second travel location.

8. The media device of claim 7, wherein the first travel information associated with a first one of the plurality of media content events, and further comprising:

a communication system interface configured to communicatively couple to a communication system, wherein third travel information is received at the communication system interface from the travel source system via the communication system,

wherein the third travel information is associated with a second one of the plurality of media content events,

wherein the third travel information was previously generated by a travel source system based on the EPG information received by the travel company, and

wherein the third travel information is received prior to a broadcast of the second one of the plurality of media content events.

9. The media device of claim 7, further comprising:

a memory configured to save the first travel information associated with the media content event, wherein the broadcasted first travel information is stored in the memory of the media device prior to a broadcast of the selected media content event.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, at a travel source system, media content event information described in a text description portion of an electronic program guide (EPG), wherein the text description portion of the EPG describes the nature of each one of a plurality of broadcasted media content events or a plurality of on-demand media content events, and wherein the EPG is received at the travel source system prior to the broadcasting of the plurality of media content events;

analyzing the received media content event information in the received EPG to identify a first travel location associated with at least one of the plurality of media content events;

generating, at the travel source system, first travel information if the analysis identifies the first travel location, wherein the generated first travel information describes information about the first travel location; and

sending, from the travel source system, the generated first travel information to at least one of a plurality of media device,

wherein the at least one media device receiving the first travel information identifies a second travel location that is different from the first travel location based upon analyzed audio content of one of the plurality of media content events, and wherein the second travel location is a hotel that a travel program host is discussing in the audio portion of the presented media content event, the method further comprises;

receiving a request from the at least one media device for second travel information about the second travel location; and

sending the second travel information from the travel company to the requesting one at least one media device in response to receiving the request,

wherein the second travel information describes at least a travel package for travel by the user to prepare for travel to the hotel.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the media content event information comprises receiving at least one of EPG information or on-demand information and wherein analyzing comprises analyzing content of the EPG information or the on-demand information.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein analyzing comprises identifying travel related words in the text description portion of the EPG information that describes the nature of the plurality of broadcasted media content events or the plurality of on-demand media content events.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first travel information that describes information about the first travel location, and further comprising:

receiving, at the travel source system, the audio content for one of the plurality of broadcasted media content events or on-demand media content events associated with the first travel location;

analyzing the audio content to identify the second travel location; and

generating, at the travel source system, the second travel information if the analysis identifies the second travel location, wherein the generated second travel information describes information about the second travel location.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein sending the generated first travel information from the travel source system to the at least one of the plurality of media devices further comprises:

sending the first travel information to a media content broadcast facility, wherein the first travel information is broadcast from the media content broadcast facility to the plurality of media devices.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first travel information is broadcast from the media content broadcast facility to the plurality of media devices prior to broadcast of the media content event associated with the first travel information.

16. The method of claim 14,

wherein the broadcast of the media content event associated with the first travel information includes a trigger that is associated with the first travel information, and

wherein a presenting media device that is presenting the media content event associated with the first travel information to a user also presents a travel indicator associated with the first travel information upon receipt of the trigger in the broadcast media content event.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the received broadcast first travel information is stored in a memory of each one of the plurality of media devices, and wherein the first travel information is retrieved from the memory of the presenting media device upon a user selection of the presented travel indicator.

18. The method of claim 10,

wherein the broadcast of the media content event associated with the first travel information includes a trigger that is associated with the first travel information,

wherein a presenting media device that is presenting the media content event associated with the first travel information to a user also presents a travel indicator associated with the first travel information upon receipt of the trigger residing in the broadcast media content event, and

wherein sending the generated first travel information from the travel source system further comprises:

receiving a request from the presenting media device for the first travel information, wherein the presenting media device transmits the request in response to user selection of the presented travel indicator; and

transmitting the first travel information to the presenting media device, wherein the first travel information is communicated to the presenting media device via a communication system established between the travel source system and the presenting media device.