User interface

• US 8,627,349 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Kirby, Morgan Haden, Martch, Henry Gregg
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheleheda, James R
• Application Number:
  US13/324,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20130055304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 725/44, 725/52, 725/31, 725/63
• US Class Current: 725/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23895 involving multiplex stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43853 involving multiplex stream decryption arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4823 using a channel name
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

A method of providing access to a block of stored content includes transmitting a general EPG at a content receiver for display on a presentation device, the EPG including a plurality of channels having a plurality of programs available at a plurality of times, receiving input from a user to display a block guide, and transmitting the block guide wherein, the block guide is associated with the block of stored content for accessing the block of stored content, the block guide including a plurality of channels having a plurality of programs available for a selected airing time.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to a block of content, comprising:

determining, utilizing a content receiver, a plurality of instances of disparate television channels being received by a tuner from a same frequency band via satellite from a content provider, wherein;

the content provider selected the disparate television channels to be placed on the same frequency band;

each of the disparate television channels corresponds to a different television network; and

the plurality of instances of disparate television channels are scrambled using a single control word;

receiving input at the content receiver from a user to display a block list that lists the plurality of instances of disparate television channels;

outputting the block list from the content receiver for presentation by a presentation device;

receiving, at the content receiver, a selection from a user of a first one of the plurality of instances of content; and

outputting the first one of the plurality of instances of content from the content receiver to the presentation device in response to the selection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the plurality of instances of content on a storage medium associated with the content receiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the block list comprises:

outputting the block list overlaid onto a second one of the plurality of instances of disparate television channels being output by the content receiver.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving input from a user comprises at least one of receiving input via drop down menu, receiving input from a block list bar, or receiving input from a pop-up.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving input from a pop-up comprises tracking a user'"'"'s perusal of a general electronic programming guide (EPG) and outputting a pop-up for presentation on the presentation device, when the user scrolls across a channel associated with the block list.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the pop-up is transmitted when the user scrolls across a channel associated with the block list and at a time corresponding to the content in the block list.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the tuner is a component of an additional content receiver with which the content receiver is configured to communicate.

8. A method for providing access to content, the method comprising:

determining, utilizing a content receiver, a plurality of instances of content being received by a tuner from a same frequency band or a plurality of instances of stored content that were received by the tuner from the same frequency band, wherein;

at least a subset of the plurality of instances of content corresponds to different television networks; and

the different television networks are scrambled using a single control word;

outputting a block list from a content receiver to a presentation device, the block list including the plurality of instances of content;

receiving user input requesting display of an instance of content listed in the block list;

determining if the instance of content is available live or from a stored state;

transmitting the instance of content being received by the tuner to the presentation device live if the program is available live; and

accessing the instance of content from the plurality of instances of stored content if the program is not available live and transmitting the accessed instance of content to the presentation device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the block list is configured as a plurality of channels having a plurality of programs available for the selected airing time, the airing time corresponding to a time frame for which content has been or is scheduled to be stored as a block of stored content.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing a drop down menu for each instance of content available in the block list, the menu providing access to previous episodes of the respective instance of content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the drop down menu comprises a link to a program menu including a listing of all stored previous episodes of the respective instance of content.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the tuner is a component of an additional content receiver with which the content receiver is configured to communicate.

13. A system for providing access to content, the system comprising:

at least one content receiver, comprising;

at least one processor that determines a plurality of instances of disparate television channels being received by a tuner from a same downlink frequency band via satellite from a content provider and that receives an input from a user to display a block list that lists that plurality of instances of disparate television channels and that generates the block list, wherein;

the content provider selected the disparate television channels to be placed on the same frequency band;

each of the disparate television channels corresponds to a different television network; and

the plurality of instances of disparate television channels are scrambled using a single control word;

wherein the at least one content receiver is configured to output the block list from the content receiver to a presentation device responsive to the input;

wherein the at least one processor receives a selection from a user of a first one of the plurality of instances of disparate television channels and accesses the first one of the instances of disparate television channels responsive to the selection, the output component operable to output the first one of the plurality of instances of disparate television channels responsive to the selection.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the tuner is incorporated into the at least one content receiver.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the tuner is incorporated into another content receiver, the at least one processor configured to communicate with the other content receiver and instruct the other content receiver to transmit the first one of the instances of disparate television channels to the content receiver.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is configured to coordinate storage of the plurality of instances of disparate television channels on a storage medium associated with the content receiver.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is configured to output the block list overlaid onto a second one of the plurality of instances of disparate television channels being output by the content receiver.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the block list identifies the plurality of instances of disparate television channels by a program title.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a tuner;

the output component operable to output the first one of the plurality of instances of disparate television channels to a first presentation device and output a second one of the plurality of instances of disparate television channels to a second presentation device.

20. A system for providing access to content, the system comprising:

a satellite-based multichannel video programming distributor system, configured to;

select disparate television channels to be placed on an uplink frequency band, wherein each of the disparate television channels corresponds to a different television network and is scrambled using a single control word;

multiplex the selected multiple disparate television channels onto the uplink frequency band; and

transmit the uplink frequency band to a satellite;

a satellite configured to receive the uplink frequency band and broadcast to at least one content receiver the multiplexed multiple disparate television channels as a downlink frequency band; and

the at least one content receiver, comprising at least one processor that;

determines the multiple disparate television channels being received by a tuner of the content receiver from the downlink frequency band via the satellite from the satellite-based multichannel video programming distributor;

receives an input from a user to display a block list that lists that plurality of instances of disparate television channels and that generates the block list, wherein;

the at least one content receiver is configured to output the block list from the content receiver to a presentation device responsive to the input;

receives a selection from the user of a first one of the plurality of instances of disparate television channels; and

accesses the first one of the instances of disparate television channels responsive to the selection, the output component operable to output the first one of the plurality of instances of disparate television channels responsive to the selection.