Thematic VOD navigation

• US 8,707,357 B1
• Filed: 03/08/2005
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• 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., DePrez, Gregory R., Beyler, John C., Barton, Scott G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marandi, James R
• Application Number:
  US11/075,630
• Time in Patent Office: 3,332 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 on social networks
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 : involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 : involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 : the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

According to the invention, a method for allowing selection of video programs from a program guide presented to a viewer is disclosed. The video programs are selected from a program guide presented to a viewer. Selection of video programs is allowed from a program guide presented to a viewer. A program is presented with characterizing identifiers. A selection of the program is received by a viewer. It is determined that a viewer is likely switching away from the program or has activated a thematic link. A plurality of programs is determined. A search of the plurality of programs for one or more programs that have similar characterizing identifiers. The one or more programs are presented in a menu that is presented for the viewer.

Claims

1. A method for allowing selection of video programs from a program guide presented to a viewer, the method comprising:

presenting with a set-top box at the viewer'"'"'s location a first program with characterizing identifiers, wherein the first program is provided by a content provider;

determining with the set-top box that a viewer is likely switching away from the first program or has activated a non-textual thematic link, wherein;

the non-textual thematic link is displayed in overlay fashion with the first program, and

the determination of likely switch away from the first program includes one or more of;

determining that viewer has paused or stopped playback,

determining that the viewer has switched away from the channel,

determining the program has become unavailable,

determining there are insufficient digital rights,

determining that the viewer has selected fast or slow playback, and/or

determining that a commercial break is playing;

determining a plurality of programs with the set-top box;

searching the plurality of programs with the set-top box for one or more alternative programs that have characterizing identifiers similar to the first program, wherein the one or more alternative programs are also provided by the content provider; and

in response to determining that the viewer is likely switching away from the first program or in response to determining that the viewer activated the non-textual thematic link, and without additional input from the viewer, displaying with the set-top box the one or more alternative programs in a menu, which is presented for the viewer.

2. The method for allowing selection of video programs from the program guide presented to the viewer as recited in claim 1, further comprising culling the one or more programs with the set-top box based upon viewer preferences.

3. The method for allowing selection of video programs from the program guide presented to the viewer as recited in claim 1, further comprising culling the one or more programs with the set-top box based upon viewer preferences that are automatically gathered.

4. The method for allowing selection of video programs from the program guide presented to the viewer as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving at the set-top box from the viewer an indicator of the characterizing identifiers that are relevant.

5. The method for allowing selection of video programs from the program guide presented to the viewer as recited in claim 1, wherein the characterizing identifier is a content provider name.

6. The method for allowing selection of video programs from the program guide presented to the viewer as recited in claim 1, wherein the characterizing identifier is a channel.

7. The method for allowing selection of video programs from the program guide presented to the viewer as recited in claim 1, wherein the non-textual thematic link is displayed and selectable by the viewer.

8. A computer-readable and non-transitory medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method for allowing selection of video programs from a program guide presented to a viewer of claim 1.

9. A method for allowing selection of video programs from a program guide presented to a viewer, the method comprising:

receiving at a set-top box at the viewer'"'"'s location selection of a first program by a viewer, wherein the first program is provided by a content provider;

presenting with the set-top box the first program with characterizing identifiers;

determining with the set-top box that the viewer is likely switching away from the first program, wherein the determination of likely switch away from the first program includes one or more of;

determining that viewer has paused or stopped playback,

determining that the viewer has switched away from the channel,

determining the program has become unavailable,

determining there are insufficient digital rights,

determining that the viewer has selected fast or slow playback, and/or

determining that a commercial break is playing;

determining a plurality of programs with the set-top box;

searching the plurality of programs with the set-top box for one or more alternative programs that have characterizing identifiers similar to the first program, wherein the one or more alternative programs are also provided by the content provider; and

in response to determining that the viewer is likely switching away from the first program and without additional input from the viewer, displaying with the set-top box the one or more alternative programs in a menu, which is presented for the viewer.

10. The method for allowing selection of video programs from the program guide presented to the viewer as recited in claim 9, wherein the characterizing identifiers include one or more the following:

genre, style, mood, program length, content rating, language, reviewer ranking, availability of subtitles or closed captioning, actors, directors, studios, release year, first run or repeat, cost of the view, or content provider category.

11. The method for allowing selection of video programs from the program guide presented to the viewer as recited in claim 9, further comprising culling the one or more programs with the set-top box based upon viewer preferences.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method for allowing selection of video programs from a program guide presented to a viewer of claim 9.

13. A method for allowing selection of video programs from a program guide presented to a viewer, the method comprising:

receiving at a set-top box at a viewer'"'"'s location selection of a first program by a viewer;

presenting with the set-top box the first program with characterizing identifiers;

presenting with the set-top box a non-textual thematic link displayed in overlay fashion with the first program;

detecting a triggering event with the set-top box, wherein detecting the triggering event includes one or more of;

determining that the viewer activated the non-textual thematic link;

determining that viewer has paused or stopped playback,

determining that the viewer has switched away from the channel,

determining the program has become unavailable,

determining there are insufficient digital rights,

determining that the viewer has selected fast or slow playback,

and/or

determining that a commercial break is playing;

retrieving preference information with the set-top box;

determining a plurality of programs with the set-top box;

searching the plurality of programs with the set-top box, without additional input from the viewer, for one or more alternative programs that have characterizing identifiers similar to the first program; and

in response to detecting the triggering event and without additional input from the viewer, displaying with the set-top box the one or more alternative programs in a menu in response to the detecting the triggering event, which is presented for the viewer.

14. A computer-readable and non-transitory medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method for allowing selection of vide-o programs from a program guide presented to a viewer of claim 13.