Dynamic determination of presentation of multiple video cells in an on-screen display

• US 8,752,089 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2007
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Feldstein, David E., Camacho, Edgar C., Shanks, David Eric, Dean, Jon M, Shurgot, Mark A., Thompson, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Featherstone, Mark D
• Application Number:
  US11/716,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20070214478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,650 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

A mosaic video channel displayed on a monitor, with a plurality of individual video feeds being presented at a given time. A mosaic video channel in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of video cells presenting at least video information, each video cell associated with one of the plurality of individual video feeds, a cursor, which can be moved between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell, such that the user can then directly select a video program associated with the selected video cell, and a receiver, coupled to the monitor and receiving the plurality of video feeds and mosaic video channel, wherein a blackout criteria is dynamically programmed into the receiver such that when at least one of the video cells is selected by the cursor, the receiver tunes to a channel other than the individual video feed associated with that video cell.

Claims

1. A system for presenting a plurality of mosaic video viewer channels on a monitor, with a plurality of individual video feeds common to each of the mosaic video viewer channels being presented at a given time in each of the mosaic video viewer channels, comprising:

a plurality of video cells presenting at least video information separate from program guide information, each video cell associated with one of the plurality of individual video feeds;

a cursor, which is moveable between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell, such that when a video program associated with the selected video cell is selected, the characteristic of the selected video cell is presented by the monitor; and

a receiver, coupled to the monitor and receiving the plurality of video feeds and mosaic video viewer channel, wherein a blackout criteria is dynamically programmed into the receiver such that the receiver is selectively granted access to one of the mosaic video viewer channels in the plurality of mosaic video channels based on a geographic location of the receiver, wherein the selectively accessible mosaic video channel has at least one of the video cells that, when selected by the cursor, the receiver tunes to a channel other than the individual video feed associated with the selected video cell.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is granted access to a subset of the plurality of mosaic video channels at a time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific mosaic channel access is based on a blackout rule.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the blackout rule is based on airing of a program on a network affiliate that is received by the receiver.

5. An apparatus for displaying a plurality of mosaic video viewer channels, each mosaic video viewer channel having a plurality of video cells common to each of the mosaic video viewer channels being presented at a given time, comprising:

a broadcast delivery system, comprising a transmitter and a receiver;

a monitor, coupled to the receiver, for selectively displaying the mosaic video viewer channel separate from program guide information, each video cell associated with one of a plurality of individual video feeds; and

a cursor, displayed on the monitor, which is movable between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell, such that when a video program associated with the selected video cell is selected, the characteristic of the selected video cell is presented;

wherein a blackout criteria is dynamically programmed into the receiver such that the receiver is selectively granted access to one of the mosaic video channels in the plurality of mosaic video channels based on a geographic location of the receiver, wherein the selectively accessible mosaic video channel has at least one of the video cells selected by the cursor, the receiver tunes to a channel other than the individual video feed associated with the selected video cell.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the broadcast delivery system is a satellite television delivery system.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the receiver is granted access to a subset of the plurality of mosaic video channels at a time.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the blackout criteria is based on airing of a program on a network affiliate that is received by the receiver.

9. A system for selectively displaying a plurality of mosaic video viewer channels each mosaic video viewer channel having a plurality of video cells common to each of the mosaic video viewer channels, comprising:

a broadcast delivery system, comprising a transmitter and a receiver;

a monitor, coupled to the receiver, for selectively displaying the mosaic video viewer channel separate from program guide information, each video cell associated with one of a plurality of individual video feeds; and

a cursor, displayed on the monitor, which is movable between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell, such that when a video program associated with the selected video cell is selected, the characteristic of the selected video cell is presented;

wherein a blackout criteria is dynamically programmed into the receiver such that the receiver is selectively granted access to one of the mosaic video channels in the plurality of mosaic video channels based on a geographic location of the receiver, wherein the selectively accessible mosaic video channel has at least one of the video cells selected by the cursor, the receiver tunes to a channel other than the individual video feed associated with the selected video cell.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the broadcast delivery system is a satellite television delivery system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the blackout criteria grants access to a specific video cell within the selectively accessible mosaic video channel based on an airing of a program on a network affiliate that is received by the receiver.