Electronic program guide with tagging

• US 8,756,632 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2011
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SeaChange International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SeaChange International Incorporated
• Inventors: Etheredge, Robert C., Dahl, Daniel G.
• Primary Examiner(s): RABOVIANSKI, JIVKA A
• Application Number:
  US13/275,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20130097637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/46, 725/61, 725/142, 725/105
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie

Abstract

Described are computerized methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for providing electronic program guide services. The method includes storing an active media object list identifying media objects in an active state, receiving one or more tag requests identifying one or more programs, and updating a tag list to identify the one or more programs identified by the one or more tag requests. Each of the one or more programs are associated with one or more media objects. The method also includes generating a user navigation list comprising source identifiers of a plurality of selected media objects and a plurality of titles associated with each of the plurality of selected media objects. The plurality of selected media objects are each associated with at least one of the one or more programs identified in the tag list and included in the active media object list.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for an electronic program guide, the method comprising:

storing, on a computer-readable storage device, an active media object list identifying media objects currently accessible to a user over a plurality of broadcast channels;

receiving, by an electronic program guide (EPG) device, a plurality of tag requests identifying a plurality of programs tagged by the user browsing with an electronic program guide using a remote control, each of the tagged programs being associated with a corresponding media object;

updating, by the EPG device, a tag list stored on the computer-readable storage device to identify the tagged programs;

receiving, by the EPG device, a guide information request from the user through the remote control;

in response to receiving the guide information request, comparing, by the EPG device, the active media object list with the tag list to determine a plurality of selected media objects that are currently accessible to the user over the plurality of broadcast channels and associated with one or more of the tagged programs;

generating, by the EPG device, a user navigation list comprising pairs of source identifiers and titles associated with each of the plurality of selected media objects; and

transmitting the user navigation list to a display device for displaying the user navigation list, enabling the user to select from amongst the pairs of source identifiers and titles to view.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the EPG device, an access request identifying one of the plurality of source identifiers; and

causing the media object associated with the one of the plurality of source identifiers to be transmitted to the display device.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the EPG device, a guide information request from the user invoking a button on the remote control that provides last channel navigation functionality; and

transmitting, by the EPG device, the user navigation list to the display device for graphically displaying the user navigation list in its entirety within a single graphical overlay.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting, by the EPG device, the user navigation list to the display device for graphically displaying within a graphical channel bar overlay the title of a first media object associated with a tagged program identified in the user navigation list and jumping to a second media object associated with another tagged program identified in the user navigation list by selecting a channel up button or a channel down button on the remote control.

5. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable storage device, the computer program product including instructions being operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

store, on a computer-readable storage device, an active media object list identifying media objects currently accessible to a user over a plurality of broadcast channels;

receive a plurality of tag requests identifying a plurality of programs tagged by the user browsing with an electronic program guide using a remote control, each of the tagged programs being associated with a corresponding media object;

update a tag list stored on the computer-readable storage device to identify the tagged programs;

receive a guide information request from the user through the remote control;

in response to receiving the guide information request, comparing the active media object list with the tag list to determine a plurality of selected media objects that are currently accessible to the user over the plurality of broadcast channels and associated with one or more of the tagged programs;

generate a user navigation list comprising pairs of source identifiers and titles associated with each of the plurality of selected media objects; and

transmit the user navigation list to a display device for displaying the user navigation list, enabling the user to select from amongst the pairs of source identifiers and titles to view.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, including further instructions being operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

receive a guide information request from the user invoking a button on the remote control that provides last channel navigation functionality; and

transmit the user navigation list to the display device for graphically displaying the user navigation list in its entirety within a single graphical overlay.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, including further instructions being operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

transmit the user navigation list to the display device for graphically displaying within a graphical channel bar overlay the title of a first media object associated with a tagged program identified in the user navigation list and jumping to a second media object associated with another tagged program identified in the user navigation list by selecting a channel up button or a channel down button on the remote control.

8. A data processing apparatus for providing an electronic program guide, the data processing apparatus comprising:

means for storing, on a computer-readable storage device, an active media object list identifying media objects currently accessible to a user over a plurality of broadcast channels;

means for receiving a plurality of tag requests identifying a plurality of programs tagged by the user browsing with an electronic program guide using a remote control, each of the tagged programs being associated with a corresponding media object;

means for updating a tag list stored on the computer-readable storage device to identify the tagged programs;

means for receiving a guide information request from the user through the remote control;

means for comparing, in response to receiving the guide information request, the active media object list with the tag list to determine a plurality of selected media objects that are currently accessible to the user over the plurality of broadcast channels and associated with one or more of the tagged programs;

means for generating a user navigation list comprising pairs of source identifiers and titles associated with each of the plurality of selected media objects; and

means for transmitting the user navigation list to a display device for displaying the user navigation list, enabling the user to select from amongst the pairs of source identifiers and titles to view.

9. The data processing apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

means for receiving a guide information request from the user invoking a button on the remote control that provides last channel navigation functionality; and

means for transmitting the user navigation list to the display device for graphically displaying the user navigation list in its entirety within a single graphical overlay.

10. The data processing apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

means for transmitting the user navigation list to the display device for graphically displaying within a graphical channel bar overlay the title of a first media object associated with a tagged program identified in the user navigation list and jumping to a second media object associated with another tagged program identified in the user navigation list by selecting a channel up button or a channel down button on the remote control.