Systems and methods for providing custom media content flipping

• US 8,799,954 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MENDOZA, JUNIOR O
• Application Number:
  US11/888,678
• Time in Patent Office: 2,562 Days
• Field of Search: 725/46, 725/47, 725/52
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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 21/25891 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 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• 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 21/8126 : involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 : End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 : Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing enhanced channel flipping are disclosed. A user may selectively mark and unmark channels as temporary favorite channels. These channels may be dynamically added or removed from the channel changing or channel flipping sequence. Unauthorized channels and channels locked by parental controls may also be automatically removed from the channel flipping sequence. A plurality of custom channel flipping sequences may be maintained on the user equipment device. Users may access any of these custom channel flipping sequences in order to flip only through the channels associated with the custom sequence. Channels in the flipping sequence may also be pre-tuned in order to reduce delays associated with tuning.

Claims

1. A method for enhanced channel flipping on a user equipment device, the method comprising:

receiving identification from a user of a plurality of channels of media content to include in a channel flipping sequence;

generating the channel flipping sequence based on the received identification, wherein the channel flipping sequence;

comprises an ordered list of the plurality of channels, and

each channel of the plurality of channels is tuned in an order determined based on a respective position of the channel in the channel flipping sequence;

after tuning to a currently tuned channel of the plurality of channels in response to receiving a tuning request, storing a direction value indicating whether the tuning request commanded to tune to the currently tuned channel from a higher or a lower order channel in the channel sequence;

receiving, after receiving the tuning request, a first user request from a remote input device to remove a first channel from the channel flipping sequence; and

in response to receiving the first user request to remove the first channel from the channel flipping sequence,

     1) removing the first channel from the channel flipping sequence;

     2) determining, based on the stored direction value, whether to tune to a next or a previous second channel in the channel flipping sequence; and

     3) automatically tuning to the second channel based on the determination of whether to tune to the next or the previous second channel in the channel flipping sequence.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a flip banner in response to receiving the first user request from the remote input device to remove the first channel from the channel flipping sequence, the flip banner comprising an icon indicating that the first channel has been removed from the channel flipping sequence.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising in response to receiving the first user request from the remote input device to remove the first channel from the channel flipping sequence, determining, based on the tuning request, whether to pre-tune to a next or a previous third channel in the channel flipping sequence;

and automatically pre-tuning the third channel on a secondary tuner based on the determination of whether to tune to the next or the previous third channel.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein removing the first channel from the channel flipping sequence comprises permanently removing the first channel from the channel flipping sequence.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein removing the first channel from the channel flipping sequence comprises removing the first channel from the channel flipping sequence for a finite duration.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

accessing media guidance application data relating to the first channel; and

determining, from the accessed media guidance application data, an end time of a program currently being displayed on the first channel, wherein the finite duration is substantially equal to the length of time until the end time of the program.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising automatically adding the first channel back to the channel flipping sequence after the finite duration.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first channel, and the second channel are selected from the group consisting of a broadcast television channel, an on-demand channel, a premium channel, a pay-per-view channel, a digital music channel, and an interactive application channel.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising tuning to one of a plurality of recently tuned channels responsive to receiving a user selection.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user request comprises pressing a button for a predetermined length of time.

11. A system for enhanced channel flipping on a user equipment device, the system comprising:

memory to store a channel flipping sequence; and

control circuitry configured to;

receive identification from a user of a plurality of channels of media content to include in the channel flipping sequence;

generate the channel flipping sequence based on the received identification, wherein the channel flipping sequence;

comprises an ordered list of the plurality of channels, and

each channel of the plurality of channels is tuned in an order determined based on a respective position of the channel in the channel flipping sequence;

after tuning to a currently tuned channel of the plurality of channels in response to receiving a tuning request, cause a direction value indicating whether the tuning request commanded to tune to the currently tuned channel from a higher or a lower order channel in the channel flipping sequence to be stored in the memory;

receive, after receiving the tuning request, a first user request from a remote input device to remove a first channel from the channel flipping sequence; and

upon receipt of the first user request to remove the first channel from the channel flipping sequence,

     1) remove the first channel from the channel flipping sequence;

     2) determine, based on the stored direction value, whether to tune to a next or a previous second channel in the channel flipping sequence; and

     3) automatically tune to the second channel based on the determination of whether to tune to the next or the previous second channel in the channel flipping sequence.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to display a flip banner in response to receiving the first user request from the remote input device to remove the first channel from the channel flipping sequence, the flip banner comprising an icon indicating that the first channel has been removed from the channel flipping sequence.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to, in response to receiving the first user request from the remote input device to remove the first channel from the channel flipping sequence, determining, based on the tuning request, whether to pre-tune to a next or a previous third channel in the channel flipping sequence;

and automatically pre-tune the third channel on a secondary tuner based on the determination of whether to tune to the next or the previous third channel.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is configured to permanently remove the first channel from the channel flipping sequence.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is configured to remove the first channel from the channel flipping sequence for a finite duration.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

access media guidance application data relating to the first channel; and

determine, from the accessed media guidance application data, an end time of a program currently being displayed on the first channel, wherein the finite duration is substantially equal to the length of time until the end time of the program.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to automatically add the first channel back to the channel flipping sequence after the finite duration.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the first channel, and the second channel are selected from the group consisting of a broadcast television channel, an on-demand channel, a premium channel, a pay-per-view channel, a digital music channel, and an interactive application channel.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the first user request comprises pressing a button for a predetermined length of time.

20. A method for enhanced channel flipping on a user equipment device, the method comprising:

receiving identification from a user of a plurality of channels of media content to include in a channel flipping sequence;

generating the channel flipping sequence based on the received identification, wherein the channel flipping sequence;

comprises an ordered list of the plurality of channels, and

each channel of the plurality of channels is tuned in an order determined based on a respective position of the channel in the channel flipping sequence;

after tuning to a currently tuned channel of the plurality of channels in response to receiving a tuning request, storing a direction value indicating whether the tuning request commanded to tune to the currently tuned channel from an adjacent channel of a higher order or a lower order in the channel flipping sequence;

receiving, after receiving the tuning request, a first user request from a remote input device to remove a first channel from the channel flipping sequence; and

in response to receiving the first user request to remove the first channel from the channel flipping sequence,

     1) removing the first channel from the channel flipping sequence;

     2) determining, based on the stored direction value, whether to tune to a next or a previous second channel adjacent to the first channel in the channel flipping sequence; and

     3) automatically tuning to the second channel based on the determination of whether to tune to the next or a previous second channel adjacent to the first channel in the channel flipping sequence.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the second channel is the channel in the channel flipping sequence previous to the first channel.

22. A method for enhanced channel flipping on a user equipment device, the method comprising:

receiving a first user request to tune to a first channel;

storing a direction value indicating whether the first user request commanded to tune to the first channel from a higher or a lower order channel in a channel flipping sequence, wherein the channel flipping sequence comprises an ordered list of a plurality of channels, and wherein each channel in the plurality of channels is tuned in an order determined by a respective position of that channel in the channel flipping sequence;

receiving, subsequent to the first user request, a second user request to remove a second channel from the channel flipping sequence; and

in response to receiving the second user request;

removing the second channel from the channel flipping sequence;

determining, based on the stored direction value, whether to tune to a next or a previous third channel in the channel flipping sequence.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising automatically tuning to the next third channel based on the determination to tune to the next third channel in the channel flipping sequence.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising automatically tuning to the previous third channel based on the determination to tune to the previous third channel in the channel flipping sequence.

25. A system for enhanced channel flipping on a user equipment device, the system comprising:

a storage device; and

control circuitry configured to;

receive a first user request to tune to a first channel;

cause a direction value indicating whether the first user request commanded to tune to the first channel from a higher or a lower order channel in a channel flipping sequence to be stored in the storage device, wherein the channel flipping sequence comprises an ordered list of a plurality of channels, and wherein each channel in the plurality of channels is tuned in an order determined by a respective position of that channel in the channel flipping sequence;

receive, subsequent to the first user request, a second user request to remove a second channel from the channel flipping sequence; and

upon receipt of the second user request;

remove the second channel from the channel flipping sequence;

determine, based on the stored direction value, whether to tune to a next or a previous third channel in the channel flipping sequence.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to automatically tune to the next third channel based on the determination to tune to the next third channel in the channel flipping sequence.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to automatically tune to the previous third channel based on the determination to tune to the previous third channel in the channel flipping sequence.