Providing a media guide including parental information

• US 8,869,191 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pickelsimer, Lisa A., Patil, Anant, Thompson, Catherine, Nijim, Yousef Wasef
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malangone, Carmine
• Application Number:
  US12/959,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20110072455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 725 25- 31, 725 37- 61
• US Class Current: 725/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/47 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 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts

Abstract

A user interface may be provided including a media guide. The media guide may comprise at least two display elements. One of the displayed at least two display elements may comprise an action card. The action card may be configured to display a plurality of actions that can be taken with respect to the one of the plurality of programs. The plurality of actions may include a parental information action.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface, the method comprising:

displaying a media guide, in response to a first user input, the media guide comprising;

a first display element comprising description information corresponding to a selected program,

a second display element displayed to the right of the first display element and comprising a plurality of actions that can be taken with respect to the selected program, and

a third display element displayed to the right of the second display element and comprising an advertisement, wherein the advertisement is configured to be replaced by instructions on performing a selected one of the plurality of actions if the selected one of the plurality of actions requires the instructions to be displayed;

displaying, in response to a second user input of a parental control action from the plurality of actions, a parental information display element, the parental information display element comprising a name of the selected program, a rating for the selected program and parental information for the selected program, the parental information comprising instructional text relating to data corresponding to the selected program that helps a parent understand what is shown in the selected program, the instructional text further comprising questions for parents to present to a child to aide in discussing any messages that the child received from viewing the selected program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the rating for the selected program includes a range of ages of children for which the selected program is appropriate.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, in response to the displaying of the parental display element, a first tab configured to, upon selection, display additional parental information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the first tab; and

displaying, in response to the selection of the first tab, the additional parental information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the parental information from a neutral third party.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the parental information from a neutral third party not comprising a system operator providing the user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying, in response to the user selecting the parental control action from the plurality of actions, the parental information display element comprises displaying the parental information display element in place of the third display element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying, in response to the user selecting the parental control action from the plurality of actions, the parental information display element comprises displaying the parental information display element in place of the first display element, the second display element, and the third display element.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying, in response to the user selecting the parental control action from the plurality of actions, the parental information display element comprises displaying the parental information along with a shrunken version of a currently tuned program.

10. A system for providing a user interface, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

display a media guide, in response to a first user input, the media guide comprising;

a first display element comprising description information corresponding to a selected program,

a second display element displayed to the right of the first display element and comprising a plurality of actions that can be taken with respect to the selected program, and

a third display element displayed to the right of the second display element and comprising an advertisement, wherein the advertisement is configured to be replaced by instructions on performing a selected one of the plurality of actions if the selected one of the plurality of actions requires the instructions to be displayed;

display, in response to a second user input of a parental control action from the plurality of actions, a parental information display element, the parental information display element comprising a name of the selected program, a rating for the selected program and parental information for the selected program, the parental information comprising instructional text relating to data corresponding to the selected program that helps a parent understand what is shown in the selected program, the instructional text further comprising discussion material for parents to present to a child to aide in discussing a child'"'"'s impressions about the selected program.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the rating for the selected program includes a range of ages of children for which the selected program is appropriate.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operative to:

display, in response to the displaying of the parental display information, a first tab configured to, upon selection, display additional parental information.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further operative to:

receive a selection of the first tab; and

display, in response to the selection of the first tab, the additional parental information.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operative to:

obtain the parental information from a neutral third party.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operative to:

obtain the parental information from a neutral third party not comprising a system operator providing the user interface.

16. A computer-readable storage device which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing a user interface, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

displaying a media guide, in response to a first user input, the media guide comprising;

a first display element comprising description information corresponding to a selected program,

a second display element displayed to the right of the first display element and comprising a plurality of actions that can be taken with respect to the selected program, and

a third display element displayed to the right of the second display element and comprising an advertisement, wherein the advertisement is configured to be replaced by instructions on performing a selected one of the plurality of actions if the selected one of the plurality of actions requires the instructions to be displayed;

displaying, in response to a second user input to a parental control action from the plurality of actions, a parental information display element, the parental information display element comprising a name of the selected program, a rating for the selected program and parental information for the selected program, the parental information comprising instructional text relating to data corresponding to the selected program that helps a parent understand what is shown in the selected program, the instructional text further comprising discussion material for parents to present to a child to aide in discussing a child'"'"'s reactions to the selected program.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the rating for the selected program includes a range of ages of children for which the selected program is appropriate.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, the method further comprising:

displaying, in response to the displaying of the parental information display element, a first tab configured to, upon selection, display additional parental information.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, the method further comprising:

receiving a selection of the first tab; and

displaying, in response to the selection of the first tab, the additional parental information.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, the method further comprising:

obtaining the parental information from a neutral third party.