Program guide system with combination category search

• US 8,904,439 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Knudson, Edward B., Hassell, Joel G., Ellis, Michael D., Thomas, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US14/022,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20140047478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 725 45- 47, 725/50, 725/52
• US Class Current: 725/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 21/4667 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

An interactive television program guide system is provided in which the program guide may provide the user with a selectable list of combination categories. Combination categories are composed of multiple simple categories such as sports, news, comedy, movies, children, etc. Program listings are supplied to the program guide. At least some of the program listings are associated with combination categories. A combination category build process may be used to assign combination categories to program listings. The user is able to use the selectable categories list to quickly identify programming of interest.

Claims

1. A method for providing media asset information using media asset categories, the method comprising:

storing, with a processor, a first plurality of simple categories;

identifying a second plurality of simple categories from the first plurality of simple categories based on interests of multiple users;

generating a first combination category, wherein the first combination category is based on at least two simple categories from the identified second plurality of simple categories; and

generating a display of the first combination category.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated display of the first combination category further comprises at least one simple category selected from the second plurality of simple categories.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a plurality of combination categories, wherein each of the plurality of combination categories is based on at least two simple categories from the identified second plurality of simple categories; and

generating a display comprising one or more of the plurality of combination categories.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a plurality of combination categories by identifying all possible combinations of at least two simple categories from the identified second plurality of simple categories; and

generating a display comprising one or more of the plurality of combination categories.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a media asset that matches the first combination category; and

generating a display comprising information about the identified media asset.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a plurality of media assets that match the first combination category; and

generating a display comprising information about each of the plurality of media assets.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a third plurality of simple categories selected from the first plurality of simple categories based on the interests of multiple users; and

generating the first combination category based on at least two simple categories from the identified second plurality of simple categories, wherein none of the at least two simple categories are among the identified third plurality of simple categories.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a user indication to deactivate a simple category; and

adding the simple category to the third plurality of simple categories in response to the user indication.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a user indication to restore a simple category; and

removing the simple category from the third plurality of simple categories in response to the user indication.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first combination category is generated for display using an intervening character to join the two or more simple categories of the first combination category.

11. A method for providing media asset information using media asset categories, the method comprising:

storing, with a processor, a plurality of simple categories;

generating a first combination category based on interests of multiple users, the first combination category being associated with at least two simple categories from the plurality of simple categories; and

generating a display of the first combination category.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the generated display of the first combination category further comprises at least one simple category selected from the plurality of simple categories.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a first plurality of combination categories based on interests of multiple users, wherein the first plurality of combination categories includes the first combination category and each of the first plurality of combination categories is associated with at least two simple categories from the plurality of simple categories; and

generating a display comprising one or more of the first plurality of combination categories.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a first plurality of combination categories by identifying all possible combinations of at least two simple categories from the plurality of simple categories, wherein the first plurality of combination categories includes the first combination category; and

generating a display comprising one or more of the plurality of combination categories.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying a media asset that matches the first combination category; and

generating a display comprising information about the identified media asset.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying a plurality of media assets, wherein each media asset of the plurality of media assets matches the first combination category;

generating a display comprising information about each of the identified plurality of media assets.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a second plurality of combination categories based on interests of multiple users, wherein the second plurality of combination categories does not include the first combination category and each of the second plurality of combination categories is associated with at least two simple categories from the plurality of simple categories;

identifying a media asset that matches the first combination category but does not match any of the second plurality of combination categories; and

generating a display comprising information about the identified media asset.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a user indication to deactivate a second combination category, wherein the second combination category is associated with at least two simple categories from the plurality of simple categories; and

adding the second combination category to the second plurality of combination categories in response to the user indication.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a user indication to restore a second combination category, wherein the second combination category is associated with at least two simple categories from the plurality of simple categories; and

removing the second combination category from the second plurality of combination categories in response to the user indication.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the first combination category is generated for display using an intervening character to join the two or more simple categories of the first combination category.

21. A system for providing media asset information using media asset categories, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

store a first plurality of simple categories;

identify a second plurality of simple categories from the first plurality of simple categories based on interests of multiple users;

generate a first combination category, wherein the first combination category is based on at least two simple categories from the identified second plurality of simple categories; and

generate a display of the first combination category.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the generated display of the first combination category further comprises at least one simple category selected from the second plurality of simple categories.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

generate a plurality of combination categories, wherein each of the plurality of combination categories is based on at least two simple categories from the identified second plurality of simple categories; and

generate a display comprising one or more of the plurality of combination categories.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

generate a plurality of combination categories by identifying all possible combinations of at least two simple categories from the identified second plurality of simple categories; and

generate a display comprising one or more of the plurality of combination categories.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify a media asset that matches the first combination category; and

generate a display comprising information about to the identified media asset.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify a plurality of media assets that match the first combination category; and

generate a display comprising information about each of the plurality of media assets.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify a third plurality of simple categories selected from the first plurality of simple categories based on the interests of multiple users; and

generate the first combination category based on at least two simple categories from the identified second plurality of simple categories, wherein none of the at least two simple categories are among the identified third plurality of simple categories.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a user indication to deactivate a simple category; and

add the simple category to the third plurality of simple categories in response to the user indication.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a user indication to restore a simple category; and

remove the simple category from the third plurality of simple categories in response to the user indication.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the first combination category is generated for display using an intervening character to join the two or more simple categories of the first combination category.

31. A system for providing media asset information using media asset categories, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

store a plurality of simple categories;

generate a first combination category based on interests of multiple users, the first combination category being associated with at least two simple categories from the plurality of simple categories; and

generate a display of the first combination category.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the generation of a display further comprises at least one simple category selected from the plurality of simple categories.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

generate a first plurality of combination categories based on interests of multiple users, wherein the first plurality of combination categories includes the first combination category and each of the first plurality of combination categories is associated with at least two simple categories from the plurality of simple categories; and

generate a display comprising one or more of the first plurality of combination categories.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

generate a first plurality of combination categories by identifying all possible combinations of at least two simple categories from the plurality of simple categories, wherein the first plurality of combination categories includes the first combination category; and

generate a display comprising one or more of the plurality of combination categories.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify a media asset that matches the first combination category; and

generate a display comprising information about the identified media asset.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify a plurality of media assets, wherein each media asset of the plurality of media assets matches the first combination category;

generate a display comprising information about each of the identified plurality of media assets.

37. The system of claim 31, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

generate a second plurality of combination categories based on interests of multiple users, wherein the second plurality of combination categories does not include the first combination category and each of the second plurality of combination categories is associated with at least two simple categories from the plurality of simple categories;

identify a media asset that matches the first combination category but does not match any of the second plurality of combination categories; and

generate a display comprising information about the identified media asset.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a user indication to deactivate a second combination category, wherein the second combination category is associated with at least two simple categories from the plurality of simple categories; and

add the second combination category to the second plurality of combination categories in response to the user indication.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a user indication to restore a second combination category, wherein the second combination category is associated with at least two simple categories from the plurality of simple categories; and

remove the second combination category from the second plurality of combination categories in response to the user indication.

40. The system of claim 31, wherein the first combination category is generated for display using an intervening character to join the two or more simple categories of the first combination category.