Program guide system with video-on-demand browsing

• US 8,918,811 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US13/419,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20120192232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 725/41, 725/87, 725/91, 725/93, 725/95, 725/97
• US Class Current: 725/41
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

An interactive television program guide system is provided in which a viewer may direct a television to simultaneously display a selected television program and a program guide display. A viewer may use the program guide display to browse available video-on-demand (VOD) while continuing to view a previously selected program in the background. The viewer may browse through video-on-demand programs on the program guide display using a variety of keys on a remote control unit. The viewer may direct the program guide to order a given video-on-demand program and set a desired broadcast time for that program.

Claims

1. A method for providing on-demand program information, the method comprising:

generating for display a listing for an on-demand program, wherein the listing comprises information identifying the on-demand program, and (i) when a video clip preview is available for the on-demand program, an indicator is displayed with the listing, and (ii) when a video clip preview is not available for the on-demand program, the indicator is not displayed with the listing, wherein the indicator is displayed with the listing after determining that the video clip preview is available for the on-demand program;

receiving a request to access the video clip preview for the listing when the listing is displayed with the indicator; and

retrieving, upon receiving the request, the video clip preview from a server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the listing is one of a plurality of listings for on-demand programs, the method further comprising:

providing the plurality of listings to the display, wherein each listing is displayed with a respective indicator when a video clip preview is available for the respective on-demand program.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an ordering option after the video clip preview is displayed.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user selectable window; and

providing the retrieved video clip preview in the user-selectable window.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a source identifier associated with the on-demand program; and

wherein retrieving the video clip preview from the server is performed using the associated source identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the listing is user-selectable, further comprising:

providing the retrieved video clip preview to the display with the listing, wherein the retrieved video clip preview is displayed with the listing and the indicator.

7. A system for providing on-demand program information, the system comprising:

circuitry configured to;

generate for display a listing for an on-demand program wherein the listing comprises information identifying the video-on-demand program, and (i) when a video clip preview is available for the on-demand program, an indicator is displayed with the listing, and (ii) when a video clip preview is not available for the on-demand program, the indicator is not displayed with the listing, wherein the indicator is displayed with the listing after determining that the video clip preview is available for the on-demand program;

receive a request from a receiver to access the video clip preview for the listing when the listing is displayed with the indicator; and

retrieve, upon receiving the request, the video clip preview from a server.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the listing is one of a plurality of listings for on-demand programs, and the circuitry is further configured to:

provide the plurality of listings to the display, wherein each listing is displayed with a respective indicator when a video clip preview is available for the respective on-demand program.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

provide an ordering display option after the video clip preview is displayed.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

provide a user selectable window to the display; and

provide the retrieved video clip preview in the user-selectable window to the display.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

receive a source identifier associated with the on-demand program; and

wherein retrieving the video clip preview from the-server-is performed using the associated source identifier.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the listing is user-selectable and the circuitry is further configured to:

provide the retrieved video clip preview to the display with the listing, wherein the retrieved video clip preview is displayed with the listing and the indicator.

13. A method for providing on-demand program information, the method comprising:

generating for display a listing display element for an on-demand program, wherein the listing display element includes program information for the on-demand program and an indicator that a video clip preview is available for the on-demand program, wherein the program information and the indicator are displayed within the listing display element after a determination is made that a video clip preview is available for the on-demand program;

receiving a request to access the video clip preview; and

retrieving, upon receiving the request, the video clip preview from a server.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

prior to generating the listing display element for the on-demand program, determining whether the video clip preview is available for the on-demand program; and

responsive to determining that the video clip preview is available for the on-demand program, generating the listing display element for the on-demand program that includes the indicator and the program information.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the listing display element is a cell.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the listing display element is a first listing display element, the indicator is a first indicator, the on-demand program is a first on-demand program, the video clip preview is a first video clip preview for the first on-demand program, and the program information is a first program information for the first on-demand program, the method further comprising:

generating a second listing display element for a second on-demand program, wherein the second listing display element includes second program information for the second on-demand program and a second indicator that a second video clip preview is available for the second on-demand program;

simultaneously displaying the second listing display element, with the first listing display element, wherein the second program information and the second indicator are displayed within the second listing display element.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing an ordering option after the video clip preview is displayed.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

providing a user selectable video window; and

providing the retrieved video clip preview in the user-selectable window.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving a source identifier associated with the on-demand program; and

wherein retrieving the video clip preview from the server is performed using the associated source identifier.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

providing the listing display element as a partial screen overlay.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

providing detailed information regarding the on-demand program to a detailed information screen, wherein the indicator that indicates the video clip preview is available is displayed in the detailed information screen.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the listing display element is user-selectable, further comprising:

providing the retrieved video clip preview to the display with the listing display element, wherein the retrieved video clip preview is displayed with the listing display element and the indicator.

23. A system for providing on-demand program information, the system comprising:

circuitry configured to;

generate for display a listing display element for an on-demand program, wherein the listing display element includes program information for the on-demand program and an indicator that a video clip preview is available for the on-demand program, wherein the program information and the indicator are displayed within the listing display element after a determination is made that a video clip preview is available for the on-demand program;

receive a request from a receiver to access the video clip preview; and

retrieve, upon receiving the request, the video clip preview from a server.

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

prior to generating the listing display element for the on-demand program, determine whether the video clip preview is available for the on-demand program; and

responsive to determining that the video clip preview is available for the on-demand program, generate the listing display element for the on-demand program that includes the indicator and the program information.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the listing display element is a cell.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the listing display element is a first listing display element, the indicator is a first indicator, the on-demand program is a first on-demand program, the video clip preview is a first video clip preview for the first on-demand program, and the program information is a first program information for the first on-demand program, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

generate a second listing display element for a second on-demand program, wherein the second listing display element includes second program information for the second on-demand program and a second indicator that a second video clip preview is available for the second on-demand program;

direct the display to simultaneously display the second listing display element, with the first listing display element, wherein the second program information and the second indicator are displayed within the second listing display element.

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

provide an ordering option after the video clip preview is displayed to the display.

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

provide a user selectable video window to the display; and

provide the retrieved video clip preview in the user-selectable window to the display.

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

receive a source identifier associated with the on-demand program; and

wherein retrieving the video clip preview from the server is performed using the associated source identifier.

30. The system of claim 23 wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

provide the listing display element as a partial screen overlay.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

provide detailed information regarding the on-demand program to a detailed information screen, wherein the indicator that indicates the video clip preview is available is displayed in the detailed information screen.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein the listing display element is user-selectable and the circuitry is further configured to:

provide the retrieved video clip preview to the display with the listing display element, wherein the retrieved video clip preview is displayed with the listing display element and the indicator.