Television schedule system and method of operation for multiple program occurrences

• US 8,955,013 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2013
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Schein, Steven M., Warden, David P., King, Molly K., Alba, Theresa A., Russman, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAIG, SAHAR A
• Application Number:
  US14/011,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20140101698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 725/40, 725/43, 725/46, 725/48, 725/49, 725/53, 725/58
• US Class Current: 725/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/4622 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

An improved television guide system. According to one embodiment of the invention, television guide information is provided that includes multiple occurrences of a single show. The guide system of the present invention allows the user to identify a show and, thereafter, identify when the identified show will be played again. Accordingly, the user may more easily select shows for viewing or recordation.

Claims

1. A method for determining that a program is accessible from a broadcast source, the method comprising:

generating a display of a plurality of non-broadcast program listings associated with a plurality of programs accessible from a non-broadcast source;

receiving a user selection of a first non-broadcast program listing of the plurality of non-broadcast program listings in the generated display;

determining, based on information corresponding to the broadcast source, that the program associated with the first non-broadcast program listing is accessible from the broadcast source; and

causing an indication that the program is accessible from the broadcast source to be displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-broadcast source comprises an Internet source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-broadcast source comprises a video vendor source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises information identifying an occurrence of the program accessible from the broadcast source.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording an occurrence of the program accessible from the broadcast source responsive to a user selection of the indication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information corresponding to the broadcast source is received from the broadcast source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information corresponding to the broadcast source is received from the non-broadcast source.

8. A method for determining that a program is accessible from a non-broadcast source, the method comprising:

generating a display of a plurality of broadcast program listings associated with a plurality of programs accessible from a broadcast source;

receiving a user selection of a first broadcast program listing of the plurality of broadcast program listings in the generated display;

determining, based on information corresponding to the non-broadcast source, that the program associated with the first broadcast program listing is accessible from the non-broadcast source; and

causing an indication that that the program is accessible from the non-broadcast source to be displayed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the non-broadcast source comprises an Internet source.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the non-broadcast source comprises a video vendor source.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the indication comprises information identifying an occurrence of the program accessible from the non-broadcast source.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising downloading the program from the non-broadcast source responsive to a user selection of the indication.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the information corresponding to the non-broadcast source is received from the broadcast source.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the information corresponding to the non-broadcast source is received from the non-broadcast source.

15. A system for determining that a program is accessible from a broadcast source, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

generate a display of a plurality of non-broadcast program listings associated with a plurality of programs accessible from a non-broadcast source;

receive a user selection of a first non-broadcast program listing of the plurality of non-broadcast program listings in the generated display;

determine, based on information corresponding to the broadcast source, that the program associated with the first non-broadcast program listing is accessible from the broadcast source; and

cause an indication that the program is accessible from the broadcast source to be displayed.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the non-broadcast source comprises an Internet source.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the non-broadcast source comprises a video vendor source.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the indication comprises information identifying an occurrence of the program accessible from the broadcast source.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to record an occurrence of the program accessible from the broadcast source responsive to a user selection of the indication.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the information corresponding to the broadcast source is received from the broadcast source.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the information corresponding to the broadcast source is received from the non-broadcast source.

22. A system for determining that a program is accessible from a non-broadcast source, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

generate a display of a plurality of broadcast program listings associated with a plurality of programs accessible from a broadcast source;

receive a user selection of a first broadcast program listing of the plurality of broadcast program listings in the generated display;

determine, based on information corresponding to the non-broadcast source, that the program associated with the first broadcast program listing is accessible from the non-broadcast source; and

cause an indication that that the program is accessible from the non-broadcast source to be displayed.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the non-broadcast source comprises an Internet source.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the non-broadcast source comprises a video vendor source.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the indication comprises information identifying an occurrence of the program accessible from the non-broadcast source.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to download the program from the non-broadcast source responsive to a user selection of the indication.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the information corresponding to the non-broadcast source is received from the broadcast source.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the information corresponding to the non-broadcast source is received from the non-broadcast source.

29. A method for determining that a program is accessible from a non-broadcast source, the method comprising:

generating a display of a plurality of program identifiers, wherein the plurality of program identifiers corresponds one-to-one with a plurality of programs, and wherein the plurality of program identifiers in the generated display comprises;

a program identifier corresponding to a program accessible from the non-broadcast source; and

a program identifier corresponding to a program accessible from a different source than the non-broadcast source;

receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of program identifiers in the generated display, wherein the selected one program identifier corresponds to a first of the plurality of programs;

determining, based on information associated with the non-broadcast source and the different source, that the first program is accessible from the non-broadcast source and from the different source; and

generating, in response to receiving the user selection, a display of a plurality of indications, wherein the plurality of indications comprises an indication that the first program is accessible from the non-broadcast source and an indication that the first program is accessible from the different source.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the non-broadcast source comprises an Internet source.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising downloading the first program from the Internet source in response to a user selection of the displayed indication that the first program is accessible from the non-broadcast source.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the different source is a broadcast source.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the different source is a second non-broadcast source.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the non-broadcast source comprises an Internet source, and wherein the second non-broadcast source comprises a video vendor source

35. The method of claim 29, wherein:

the indication that the first program is accessible from the non-broadcast source comprises information identifying an occurrence of the first program accessible from the non-broadcast source; and

the indication that the first program is accessible from the different source comprises information identifying an occurrence of the first program accessible from the different source.

36. The method of claim 29, further comprising receiving the information associated with the non-broadcast source and the different source from the non-broadcast source.

37. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving information associated with the non-broadcast source from the non-broadcast source; and

receiving information associated with the different source from the different source.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein generating the display of the plurality of program identifiers comprises:

determining that a first occurrence of a second program is accessible from the non-broadcast source;

determining that a second occurrence of the second program is accessible from the different source; and

causing a single program identifier corresponding to the second program to be displayed.

39. A system for determining that a program is accessible from a non-broadcast source, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

generate a display of a plurality of program identifiers, wherein the plurality of program identifiers corresponds one-to-one with a plurality of programs, and wherein the plurality of program identifiers in the generated display comprises;

a program identifier corresponding to a program accessible from the non-broadcast source; and

a program identifier corresponding to a program accessible from a different source than the non-broadcast source;

receive a user selection of one of the plurality of program identifiers in the generated display, wherein the selected one program identifier corresponds to a first of the plurality of programs;

determine, based on information associated with the non-broadcast source and the different source, that the first program is accessible from the non-broadcast source and from the different source; and

generate, in response to receiving the user selection, a display of a plurality of indications, wherein the plurality of indications comprises an indication that the first program is accessible from the non-broadcast source and an indication that the first program is accessible from the different source.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the non-broadcast source comprises an Internet source.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive the first program from the Internet source in response to a user selection of the indication that the first program is accessible from the non-broadcast source.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein the different source is a broadcast source.

43. The system of claim 39, wherein the different source is a second non-broadcast source.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the non-broadcast source comprises an Internet source, and wherein the second non-broadcast source comprises a video vendor source

45. The system of claim 39, wherein:

the indication that the first program is accessible from the non-broadcast source comprises information identifying an occurrence of the first program accessible from the non-broadcast source; and

the indication that the first program is accessible from the different source comprises information identifying an occurrence of the first program accessible from the different source.

46. The system of claim 39, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive the information associated with the non-broadcast source and the different source from the non-broadcast source.

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

receive information associated with the non-broadcast source from the non-broadcast source; and

receive information associated with the different source from the different source.

48. The system of claim 39, wherein the control circuitry is configured to generate the display of the plurality of program identifiers by being further configured to:

determine that a first occurrence of a second program is accessible from the non-broadcast source;

determine that a second occurrence of the second program is accessible from the different source; and

cause a single program identifier corresponding to the second program to be displayed.