Search-based media program guide systems and methods
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving a program guide data search request with a media content access subsystem, said program guide data search request including a keyword search term;
searching, by said media content access subsystem, program guide data to identify at least one matching media content instance based on said program guide data search request;
generating, by said media content access subsystem, a virtual search channel associated with said program guide data search request; and
generating, by said media content access subsystem, data representative of a search-based program guide view for display in a graphical user interface, said search-based program guide view exhibiting graphical data representative of said virtual search channel and indicating said keyword search term as being associated with said virtual search channel;
wherein said at least one matching media content instance comprises a plurality of matching media content instances for said virtual search channel graphically represented in said search-based program guide, said virtual search channel comprisinga first row associated with a first media content carrier channel and including graphical data representative of a first subset of said plurality of matching media content instances for said virtual search channel, anda second row associated with a second media content carrier channel and including graphical data representative of a second subset of said plurality of matching media content instances for said virtual search channel.
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Abstract
An exemplary method includes receiving a program guide data search request, associating a time block with the program guide data search request, identifying a set of program guide data associated with the time block, searching the set of program guide data associated with the time block to identify at least one matching media content instance based on the program guide data search request, and generating data representative of a search-based program guide view for display in a graphical user interface, the search-based program guide view exhibiting graphical data representative of the at least one matching media content instance. In certain embodiments, the method further comprises generating a virtual search channel associated with the program guide data search request and providing graphical data representative of the virtual search channel for display in the search-based program guide view. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
153 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving a program guide data search request with a media content access subsystem, said program guide data search request including a keyword search term; searching, by said media content access subsystem, program guide data to identify at least one matching media content instance based on said program guide data search request; generating, by said media content access subsystem, a virtual search channel associated with said program guide data search request; and generating, by said media content access subsystem, data representative of a search-based program guide view for display in a graphical user interface, said search-based program guide view exhibiting graphical data representative of said virtual search channel and indicating said keyword search term as being associated with said virtual search channel; wherein said at least one matching media content instance comprises a plurality of matching media content instances for said virtual search channel graphically represented in said search-based program guide, said virtual search channel comprising a first row associated with a first media content carrier channel and including graphical data representative of a first subset of said plurality of matching media content instances for said virtual search channel, and a second row associated with a second media content carrier channel and including graphical data representative of a second subset of said plurality of matching media content instances for said virtual search channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method comprising:
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maintaining, by a media content access subsystem, data representative of a plurality of program guide data search requests including at least one keyword search term associated with each one of said plurality of program guide data search requests; searching, by said media content access subsystem, program guide data to identify at least one matching media content instance for each of said program guide data search requests based on said at least one keyword search term for each one of said plurality of said program guide data search requests; generating, by said media content access subsystem, a plurality of virtual search channels, each of said virtual search channels corresponding to one of said program guide data search requests based on said at least one keyword search term for said one of said program guide data search requests; and generating, by said media content access subsystem, data representative of a search-based program guide view for display in a graphical user interface, said search-based program guide view including graphical data representative of said plurality of virtual search channels and indicating said at least one keyword search term for each of said plurality of said virtual search channels, and, within each of said virtual search channels, graphical data representative of said at least one matching media content instance; wherein said at least one matching media content instance comprises a plurality of matching media content instances for a virtual search channel included in said plurality of virtual search channels graphically represented in said search-based program guide, said virtual search channel comprising a first row associated with a first media content carrier channel and including graphical data representative of a first subset of said plurality of matching media content instances for said virtual search channel, and a second row associated with a second media content carrier channel and including graphical data representative of a second subset of said plurality of matching media content instances for said virtual search channel. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A system comprising:
at least one computing device comprising a processor and including; a processing facility; a storage facility communicatively coupled to said processing facility, said storage facility storing program guide data; a search guide facility communicatively coupled to said processing facility and that directs said processing facility to receive a program guide data search request that includes a keyword search term, search program guide data to identify at least one matching media content instance based on said program guide data search request, generate a virtual search channel associated with said program guide data search request, and generate and provide data representative of a search-based program guide view for display in a graphical user interface, said search-based program guide view exhibiting graphical data representative of said virtual search channel and indicating said keyword search term as being associated with said virtual search channel; wherein said at least one matching media content instance comprises a plurality of matching media content instances for said virtual search channel graphically represented in said search-based program guide, said virtual search channel comprising a first row associated with a first media content carrier channel and including graphical data representative of a first subset of said plurality of matching media content instances for said virtual search channel, and a second row associated with a second media content carrier channel and including graphical data representative of a second subset of said plurality of matching media content instances for said virtual search channel. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system comprising:
at least one computing device comprising a processor and including; a processing facility; a storage facility communicatively coupled to said processing facility, said storage facility storing program guide data; a search guide facility communicatively coupled to said processing facility and that directs said processing facility to maintain data representative of a plurality of program guide data search requests including at least one keyword search term associated with each one of said plurality of program guide data search requests, search said program guide data to identify at least one matching media content instance for each of said program guide data search requests based on said at least one keyword search term for each one of said plurality of said program guide data search requests, generate a plurality of virtual search channels, each of said virtual search channels corresponding to one of said program guide data search requests, and generate data representative of a search-based program guide view for display in a graphical user interface, said search-based program guide view including graphical data representative of said plurality of virtual search channels and indicating said at least one keyword search term for each of said plurality of said virtual search channels, and, within each of said virtual search channels, graphical data representative of said at least one matching media content instance, wherein said at least one matching media content instance comprises a plurality of matching media content instances for a virtual search channel included in said plurality of virtual search channels graphically represented in said search-based program guide, said virtual search channel comprising a first row associated with a first media content carrier channel and including graphical data representative of a first subset of said plurality of matching media content instances for said virtual search channel, and a second row associated with a second media content carrier channel and including graphical data representative of a second subset of said plurality of matching media content instances for said virtual search channel.
Specification