User-based program guide methods and systems

• US 9,003,448 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian F., Relyea, Donald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks, Charles N
• Application Number:
  US12/981,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20120174162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 725 46- 52
• US Class Current: 725/46
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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

Abstract

An exemplary method includes a media content delivery system 1) providing a program guide view of a program guide for display within a viewing area of a display screen, the program guide comprising a navigable user axis representative of a plurality of users selected by a main user as being of interest to the main user and a time axis representative of a plurality of time slots, and 2) presenting, within the program guide view, information identifying one or more media content instances designated for access during one or more time slots included in the plurality of time slots by one or more users included in the plurality of users. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by a media content delivery system, a program guide view of a program guide for display within a viewing area of a display screen associated with a main user, the program guide comprising a navigable user axis representative of a plurality of other users selected by the main user as being of interest to the main user and a time axis representative of a plurality of time slots, the navigable user axis comprising a plurality of positions each corresponding to a particular user included in the plurality of other users; and

presenting, by the media content delivery system within the program guide view, information identifying one or more media content instances designated, by one or more users included in the plurality of other users, for access during one or more time slots included in the plurality of time slots,

wherein the one or more media content instances designated for access during the one or more time slots comprise at least one of

a media content instance accessed by the one or more users prior to a current time associated with the display of the program guide view,

a media content instance being currently accessed at the current time by the one or more users, and

a media content instance scheduled for access subsequent to the current time by the one or more users.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating, by the media content delivery system in response to a user input command provided by the main user to navigate along the user axis, at least a portion of the information presented within the program guide view with additional information identifying one or more media content instances designated, by the one or more users included in the plurality of other users, for access during the one or more time slots.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the program guide further comprises a matrix of cells arranged relative to the user axis and the time axis;

the navigable user axis further comprises a particular set of one or more cells within the matrix of cells; and

the presenting comprises presenting the information identifying the one or more media content instances designated for axis by the particular user within the particular set of one or more cells.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the program guide further comprises a channel axis representative of one or more channels; and

the user axis is perpendicular to a plane defined by the time axis and the channel axis.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the program guide further comprises an additional time axis representative of a plurality of dates; and

the user axis is perpendicular to a plane defined by the time axis and the additional time axis.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the program guide comprises a matrix of cells each associated with one of the one or more media content instances, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the media content delivery system, a user input command provided by the main user to select a cell included in the matrix of cells and corresponding to a particular media content instance included in the one or more media content instances; and

presenting, by the media content delivery system in response to the user input command, additional content associated with the particular media content instance.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, by the media content delivery system, an option to subscribe to the one or more of the media content instances designated, by the one or more users included in the plurality of other users, for access.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, by the media content delivery system within the program guide view, one or more media content recommendations provided by the one or more users included in the plurality of other users.

9. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, by the media content delivery system within the program guide view, a user management graphical user interface including a selectable option configured to allow the main user to find and select one or more users for inclusion in the plurality of other users selected by the main user as being of interest to the main user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user management graphical user interface further includes a selectable option configured to allow the main user to remove one or more of the users included in the plurality of other users selected by the main user from the plurality of other users.

12. A method comprising:

detecting, by a media content delivery system, a designation, by one or more users, of access to one or more media content instances available by way of a service provider network, the one or more users being different than a main user and selected by the main user as being of interest to the main user;

providing, by the media content delivery system in response to input provided by the main user, a program guide view of a program guide associated with the service provider network for display within a viewing area of a display screen; and

presenting, by the media content delivery system within the program guide view, information identifying the one or more media content instances designated, by the one or more users, for access,

wherein the one or more media content instances designated, by the one or more users, for access comprise at least one of a media content instance accessed by the one or more users prior to a current time associated with the display of the program guide view, a media content instance being currently accessed at the current time by the one or more users, and a media content instance scheduled for access subsequent to the current time by the one or more users.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the program guide further comprises a matrix of cells arranged relative to a navigable user axis representative of the one or more users and a time axis representative of a plurality of time slots, the navigable user axis comprising a plurality of positions each corresponding to a particular user included in the one or more users and a particular set of one or more cells within the matrix of cells.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the program guide further comprises a matrix of cells arranged relative to a channel axis representative of a plurality of channels and a time axis representative of a plurality of time slots; and

the presenting comprises presenting a display element identifying a user included in the one or more users within a cell corresponding to a media content instance that the user has designated for access and that is included in the one or more media content instances.

15. The method of claim 12, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

16. A system comprising:

a program guide facility configured to provide a program guide view of a program guide for display within a viewing area of a display screen associated with a main user, the program guide comprising a navigable user axis representative of a plurality of other users selected by the main user as being of interest to the main user and a time axis representative of a plurality of time slots; and

a presentation facility communicatively coupled to the program guide facility and configured to present information within the program guide view, the information identifying one or more media content instances designated, by one or more users included in the plurality of other users, for access during one or more time slots included in the plurality of time slots,

wherein

the navigable user axis comprises a plurality of positions each corresponding to a particular user included in the plurality of other users, and

the one or more media content instances designated for access during the one or more time slots comprise at least one of a media content instance accessed by the one or more users prior to a current time associated with the display of the program guide view, a media content instance being currently accessed at the current time by the one or more users, and a media content instance scheduled for access subsequent to the current time by the one or more users.

17. A system comprising:

a detection facility configured to detect a designation, by one or more users, of access to one or more media content instances available by way of a service provider network, the one or more users being different than a main user and selected by the main user as being of interest to the main user;

a program guide facility communicatively coupled to the program guide facility and configured to provide, in response to input provided by the main user, a program guide view of a program guide associated with the service provider network for display within a viewing area of a display screen; and

a presentation facility communicatively coupled to the program guide facility and configured to present information within the program guide view, the information identifying the one or more media content instances designated, by the one or more users, for access, the one or more media content instances designated, by the one or more users, for accesses comprising at least one of a media content instance accessed by the one or more users prior to a current time associated with the display of the program guide view, a media content instance being currently accessed at the current time by the one or more users, and a media content instance scheduled for access subsequent to the current time by the one or more users.