Program guide system with combination category search

• US 9,084,016 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Knudson, Edward B., Hassell, Joel G., Ellis, Michael D., Thomas, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US14/527,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20150052560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: 725 45- 47, 725/50, 725/52
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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, using control circuitry, a plurality of simple categories;

computing for the plurality of simple categories a frequency of use associated with each of the plurality of simple categories;

generating a first combination category using at least two simple categories from the plurality of simple categories based on the frequency of use associated with each of the plurality of simple categories; and

generating for display the first combination category.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating for display at least one simple category selected from the 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 in the plurality of simple categories; and

generating for display 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 plurality of simple categories;

ranking the plurality of combination categories based on the frequency of use of the at least two simple categories associated with each of the plurality of combination categories; and

generating the first combination category based on the ranking.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

generating for display 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 for display information about each of the plurality of media assets.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of simple categories is a first plurality of simple categories, the method further comprising:

identifying a second plurality of simple categories, selected from the first plurality of simple categories; and

generating the first combination category based on at least two simple categories from the first plurality of simple categories, wherein none of the at least two simple categories is among the identified second 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 second 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 second 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 system for providing media asset information using media asset categories, the system comprising:

storage circuitry configured to store a plurality of simple categories; and

control circuitry configured to;

compute for the plurality of simple categories a frequency of use associated with each of the plurality of simple categories;

generate a first combination category using at least two simple categories from the plurality of simple categories based on the frequency of use associated with each of the plurality of simple categories; and

generate for display the first combination category.

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

generate for display at least one simple category selected from the plurality of simple categories.

13. The system of claim 11, 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 in the plurality of simple categories; and

generate for display one or more of the plurality of combination categories.

14. The system of claim 11, 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 plurality of simple categories;

rank the plurality of combination categories based on the frequency of use of the at least two simple categories associated with each of the plurality of combination categories; and

generate the first combination category based on the ranking.

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

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

generate for display information about the identified media asset.

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

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

generate for display information about each of the plurality of media assets.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of simple categories is a first plurality of simple categories, and the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify a second plurality of simple categories, selected from the first plurality of simple categories; and

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

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a user indication to deactivate a simple category; and

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

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a user indication to restore a simple category; and

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

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is configured to generate for display the first combination category using an intervening character to join the two or more simple categories of the first combination category.