Systems and methods for contextually linking television program information

• US 9,113,207 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2011
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Schein, Steven M., O'Brien, Sean A., Leftwich, James J., Broughton, Susan
• Primary Examiner(s): IDOWU, OLUGBENGA O
• Application Number:
  US13/082,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20110185387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 725/46, 725/47
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/2625 for delaying content or additional data distribution, e.g. because of an extended sport event
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26266 for determining content or additional data repetition rate, e.g. of a file in a DVB carousel according to its importance arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4435 Memory management allocation of memory to service a request G06F9/5016; addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures G06F12/02
• 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• 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 21/47815 : Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 : e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 : Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 : for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule information to a viewer, and for allowing the viewer to link, search, select and interact with information in a remote database, e.g., a database on the internet. The television schedule information can be displayed on a variety of viewer interfaces, such as televisions screens, computer monitors, PCTV screens and the like. The television schedule information may be stored on the viewer'"'"'s computer, television, PCTV, or a remote server (e.g., a website), or the television schedule information may be downloaded from a remote database to the viewer'"'"'s computer, television or PCTV.

Claims

1. An interactive media delivery system including a display screen comprising:

a database local to a viewer for storing schedule information including information about media programs and a plurality of criteria associated with each media program;

a microprocessor local to the viewer configured to automatically, without user intervention;

generate a set of favorite criteria about media programs that the viewer would likely be interested in,

search the database for identifying a media program that includes at least one of the favorite criteria,

in response to identifying the media program that includes the at least one of the favorite criteria, automatically tag the identified media program that includes the at least one of the favorite criteria in the local database; and

a recording device configured to automatically, without user intervention, and independently from the searching for identifying the media program that includes the at least one of the favorite criteria;

search the database for identifying media programs with a tag, wherein during a same search two or more tagged media programs are identified, and

store only a portion of video corresponding to the identified two or more media programs that also corresponds to the criterion, while refraining from storing any portion of the video corresponding to the identified two or more media programs that does not correspond to the criterion.

2. The interactive media delivery system of claim 1 further comprising a display controller for automatically displaying on the display screen a portion of the schedule information including the identified media programs in guide format.

3. The interactive media delivery system of claim 1 wherein the favorite criteria includes one or more of actor'"'"'s name, director'"'"'s name, type of program, other broadcast times, other broadcast sources, and program theme.

4. The interactive media delivery system of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is configured to monitor and store the viewer'"'"'s selections of media programs, and to heuristically learn the viewer'"'"'s favorite criteria according to the viewer'"'"'s selections of media programs.

5. The interactive media delivery system of claim 1 wherein the activated function includes automatically tuning to the tagged media programs at a scheduled telecast time.

6. The interactive media delivery system of claim 1 wherein the activated function includes automatically downloading a copy of the tagged media programs to a digital storage medium at a scheduled telecast time.

7. A method for identifying favorite media programs for a viewer in an interactive media delivery system having a display screen, the method comprising:

storing media schedule information in a database local to the viewer including information about media programs and a plurality of criteria associated with each media program;

automatically, without user intervention;

generating a set of favorite criteria about media programs that the viewer would likely be interested in;

searching the database for identifying a media program that includes at least one of the favorite criteria;

in response to identifying the media program that includes the at least one of the favorite criteria, automatically tag the identified media program that includes the at least one of the favorite criteria in the local database; and

automatically, without user intervention, and independently from the searching for identifying the media program that includes at least one of the favorite criteria;

search the database for identifying media programs with a tag, wherein during a same search two or more tagged media programs are identified, and

store only a portion of video corresponding to the identified two or more media programs that also corresponds to the criterion, while refraining from storing any portion of the video corresponding to the identified two or more media programs that does not correspond to the criterion.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising automatically displaying on the display screen a portion of the schedule information including the identified media programs in guide format.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the favorite criteria includes one or more of actor'"'"'s name, director'"'"'s name, type of program, other broadcast times, other broadcast sources, and program theme.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of automatically generating a favorite criteria comprises monitoring and storing the viewer'"'"'s selections of media programs, and heuristically learning the viewer'"'"'s favorite criteria according to the viewer'"'"'s selections of media programs.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of activating a function of the interactive media delivery system comprises automatically tuning to the tagged media programs at a scheduled telecast time.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of automatically activating a function of the interactive media delivery system comprises automatically downloading a copy of the tagged media programs to a digital storage medium at a scheduled telecast time.

13. An interactive media delivery system including a display screen comprising:

means local to a viewer for storing media schedule information including information about media programs and a plurality of criteria associated with each media program; and

means local to the viewer for automatically, without user intervention;

generating a set of favorite criteria about media programs that the viewer would likely be interested in,

searching the database for identifying a media program that includes at least one of the favorite criteria,

tagging the identified media program stored in the local database that includes the at least one of the favorite criteria, and, in response to the automatic tagging; and

means local to the viewer for automatically, without user intervention, and independently from the searching for identifying the media program that includes at least one of the favorite criteria;

searching the database for identifying media programs with a tag, wherein during a same search two or more tagged media programs are identified, and

storing only a portion of video corresponding to the identified two or more media programs that also corresponds to a criterion of the favorite criteria, while refraining from storing any portion of the video corresponding to the identified two or more media programs that does not correspond to the criterion.

14. The interactive media delivery system of claim 13 further comprising means for automatically displaying on the display screen a portion of the schedule information including the identified media programs in guide format.

15. The interactive media delivery system of claim 13 wherein the favorite criteria includes one or more of actor'"'"'s name, director'"'"'s name, and type of program.

16. The interactive media delivery system of claim 13 wherein the means for automatically generating a favorite criteria comprises means for monitoring and storing the viewer'"'"'s selections of media programs, and heuristically learning the viewer'"'"'s favorite criteria according to the viewer'"'"'s selections of media programs.

17. A method comprising:

automatically, without user intervention;

generating a set of criteria associated with media assets that a viewer would likely be interested in;

searching to identify a media asset that is associated with a criterion of the set of criteria;

in response to identifying the media asset, automatically tagging metadata associated with the identified media asset; and

automatically, without user intervention, and independently from the searching to identify the identified media asset;

searching to locate media assets associated with tagged metadata, wherein during a same search two or more media assets that are associated with the tagged metadata are identified, and

storing only a portion of video corresponding to the identified two or more media assets that also corresponds to the criterion, while refraining from storing any portion of the video corresponding to the identified two or more media assets that does not correspond to the criterion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the invoked function comprises automatically causing the located media assets to be recorded.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the invoked function comprises automatically causing a reminder associated with the located media assets to be set.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the invoked function comprises automatically downloading a copy of the located media assets to a digital storage medium.

21. A system comprising a processor configured to:

automatically, without user intervention;

generate a set of criteria associated with media assets that a viewer would likely be interested in;

search to identify a media asset that is associated with a criterion of the set of criteria;

in response to identifying the media asset, automatically tag metadata associated with the identified media asset; and

automatically, without user intervention, and independently from the searching to identify the identified media asset;

search to locate media assets associated with tagged metadata, wherein during a same search two or more media assets that are associated with the tagged metadata are identified, and

store only a portion of video corresponding to the identified two or more media assets that also corresponds to the criterion, while refraining from storing any portion of the video corresponding to the identified two or more media assets that does not correspond to the criterion.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the invoked function comprises automatically causing the located media assets to be recorded.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the invoked function comprises automatically causing a reminder associated with the located media assets to be set.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the invoked function comprises automatically downloading a copy of the located media assets to a digital storage medium.