Systems and methods for providing a scan

• US 9,185,332 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Kunkel, Gerard, Radloff, Jon P., Ellis, Michael D., Craner, Michael L., Iyer, Rajeshwari B., Jakubowski, Andrzej
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEPARD, JUSTIN E
• Application Number:
  US13/353,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20120131616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• 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 21/4755 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 21/84 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

Systems and methods for a video scan are provided. The scan may be dynamically interactive and a function of characteristics of the programs in the scan (e.g., commercial breaks or the end of a program approaching) The scan may simultaneously display multiple scan windows for a plurality of programs, for example in a scan wizard. The scan wizard allows the user to simultaneously view a scan window and an information panel, select criteria for the scan from a criteria panel, and control the scan using a scan control panel. The scan may allow the user to record a program displayed in the scan without interrupting the scan (e.g., by using an additional tuner). The scan may display, within the scan interface, trick-play functions for appropriate scanned programs (e.g., recorded, cached and on-demand programs). The user may select and perform trick-play functions for a scanned program without exiting the scan mode.

Claims

1. A method for providing a video scan, comprising:

(a) identifying current programs for a scan;

(b) generating for display a first video of a first program of a scan sequence in a first video window of a plurality of video windows, wherein the first video window is in a first position;

(c) once a display length for the displayed first video of the first program has lapsed, without user input selecting and generating for display;

in the first video window, an advertisement associated with the first program instead of the displayed first video of the first program, wherein;

a portion of content of the advertisement is generated independently from the first program,

the portion of the content of the advertisement is substantially related to content of the first program, and

the portion of the content of the advertisement is content other than a trailer; and

a next video of a next program of the scan sequence in a next video window of the plurality of video windows, wherein the next video window is in a second position; and

(d) repeating step (c) until at least one video of a program has been displayed in each of at least two of the plurality of video windows.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement associated with the program is one of an advertisement still or loop associated with the program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the current programs comprise at least one of non-on-demand programs, recorded programs, and on-demand programs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the current programs include at least one of purchased pay-per-view programs and programs for which the user has set a reminder.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining criteria for the scan; and

wherein identifying current programs for the scan comprises identifying current programs related to the determined criteria.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining criteria for a scan comprises receiving a user selection of a criterion for the scan.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving a user selection of criterion for the scan comprises receiving a user selection of at least one node in a tree structure display of criteria.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein determining criteria for a scan comprises receiving a user selection of the favorites criteria.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating for simultaneous display a video window for the scanned programs, selectable criteria for selecting the programs, and scan instruction buttons.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the scan instruction buttons further comprise at least three of start/hold, skip backward, skip forward, tune, info, zoom and setting buttons.

9. The method of 5 further comprising:

receiving a user indication of a proximity threshold;

identifying the current programs that are related to the determined criteria and that satisfy the proximity threshold; and

wherein determining a scan sequence for the identified current programs comprises determining a scan sequence for the identified current programs that satisfy the proximity threshold.

12. A system for providing a video scan, comprising a display device and control circuitry, the control circuitry configured to:

(a) identify current programs for a scan;

(b) direct the display device to generate for display a first video of a first program of a scan sequence in a first video window of a plurality of video windows, wherein the first video window is in a first position;

(c) once a display length for the displayed first video of the first program has lapsed, without user input select and direct the display device to generate for display;

in the first video window, an advertisement associated with the first program instead of the displayed first video of the first program, wherein;

a portion of content of the advertisement is generated independently from the first program,

the portion of the content of the advertisement is substantially related to content of the first program, and

the portion of the content of the advertisement is content other than a trailer; and

a next video of a next program of the scan sequence in a next video window of the plurality of video windows, wherein the next video window is in a second position; and

(d) repeat step (c) until at least one program has been displayed in each of at least two of the plurality of video windows.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the advertisement associated with the program is one of an advertisement still or loop associated with the program.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the current programs comprise at least one of non-on-demand programs, recorded programs, and on-demand programs.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the current programs include at least one of purchased pay-per-view programs and programs for which the user has set a reminder.

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

determine criteria for the scan; and

identify current programs related to the determined criteria.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive a user selection of a criterion for the scan.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive a user selection of at least one node in a tree structure display of criteria.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive a user selection of the favorites criteria.

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

receive a user indication of a proximity threshold;

identify the current programs that are related to the determined criteria and that satisfy the proximity threshold; and

determine a scan sequence for the identified current programs that satisfy the proximity threshold.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to direct the display device to generate for simultaneous display a video window for the scanned programs, selectable criteria for selecting the programs, and scan instruction buttons.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the scan instruction buttons further comprise at least three of start/hold, skip backward, skip forward, tune, info, zoom and setting buttons.