Systems and methods for providing remote access to interactive media guidance applications

• US 9,197,936 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Klappert, Walter R., Nishimura, Akitaka, Iwanaga, Asahi, Yoshimoto, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Kieu Oanh T
• Application Number:
  US14/509,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20150181292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 725/9, 725/10, 725/15, 725/39, 725/97
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• 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 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/4334 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 : for generating interactive applications
• 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 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing remote access to interactive media guidance applications are provided. In particular, the systems and methods for providing remote access to interactive media guidance applications provided herein generally relate to enhancing remote access capabilities by providing algorithms and techniques for managing and correcting disparities that may be found between program listings data used by the interactive media guidance application and the remote access server.

Claims

1. A method for remotely accessing user equipment implementing an interactive media guidance application, the method comprising:

maintaining a lookup table that cross-references program identification or source identification information for a program information service provider and a media service provider, wherein the program identification or source identification information for the program information service provider and the program identification or source identification information for the media service provider are different;

receiving a program action request from a user device identifying a program using the program identification or source identification information for the program information service provider;

cross-referencing the program identification or source identification information of the program action request with the corresponding program identification or source identification information for the media service provider in the lookup table; and

transmitting scheduling information comprising the program identification information or the source identification information of the media service provider for receipt by user equipment for scheduling the action request for the program to be performed by the user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the lookup table comprises source identifiers, wherein each of said source identifiers identifies the program information service provider or the media service provider.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising constructing the lookup table based at least in part on responses for past action requests.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising constructing the lookup table based at least in part on information received from data providers for the media service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the lookup table in response to not finding program identification or source identification information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising in response to not finding program identification or source identification information, determining whether the lookup table has been updated, and in response to determining the lookup table has not been updated, transmitting a notification to the user device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the program information service provider is located at a first server and the media service provider is located at a second server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the scheduling information comprises transmitting the scheduling information to a media service provider or to the user equipment.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a disparity between the program identification or source identification information for the program information service provider and the program identification or source identification information for the media service provider.

10. A system for remotely accessing user equipment implementing an interactive media guidance application, the system comprising:

means for maintaining a lookup table that cross-references program identification or source identification information for a program information service provider and a media service provider, wherein the program identification or source identification information for the program information service provider and the program identification or source identification information for the media service provider are different;

means for receiving a program action request from a user device identification a program using the program identification or source identification information for the program information service provider;

means for cross-referencing the program identification or source identification information of the program action request with the corresponding program identification or source identification information for the media service provider in the lookup table; and

means for transmitting scheduling information comprising the program identification information or the source identification information of the media service provider for receipt by user equipment for scheduling the action request for the program to be performed by the user equipment.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the lookup table comprises source identifiers, wherein each of said source identifiers identifies the program information service provider or the media service provider.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for constructing the lookup table based at least in part on responses for past action requests.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for constructing the lookup table based at least in part on information received from data providers for the media service provider.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for updating the lookup table in response to not finding program identification or source identification information.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising in response to not finding program identification or source identification information, means for determining whether the lookup table has been updated, and in response to determining the lookup table has not been updated, transmitting a notification to the user device.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the program information service provider is located at a first server and the media service provider is located at a second server.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein transmitting the scheduling information comprises transmitting the scheduling information to a media service provider or to the user equipment.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for detecting a disparity between the program identification or source identification information for the program information service provider and the program identification or source identification information for the media service provider.