Systems and methods for providing enhanced sports watching media guidance

• US 9,215,397 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2014
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Radloff, Jon P., Ellis, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Featherstone, Mark D
• Application Number:
  US14/258,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20140229996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• 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 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• 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 21/4583 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 21/4667 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4823 using a channel name
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• 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 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 : involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 : End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 : Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and methods for enhanced sports-related media content access and display are provided. An intelligent tuning module for multi-tuner systems may designate one sporting event as a primary sporting event and another sporting event as a secondary sporting event. A primary tuner may tune the primary event whenever possible and a secondary tuner may tune the secondary event whenever possible. Sporting events may be assigned user profile scores and tuned away from in reverse priority order. An interactive scoreboard may also be displayed with various game status and alert icons. The interactive scoreboard may allow a viewer to quickly tune between high-interest sporting events. Sports-specific features, such as wagering and fantasy league support, are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for enhanced sports viewing on a user equipment device, the method comprising:

generating for display a first sporting event on a display screen;

accessing an application data feed including sports scores for a plurality of sporting events, wherein the sports scores comprise a current score for the first sporting event;

generating for display an interactive scoreboard simultaneously with the first sporting event, wherein the interactive scoreboard is overlaid on the first sporting event; and

generating for display the current score of the first sporting event in the interactive scoreboard and at least one additional score of a second sporting event in the interactive scoreboard, wherein in response to a first user request, the at least one additional score is changed to a score of a different sporting event of the plurality of sporting events and the current score remains in the interactive scoreboard, wherein the at least one additional score is selectable to reveal additional information about the second sporting event, and wherein the additional information includes an icon indicative of the second sporting event being displayed on the display screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the current score is generated for display in a first area of the interactive scoreboard and the at least one additional score is generated for display in a second area of the interactive scoreboard, and wherein the first area of the interactive scoreboard and the second area of the interactive scoreboard are adjacent areas.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the application data feed comprises sports scores of sporting events that are currently in progress, upcoming, or have recently ended.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the application data feed comprises both a media guidance application data feed and a supplemental data feed, wherein the supplemental data feed provides sports scores of sporting events that are not currently accessible by the user equipment device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving user input to move the interactive scoreboard to a new area of the display screen; and

generating for display the interactive scoreboard on the display screen in the new area.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving user input to resize the interactive scoreboard to a new size; and

rendering the interactive scoreboard on the display screen in the new size.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising generating for display, in a third area of the interactive scoreboard, further additional information about the second sporting event.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the third area of the interactive scoreboard; and

in response to receiving the user selection of the third area of the interactive scoreboard, invoking a media guidance function.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the media guidance function is selected from the group consisting of selecting the second sporting event, scheduling the second sporting event for recording, generating for display a screen of additional information about the second sporting event, generating for display the second sporting event in full-screen, adding the second sporting event to a user favorites list, setting a reminder for the second sporting event, and generating for display the second sporting event in a PIP window.

10. A system for enhanced sports viewing on a user equipment device, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

generate for display a first sporting event on a display screen;

access an application data feed including sports scores for a plurality of sporting events, wherein the sports scores comprise a current score for the first sporting event;

generate for display an interactive scoreboard on the display screen simultaneously with the first sporting event, wherein the interactive scoreboard is overlaid on the first sporting event; and

generate for display, on the display screen, the current score of the first sporting event in the interactive scoreboard and at least one additional score of a second sporting event in the interactive scoreboard, wherein in response to a first user request, the at least one additional score is changed to a score of a different sporting event of the plurality of sporting events and the current score remains in the interactive scoreboard, wherein the at least one additional score is selectable to reveal additional information about the second sporting event, and wherein the additional information includes an icon indicative of the second sporting event being displayed on the display screen.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the current score is generated for display in a first area of the interactive scoreboard and the at least one additional score is generated for display in a second area of the interactive scoreboard, and wherein the first area of the interactive scoreboard and the second area of the interactive scoreboard are adjacent areas.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the application data feed comprises sports scores of sporting events that are currently in progress, upcoming, or have recently ended.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the application data feed comprises both a media guidance application data feed and a supplemental data feed, wherein the supplemental data feed provides sports scores of sporting events that are not currently accessible by the user equipment device.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive user input to move the interactive scoreboard to a new area of the display screen; and

generate for display the interactive scoreboard on the display screen in the new area.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive user input to resize the interactive scoreboard to a new size; and

render the interactive scoreboard on the display screen in the new size.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is configured to generate for display, in a third area of the interactive scoreboard, further additional information about the second sporting event.

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

receive a user selection of the third area of the interactive scoreboard; and

in response to receiving the user selection of the third area of the interactive scoreboard, invoke a media guidance function.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the media guidance function is selected from the group consisting of selecting the second sporting event, scheduling the second sporting event for recording, generating for display a screen of additional information about the second sporting event, generating for display the second sporting event in full-screen, adding the second sporting event to a user favorites list, setting a reminder for the second sporting event, and generating for display the second sporting event in a PIP window.