Interactive program manager and methods for presenting program content

• US 9,218,106 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2013
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): TITCOMB, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US13/769,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20130227491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 715/841
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• 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 21/4532 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 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/814 comprising emergency warnings arrangements specially adapted for emergency or urgency in broadcast systems H04H20/59; arrangements for providing alarms, notifications, alerts to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A particular system includes a processor and memory storing instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform operations. The operations include sending a notification indicator to a first device in response to identifying content of interest associated with a first source. The operations also include, in response to user input responsive to the notification indicator, sending a menu display to the first device. The menu display includes a first user selectable option to view a submenu. The submenu includes an option to selectively enable display of an alert associated with the first source. The alert is displayable on the first device in conjunction with display of a first program.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

identifying, based on a user profile associated with a particular user, content of interest to the particular user, wherein the content of interest is associated with a first source;

sending a notification indicator to a first device in response to identifying the content of interest; and

in response to user input responsive to the notification indicator, sending a menu display to the first device, the menu display including a first user selectable option to view a submenu, wherein the submenu comprises an option to selectively enable display of an alert associated with the first source and wherein the alert is displayable on the first device in conjunction with display of a first program.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending the first program to the first device, the first program associated with a first channel of a plurality of channels; and

prior to sending the notification indicator, monitoring the first source to identify the content of interest based on the user profile.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise sending the alert to the first device in response to an alert condition and in response to the user profile indicating that display of the alert is enabled.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the menu display includes a second user selectable option to send particular content to the first device, a third user selectable option to send the particular content to the first device and to send the first program to a recording device, and a fourth user selectable option to forward the particular content to the recording device while continuing to send the first program to the first device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to a user selection of the second user selectable option, monitoring the first program based on the user profile to determine when the first program includes second content of interest.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to a user selection of the notification indicator, storing an interactive callback address that includes a location of a source of the first program.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise sending a second alert to the first device when alert data of a data feed indicates a second alert condition and the user profile indicates an alert enabled mode.

8. A method comprising:

sending a first program associated with a first channel of a plurality of channels to a display device from a media device;

analyzing, at the media device, data of a program guide based on a user profile associated with a particular user to identify content of interest for the particular user, wherein the content of interest is associated with a second channel of the plurality of channels;

presenting, from the media device, an indicator in response to identifying the content of interest; and

in response to user input corresponding to the indicator, sending a menu from the media device to the display device, the menu including a first user selectable option to view a submenu, wherein the submenu comprises an option to selectively enable display of an alert associated with the second channel and wherein the alert is displayable on the display device in conjunction with the first program associated with the first channel.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising evaluating the user profile to identify an indicator mode of a plurality of indicator modes, wherein the indicator is presented in accordance with the indicator mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the indicator modes comprise an audio mode, a visual and audio mode, and a visual mode.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein analyzing the data of the program guide based on the user profile comprises applying a content classification hierarchy included in the user profile to the data of the program guide.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the menu includes a second user selectable option that causes particular content to be sent to the display device, a third user selectable option that causes the first program to be recorded and that causes the particular content to be sent to the display device, and a fourth user selectable option that causes the first program and the particular content to be sent simultaneously to the display device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein analyzing data of the program guide includes finding a match between content provided on a program associated with the second channel and a user interest indicated in the user profile, and wherein the content of interest includes the program.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the menu includes a second user selectable option to send a data feed to the display device for display in a window.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising establishing an interactive session with a user in response to a command from a control device after receiving the user input corresponding to the indicator.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending a second alert to the display device when alert data of a data feed indicates a second alert condition and the user profile indicates an alert enabled mode.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the menu includes a second user selectable option to apply a text stream over a portion of the display device.

18. A computer readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

sending a first program associated with a first channel of a plurality of channels to a display device;

identifying, based on a user profile associated with a particular user, content of interest to the particular user, the content of interest associated with a second channel of the plurality of channels;

presenting an indicator in response to identifying the content of interest; and

sending a menu to the display device in response to user input corresponding to the indicator, the menu including a first user selectable option to view a submenu, wherein the submenu comprises an option to selectively enable display of an alert associated with the second channel, and wherein the alert is displayable on the display device in conjunction with the first program.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise evaluating the user profile to identify an indicator mode of a plurality of indicator modes, wherein the indicator is presented in accordance with the indicator mode.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise sending a second alert to the display device when alert data of a data feed indicates a second alert condition and the user profile indicates an alert enabled mode.