Supplemental services interface

• US 9,223,473 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Mathur, Arpit
• Primary Examiner(s): TITCOMB, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US13/799,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 715/762
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• 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

Abstract

Examples are described for integrating interface functionality with other experiences. For example, if a user is interested in a particular item of scheduled or on-demand content (e.g., a television series episode), the user may also be interested in a web page devoted to the television series and/or other extras such as cast interviews, news, related theme apps, and the like. These types of experiences may be integrated into an interface by presenting the experiences as supplemental services that may be presented and/or selected.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating for display, by at least one computing device, an interface indicating at least a plurality of items of scheduled content of a plurality of services, wherein the plurality of items of scheduled content comprises a first item of scheduled content;

determining, responsive to a user selection from the interface of the first item of scheduled content, whether the first item of scheduled content is associated with another one or more services not included in the plurality of services; and

responsive to determining that the first item of scheduled content is associated with the another one or more services, updating the interface to indicate at least one item of content of the another one or more services simultaneously with the plurality of items of scheduled content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating for display comprises generating for display the interface to comprise a grid of at least some of the items of scheduled content, wherein the grid is configured such that a listing of the at least some of the plurality of services and the another one or more services is arranged along a first axis and a listing of a window of time is arranged along a different second axis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one item of content of the another one or more services is an item of scheduled content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating for display comprises generating a signal suitable for use by a display device, separate from the at least one computing device, to display the interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating for display comprises generating a signal suitable for use by a display device, integrated with the at least one computing device, to display the interface.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving, by at least one computing device, user input to an interface, the user input selecting a first item of content associated with a first service, the interface identifying at least a plurality of items of content, including the first item of content, associated with a plurality of services; and

in response to the user input selecting the first item of content;

determining, by the at least one computing device, a different second item of content of a different second service not indicated by the interface based at least in part on the first item of content; and

updating, by the at least one computing device, the interface to indicate the plurality of items of content simultaneously with the second item of content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first item of content is an item of scheduled content.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the updating comprises generating for display the interface to comprise a grid of the plurality of items of content, wherein the grid is configured such that a listing of the plurality of services is arranged along a first axis and a listing of a window of time is arranged along a different second axis.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one computing device, a user selection of a third item of content of the first service;

determining, by the at least one computing device, a different fourth item of content of the different second service based at least in part on the third item of content; and

updating, by the at least one computing device, the interface to indicate at least some of the plurality of items of content associated with at least some of the plurality of services including the third and fourth items of content and the first and second services.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and third items of content are each an item of scheduled content that are scheduled at different times on the first service.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the interface is arranged to simultaneously indicate both the first and third items of content.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining comprises determining whether the first item of content is associated with the second item of content.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining comprises determining whether the first service is associated with the second service.

14. A method, comprising:

generating, by at least one computing device, an interface that indicates at least a plurality of items of content including a first item of content, wherein the plurality of items of content are associated with a plurality of services including a first service, and wherein the first item of content is scheduled on the first service;

receiving, by the at least one computing device, a first user input to highlight the first item of content;

responsive to the first user input, determining, by the at least one computing device, a second service not indicated by the interface, the second service being based at least in part on the first item of content; and

generating, by the at least one computing device, an updated interface to indicate the second service simultaneously with the plurality of items of content.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the generating the updated interface comprises generating for display the updated interface to comprise a grid of the plurality of items of content, wherein the grid is configured such that a listing of the plurality of services is arranged along a first axis and a listing of a window of time is arranged along a different second axis, and to indicate the second service as an overlay over at least a portion of the grid.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the generating the updated interface comprises generating for display the updated interface to comprise a grid of the plurality of items of content, wherein the grid is configured such that the plurality of services are arranged along a first axis and a window of time is arranged along a different second axis, and to indicate the second service outside of the grid.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a second user input selecting an indication in the interface of the second service,

wherein the generating the updated interface comprises generating for display the updated interface, after the receiving of the second user input, to comprise a grid of the plurality of items of content, wherein the grid is configured such that the plurality of services and the second service are arranged along a first axis and a window of time is arranged along a different second axis.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining the second service comprises determining the second service based at least in part on the first service.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising highlighting the first item of content in response to the first user input.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the highlighting comprises moving a cursor of the interface to the first item of content.