Broadcasting method and system with variable audio/video program menu

• US 9,277,285 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpha Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alpha Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Tung-Chou
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Jonathan V
• Application Number:
  US13/084,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20110252448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• 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 21/4622 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 21/47214 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time

Abstract

A broadcasting system for AV program selection comprising a network, an AV signal providing system, a user device and a digital AV signal processing device is proposed. The network, the AV signal providing system, the user device and the digital AV signal processing device are in communication with each other via the network. A broadcasting method is applied to the AV signal providing system. The broadcasting method comprises steps of: providing a plurality of AV programs for selection; and transmitting an AV signal corresponding to a selected one of the plurality of AV programs to the digital AV signal processing device in response to a user'"'"'s selecting operation on an AV program menu revealed by way of the digital AV signal processing device, wherein the AV program menu contains information of only partial the plurality of AV programs, and is created by way of the user device.

Claims

1. A broadcasting method of an audio/video (AV) signal providing system which is one of an internet protocol television (IPTV) service provider and a network-attached storage (NAS), the AV signal providing system being communicable with a digital AV signal processing device, and the digital AV signal processing device comprising a digital Set-top box and a TV, the method comprising steps of:

communicating a mobile user interface, which exhibits an editing function, to the digital Set-top box of the AV signal providing system and the digital AV signal processing device via a network;

providing a plurality of AV programs by the AV signal providing system for selection;

creating a file folder of an AV program menu via the access of the mobile user interface to the AV signal providing system, the AV program menu linking to the selected AV programs; and

displaying the AV program menu received through the network by the digital AV signal processing device and storing the AV program menu in the digital Set-top box of the digital AV signal processing device;

wherein when editing the AV program menu by the digital AV signal processing device, the digital AV signal processing device provides at least one of the following functions;

removing the watched AV programs and changing the watching status of AV programs on the AV program menu, and the mobile user interface is synchronized with the AV program menu edited by the digital AV signal processing device and stored in the digital Set-top box of the digital AV signal processing device.

2. The broadcasting method according to claim 1, wherein the AV program menu is retrieved by accessing the file folder.

3. The broadcasting method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

providing a program guide to be fetched by the mobile user interface for a user'"'"'s reference to create the AV program menu.

4. The broadcasting method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

receiving and storing the AV program menu created by the mobile user interface; and

transmitting the AV program menu to the digital AV signal processing device via the network to be revealed and selected.

5. The broadcasting method according to claim 4, wherein the AV program menu is transmitted to the digital AV signal processing device in response to a request from the digital AV signal processing device.

6. The broadcasting method according to claim 1, wherein the AV program menu is transmitted from the mobile user interface to the digital AV signal processing device via the network.

7. The broadcasting method according to claim 1 further comprising a step of creating the AV program menu through a user interface provided by the digital AV signal processing device.

16. The broadcasting method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

synchronizing the AV signal providing system with the AV program menu edited by the digital AV signal processing device and stored in the digital Set-top box of the digital AV signal processing device via the network.

8. A broadcasting system, comprising:

a network;

an audio/video (AV) signal providing system which is one of an internet protocol television (IPTV) service provider and a network-attached storage (NAS), in communication with the network, for providing a plurality of AV programs for selection;

a mobile user interface, in communication with the network, for creating a file folder of an AV program menu containing the selected AV programs; and

a digital AV signal processing device, in communication with the network, for revealing and displaying the AV program menu received via the network, storing the AV program menu, and displaying a selected one of the plurality of AV programs in response to a user'"'"'s selecting operation on the AV program menu revealed thereby;

wherein the mobile user interface is a separate device from the digital AV signal processing device and communicable with the digital AV signal processing device via the network, and the digital AV signal processing device comprises a digital Set-top box and a TV; and

wherein when editing the AV program menu by the digital AV signal processing device, the digital AV signal processing device provides at least one of the following functions;

removing the watched AV programs and changing the watching status of AV programs on the AV program menu, and the mobile user interface is synchronized with the AV program menu edited by the digital AV signal processing device and stored in the digital Set-top box of the digital AV signal processing device.

9. The broadcasting system according to claim 8, wherein the program menu is retrieved by accessing the file folder.

10. The broadcasting system according to claim 8, wherein the AV signal providing system further provides a program guide to be fetched by the mobile user interface for a user'"'"'s reference to create the AV program menu.

11. The broadcasting system according to claim 8, wherein the AV program menu created by the mobile user interface is optionally received and stored by the AV signal providing system, and transmitted to the digital AV signal processing device to be revealed via the network.

12. The broadcasting system according to claim 8, wherein the AV program menu created by the mobile user interface is optionally received and stored by the mobile user interface, and transmitted to the digital AV signal processing device to be revealed via the network.

13. The broadcasting system according to claim 8, wherein the AV program menu is transmitted to the digital AV signal processing device to be revealed in response to a request from the digital AV signal processing device.

14. The broadcasting system according to claim 8, wherein the AV program menu is created based on a user interface provided by the digital AV signal processing device.

15. The broadcasting system according to claim 8, wherein the AV signal providing system is synchronized with the AV program menu edited by the digital AV signal processing device and stored in the digital Set-top box of the digital AV signal processing device via the network.