Grouping and presenting content

• US 9,357,159 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Martch, Henry Gregg, Gratton, Max S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Topgyal, Gelek W
• Application Number:
  US13/292,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20130051766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 386291-293
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• 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 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• 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 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A provider transmits instructions to a receiver to record multiple instances of content. The instances of content are included in the same frequency band of a broadcast signal transmitted via a first communication link and encoded utilizing a common encryption. The provider determines to supplement and transmits an instruction to record a supplemental instance of content from a second content provider via a second communication link. The receiver receives the instructions and accordingly receives, decodes, and stores the multiple instances of content and the supplemental content. A recorder in communication with the receiver determines whether a content selection is a member of a content group. The group determination is based on a tag of the content selection. If the content selection is a member of the content group, the recorder presents to a display device the content selection and at least one other member of the content group.

Claims

1. A method of presenting content stored on a content receiver, the method comprising:

receiving, by a content receiver, a plurality of instructions to simultaneously record a plurality of instances of content, wherein;

each of the plurality of instances of content corresponds to a separate television event on a separate television channel from a separate content provider,

the plurality of instances of content are all received by a single tuner of the content receiver,

the plurality of instances of content are encoded by a programming provider utilizing a same control word prior to being received at the content receiver, and

the plurality of instances of content are decoded, by the content receiver, utilizing the same control word;

recording, by the content receiver, at least two of the plurality of instances of content as specified by the plurality of instructions for a first time period;

receiving, by the content receiver, a content selection;

determining, by the content receiver, that the content selection includes first content that is a member of a group;

determining a set of data associated with the group, wherein sets of data associated with a group include group criteria met by each member of the group;

determining whether the first content is tagged with the set of data associated with the group;

tagging the first content with data from the set of data if the first content is not tagged with the set of data associated with the group;

searching for additional content that is a member of the group using the criteria; and

transmitting, by the content receiver, the first content and the additional content, wherein when the first content and the additional content are received, at least one of the first content and the additional content is presented on a display device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining by the content receiver, whether the first content of the group has been previously viewed; and

if the first content has been previously viewed, skipping the presentation of the first content.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

presenting the additional content if the first content is skipped.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the content receiver, that the first content includes a tag that indicates membership in the group.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the content receiver, that the first content is a member of the group based on a time slot that the first content was originally presented in.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the content receiver, that the first content is a member of the group based on at least one of a title of the first and an episode identifier of the first.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by the television receiver, the additional content of the group based on a lookup table that indicates content relationships.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by the television receiver, the additional content of the group based on at least one of a forward pointer and a backward pointer in the first content, wherein the forward pointer indicates a prior content and the backward pointer indicates a following content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instances of content are encoded by a programming provider utilizing a same control word prior to being received at the content receiver, and the plurality of instances of content are decoded, by the content receiver, utilizing the same control word.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein tagging the first content with data includes inserting metadata into the electronic file storing the content.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein searching for additional content that is a member of the group using the criteria includes scanning data associated with each piece of content stored on the content receiver.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the additional content is a member of the group by comparing the set of data associated with the group to additional data associated with the additional content; and

determining that the additional content is the same as the set of data associated with the group within a predetermined threshold.

13. A method of presenting content stored on a content receiver, the method comprising:

receiving, by the content receiver, a plurality of instructions to simultaneously record a plurality of instances of content, wherein;

each of the plurality of instances corresponds to a separate television event on a separate television channel from a separate content provider,

the plurality of instances of content are all received by a single tuner of the content receiver,

the plurality of instances of content are all included in the same frequency band of the broadcast signal,

recording, utilizing the content receiver, at least two instances of content of the plurality of instances of content via a first communication link as specified by the plurality of instructions for a first time period;

receiving a content selection by the content receiver;

determining, by the content receiver, that the content selection indicates content that is a member of group;

determining data associated with the group, wherein data associated with a group includes group criteria met by members of the group;

determining whether the content is tagged with the set of data associated with the group;

tagging the content with the data if the first content is not tagged with the data associated with the group; and

outputting for presentation, by the content receiver, at least the content and a second content member of the group, wherein the second content is presented following the content and in absence of a user command.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising

determining at the content receiver if at least one content member of the group has been previously viewed;

and

if a member of the group has been previously viewed, skipping the presentation of the previously viewed content member and presenting a non-viewed content member.

15. A content receiver comprising:

a first communication component configured to receive an instruction to simultaneously record a plurality of instances of content, wherein;

each of the plurality of instances of content corresponds to a separate television event on a separate television channel from a separate content provider,

the plurality of instances of content are all received by a single tuner of the content receiver,

the plurality of instances of content are encoded by a programming provider utilizing a same control word prior to being received at the content receiver, and

the plurality of instances of content are decoded, by the content receiver, utilizing the same control word;

a second communication component configured to receive at least one instance of supplemental content from a second content provider in accordance with a supplemental instruction to record the at least one instance of supplemental content;

a storage medium;

a first processor unit configured to;

cause at least two of the plurality of instances of content received from the separate content providers utilizing the first communication component to be stored in the storage medium in response to the instruction; and

cause the at least one instance of supplemental content received from the second content provider utilizing the second communication component to be stored in the storage medium in response to the supplemental instruction; and

a digital video recorder comprising an input component that receives a content selection; and

a second processor unit in communication with the input component that;

determines that first content selected by the content selection is a member of a content group;

determines a set of data associated with the group, wherein a set of data associated with a group includes group criteria met by each member of the group;

determines whether the first content is tagged with the set of data associated with the group;

tags the first content with data from the set of data if the first content is not tagged with the set of data associated with the group;

searches for additional content that is a member of the group using the criteria; and

outputs to a display device the first content selected by the content selection and the additional content.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein determining that the first content is a member of the content group is based on a tag of the content, wherein the tag is a broadcast time and date, and the second processor unit is further configured to cause output for presentation of the content indicated by the content selection and the at least one other member of the content group chronologically based on the broadcast time and date.

17. A system for presenting content comprising a content receiver, the content receiver comprising:

a first communication component that is configured to receive, from a first content provider, an instruction to record a plurality of instances of content from at least one broadcast signal received from the first content provider and a supplemental instruction to record at least one instance of supplemental content from a second content provider utilizing a second communication component, wherein each of the plurality of instances of content corresponds to a separate television event on a separate television channel that is associated with a separate content provider, and wherein;

the at least one instance of supplemental content is associated with at least one of the plurality of instances of content, and

the plurality of instances of content are all received by a single tuner of the content receiver,

the second communication component configured to receive the at least one instance of supplemental content;

a storage medium;

a first processor unit that is configured to simultaneously store at least two of the plurality of instances of content received from the first content provider utilizing the first communication component in the storage medium in response to the instruction and stores the at least one instance of supplemental content received from the second content provider utilizing the second communication component in the storage medium in response to the supplemental instruction;

a digital video recorder comprising an input component that receives a content selection that selects content; and

a second processor unit in communication with the input component that;

determines that the content selected by the content selection is a member of a content group,

determines data associated with the group, wherein data associated with a group includes group criteria met by members of the group;

determines whether the content is tagged with the set of data associated with the group using the criteria;

tags the content with the data if the first content is not tagged with the data associated with the group; and

outputs to a display device the content selected by the content selection and a second content member of the group, wherein the second content is presented following the content and in absence of a user command.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the content and second content are outputted to the display device according to an original consecutive airing sequence, wherein the airing sequence is chronological.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein airing sequence is based on an original broadcast time or date.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of instances of content are all included in the same frequency band of the broadcast signal, the plurality of instances of content are encoded by a programming provider utilizing a same control word prior to being received at the content receiver, and the plurality of instances of content are decoded, by the content receiver, utilizing the same control word.