System and method for construction, delivery and display of iTV applications that blend programming information of on-demand and broadcast service offerings

• US 9,363,560 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2015
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Moreau, Samuel, Ahrens, Donald, Gibbs, Georgia, Carney, John, De Andrade, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US14/661,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20150296255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 725 45- 49
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A user interface allows for blending of television program choices from which a viewer may select, the blending representing options for linear and non-linear programming presented together within a single hierarchy of a designated category. The blending may further include managed content relevant to the designated category, where desired. Such designated categories may include television programming categories and/or content categories. The options for linear and non-linear programming may be presented together within a single screen of the user interface.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

causing, by a computing device, display of a blending of user-selectable content for a content category in at least two levels of a hierarchy of levels, the blending of user-selectable content for the content category comprising at least two of linear content, non-linear content or managed content, the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content being presented together within the at least two levels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one level of the at least two levels of the hierarchy of levels is for a sub-category of the content category.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the blending of user-selectable content for the content category comprises linear content and non-linear content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the linear content comprises programming that is scheduled to be transmitted at particular times, and wherein the non-linear content comprises on-demand programming.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content category comprises a sports category.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the content category comprises a movie category.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

combining data describing the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content to produce the blending of user-selectable content for the content category.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for an application; and

responsive to the request, transmitting, by one or more computing devices, the application, the application providing a blending of user-selectable content for a content category in at least two levels of a hierarchy of levels, the blending of user-selectable content for the content category comprising at least two of linear content, non-linear content or managed content, the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content being presented together within the at least two levels.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one level of the at least two levels of the hierarchy of levels is for a sub-category of the content category.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the blending of user-selectable content for the content category comprises linear content and non-linear content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the linear content comprises programming that is scheduled to be transmitted at particular times, and wherein the non-linear content comprises on-demand programming.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the content category comprises a sports category.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the content category comprises a movie category.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

combining data describing the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content to produce the blending of user-selectable content for the content category.

15. A method, comprising:

providing, by one or more computing devices, a blending of user-selectable content for a content category in at least two levels of a hierarchy of levels, the blending of user-selectable content for the content category comprising at least two of linear content, non-linear content or managed content, the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content being presented together within the at least two levels.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one level of the at least two levels of the hierarchy of levels is for a sub-category of the content category.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the blending of user-selectable content for the content category comprises linear content and non-linear content.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the linear content comprises programming that is scheduled to be transmitted at particular times, and wherein the non-linear content comprises on-demand programming.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the content category comprises a sports category.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the content category comprises a movie category.