Systems and methods for displaying media content and media guidance information

• US 9,414,120 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2015
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Nishimura, Akitaka, Yoshimoto, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Kieu Oanh T
• Application Number:
  US14/641,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20150181295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/59, 725/118, 725/141, 725/153
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• 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 21/472 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 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A system comprises television equipment and a number of portable electronic devices. The television equipment includes a large display and control circuitry. The control circuitry receives media content and media guidance data for display on the display. The control circuitry also includes communication components for communicating with the portable electronic devices. The portable electronic devices are operable for displaying video and communicating with the television equipment. A method comprises the steps of receiving media guidance information with a first portable electronic device; transmitting at least some of the media guidance information from the first portable electronic device to the control circuitry of the television equipment; and displaying the media guidance information from the first portable electronic device on the display of the television equipment while simultaneously displaying media content or media guidance information received from a source other than the first portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for displaying media guidance information, the method comprising:

receiving, at user equipment, first media guidance information from a first portable electronic device;

receiving, at the user equipment, second media guidance information from a second portable electronic device; and

generating for display, on a display screen associated with the user equipment, the second media guidance information from the second portable electronic device together with the first media guidance information from the first portable electronic device, wherein a first sub-region of the display screen is dedicated for displaying the first media guidance information received from the first portable electronic device and a second sub-region of the display screen is dedicated for displaying the second media guidance information received from the second portable device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sub-region and the second sub-region of the display screen are quadrants of the display screen.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the user equipment, media content from the first portable electronic device; and

generating for display the media content in the first sub-region of the display screen.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the media content is received at the user equipment without audio signals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media guidance information is an identifier for a favorite media content, a media content recommendation, or a reminder for media content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the first media guidance information received on the user equipment; and

transmitting at least some of the modified first media guidance information back to the first portable electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing, on the user equipment, a media guidance application function with the first media guidance information received from the first portable electronic device while the media guidance information is generated for display on the display screen associated with the user equipment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the media guidance application function includes at least one of entering user information, searching for a desired media content, scheduling a selected media content for recording, recording a selected media content, deleting a previously-recorded media content, adding a selected media content to a favorite list, setting a reminder for a selected media content, or ordering a selected media content via an on-demand or pay-per-view service.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting from the user equipment at least some of the first media guidance information received from the first portable electronic device to the second portable electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second portable electronic devices are mobile phones, portable computers, portable game players, portable navigation devices, portable televisions, or personal digital assistants.

11. A system for displaying media guidance information, the system comprising:

a first portable electronic device;

a second portable electronic device;

input circuitry associated with user equipment, the input circuitry configured to;

receive first media guidance information from the first portable electronic device; and

receive second media guidance information from the second portable electronic device; and

control circuitry associated with the user equipment, the control circuitry configured to generate for display, on a display screen associated with the user equipment, the second media guidance information from the second portable electronic device together with the first media guidance information from the first portable electronic device, wherein a first sub-region of the display screen is dedicated for displaying the first media guidance information received from the first portable electronic device and a second sub-region of the display screen is dedicated for displaying the second media guidance information received from the second portable device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first sub-region and the second sub-region of the display screen are quadrants of the display screen.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the input circuitry is further configured to receive media content from the first portable electronic device, and

the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display the media content in the first sub-region of the display screen.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the media content is received at the user equipment without audio signals.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the first media guidance information is an identifier for a favorite media content, a media content recommendation, or a reminder for media content.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

modify the first media guidance information received on the user equipment; and

transmit at least some of the modified first media guidance information back to the first portable electronic device.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to perform a media guidance application function with the first media guidance information received from the first portable electronic device while the media guidance information is generated for display on the display screen associated with the user equipment.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the media guidance application function includes at least one of entering user information, searching for a desired media content, scheduling a selected media content for recording, recording a selected media content, deleting a previously-recorded media content, adding a selected media content to a favorite list, setting a reminder for a selected media content, or ordering a selected media content via an on-demand or pay-per-view service.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to transmit from the user equipment at least some of the first media guidance information received from the first portable electronic device to the second portable electronic device.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second portable electronic devices are mobile phones, portable computers, portable game players, portable navigation devices, portable televisions, or personal digital assistants.