Server-centric customized interactive program guide in an interactive television environment

• US 9,456,241 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Bayrakeri, Sadik, Gordon, Donald F., Comito, John P., Ludvig, Edward A., Yocom, Harold P., Edmonds, Jeremy S., Gershtein, Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Parra, Omar S
• Application Number:
  US14/069,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20140137155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/577 Motion compensation with bidirectional frame interpolation, i.e. using B-pictures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4344 Remultiplexing of multiplex streams, e.g. by modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 : comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 : involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• 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 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Techniques to create, generate, and deliver customized interactive program guide (custom-IPG). In one embodiment, selections indicative of a set of channels to be included in the custom-IPG are received. In response, one or more custom-IPG screens including the set of selected channels are rendered at a headend. Custom-IPG screens can be formed as subsets of the regular IPG screens, or as new screens. The rendered custom-IPG screens are provided from the head end to a set top terminal upon receiving a viewer request for the custom-IPG. Commands indicative of a particular location at which to overlay the custom-IPG screens may also be received, and the custom-IPG screens are re-rendered at the indicated location. Custom-IPG screens can be overlaid on a video sequence provided on a particular channel being viewed, used to carry regular program guide, or a channel independent of the channel used to carry regular programming and program guide.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising one or more servers configured to:

receive a first request to generate a custom program guide, the custom program guide identifying a set of channels;

generate, in response to the first request, the custom program guide identifying the set of channels;

receive a second request for controlling which of the custom program guide and a regular program guide is provided on a communication channel; and

output, based upon the second request, either the custom program guide or the regular program guide on the communication channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first request is indicative of the set of channels to be identified in the custom program guide.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more servers are configured to:

receive a command indicative of a location at which to overlay the custom program guide onto a video sequence;

render the custom program guide overlayed onto the video sequence at the location indicated by the command; and

output on the communication channel the custom program guide overlayed onto the video sequence.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more servers are configured to output on the communication channel the custom program guide with at least a portion of a video sequence.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more servers are configured to generate the custom program guide with a customized layout identified in the first request.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more servers are configured to provide, responsive to a third request to turn off the custom program guide, a video sequence on the communication channel without the custom program guide.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication channel does not carry video content.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more servers are configured to generate the custom program guide as a subset of the regular program guide.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store the custom program guide as part of a viewer profile.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more servers, a first request to generate a custom program guide, the custom program guide identifying a set of channels;

generating, by the one or more servers in response to the first request, the custom program guide identifying the set of channels;

receiving a second request for controlling which of the custom program guide and a regular program guide is provided on a communication channel; and

outputting, based upon the second request, either the custom program guide or the regular program guide on the communication channel.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first request is indicative of the set of channels to be identified in the custom program guide.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a command indicative of a location at which to overlay the custom program guide onto a video sequence;

rendering the custom program guide overlayed onto the video sequence at the location indicated by the command; and

outputting on the communication channel the custom program guide overlayed onto the video sequence.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

outputting on the communication channel the custom program guide with at least a portion of a video sequence.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating the custom program guide with a customized layout identified in the first request.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing, responsive to a third request to turn off the custom program guide, a video sequence on the communication channel without the custom program guide.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication channel does not carry video content.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating the custom program guide as a subset of the regular program guide.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing, at one or more servers, the custom program guide as part of a viewer profile.

19. A method comprising:

receiving, at a terminal, one or more selections that specify a design of a custom program guide;

transmitting a first request that specifies the design of the custom program guide according to the one or more selections;

transmitting a second request for controlling which of the custom program guide and a regular program guide is provide don a communication channel; and

receiving at the terminal, as indicated by the second request, either the custom program guide or the regular program guide on the communication channel.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

including, in the first request, a location at which to overlay the custom program guide onto a video sequence; and

receiving the custom program guide overlayed onto the video sequence at the location.