Program guide system with video-on-demand browsing

• US 9,456,242 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US14/852,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20160073154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 725/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

An interactive television program guide system is provided in which a viewer may direct a television to simultaneously display a selected television program and a, program guide display. A viewer may use the program guide display to browse available video-on-demand (VOD) while continuing to view a previously selected program in the background. The viewer may browse through video-on-demand programs on the program guide display using a variety of keys on a remote control unit. The viewer may direct the program guide to order a given video-on-demand program, and set a desired broadcast time for that program.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

outputting a video of a scheduled media asset for display in a full screen display;

receiving a first command from a user input device;

generating for display a first media guidance application display over the video of the scheduled media asset, a first media asset identifier for a first unscheduled media asset, a source identifier for a source of the first unscheduled media asset, and an indication that a video clip preview is available for the first unscheduled media asset, in response to receiving the first command;

receiving a second command from the user input device to play back the video clip preview;

generating for display the video clip preview;

generating for display, after the video clip preview has been played back, an ordering display comprising an ordering option for the first unscheduled media asset, wherein the ordering display is different from the first media guidance application display;

receiving a third command from the user input device to order the first unscheduled media asset; and

generating for display, the first unscheduled media asset, in response to receiving the third command.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first command is associated with a first directional input and a first direction and the second command and third command are associated with a same input on the user input device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first unscheduled media asset is a first recorded media asset.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first recorded media asset is stored at a server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduled media asset is a broadcast media asset.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first unscheduled media asset is a video-on-demand media asset.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduled media asset, the indication that a video clip preview is available for the first unscheduled media asset, and the video clip preview are generated for display simultaneously.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media asset identifier, the source identifier, and the indication that the video clip preview is available are displayed within a listing display element.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media guidance application display comprises less than half of a full screen display.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, in response to input from the user input device, a start-time for the first unscheduled media asset while the ordering display is displayed; and

generating for display the first unscheduled media asset at the received start-time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the video clip preview is generated for display, without displaying, during the entire duration of the video clip preview, an offer to order the first unscheduled media asset.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the ordering display is generated for display only after the video clip preview has been played back, without requiring any additional viewer input.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the video clip preview is generated for display simultaneously with the first media asset identifier for the first unscheduled media asset and the video of the scheduled media asset without modifying the display of the first media asset identifier in the first media guidance application display.

14. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

output a video of a scheduled media asset for display in a full screen display;

receive a first command from a user input device;

generate for display a first media guidance application display over the video of the scheduled media asset, a first media asset identifier for a first unscheduled media asset, a source identifier for a source of the first unscheduled media asset, and an indication that a video clip preview is available for the first unscheduled media asset, in response to receiving the first command;

receive a second command from the user input device to play back the video clip preview;

generate for display the video clip preview;

generate for display, after the video clip preview has been played back, an ordering display comprising an ordering option for the first unscheduled media asset, wherein the ordering display is different from the first media guidance application display;

receive a third command from the user input device to order the first unscheduled media asset; and

generate for display, the first unscheduled media asset, in response to receiving the third command.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first command is associated with a first directional input and a first direction and the second command and third command are associated with a same input on the user input device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first unscheduled media asset is a first recorded media asset.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first recorded media asset is stored at a server.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the scheduled media asset is a broadcast media asset.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the first unscheduled media asset is a video-on-demand media asset.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the scheduled media asset, the indication that a video clip preview is available for the first unscheduled media asset, and the video clip preview are generated for display simultaneously.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the first media asset identifier, the source identifier, and the indication that the video clip preview is available are displayed within a listing display element.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the first media guidance application display comprises less than half of a full screen display.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, in response to input from the user input device, a start-time for the first unscheduled media asset while the ordering display is displayed; and

generate for display the first unscheduled media asset at the received start-time.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the video clip preview is generated for display, without displaying, during the entire duration of the video clip preview, an offer to order the first unscheduled asset.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the ordering display is generated for display only after the video clip preview has been played back, without requiring any additional viewer input.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the video clip preview is generated for display simultaneously with the first media asset identifier for the first unscheduled media asset and the video of the scheduled media asset without modifying the display of the first media asset identifier in the first media guidance application display.

27. A method comprising:

outputting a video of a scheduled media asset for display in a full screen display;

receiving a first command from a user input device;

generating for display a first media guidance application display over the video of the scheduled media asset, a first media asset identifier for a first unscheduled media asset, a source identifier for a source of the first unscheduled media asset, and an indication that a video clip preview is available for the first unscheduled media asset, based on receiving the first command;

receiving a second command from the user input device to play back the video clip preview;

generating for display the video clip preview, without displaying, during the entire duration of the video clip preview, an offer to order the first unscheduled media asset; and

generating for display without requiring any addition viewer input, after the video clip preview has been played back, an ordering display comprising the offer to order the first unscheduled media asset.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

generating for display the video clip preview simultaneously with the first media asset identifier for the first unscheduled media asset and the video of the scheduled media asset without modifying the display of the first media asset identifier in the first media guidance application display.

29. A system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

output a video of a scheduled media asset for display in a full screen display;

receive a first command from a user input device;

generate for display a first media guidance application display over the video of the scheduled media asset, a first media asset identifier for a first unscheduled media asset, a source identifier for a source of the first unscheduled media asset, and an indication that a video clip preview is available for the first unscheduled media asset, based on receiving the first command;

receive a second command from the user input device to play back the video clip preview;

generate for display the video clip preview, without displaying, during the entire duration of the video clip preview, an offer to order the first unscheduled media asset; and

generate for display without requiring any additional viewer input, after the video clip preview has been played back, an ordering display comprising the offer to order the first unscheduled media asset.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

generate for display the video clip preview simultaneously with the first media asset identifier for the first unscheduled media asset and the video of the scheduled media asset without modifying the display of the first media asset identifier in the first media guidance application display.