Notification of upcoming media content of interest

• US 9,560,305 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bi, Haifeng, Bi, Xiaolian
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhong, Jun Fei
• Application Number:
  US13/484,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20130326562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 725/58, 725/47
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• 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 21/4532 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/482 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 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• 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 method includes receiving search criteria from a media device associated with a user account. The method includes performing a first search of media content information. The method includes in response to identifying particular media content that satisfies the search criteria, sending a first notification identifying a first occurrence of the particular media content to a device associated with the user account. The method includes, at a time indicated by the search criteria, performing a second search of updated media content information. The method includes in response to the second search identifying a second occurrence of the particular media content, determining whether the second occurrence matches the first occurrence. The method also includes sending a second notification when the second occurrence does not match the first occurrence and refraining from sending the second notification when the second occurrence matches the first occurrence.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server, search criteria from a media device associated with a user account;

performing, via a processor of the server, a first search of first media content information available to the server, the first media content information descriptive of first media content that, when the first search is performed, is accessible to the media device based on the user account and includes information descriptive of second media content that, when the first search is performed, is scheduled to be available to the media device based on the user account;

in response to identifying a first media content item that satisfies the search criteria, sending, via the server, a first query, the first query identifying the first media content item available via a first channel to a device associated with the user account other than the media device, wherein the first query includes a first option to receive a notification before a scheduled show time of the first media content item, a second option to record the first media content item, or both;

determining a waiting period based on a search frequency parameter included in the search criteria and based on a search duration parameter included in the search criteria;

after the waiting period elapses, performing, via the processor of the server, a second search of second media content information, the second media content information descriptive of third media content that, when the second search is performed, is accessible to the media device based on the user account and includes information descriptive of fourth media content that, when the second search is performed, is scheduled to be available to the media device based on the user account;

in response to the second search identifying a second media content item available via the first channel that satisfies the search criteria;

comparing, via the processor of the server, a first time associated with the first media content item and a second time associated with the second media content item; and

comparing, via the processor of the server, a first title of the first media content item and a second title of the second media content item;

in response to a determination that the first title matches the second title and that the first time does not match the second time, sending a second query to the device associated with the user account, the second query identifying the second media content item; and

in response to a determination that the first title matches the second title and that the first time matches the second time, refraining from sending a second query identifying the second media content item to the device associated with the user account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria include an indication of a user selected notification type, and wherein the user selected notification type includes an email notification, a text message notification, an application notification, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first query includes a selectable interface element that is selectable to cause a computing device to schedule performance of an action related to the first media content item.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein scheduling performance of the action related to the first media content item includes scheduling the notification to be sent to the device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein scheduling performance of the action related to the first media content item includes scheduling the notification to be sent to the media device.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein scheduling performance of the action related to the first media content item includes scheduling recording of the first media content item.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after sending the first query, receiving a reply message indicating an action related to the first media content item that is to be performed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria are generated based on user history information associated with the user account, and wherein the user history information includes information indicating previously viewed content, previously stored searches, or both.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein refraining from sending the second query comprises ignoring the second media content item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria include a media genre, a media title, a keyword, a media content provider identifier, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the search frequency parameter indicates a number of subsequent searches to be performed, wherein the search duration parameter indicates a duration of time for the subsequent searches to be performed, and wherein the waiting period is determined based on the duration divided by the number.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media content information and the second media content information include electronic program guide data, wherein the first media content item is associated with a first electronic program guide identifier and the second media content item is associated with a second electronic program guide identifier.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first time comprises a date and a start time.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria are received via a search configuration user interface at the media device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the search frequency parameter is received via a search frequency option field of the search configuration user interface, and wherein the search duration parameter is received via a search duration option field of the search configuration user interface.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the search configuration user interface includes an option to provide a communication address to which queries are to be sent, and wherein the first query is sent to a default communication address when the communication address is not provided.

17. A computer-readable storage device storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving search criteria from a media device associated with a user account;

performing a first search of first media content information, the first media content information descriptive of first media content that, when the first search is performed, is accessible to the media device based on the user account and includes information descriptive of second media content that, when the first search is performed, is scheduled to be available to the media device based on the user account;

in response to identifying a first media content item that satisfies the search criteria, sending a first query, the first query identifying the first media content item available via a first channel to a device associated with the user account other than the media device, wherein the first query includes a first option to receive a notification before a scheduled show time of the first media content item, a second option to record the first media content item, or both;

determining a waiting period based on a search frequency parameter included in the search criteria and based on a search duration parameter included in the search criteria;

after the waiting period elapses, performing a second search of second media content information, the second media content information descriptive of third media content that, when the second search is performed, is accessible to the media device based on the user account and includes information descriptive of fourth media content that, when the second search is performed, is scheduled to be available to the media device based on the user account;

in response to the second search identifying a second media content item that satisfies the search criteria;

comparing a first time associated with the first media content item and a second time associated with the second media content item; and

comparing a first title of the first media content item and a second title of the second media content item;

in response to a determination that the first title matches the second title and that the first time does not match the second time, sending a second query to the device associated with the user account; and

in response to a determination that the first title matches the second title and that the first time matches the second time, refraining from sending a second query to the device associated with the user account.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

after sending the first query, receiving a reply message; and

scheduling transmission of the notification based on the reply message, wherein the first query is sent to the device and the notification is scheduled to be sent to a second communication device that is different from the device.

19. A system comprising:

a processor; and

memory accessible to the processor, the memory storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

receiving search criteria from a media device associated with a user account;

performing a first search of first media content information, the first media content information descriptive of first media content that, when the first search is performed, is accessible to the media device based on the user account and includes information descriptive of second media content that, when the first search is performed, is scheduled to be available to the media device based on the user account;

in response to identifying a first media content item that satisfies the search criteria, sending a first query, the first query identifying the first media content item to a device associated with the user account other than the media device, wherein the first query includes a first option to receive a notification before a scheduled show time of the first media content item, a second option to record the first media content item, or both;

determining a waiting period based on a search frequency parameter included in the search criteria and based on a search duration parameter included in the search criteria;

after the waiting period elapses, performing a second search of second media content information, the second media content information descriptive of third media content that, when the second search is performed, is accessible to the media device based on the user account and includes information descriptive of fourth media content that, when the second search is performed, is scheduled to be available to the media device based on the user account;

in response to the second search identifying a second media content item that satisfies the search criteria;

comparing a first time associated with the first media content item and a second time associated with the second media content item; and

comparing a first title of the first media content item and a second title of the second media content item;

in response to a determination that the first title matches the second title and that the first time does not match the second time, sending a second query to the device associated with the user account; and

in response to a determination that the first title matches the second title and that the first time matches the second time, refraining from sending a second query to the device associated with the user account.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the operations further include, prior to an end time based on the search duration parameter, performing subsequent searches of the second electronic program guide after a subsequent waiting period elapses, wherein a duration of the subsequent waiting period is equal to a duration of the waiting period.