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

• US 9,729,924 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2016
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Andrade, David De, Carney, John, Moreau, Samuel, Ahrens, Donald, Gibbs, Georgia
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US15/137,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20160345058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• 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:

combining, by a computing device, data describing at least two of linear content, non-linear content or managed content to produce a blending of user-selectable content from the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content in at least two levels of a hierarchy of levels; and

transmitting the blending of user-selectable content to one or more devices.

2. The method of claim 1, 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.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a first of the at least two levels comprises a combined list of user-selectable content options from the linear content and the non-linear content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the blending of user-selectable content to the one or more devices comprises broadcasting the blending of user-selectable content to the one or more devices.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting the blending of user-selectable content into a carousel for transmission.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a first of the at least two levels comprises a scrolling list of content options from the linear content and the non-linear content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more devices comprises one or more set top boxes.

8. A method comprising:

combining, by a computing device, data describing at least two of linear content, non-linear content or managed content to produce a blending of user-selectable content from the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content in at least two levels of a hierarchy of levels;

causing display of the blending of user-selectable content; and

based on one or more user interactions with the blending of user-selectable content, causing display of, within a video window, a portion of first content from the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more user interactions with the blending of user-selectable content represent a navigation of an on-screen cursor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the blending of user-selectable content 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 causing display of the blending of user-selectable content comprises causing a set-top box to generate the blending of user-selectable content for display.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the computing device comprises a set-top box.

14. A method comprising:

combining, by a computing device, data describing at least two of linear content, non-linear content or managed content to produce a user interface that comprises a hierarchy of levels and that blends user-selectable content from the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content in at least two levels of the hierarchy of levels; and

transmitting the user interface to one or more devices.

15. The method of claim 14, 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.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein a first of the at least two levels comprises a combined list of content options from the linear content and the non-linear content.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting the user interface to the one or more devices comprises broadcasting the user interface to the one or more devices.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein a first of the at least two levels comprises a scrolling list of content options from the linear content and the non-linear content.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more devices comprises one or more set top boxes.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the user interface comprises a video window, and wherein the method further comprises:

based on one or more user interactions with the user interface, generating, within the video window, a portion of first content from the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content.