Supplemental services interface

• US 9,826,267 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2015
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Mathur, Arpit
• Primary Examiner(s): Titcomb, William
• Application Number:
  US14/950,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20160316254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 715762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/4622 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program

Abstract

Examples are described for integrating interface functionality with other experiences. For example, if a user is interested in a particular item of scheduled or on-demand content (e.g., a television series episode), the user may also be interested in a web page devoted to the television series and/or other extras such as cast interviews, news, related theme apps, and the like. These types of experiences may be integrated into an interface by presenting the experiences as supplemental services that may be presented and/or selected.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least a portion of a network, wherein the network is communicatively coupled between at least one computing device and a client device;

at least one data storage device communicatively coupled with the at least one computing device and storing first data associating a plurality of items of scheduled video content with a plurality of services and with a plurality of supplemental services; and

the at least one computing device configured to;

transmit, via the network, first one or more signals identifying at least one of the plurality of items of scheduled video content and at least one of the plurality of services that are associated with the at least one of the plurality of items of scheduled video content;

receive, from the client device via the network, second one or more signals indicating a user selection of a first service of the at least one of the plurality of services;

determine, in response to the second one or more signals and based on the first data, whether a first item of scheduled video content, that is associated with the first service, is also associated with any of the plurality of supplemental services; and

transmit, via the network and in response to determining that the first item of scheduled video content is associated with a first supplemental service of the plurality of supplemental services, third one or more signals identifying the first supplemental service.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to deliver to the client device, in response to a request by the client device, the first item of scheduled video content.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to provide to the client device, in response to a request by the client device, the first supplemental service.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising the client device, wherein the client device is configured to generate for display, in response to the third one or more signals, a user interface indicating the first item of scheduled video content simultaneously with the first supplemental service.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is configured to cause the client device to generate for display, in response to the third one or more signals, a user interface indicating the first item of scheduled video content simultaneously with the first supplemental service.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first supplemental service comprises one or both of a web site or a web page.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first supplemental service comprises an executable software application.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of services comprises a plurality of channels and the plurality of supplemental services comprises a plurality of one or both of web sites or web pages.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device comprises the at least one data storage device.

10. A method comprising:

transmitting, by at least one computing device and via a network, first one or more signals identifying a plurality of items of scheduled video content and a plurality of services that are associated with the plurality of items of scheduled video content;

receiving, from a client device via the network, second one or more signals indicating a user selection of a first service of the plurality of services;

determining, in response to the second one or more signals and based on first data stored by at least one data storage device that is communicatively coupled with the at least one computing device, whether a first item of scheduled video content, that is associated with the first service, is also associated with any of a plurality of supplemental services, wherein the first data associates the plurality of items of scheduled video content with the plurality of services and with the plurality of supplemental services; and

transmitting, via the network and in response to determining that the first item of scheduled video content is associated with a first supplemental service of the plurality of supplemental services, third one or more signals identifying the first supplemental service.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising delivering to the client device, in response to a request by the client device, the first item of scheduled video content.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing to the client device, in response to a request by the client device, the first supplemental service.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising causing the client device to generate for display, in response to the third one or more signals, a user interface indicating the first item of scheduled video content simultaneously with the first supplemental service.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first supplemental service comprises one or both of a web site or a web page.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of services comprises a plurality of channels and the plurality of supplemental services comprises a plurality of one or both of web sites or web pages.

16. A method comprising:

transmitting, by at least one computing device and via a network, first one or more signals identifying a plurality of items of video content and a plurality of channels via which the plurality of items of video content are scheduled to be delivered;

receiving, from a client device via the network, second one or more signals indicating a user selection of a first channel of the plurality of channels;

determining, in response to the second one or more signals and based on first data stored by at least one data storage device that is communicatively coupled with the at least one computing device, whether a first one of the items of video content, that is scheduled to be delivered via the first channel, is associated with any of a plurality of supplemental services, wherein the first data associates the plurality of items of video content with the plurality of channels and with the plurality of supplemental services; and

transmitting, via the network and in response to determining that the first one of the items of video content is associated with a first supplemental service of the plurality of supplemental services, third one or more signals identifying the first supplemental service.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising delivering to the client device, in response to a request by the client device, the first one of the items of video content.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing to the client device, in response to a request by the client device, the first supplemental service.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first supplemental service comprises one or both of a web site or a web page.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the first supplemental service comprises an executable software application.