Automatically preparing streaming video programming guides

• US 20070294641A1
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oleg Rashkovskiy
• Original Assignee: Oleg Rashkovskiy
• Inventors: Rashkovskiy, Oleg
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/838
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A programming guide for streaming video files may be automatically compiled in response to a user request. The user may provide keywords for categories of streaming video files that are of interest. A graphical user interface is automatically developed which splits responsive streaming video files into categories requested by the user. Each streaming video file may be represented in a user selected fashion. For example, the streaming videos may be represented by a representative frame, title or other information. The user can then click on any of the streaming video files, broken down into the appropriate categories, to begin viewing a streaming video file of interest.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

automatically searching, on a plurality of web sites, for streaming video files;

selecting particular streaming video files from said plurality of web sites based on a selected category and a text search using a keyword;

automatically generating a graphical user interface including selectable thumbnail frames to represent said selected streaming video files that include the keyword and belong to the selected category; and

in response to user selection of one of said selectable thumbnail frames, playing the video file corresponding to the selected thumbnail frame in said thumbnail frame.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a graphical user interface includes providing a space to enable a user to designate a language and limiting said search by the designated language.

3. The method of claim 1 where automatically searching for streaming video files includes automatically searching for predetermined file extensions associated with streaming video files.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically searching for streaming video files includes automatically searching for streaming video file extensions and for keywords in web sites associated with said streaming video files.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a graphical user interface includes providing a field to enable a user to designate a geographical location and automatically searching in text associated with streaming video files to limit the search by the designated location.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically searching for streaming video files includes periodically automatically searching for streaming video files.

7. A computer accessible medium storing instructions to:

automatically search, on a plurality of web sites, for streaming video files;

select particular streaming video files from said plurality of web sites based on a selected category and a text search using a keyword;

automatically generate a graphical user interface including selectable thumbnail frames to represent said selected streaming video files that include the keyword and belong to the selected category; and

in response to user selection of one of said selectable thumbnail frames, play the video file corresponding to the selected thumbnail frame in said thumbnail frame.

8. The medium of claim 7 further storing instructions to automatically search for predetermined file extensions associated with streaming video files.

9. The medium of claim 7 further storing instructions to automatically search for streaming video file extensions and for keywords in web sites associated with said streaming video files.

10. The medium of claim 7 further storing instructions to represent each video file by a thumbnail frame.

11. The medium of claim 10 further storing instructions to automatically play said video file in response to a user selection of said thumbnail video.

12. The medium of claim 7 further storing instructions to use said keywords as category icons and display a plurality of video files associated with each category icon.

13. The medium of claim 12 further storing instructions to access said video file over the Internet in response to a user selection of said video file.

14. The medium of claim 7 further storing instructions to provide a space to enable a user to designate a language and limit said search by the designated language.