DYNAMIC ADJUSTMENT OF ELECTRONIC PROGRAM GUIDE DISPLAYS BASED ON VIEWER PREFERENCES FOR MINIMIZING NAVIGATION IN VOD PROGRAM SELECTION

• US 20130254809A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BBiTV, Inc., Broadband iTV, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Broadband iTV, Inc.
• Inventors: Diaz Perez, Milton
• Granted Patent: US 9,247,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• 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 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• 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 21/47202 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Items of video content offered for viewing on a video-on-demand (VOD) platform of a digital TV service provider are each assigned a respective title and hierarchical address corresponding to hierarchically-arranged categories and subcategories within which the title for the video content is to be categorized. The title is listed in a location of an electronic program guide (EPG) using the same categories and subcategories as its hierarchical address. Any TV subscriber can access the EPG and navigate through its categories and subcategories to find a title for viewing on the TV. The EPG dynamically adjust its display listings of each level of categories, subcategories, and titles in order to minimize the number of remote control keypresses needed for a viewer to navigate to a title of interest. In one basic form, the EPG display is reordered by listing more frequently visited categories or subcategories first, and other less frequently visited categories or subcategories lower on the listing or out-of-sight on another page of the display.

Claims

1. A method of common addressing of video content on the Internet and corresponding on-demand TV program content on a TV services platform of a digital TV service provider, which is of the type employing a closed system of pre-screened and pre-programmed video content selectable for viewing by TV service subscribers upon request using their TV remote control units to control set-top boxes connected to their TV display equipment, comprising:

(a) enabling converting and uploading of video content from a video content provider on the Internet into a formatted on-demand TV program to be uploaded to the TV services platform of the digital TV services provider, wherein the on-demand TV program is to be uploaded with associated metadata for specifying position of its title in a hierarchically categorized ordering of categories and subcategories of an electronic program guide for the TV services platform of the digital TV services provider, said metadata being structured as a string of category and subcategory terms separated by delimiters which represent the position of the title of the to-be-uploaded TV program in the hierarchically categorized ordering of the electronic program guide; and

(b) enabling the video content corresponding to the to-be-uploaded on-demand TV program to be accessible on the Internet at a URL address containing the same string of category and subcategory terms separated by delimiters representing the position of the title of the to-be-uploaded TV program on the electronic program guide, so that the video content is accessible at the URL address on the Internet in a common addressing scheme with the corresponding on-demand TV program accessible on the electronic program guide of the TV services platform of the digital TV service provider.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the video content is provided from the video content provider to a web-based content management system which performs the screening, converting, and uploading of the video content into a formatted on-demand TV program to be uploaded to the TV services platform of the digital TV services provider.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the web-based content management system is enabled to receive tracking data indicative of viewing selections of the on-demand TV programs by TV service subscribers on the TV services platform of the digital TV services provider, and the received tracking data are used for value transactions with providers of video content corresponding to the on-demand TV program content.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the to-be-uploaded on-demand TV programs are host and subordinate TV programs, and the video content corresponding to the host and subordinate TV programs are accessible at URL addresses on the Internet in a common addressing scheme as the host and subordinate TV programs on the electronic program guide.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the to-be-uploaded on-demand TV programs are video classified ads that are listed on the electronic program guide, and the video content corresponding to the video classified ads are accessible at URL addresses on the Internet in a common addressing scheme with the video classified ads on the electronic program guide.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the to-be-uploaded on-demand TV programs are for a channel operator on the TV services platform of the digital TV services provider, and the video content corresponding to the on-demand TV programs are accessible at URL addresses for a channel operator'"'"'s website on the Internet in a common addressing scheme with the on-demand TV programs on the electronic program guide.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein the value transactions are for billing charges to the channel operator for viewing of on-demand TV programs of the channel operator.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the video content is provided from one or more sources of the group consisting of:

(a) user-generated content from Internet users;

(b) web-based content from video content websites;

(c) digital video from mobile platforms; and

(d) digital video from Internet-connected portable devices.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the to-be-uploaded on-demand TV programs are hierarchically arranged in program viewing layers from an upper program viewing layer offering selection options for subordinate TV programs in subordinate TV program viewing layers, whereby successive layers of on-demand TV programs may be viewed in hierarchical order providing the TV service subscriber with a “

drill-down”

TV viewing experience, and the video content corresponding to the on-demand TV programs are accessible at URL addresses on the Internet in a common drill-down addressing scheme with the TV programs.

10. A method according to claim 3, wherein the web-based content management system is enabled to receive a bookmark address sent from the TV services platform corresponding to the position of the title for an on-demand TV program on the electronic program guide and use it as the URL address for the video content on the Internet in a common addressing scheme with the TV program on the electronic program guide.

11. A method of common addressing of video content on the Internet and corresponding on-demand TV program content on a TV services platform of a digital TV service provider, which is of the type employing a closed system of pre-screened and pre-programmed video content selectable for viewing by TV service subscribers upon request using their TV remote control units to control set-top boxes connected to their TV display equipment, comprising:

(a) enabling receipt of converted and uploaded video content from a video content provider on the Internet into a formatted on-demand TV program uploaded to the TV services platform of the digital TV services provider, wherein the on-demand TV program is associated with metadata for specifying position of its title in a hierarchically categorized ordering of categories and subcategories of an electronic program guide for the TV services platform of the digital TV services provider, said metadata being structured as a string of category and subcategory terms separated by delimiters which represent the position of the title of the uploaded TV program in the hierarchically categorized ordering of the electronic program guide; and

(b) saving a bookmark address requested by a TV service subscriber corresponding to the position of the title for the on-demand TV program on the electronic program guide and using it by containing the same string of category and subcategory terms separated by delimiters in a URL address for video content on the Internet in a common addressing scheme with the on-demand TV program on the electronic program guide.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the bookmark address is used by sending it to another TV service subscriber of the digital TV services provider system for addressing the on-demand TV program on the other TV service subscriber'"'"'s electronic program guide.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the bookmark address is used by sending it in email to a user on the Internet to enable access to corresponding video content at a URL address containing the bookmark address.