Meta Channel Based Media System Control Technology

• US 20140317661A1
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PurpleComm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PurpleComm Incorporated
• Inventors: CHANG, JACK H., SHEU, WILLIAM H., TUAN, SHERMAN
• Application Number:
  US14/319,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20140317661A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/4532 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 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• 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 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Meta-channels identify content entries and indicate an order with which to experience the content entries. The meta-channels may include a multi-source meta-channel that includes at least a first content entry that relates to first content broadcast by a first content provider at a specific time and a second content entry that relates to second content made available, over a network, by a second content provider in response to user requests. A selection of a meta-channel is received and the selection of the meta-channel is mapped to a content entry defined by the selected meta-channel. A media system is controlled to render content based on a content entry mapped to by the selected meta-channel.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a media system based on meta-channel information, the method comprising:

storing, in electronic storage, meta-channel information defining multiple meta-channels that identify content entries and that indicate an order with which to experience the content entries;

receiving, from a particular user, a selection of a meta-channel included in the multiple meta-channels defined by the meta-channel information;

accessing, from the electronic storage, meta-channel information corresponding to the selected meta-channel;

based on the accessed meta-channel information corresponding to the selected meta-channel, determining that the selected meta-channel defines a dynamically configurable content entry that maps to multiple possible content entries;

accessing preferences of the particular user;

selecting, from among the multiple possible content entries, a single content entry for the dynamically configurable content entry based on the accessed preferences of the particular user; and

controlling a media system to render content based on the selected content entry.