System and Method for Blending Linear Content, Non-Linear Content, or Managed Content

• US 20190238936A1
• Filed: 01/18/2019
• Published: 08/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Moreau, Samuel, Ahrens, Donald, Gibbs, Georgia, Carney, John, de Andrade, David
• Granted Patent: US 10,616,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: 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. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

combine 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

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

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media 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 one or more non-transitory computer-readable media 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 one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to send the blending of user-selectable content by broadcasting the blending of user-selectable content to the one or more devices.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

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

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media 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 one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the one or more devices comprises one or more set top boxes.

8. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to;

combine 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

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

9. The apparatus of claim 8, 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.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, 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.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to send the blending of user-selectable content by broadcasting the blending of user-selectable content to the one or more devices.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

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

13. The apparatus of claim 8, 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.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more devices comprises one or more set top boxes.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

combine 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

send, to one or more devices, the user interface.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, 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.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, 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.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to send the user interface by broadcasting the user interface to the one or more devices, wherein the one or more devices comprises one or more set top boxes.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, 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.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the user interface comprises a video window, and wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

based on one or more user interactions with the user interface, cause generation of, 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.