Method and apparatus for searching a guide using program characteristics

• US 6,133,909 A
• Filed: 06/12/1997
• Issued: 10/17/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Leftwich, James Jay, Schein, Steven Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US08/873,916
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 348/1, 348/10, 348/906, 455/2, 345/327
• US Class Current: 715/721
• 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 21/4532 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 21/4622 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A system and method for obtaining information from an electronic program guide is provided. The electronic program guide can be provided by a television system, a set-top box, a VCR, or a computer system. The interactive system allows the user to quickly identify programs which may be of particular interest, thereby avoiding the necessity of searching through the entire program guide. In one embodiment, after the user identifies a specific program as a favorite, the system asks the user a series of questions in order to identify the particular characteristics of the program which makes it a favorite. Based upon the user'"'"'s responses, the system identifies all programs which contain the desired characteristics. In another embodiment, whenever the user watches a program the interactive system, operating in the background, searches for and marks all programs which may be of interest to the user. In another embodiment, the user can directly employ the interactive system to search for programs containing desirable characteristics. In this embodiment the user enters certain attributes into the system, for example, particular actors or directors. The system then identifies programs within the available electronic program guide which may meet the user'"'"'s requirements.

Claims

1. A method of determining potentially desirable programs in a television system, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a specific program listing from a electronic program guide, said program guide containing a plurality of program listings, wherein said program guide is displayed to a user;

designating said specific program listing as a favorite program to set the specific program listing to be a first selection criterion;

identifying at least one selection criterion used in selecting said specific program from said program guide to determine a second selection criterion in response to setting the first selection criterion; and

applying the determined second selection criterion to said plurality of program listings within said program guide to determine potentially desirable programs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said selection criterion is selected from the group consisting of performer, director, film location, series, individual program, category, and cinematography.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of identifying at least one specific performer associated with said favorite program.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of identifying at least one specific director associated with said favorite program.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of identifying a specific category associated with said favorite program, wherein said specific category is selected from the group consisting of comedy, drama, suspense, talk-show, horror, musical, action, childrens, adult, and classic.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of marking the program listing corresponding to said potentially desirable programs.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of marking is performed using a technique selected from the group consisting of placing a notation next to said program listing, using a distinguishable typeface for said program listing, placing an outline around said program listing, and using a distinguishable color for said program listing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said applying step is automatically repeated each time said program guide is updated.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of compiling and storing said identified selection criterion in a database each time one of said program listings from said program guide is selected and designated as a favorite program.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said compiled and stored selection criterion is modifiable by adding or deleting additional selection criterion.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of correlating said compiled and stored selection criterion with a specific user, said user selected from a plurality of users.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of notifying a user of said television system prior to a start time of said determined potentially desirable program.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of recording said determined potentially desirable program on a VCR, said VCR coupled to said television system.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of compiling a list of said potentially desirable programs.

15. A method of identifying potentially desirable programs in a television system, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a specific program listing from an electronic program guide, said program guide containing a plurality of program listings, wherein said program guide is displayed on a screen coupled to said television system, and wherein each listing of said program guide is characterized by an independent set of program features;

designating said specific program listing as a favorite program to set said specific program listing to be a first selection criterion;

identifying a specific set of program features associated with said favorite program to determine a second selection criterion in response to setting the first selection criterion;

comparing each set of program features associated with each program listing in said program guide to the determined second selection criterion; and

identifying each program listing as representing one of said potentially desirable programs in which a set of program features corresponding to a program listing of the plurality of program listings is equivalent to the determined second selection criterion.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein equivalent is defined as having at least one program feature of said set of program features in common with at least one program feature of said specific set of program features.

17. A method of searching an electronic program guide coupled to a television system, wherein said program guide contains a plurality of program listings, and wherein each program listing of said program guide is characterized by an independent set of program features, said method comprising the steps of:

setting a program listing from the plurality of program listings to be a first selection criterion;

determining a second selection criterion based on and in response to the first selection criterion being set;

entering at least one desired program feature from the second selection criterion including the group consisting of performer, director, producer, title, film location, and year of release;

comparing each program feature associated with each program listing in said program guide to the at least one desired program feature; and

identifying each program listing as a potentially desirable program in which at least one program feature associated with each program listing is equivalent to the at least one desired program feature.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of marking said identified program listing corresponding to said potentially desirable program.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said entering step is performed using an alpha-numeric keypad.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein a specific name is associated with each of said desired features, and wherein said specific name is entered with an alpha-numeric keypad, said method further comprising the steps of:

comparing a portion of said entered specific name to a database coupled to said data processor, said database containing a plurality of names associated with said program features characterizing said plurality of program listings; and

displaying each of said program listings in which at least a portion of one of said names associated with said program features which characterize said displayed program listing is equivalent to said portion of said entered specific name.

21. A television system comprising:

a data processor coupled to said television system;

a database coupled to said data processor, said database containing a program guide, said program guide containing a plurality of program listings;

a screen coupled to said television system capable of display said program guide;

a user input device coupled to said data processor for setting a specific program listing to be a favorite program as a first selection criterion;

wherein said data processor is configured to generate a displayable list of selection criteria in response to the specific program listing being set to be the favorite program and to allow at least one specific selection criterion to be identified and determined to be a second selection criterion based on the setting of the favorite program as the first selection criterion; and

wherein said data processor is configured to compare the at least one specific selection criteria to said plurality of program listings to determine potentially desirable programs, said potentially desirable programs meeting the identified at least one specific selection criterion.

22. The television system of claim 21, wherein said displayable list of selection criteria is selected from the group consisting of performer, director, film location, series, individual program, category, and cinematography.

23. The television system of claim 21, wherein said data processor is configured to generate a second displayable list of selection criteria in response to the identification of said specific selection criterion, wherein said second displayable list of selection criteria is a subset of said identified specific selection criterion.

24. The television system of claim 21, wherein said data processor is configured to generate a display of said potentially desirable programs.

25. The television system of claim 21, wherein said data processor is configured to generate an alternate program guide in which said program listings representing said potentially desirable programs are distinguishable from said program listings not representing said potentially desirable programs.

26. The television system of claim 21, wherein said data processor is configured to compile and store said identified specific selection criterion in said database each time a specific program listing is designated as a favorite program.

27. The television system of claim 26, wherein said compiled and stored selection criterion is correlated to a specific user.

28. The television system of claim 21, wherein said data processor is configured to record said potentially desirable program on a VCR coupled to said television system.

29. A television system comprising:

a data processor coupled to said television system;

a database coupled to said data processor, said database containing a program guide, said program guide containing a plurality of program listings, wherein each program listing of said program guide is characterized by an independent set of program features, said program features stored in said database;

a screen coupled to said television system capable of displaying said program guide; and

a user input device coupled to said data processor for designating a specific program listing as a favorite program to set the specific program listing to a first selection criterion, wherein said data processor, in response to the designation of the favorite program and setting the first selection criterion, is configured to compare said set of program features corresponding to the favorite program as a second selection criterion with said set of program features corresponding to each of said program listings in said program guide to determine potentially desirable programs, said potentially desirable programs having at least one program feature of said set of program features in common with at least one program feature of said set of program features corresponding to the favorite program.

30. A television system comprising:

a data processor coupled to said television system;

a data base coupled to said data processor, said database containing a program guide, said program guide containing a plurality of program listings, wherein each program listing of said program guide is characterized by an independent set of program features, the program features stored in said database;

a screen coupled to said television system capable of displaying said program guide; and

a user input device coupled to said data processor, the user input device capable of setting a program listing from the plurality of program listings to be a first selection criterion;

wherein the data processor, in response to the setting of the first selection criterion, determines a second selection criterion and the user input device capable of inputting at least one program feature from the second selection criterion;

wherein the second selection criterion is from the group consisting of performer, director, producer, title, film location, and year of release;

wherein the data processor is configured to compare the at least one program feature with the set of program features corresponding to each of the program listings in the program guide to determine potentially desirable programs, said potentially desirable programs having at least one program feature of the set of program features in common with the at least one program feature.

31. The television system of claim 30, further comprising an alpha-numeric keypad for entering a specific name associated with each of said desired program features, said data processor configured to compare a portion of said entered specific name to said database, said database containing a plurality of names associated with said program features characterizing said plurality of program listings, wherein said data processor generates a display of said program listings in which at least a portion of one of said names associated with said program features which characterize said displayed program listing is equivalent to said portion of said entered specific name.