Apparatus and method for constrained selection of favorite channels

• US 7,937,727 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Knudson, Edward B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton; Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saint Cyr; Jean D
• Application Number:
  US12/834,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20110004906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An interactive program guide system is provided in which an interactive program guide offers a user access to content from multiple available media types. The program guide system provides for designating a preferred media type which reflects the user'"'"'s interests. The program guide system also provides the user with the option of designating favorite channels. The user is subsequently allowed to navigate among only favorite channels of the preferred media type.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to content from a plurality of available media types with an interactive program guide, comprising:

displaying on a screen a list of channels, wherein each channel is associated with one or more of the available media types;

receiving a user request from a user control device to navigate to a channel from the list of channels;

determining if the user requested channel is a favorite channel;

determining if the one or more media types associated with user requested channel is a preferred media type if it is determined that the user requested channel is a favorite channel; and

constraining a cursor to navigate to the user requested channel only if the user requested channel is determined to be a favorite channel of the preferred media type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the user requested channel is a favorite channel further comprises determining if the user has designated the channel as a favorite channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the one or more media types is a preferred media type further comprises determining if the user has designated the media type as a preferred media type.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media type is selected from a group including television, video, music, audio, video-on-demand, digital audio, and game media types.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tuning to the user requested channel in response to determining that the channel is a favorite channel of the preferred media type.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

presenting a display, wherein the display includes information for the user requested channel;

receiving a user request to navigate to a second channel; and

in response to determining that the second channel is a favorite channel of the preferred media type;

tuning to the second channel; and

updating the display to include information for the second channel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the display is a flip display or a browse display.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing information about at least one favorite channel of the preferred media type in a preference profile.

9. A system for providing access to content from a plurality of available media types with an interactive program guide, the system comprising user equipment configured to:

display on a screen a list of channels, wherein each channel is associated with one or more of the available media types;

receive a user request from a user control unit to navigate to a channel from the list of channels;

determine if the user requested channel is a favorite channel;

determine if the one or more media types associated with user requested channel is a preferred media type if it is determined that the user requested channel is a favorite channel; and

constrain a cursor to navigate to the user requested channel only if the user requested channel is determined to be a favorite channel of the preferred media type.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user equipment is further configured to determine if the user requested channel is a favorite channel by determining if the user has designated the channel as a favorite channel.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the user equipment is further configured to determine if the one or more media types is a preferred media type by determining if the user has designated the media type as a preferred media type.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the media type is selected from a group including television, video, music, audio, video-on-demand, digital audio, and game media types.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

tune to the user requested channel in response to determining that the channel is a favorite channel of the preferred media type.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

present a display, wherein the display includes information for the user requested channel;

receive a user request to navigate to a second channel; and

in response to determining that the second channel is a favorite channel of the preferred media type;

tune to the second channel; and

update the display to include information for the second channel.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the display is a flip display or a browse display.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

store information about at least one favorite channel of the preferred media type in a preference profile.