Graphically rich, modular, promotional tile interface for interactive television

• US 8,707,354 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2003
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Moreau, Samuel, Haber, Darrell, Hirsch, Christine, Gibbs, Georgia, Jaroneski, Kathryn
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castro, Alfonso
• Application Number:
  US10/460,950
• Time in Patent Office: 3,967 Days
• Field of Search: 725 39- 61
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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 21/482 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 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts

Abstract

A user interface arranged as hierarchical grid of tiles configurable to be individually and dynamically programmed for both content type and content placement according to a set of rules defining content placement and display specified by a content controller.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a communications device configured to;

generate a user interface comprising a plurality of user interface screens, wherein at least one of the user interface screens comprises a plurality of tiles, and one or more of the plurality of tiles identifies programming available for display;

control the user interface to present a different one of a plurality of entry points to the user interface based on a viewer demographic selected among a plurality of viewer demographics, the viewer demographic being selected based at least in part on a time of day, wherein each different entry point comprises a different set of programming functions and a different initially displayed one of the user interface screens arranged in a plurality of levels; and

output one of the user interface screens.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user interface screens includes a channel assistant for accessing programming content.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user interface screens comprises an interactive program guide (IPG) for accessing entertainment programming content.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user interface screens comprises an interactive channel watermark displayed over programming of a currently displayed channel, and wherein the communications device is configured to generate a displayable pop up channel assistant in response to a selection of the interactive channel watermark, and wherein the displayable pop up channel assistant is configured to provide access to on-demand programming content associated with the currently displayed channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications device is further configured to select the plurality of tiles to display within one of the plurality of user interface screens based on the selected viewer demographic.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications device is configured to arrange the plurality of tiles within one of the user interface screens in a shape of at least one of a globe and a sphere, and wherein the shape is configured to change based on a time of day to reflect a user'"'"'s habits by rotating to promote specific programming content types and genres.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of tiles displayed in one of the user interface screens is divided into a group of additional tiles displayed in place of the one tile within the one user interface screens based on business rules.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the group of additional tiles displayed in place of the one tile is individually scrollable.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications device includes a set-top box.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the tiles identifies video programs available from the same source.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein controlling the user interface comprises providing access to video content that is categorized based at least in part on time-based demographics.

12. A method comprising:

generating, by a computing device, a user interface comprising a plurality of user interface screens, wherein at least one of the user interface screens comprises a plurality of tiles, and one or more of the plurality of tiles identifies programming available for display;

controlling the user interface to present a different one of a plurality of entry points to the user interface based on a viewer demographic selected among a plurality of viewer demographics, the viewer demographic being selected based at least in part on a time of day, wherein each different entry point comprises a different set of programming functions and a different initially displayed one of the user interface screens arranged in a plurality of levels; and

outputting one of the user interface screens.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of user interface screens includes a channel assistant for accessing utility programming content.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of user interface screens include an interactive program guide (IPG) for accessing entertainment programming content.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating a displayable pop up channel assistant in response to a selection of an interactive channel watermark displayed over programming of a currently displayed channel, the displayable pop up channel assistant providing access to on-demand programming content associated with the currently displayed channel.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

selecting the plurality of tiles to display within one of the plurality of user interface screens based on the selected viewer demographic.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the outputted user interface screen is overlayed on content of a currently displayed channel, and wherein the overlayed user interface screen includes a tile identifying an on-demand program associated with the currently displayed channel.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the entry points include an interactive program guide displayed as an initial user interface screen at a first time of day, and a channel assistant displayed as the initial user interface screen at a second time of day.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the on-demand program includes weather reports associated with the currently displayed channel.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein one of the user interface screens includes a program guide displaying lists of content organized by channel, each list associated with a different channel and including on-demand content available any time from the associated channel listed with broadcast content available at scheduled times from the associated channel.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the on-demand content includes previously broadcast episodes of the broadcast content available at the scheduled times.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein controlling the user interface comprises providing access to video content that is categorized based at least in part on time-based demographics.

23. A method comprising:

generating, by a computing device, a user interface comprising a plurality of menus identifying different video programming available for display;

modifying the user interface to organize the plurality of menus into different hierarchies based on a time of day, wherein each different hierarchy comprises a different initially displayed menu of the user interface, and wherein each said initially displayed menu comprises a different set of programming functions; and

outputting at least one of the plurality of menus of the user interface, wherein contents of the at least one outputted menu are selected based on a viewer demographic selected from a plurality of different viewer demographics, the viewer demographic being selected based at least in part on the time of day.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein modifying the user interface comprises providing access to video content that is categorized based at least in part on time-based demographics.