Technique for effectively accessing programming listing information in an entertainment delivery system

• US 9,071,795 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2007
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: McElhatten, David, Johnson, Steven, Benya, Robert, Golden, Robert B., Kasanin, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, JOSHUA D
• Application Number:
  US11/671,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,067 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2625 for delaying content or additional data distribution, e.g. because of an extended sport event
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 : Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 : Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 : Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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 21/454 : Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 : Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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 21/4825 : using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• 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 21/485 : End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 : for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/602 : for digital sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 : with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

In a broadband communications system, e.g., a cable system, programming content can be readily reserved and accessed for viewing using an interactive program guide, a network home graphic user interface (GUI), Quick View Guide, etc., in accordance with the invention. Such programming content may include in-progress programs, future programs and previously broadcast programs which are recorded at a headend in the cable system, and which may or may not have overlapping broadcast times. In addition, the user may reserve programs at a set-top terminal, and may also do so remotely from the terminal through a communications network such as, the Internet, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a wireless telephone network, etc.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating user access to programming content, comprising:

displaying on a display device, as part of a home network graphical user interface corresponding to a single programming network, content from a channel of said single programming network along with a plurality of user selectable network related options relating to content available from said single programming network, a user selectable programming network guide option corresponding to the single programming network to which said channel corresponds being one of said user selectable network options;

responding to user input indicating selection of the programming network guide option by;

displaying a network guide channel listing providing channel information on a network basis, said network guide channel listing including a group of program channels which correspond to said single programming network, channels corresponding to other networks having channel numbers falling between at least some of the numbers of program channels in said group of program channels, said network guide channel listing including multiple channels corresponding to said single programming network while excluding said channels corresponding to other networks which have channel numbers falling between the numbers of program channels in said group of program channels.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, as part of said home network graphical user interface corresponding to the single programming network various additional options pertaining to said single programming network which provides the channel being viewed, said additional options including a preview option providing access to previews of programs provided by said single programming network which provides the channel being viewed.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the program channels listed in said network guide channel listing offers high definition television (HDTV).

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

presenting, as part of said home network graphical user interface corresponding to the single programming network, a network on-demand option providing access to on-demand programming content provided by said single programming network which provides the channel being viewed.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

presenting, as part of said home network graphical user interface corresponding to the single programming network, a network based search option providing access to searching programs available from said single programming network which provides the channel being viewed.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

presenting, as part of said home network graphical user interface corresponding to the single programming network, an option to select a programming network guide and a network based special offers option providing offers available from said programming network which provides the channel being viewed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said network guide channel listing is displayed in a window which does not include a listing of any program channels other than channels corresponding to said single programming network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said network guide channel listing is a listing of multiple program channels corresponding to the same network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said same network is a CNN network, said network channel listing being an aggregation of information corresponding to CNN network channels, any one of said CNN network channels being selectable by a user from said network channel listing.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein responding to user input indicating selection of the programming network guide option includes continuing to display said content from the channel of said single programming network along with said network guide channel listing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said displayed graphical user interface corresponds to a single network, said single programming network being said network to which said channel corresponds.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said graphical user interface is a home network graphical user interface corresponding to said network to which said channel corresponds.

13. The method of claim 1,

wherein said home network graphical user interface provides information corresponding to a single one of a plurality of different networks at least some of which have program channels corresponding to program channel numbers which are non-contiguous and interspersed with program channels numbers corresponding to other networks, said plurality of different networks providing channels which can be viewed on said display device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is implemented by a set top box.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said method is implemented by a set top box.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying with said user selectable network guide option a user selectable network on demand option which, when selected by the user provides a list of programs available on demand from said programming network to which said channel corresponds.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

displaying with said user selectable network guide option a user selectable network previews option which, when selected by the user provides the use an opportunity to preview programs corresponding to said single programming network to which said channel corresponds.