Apparatus, systems and methods for content availability notification

• US 9,510,053 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Pandala, Sri Ramana
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saint Cyr, Jean D
• Application Number:
  US14/841,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20150373415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/47214 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

Systems and methods are operable to notify a user of content availability. An exemplary embodiment receives a content availability notification request that specifies at least one content of interest, searches current electronic program guide (EPG) information to identify the content of interest, determines that the information identifying the specified content of interest is unavailable based upon the search of the current EPG information, generates a content availability reminder that is associated with the specified content of interest, monitors a content database to determine an availability of the specified content of interest identified in the content availability reminder, determines that the specified content of interest is available when the monitored content database indicates availability of the specified content of interest, and generates a content availability reminder notification that indicates at least a title of the specified content of interest.

Claims

1. A method of notifying a user of content availability, the method comprising:

receiving, at a media device, a content availability notification request from the user, wherein the content availability notification request specifies content that is of interest to the user;

determining, at the media device, that the specified content of interest is not currently scheduled for presentation based upon the search of current electronic program guide (EPG) information that is stored at the media device, wherein the EPG information stores at least presentation schedule information pertaining to a plurality of currently scheduled programs over a predefined duration;

receiving, at the media device, EPG information updates,

wherein the EPG information updates are periodically received after the content availability notification request is received, and

wherein the EPG information updates are used to update the EPG information stored at the media device;

periodically monitoring, at the media device, the updated EPG information to determine availability of the specified content of interest; and

generating, at the media device, a content availability reminder notification in response to determining during the periodic monitoring that the specified content of interest is currently available or is scheduled for future presentation, wherein the content availability reminder notification is presented to the user of the media device and indicates at least a title of the specified content of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, at the media device, a content availability reminder in response to receiving the content availability notification request, wherein the content availability reminder includes at least an identifier that identifies the specified content of interest; and

storing the content availability reminder in a memory of the media device,

wherein the periodic monitoring of the updated EPG information comprises;

retrieving the EPG information from the memory of the media device; and

retrieving, from the memory of the media device, at least the identifier of the stored content availability reminder that identifies the specified content of interest to determine if the specified content of interest is being scheduled for presentation based on the retrieved EPG information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein after the specified content of interest is identified in the updated EPG information, the method further comprising:

recording, at the media device, the specified content of interest when the specified content of interest is received in a program content stream at the media device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content availability notification request identifies the specified content of interest using an identifier, and wherein periodically monitoring the updated EPG information to determine availability of the specified content of interest comprises:

monitoring, at the media device, the received EPG information updates to determine if the specified content of interest is being scheduled for presentation based on the identifiers of programs received in the EPG information updates.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the content availability reminder notification to a display that is communicatively coupled to the media device, wherein the content availability reminder notification is presented on the display.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting an EPG that identifies the plurality of currently scheduled programs to the user of the media device, wherein the information identifying the plurality of programs is based on the current EPG information stored at the media device,

wherein the content availability reminder notification is presented with the EPG when the availability of the specified content of interest has been determined.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content availability reminder notification is presented on a display that is communicatively coupled to the media device when the user is using the media device for presentation of content on the display.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user to present an EPG on a display that is communicatively coupled to the media device; and

incorporating the content availability reminder notification into the EPG that is presented on the display.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the media device, the specified content of interest identified in the content availability reminder when the user first activates the media device;

wherein the content availability reminder notification is presented on a display that is communicatively coupled to the media device in response to the user activating the media device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the media device, the specified content of interest identified in the content availability notification request when the media device is presenting other content to the user; and

replacing presentation of the other content with the specified content of interest when the specified content of interest is received in a program content stream received at the media device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the content availability reminder notification is an audio content availability reminder notification that is presented to the user, wherein the audio content availability reminder notification is a simulated voice message that specifies at least a title of the specified content of interest.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified content of interest is a new movie that is being released at a plurality of theatres and is not yet available at the media device, and wherein generating the content availability reminder notification at the media device comprises:

generating, at the media device, the content availability reminder notification in response to the specified content of interest becoming available on a Video on Demand (VOD) system;

presenting the content availability reminder notification that indicates that the specified content of interest is available on the VOD system;

accessing, at the media device, the specified content of interest from the VOD system; and

presenting the accessed specified content of interest to the user.

13. A media device, comprising:

a memory configured to store electronic program guide (EPG) information,

wherein the EPG information includes a schedule that identifies a plurality of programs that are currently available or are scheduled for future presentation over a predefined duration, and

wherein each of the plurality of programs are identified in the EPG information using at least one identifier;

a program content stream interface configured to receive at least one program content stream from a content service provider, wherein the plurality of programs are received in the at least one program content stream in accordance with the schedule defined in the EPG information; and

a processor system communicatively coupled to the memory and the program content stream interface, wherein the processor system is configured to;

process a content availability notification request generated by a user,

wherein the content availability notification request specifies content that is of interest to the user, and

wherein the content availability notification request includes an identifier that identifies the specified content of interest;

determine that the specified content of interest is not currently scheduled for presentation based upon a search of current EPG information that is stored in the memory;

process received EPG information updates,

wherein the EPG information updates are periodically received after the content availability notification request is received, and

wherein the EPG information updates are used to update the EPG information stored at the media device;

periodically monitor the updated EPG information to determine availability of the specified content of interest; and

generate a content availability reminder notification in response to determining during the periodic monitoring that the specified content of interest is currently available or is scheduled for future presentation, wherein the content availability reminder notification is presented to the user of the media device and indicates at least a title of the specified content of interest.

14. The media device of claim 13, further comprising

a digital video recorder configured to record the specified content of interest identified in the content availability notification request when the specified content of interest is being received in the at least one program content stream.

15. The media device of claim 13, further comprising:

a remote interface configured to receive the content availability notification request from a remote control.

16. The media device of claim 13, further comprising:

a presentation device interface communicatively coupled to a display, and configured to;

communicate the generated content availability reminder notification to the display for presentation to the user; and

communicate at least one of the plurality of programs are received in the at least one program content stream to the display for presentation to the user.

17. The media device of claim 13, wherein the processor system is further configured to:

generate an EPG that identifies the plurality of programs,

wherein the generated EPG is presented on a display to the user of the media device,

wherein the EPG identifying the plurality of programs is based on the current EPG information stored at the media device, and

wherein the content availability reminder notification is presented with the EPG and indicates at least the availability of the specified content of interest.

18. The media device of claim 13, wherein the processor system is further configured to:

generate the content availability reminder notification in response to the specified content of interest becoming available on a Video on Demand (VOD) system;

communicate the content availability reminder notification to a display, wherein the content availability reminder notification indicates that the specified content of interest is available on the VOD system;

access the specified content of interest from the VOD system in response to a user request for the specified content of interest; and

communicate the accessed specified content of interest to the display for presentation to the user.

19. The media device of claim 13, wherein the processor system is further configured to:

process the specified content of interest identified in the content availability notification request when the specified content of interest is received in the program content stream and when the media device is presenting other content to the user; and

replace presentation of the other content with the specified content of interest.

20. The media device of claim 13, wherein the processor system is further configured to:

monitor the received EPG information updates to determine if the specified content of interest is being scheduled for presentation based on the identifiers of programs received in the EPG information updates.