Customized video mosaic

• US 9,860,477 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Kummer, David, VanDuyn, Luke, Kirby, Morgan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Contino Saumby, Krista A
• Application Number:
  US14/139,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20150181132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• 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 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/4334 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4398 involving reformatting operations of audio signals details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• 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 21/4622 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

Various arrangements for outputting a customized video mosaic are presented. Based on received user input, it may be determined that a customized video mosaic is to be output for presentation. A plurality of television channels to be presented as part of the customized video mosaic may be determined. One or more tuners may be tuned based on the determined plurality of television channels to be presented. The plurality of television channels may be output for presentation to a presentation device. Each of these television channels may be presented by the presentation device as live video simultaneously as part of the customized video mosaic.

Claims

1. A television receiver configured to output a customized video mosaic, the television receiver comprising:

one or more tuners;

one or more processors;

a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

based on a first received user input, determine the customized video mosaic to be output for presentation;

determine a plurality of television channels to be presented as part of the customized video mosaic;

tune a tuner of the one or more tuners to a preview transponder stream based on the determined plurality of television channels to be presented, wherein;

the preview transponder stream, transmitted to the television receiver by a television service provider, comprises live reduced resolution video streams of a plurality of television channels that comprises;

the determined plurality of television channels and additional television channels, wherein the live reduced resolution video streams differ from each other, and the determined plurality of television channels are distributed live concurrently in higher resolution via a plurality of television channel transponder streams distinct from the preview transponder stream;

create a plurality of packet identifier (PID) filters such that a PID filter for each television channel of the determined plurality of television channels is created to filter each television channel from the preview transponder stream;

output for presentation the reduced resolution video streams of the determined plurality of television channels from the preview transponder stream to a presentation device based on filtering of the preview transponder stream using the plurality of PID filters, wherein each television channel of the plurality of television channels are presented by the presentation device as live video simultaneously as part of the customized video mosaic;

receive a second user input selecting a reduced resolution video stream of a television channel from the customized video mosaic;

determine a television channel transponder stream that comprises the television channel, the television channel being transmitted in a higher resolution as part of the television channel transponder stream than the reduced resolution video stream of the television channel transmitted as part of the preview transponder stream, wherein

the television channel transponder stream is distinct from the reduced resolution video stream;

tune a tuner of the one or more tuners to the television channel transponder stream that comprises the television channel transmitted in the higher resolution in response to determining the television channel transponder stream that comprises the television channel; and

output, to the presentation device, the television channel in the higher resolution from the television channel transponder stream.

2. The television receiver configured to output the customized video mosaic of claim 1, wherein the plurality of television channels of the preview transponder stream comprises at least thirty reduced resolution video streams of television channels distributed in higher resolution via the plurality of television channel transponder streams.

3. The television receiver configured to output the customized video mosaic of claim 1, wherein at least seven television channels are output as part of the customized video mosaic simultaneously.

4. The television receiver configured to output the customized video mosaic of claim 1, wherein the processor-readable instructions that cause the one or more processors to determine the plurality of television channels to be presented as part of the customized video mosaic comprise processor-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

determine the plurality of television channels to be presented as part of the customized video mosaic based upon a selection of a user profile.

5. The television receiver configured to output the customized video mosaic of claim 4, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

prior to determining the customized video mosaic is to be output for presentation, identify a television program on a television channel to record based on the user profile;

record the television program on the television channel at a first resolution; and

output for presentation the recorded television program as part of the customized video mosaic at a second resolution, wherein the second resolution is less than the first resolution.

6. The television receiver configured to output the customized video mosaic of claim 1, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

prior to determining the customized video mosaic is to be output for presentation, receive a timer from a user;

record a television program on a television channel at a first resolution based on the timer;

record a reduced resolution preview clip corresponding to the television program; and

output for presentation the reduced resolution preview clip as part of the customized video mosaic.

7. The television receiver configured to output the customized video mosaic of claim 4, wherein the processor-readable instructions that cause the one or more processors to determine the plurality of television channels to be presented as part of the customized video mosaic based upon the selected user profile comprise processor-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

identify a category of television programming indicated by the user profile as preferred.

8. The television receiver configured to output the customized video mosaic of claim 1, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a third user input selecting a category of television programming to link with a user profile.

9. A method for outputting a customized video mosaic, the method comprising:

determining, by a television receiver, the customized video mosaic to be output for presentation based on a first received user input;

determining, by the television receiver, a plurality of television channels to be presented as part of the customized video mosaic;

tuning, by the television receiver, a tuner of the television receiver to a preview transponder stream transmitted by a television service provider based on the determined plurality of television channels to be presented, wherein;

the preview transponder stream comprises reduced resolution video streams of a plurality of television channels that comprises;

the determined plurality of television channels and additional television channels, and

the determined plurality of television channels are distributed in higher resolution via a plurality of television channel transponder streams distinct from the preview transponder stream;

creating, by the television receiver, a plurality of packet identifier (PID) filters such that a PID filter for each television channel of the determined plurality of television channels is created to filter the determine plurality of television channels from the preview transponder stream;

outputting, by the television receiver, for presentation the reduced resolution video streams of the determined plurality of television channels from the preview transponder stream to a presentation device based on filtering of the preview transponder stream using the plurality of PID filters, wherein each television channel of the plurality of television channels are presented by the presentation device as live video simultaneously as part of the customized video mosaic;

receiving, by the television receiver, a second user input selecting a reduced resolution video stream of a television channel from the customized video mosaic;

determining, by the television receiver, a television channel transponder stream that comprises the television channel, the television channel being transmitted in a higher resolution as part of the television channel transponder stream than the reduced resolution video stream of the television channel transmitted as part of the preview transponder stream, wherein

the television channel transponder stream is distinct from the reduced resolution video stream;

tuning, by the television receiver, a tuner of the one or more tuners to the television channel transponder stream that comprises the television channel transmitted in the higher resolution in response to determining the television channel transponder stream that comprises the television channel; and

outputting, by the television receiver, to the presentation device, the television channel in the higher resolution from the television channel transponder stream.

10. The method for outputting the customized video mosaic of claim 9, wherein the plurality of television channels of the preview transponder stream comprises at least thirty reduced resolution video streams of television channels distributed in higher resolution via the plurality of television channel transponder streams.

11. The method for outputting the customized video mosaic of claim 9, wherein at least seven television channels are output as part of the customized video mosaic simultaneously.

12. The method for outputting the customized video mosaic of claim 9, wherein determining the plurality of television channels to be presented as part of the customized video mosaic comprises:

determining, by the television receiver, the plurality of television channels to be presented as part of the customized video mosaic based upon a selection of a user profile.

13. The method for outputting the customized video mosaic of claim 12, the method further comprising:

prior to determining the customized video mosaic is to be output for presentation, identifying, by the television receiver, a television program on a television channel to record based on the user profile;

recording, by the television receiver, the television program on the television channel at a first resolution; and

outputting, by the television receiver, for presentation the recorded television program as part of the customized video mosaic at a second resolution, wherein the second resolution is less than the first resolution.

14. The method for outputting the customized video mosaic of claim 9, the method further comprising:

prior to determining the customized video mosaic is to be output for presentation, receiving, by the television receiver, definition of a timer from a user;

recording, by the television receiver, a television program on a television channel at a first resolution based on the timer;

recording, by the television receiver, a reduced resolution preview clip corresponding to the television program; and

outputting, by the television receiver, for presentation the reduced resolution preview clip as part of the customized video mosaic.

15. The method for outputting the customized video mosaic of claim 12, wherein determining the plurality of television channels to be presented as part of the customized video mosaic based upon the selected user profile comprises:

identifying a category of television programming indicated by the user profile as preferred.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for outputting a customized video mosaic, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

based on a first received user input, determine the customized video mosaic to be output for presentation;

determine a plurality of television channels to be presented as part of the customized video mosaic;

tune a tuner of a television receiver to a preview transponder stream transmitted by a television service provider, such tuning being performed based on the determined plurality of television channels to be presented, wherein;

the preview transponder stream, transmitted to the television receiver by a television service provider, comprises reduced resolution video streams of a plurality of television channels that comprises;

the determined plurality of television channels and additional television channels, and the determined plurality of television channels are distributed in higher resolution via a plurality of television channel transponder streams distinct from the preview transponder stream;

create a plurality of packet identifier (PID) filters such that a PID filter for each television channel of the determined plurality of television channels is created to filter each television channel from the preview transponder stream;

output for presentation the reduced resolution video streams of the determined plurality of television channels from the preview transponder stream to a presentation device based on filtering of the preview transponder stream using the plurality of PID filters, wherein each television channel of the plurality of television channels are presented by the presentation device as live video simultaneously as part of the customized video mosaic;

receive user input selecting a reduced resolution video stream of a television channel from the customized video mosaic;

determine a television channel transponder stream that comprises the television channel, the television channel being transmitted in a higher resolution as part of the television channel transponder stream than the reduced resolution video stream of the television channel transmitted as part of the preview transponder stream, wherein

the television channel transponder stream is distinct from the reduced resolution video stream;

tune a tuner of the one or more tuners to the television channel transponder stream that comprises the television channel transmitted in the higher resolution in response to determining the television channel transponder stream that comprises the television channel; and

output, to the presentation device, the television channel in the higher resolution from the television channel transponder stream.