Method for providing previous watch list of contents provided by different sources, and display device which performs same

• US 9,936,254 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2014
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Seo, Hyunkyung, Cho, Suyeon, Lee, Suzin
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, TUNG THANH
• Application Number:
  US14/540,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20150074604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 725 14, 725 46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440272 for performing aspect ratio conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• 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 21/4622 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score

Abstract

A display device and a method of providing a contents list are provided. An apparatus/method is provided. The method includes: playing contents; determining whether the contents are played over a predetermined time; when the contents are played over the predetermined time, storing information on the contents in a previously-viewed-contents list; and once a request signal for displaying the previously-viewed-contents list occurs, displaying the previously-viewed-contents list.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a memory;

a receiving unit configured to receive a broadcasting signal including a broadcasting program;

an external signal input unit configured to receive a content image from an external device connected to the display device;

an interface unit configured to receive a request; and

a control unit configured to;

output a plurality of items, wherein the plurality of items include a first item including information identifying a content provider which has been previously accessed and providing a content through a network, a second item including information identifying the broadcasting program which has been previously output for more than a predetermined time and a third item including an access path for identifying the external signal input unit receiving the content image provided from the external device connected to the device,

receive a first request for outputting a menu, in an On Screen Display (OSD) format, which is used for aligning the plurality of items,

output the menu according to the received first request, wherein the menu includes a preference option for aligning the plurality of items in a preference order,

receive a second request for selecting the preference option included in the menu, and

realign the plurality of items in the preference order according to the received second request,

wherein the preference order of the plurality of items is determined by a displayed time of each content corresponding to each of the plurality of items, and

wherein the control unit is further configured to;

store, in the memory, a thumbnail extracted from the content image if the content image is output for more than the predetermined time, and store the access path of the content image, and

output the thumbnail with the access path on the third item.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein when the first item is selected,

the control unit outputs contents history including contents previously output among contents provided from the content provider.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the menu further includes a time option for aligning the plurality of items in a time order, and

the control unit aligns the plurality of items in an order of an item that has been recently output, executed or accessed when the time option included in the menu is selected.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the menu further includes a content provider option for aligning the plurality of items in a content provider order, and

the plurality of items are grouped by each item having the same content provider when the content provider option included in the menu is selected.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the control unit receives the first request and the second request from a remote controller or a local key.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store the information identifying the content provider, the information identifying the broadcasting program and the information identifying the external device or the access path.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the control unit deletes a first stored item if the number of the plurality of items is more than a predetermined number.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the information on identifying the content provider includes a name of the content provider, a thumbnail image of the content provided from the content provider, an URL access information corresponding to the content, or a title of the content.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the broadcasting program includes a name of a broadcasting station or a channel number of the broadcasting program.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein when one item among the plurality of items is stored for more than a predetermined time, the control unit deletes the one item.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the control unit identifies a user of the display device by using a login or a camera and outputs the list corresponding to the identified user.

12. A method of controlling a device, the method comprising:

outputting a plurality of items, wherein the plurality of items include a first item including information identifying a content provider which has been previously accessed and providing a first content through a network, a second item including information identifying a broadcasting program which has been output for more than a predetermined time and a third item including an access path for identifying the external signal input unit receiving a content image provided from an external device connected to the device;

receiving a first request for outputting a menu, in an On Screen Display (OSD) format, which is used for aligning the plurality of items;

outputting the menu according to the received first request, wherein the menu includes a preference option for aligning the plurality of items in a preference order;

receiving a second request for selecting the preference option included in the menu; and

realigning the plurality of items in the preference order according to the received second request,

wherein the preference order of the plurality of items is determined by a displayed time of each content corresponding to each of the plurality of items, and

wherein the method further comprises;

storing, in a memory, a thumbnail extracted from the content image if the content image is output for more than the predetermined time, and storing the access path of the content image; and

outputting the thumbnail with the access path on the third item.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information identifying the content provider includes a name of the content provider, a thumbnail image of the content provided from the content provider, an URL access information of corresponding the content, or a title of the content.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the information identifying the broadcasting program includes a name of a broadcasting station or a channel number of the broadcasting program.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising deleting a first stored item when the number of the plurality of items is more than a predetermined number.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising deleting one item among the plurality of items when the one item is stored for more than a predetermined time.

17. A display device, comprising:

a memory;

a display unit;

a receiving unit configured to receive a broadcasting signal including a broadcasting program;

an external signal input unit configured to receive a content image from an external device connected to the display device;

an interface unit configured to receive a request; and

a control unit configured to;

display a plurality of items on the display unit,

wherein the plurality of items include a first item including information identifying a content provider which has been previously accessed and providing a content through a network,

a second item including information identifying the broadcasting program which has been previously displayed for more than a predetermined time and a third item including an access path for identifying the external signal input unit receiving the content image provided from the external device,

receive a first request for displaying a menu, in an On Screen Display (OSD) format,

which is used for aligning the displayed plurality of items,

display the menu according to the received first request, wherein the menu includes a preference option for aligning the at least two items the plurality of items in a preference order,

receive a second request for selecting the preference option included in the menu, and

realign the plurality of items in the preference order according to the received second request,

wherein the preference order of the plurality of items is determined by a displayed time of each content corresponding to each of the plurality of items, and

wherein the control unit is further configured to;

store, in the memory, a thumbnail extracted from the content image if the content image is displayed for more than the predetermined time on the display unit, and store the access path of the content image, and

display the thumbnail with the access path on the third item.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the information identifying the content provider includes a name of the content provider, a thumbnail image of the content provided from the content provider, an URL access information of corresponding the content, or a title of the content.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the information identifying the broadcasting program includes a name of a broadcasting station or a channel number of the broadcasting program.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the menu further includes a time option for aligning the plurality of items in a time order, and

wherein the control unit aligns the plurality of items in an order of an item that has been recently output, executed or accessed when the time option included in the menu is selected.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the second item includes a thumbnail image

corresponding to the broadcasting program which has been previously viewed.