Television system with aided user program searching

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10051299-B2
Application number	US-201715697946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2017
Priority date	Jul 17, 1998
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A system having an adaptive browse feature and an adaptive flip feature is provided. The adaptative browse and flip features may be selected to receive program viewing suggestions. The system may provide a suggestion by displaying an adaptive browse region or adaptative flip region including a program suggestion. The system identifies programs to suggest based on a user=s viewing activity. The system uses different algorithms that are user-selectable and user-adjustable identify program suggestions. The system may query a program guide database to build a list of programs having attributes similar to the attributes of the current program or the last viewed program. The system may use an adaptive learning algorithm such as a neural network. The neural network may be trained by the program guide by monitoring user-viewing activity. Each algorithm may be personalized for multiple users.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An interactive program guide system for aiding a user identifying media assets for viewing, comprising:
a user device on which an interactive program guide is at least partially implemented, wherein the user device is configured to:
generate for display an interactive menu that includes a first option for limiting media asset listings in an overlay based on attributes of a currently displayed media asset and a second option for limiting media asset listings in the overlay based on attributes of a last viewed media asset;
display video of a current media asset being received from a first source;
allow the user to sequentially browse media asset listings for available media assets by selectively displaying media asset listings in the overlay that is displayed while the video of the current media asset is displayed;
in response to receiving a user selection of the first option, limit which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay based only on various media asset attributes of the video of the current media asset being displayed; and
allow the user to adjust the relative importance of the various media asset attributes of the current media asset that are used to limit the displayed media asset listings, wherein the adjustment of the relative importance is performed by adjusting a weight factor for each media asset attribute.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user device is further configured to limit which media asset listings are displayed by building a list of media asset listings from a media asset listings database based on the various media asset attributes of the current media asset.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user device is further configured to limit which media asset listings are displayed by building a list of media asset listings from a media asset listings database based on the various media asset attributes of a previously displayed media asset.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user device is further configured to allow the user to select the displayed media asset listing to access the media asset associated with the displayed media asset listing.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user device is further configured to limit which media asset listings are displayed by using a neural network.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user device is further configured to allow the user to select an algorithm to be used to limit which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user device is further configured to selectively display media asset listings is a display region on the screen by selectively displaying each of the media asset listing separately in a display region on the screen.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user device is further configured to allow video of a media asset to be displayed for a predetermined period of time before limiting which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user device is further configured to limit which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay based only on the various media asset attributes of a previously displayed media asset for a predetermined period of time before limiting which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay based only on the various media asset attributes of the current media asset being displayed.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user device is further configured to allow the user to select, using a user input device, whether or not to limit which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay.

11. In an interactive program guide system, a method for aiding a user in identifying media assets for viewing, comprising:
displaying video of a current media asset being received from a first source;
generating for display an interactive menu that includes a first option for limiting media asset listings in an overlay based on attributes of a currently displayed media asset and a second option for limiting media asset listings in the overlay based on attributes of a last viewed media asset;
allowing the user to sequentially browse media asset listings for available media assets by selectively displaying media asset listings in the overlay that is displayed while video of the current media asset is displayed;
in response to receiving a user selection of the first option, limiting which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay based only on various media asset attributes of the video of the current media asset being; and
allowing the user to adjust the relative importance of various media asset attributes of the current media asset that are used to limit the displayed media asset listings, wherein the adjustment of the relative importance is performed by adjusting a weight factor for each media asset attribute.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the limiting comprises building a list of media asset listings from a media asset listings database based on the various media asset attributes of the current media asset.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the limiting comprises building a list of media asset listings from a media asset listings database based on the various media asset attributes of a previously displayed media asset.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising allowing the user to select the displayed media asset listing to access the media asset associated with the displayed media asset listing.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein limiting comprises using a neural network to limit which media asset listings are displayed.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising allowing the user to select an algorithm to be used to limit which media asset listings are displayed.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein selectively displaying media asset listings in a display region on the screen comprises selectively displaying each media asset listing separately in a display region on the screen.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising allowing video of a media asset to be displayed for a predetermined period of time before limiting which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising limiting which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay based only on the various media asset attributes of a previously displayed media asset for a predetermined period of time before limiting which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay based only on the various media asset attributes of the current media asset being displayed.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising allowing the user to select, using a user input device, whether or not to limit which media asset listings are displayed in the overlay.

Assignees

• Rovi Guides Inc

Inventors

• Boyer Franklin E
• Demers Timothy B

Classifications

• H04N21/4668

  for recommending content, e.g. movies · CPC title

• H04N21/482

  End-user interface for programme selection · CPC title

• H04N21/4314

  for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid · CPC title

• H04N21/4532

  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 title

• H04N21/4312

  involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations · CPC title