Agnostic media delivery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11290762-B2
Application number	US-201916682443-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2019
Priority date	Nov 27, 2012
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods for a media content delivery service. A media content provider includes a data store for storing and serving media content to subscribers. The media content provider continually records and or otherwise stores video and audio content from around the world. Stored content will generally correspond to a large number of other media content providers, such as cable television operators, Internet based media content providers, television networks, and so on. Subscribers to the media provider interact with the media content provider via hardware and/or software mechanisms either provided by the media content provider or conforming to specifications of the media content provider. Based on these subscriber's subscriptions to the other content providers, the subscribers will have viewing, listening, or application execution privileges for content maintained in the data store. Content of a subscriber corresponding to multiple video content providers is maintained and served by a single provider.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
at an electronic device in communication with a display and one or more input devices:
while displaying, via the display, a first content item, detecting an event to display additional content; and
in response to detecting the event, displaying, via the display, a plurality of representations of a plurality of recommended content overlaid over a first portion of the first content item, including:
a first representation of a first recommended content, selectable to display a first user interface that includes one or more representations of one or more episodes associated with the first recommended content, which are selectable to playback a respective episode of the one or more episodes associated with the first recommended content; and
a second representation of a second recommended content, different from the first recommended content, selectable to display a second user interface that includes one or more representations of one or more episodes associated with the second recommended content, which are selectable to playback a respective episode of the one or more episodes associated with the second recommended content.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event to display additional content includes receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event to display additional content includes detecting playback reaching a predefined playback position of the first content item.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input selecting a third representation of a third recommended content; and
in response to receiving the input:
in accordance with a determination that a user of the electronic device does not have a subscription to a respective provider associated with the third recommended content, initiating a process to subscribe to the respective provider associated with the third recommended content.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the plurality of representations of the plurality of recommended content overlaid over the first portion of the first content item includes continuing playback of the first content item while the plurality of representations of the plurality of recommended content are overlaid over the first portion of the first content item.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to detecting the event, pausing playback of the first content item, wherein the plurality of representations of the plurality of recommended content are overlaid over the paused first content item.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
in accordance with a determination that a user of the electronic device has a first subscription, the plurality of recommended content includes a first respective content provided by a first content provider; and
in accordance with a determination that the user does not have the first subscription, the plurality of recommended content does not include the first respective content provided by the first content provider.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
in accordance with a determination that the user has a second subscription, the plurality of recommended content includes a second respective content provided by a second content provider; and
in accordance with a determination that the user does not have the second subscription, the plurality of recommended content does not include the second respective content provided by the second content provider.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of recommended content includes:
a first respective content item, to which a user of the electronic device has access based on a first subscription to a provider of the first respective content item, and
a second respective content item, to which the user does not currently have access but is able to purchase a subscription to a provider of the second respective content item to gain access.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first user interface is a landing page associated with the first recommended content; and
the second user interface is a landing page associated with the second recommended content.

11. An electronic device, comprising:
one or more processors;
memory; and
one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
while displaying, via a display, a first content item, detecting, an event to display additional content;
in response to detecting the event, displaying, via the display, a plurality of representations of a plurality of recommended content overlaid over a first portion of the first content item, including:
a first representation of a first recommended content, selectable to display a first user interface that includes one or more representations of one or more episodes associated with the first recommended content, which are selectable to playback a respective episode of the one or more episodes associated with the first recommended content; and
a second representation of a second recommended content, different from the first recommended content, selectable to display a second user interface that includes one or more representations of one or more episodes associated with the second recommended content, which are selectable to playback a respective episode of the one or more episodes associated with the second recommended content.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the event to display additional content includes receiving, via one or more input devices, an input.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the event to display additional content includes detecting playback reaching a predefined playback position of the first content item.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further for:
receiving, via one or more input devices, an input selecting a third representation of a third recommended content; and
in response to receiving the input:
in accordance with a determination that a user of the electronic device does not have a subscription to a respective provider associated with the third recommended content, initiating a process to subscribe to the respective provider associated with the third recommended content.

15. The device of claim 11 , wherein displaying the plurality of representations of the plurality of recommended content overlaid over the first portion of the first content item includes continuing playback of the first content item while the plurality of representations of the plurality of recommended content are overlaid over the first portion of the first content item.

16. The device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further for:
in response to detecting the event, pausing playback of the first content item, wherein the plurality of representations of the plurality of recommended content are overlaid over the paused first content item.

17. The device of claim 11 , wherein:
in accordance with a determination that a user of the electronic device has a first subscription, the plurality of recommended content includes a first respective content provided by a first content provider; and
in accordance with a determination that the user does not have the first subscription, the plurality of recommended content does not include the first respective content provided by the first content provider.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein:
in accordance with a determination that the user has a second subscription, the

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Christie Gregory N
• Sabatelli Alessandro
• Bachman William M
• Chaudhri Imran
• Robbin Jeffrey
• Young Jim
• Howard Joe
• Van Os Marcel
• Coffman Patrick L
• Lemay Stephen O
• Ma Jeffrey
• Kress Lynne

Classifications

• H04N21/4627

  Rights management {associated to the content (security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08)} · CPC title

• H04N21/47202

  for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand · CPC title

• H04N21/2541 Primary

  Rights Management (protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08) · CPC title

• H04N21/4622

  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 title

• H04N21/4826

  using recommendation lists, e.g. of programmes or channels sorted out according to their score · CPC title