Swivel search system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11695997-B2
Application number	US-202117235147-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2021
Priority date	May 15, 2007
Publication date	Jul 4, 2023
Grant date	Jul 4, 2023

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing an integrated search is provided. An interface is provided that allows users to search and select any data related to a searchable term. Searchable terms may comprise titles of content, actors, and tags. Upon receiving results from the initial search, the user progresses through the initial search by selecting a result from the initial search and conducting a further search of that selection. The search may progress through many layers of searching in order to find information useful to the user and the user may perform actions based upon results of the search. The search implements a display with two columns, the first column displaying selectable data, and the second column displaying results to the selected data. The search is further customizable based upon a privacy level selected by the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving an input comprising a plurality of alphanumeric characters;
searching for a first plurality of content items, wherein each respective title of the plurality of content items includes at least one of the plurality of alphanumeric characters, each respective title comprising one or more terms;
searching for a first plurality of tags, wherein each tag of the of the first plurality of tags includes at least one of the plurality of alphanumeric characters;
generating a list of tags from the first plurality of tags, wherein each tag of the first plurality of tags corresponds to a content item theme of a plurality of content item themes, each content item theme comprising one or more terms, and wherein the one or more terms of each respective content item theme do not match the one or more terms of any of the respective titles of the plurality of content items;
receiving selection of a particular tag of the list of tags;
in response to receiving selection of the particular tag:
searching for a second plurality of tags corresponding to respective content themes thematically related to a content theme of the particular tag of the list of tags, wherein one or more terms of each respective tag of the second plurality of tags do not correspond to one or more terms of the particular tag; and
generating for simultaneous display the particular tag, identifiers of content items related to the particular tag, and identifiers corresponding to the second plurality of tags.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating for display the results of the search for the first plurality of content items in a first navigable list in a first area on a screen; and
generating for display a cursor in the first area of the screen, wherein the position of the cursor corresponds to an instruction to highlight a term in the first navigable list.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
generating for display the results of a search for a second plurality of content items in a second navigable list in a second area on the screen; and
generating for display the cursor in the second area of the screen when an instruction is provided to move the cursor to the second area of the screen, wherein the position of the cursor corresponds to an instruction to highlight a term in the second navigable list.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
generating for display the list of tags in a third navigable list in a third area on the screen; and
generating for display the cursor in the third area of the screen when an instruction is provided to move the cursor to the third area of the screen, wherein the position of the cursor corresponds to an instruction to highlight a term in the third navigable list.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving a selection of a term in the first navigable list;
performing a second search based on the selected term;
retrieving results of the second search; and
generating for display the results of the second search in a navigable list positioned in an area corresponding to a position of the selected term in the first navigable list.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving a selection of a term in the second navigable list;
performing a second search based on the selected term;
retrieving results of the second search; and
generating for display the results of the second search in a navigable list positioned in an area corresponding to a position of the selected term in the second navigable list.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving a selection of a term in the third navigable list;
performing a second search based on the selected term;
retrieving results of the second search; and
generating for display the results of the second search in a navigable list positioned in an area corresponding to a position of the selected term in the third navigable list.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first plurality of tags correspond to metadata associated with a plurality of content items.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a selection of an icon corresponding to at least one of a tag of the list of tags, an identifier corresponding to the first plurality of content items, or an identifier corresponding to a second plurality of content items; and
generating for display a plurality of selectable options for actions, wherein each of the selectable options corresponds to a respective action and wherein each respective action corresponds to an instruction for at least one of initiating a play operation for a content item, recording a content item, or downloading a content item.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to receiving the selection of the particular tag, generating for simultaneous display the list of tags and identifiers of the first plurality of content items.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of tags corresponding to respective content themes are not titles of consumable content items and are distinct from the content items related to the particular tag.

12. A system comprising:
a communication port;
a memory storing instructions; and
control circuitry communicably coupled to the memory and the communication port and configured to execute the instructions to:
receive an input comprising a plurality of alphanumeric characters;
search for a first plurality of content items, wherein each respective title of the plurality of content items includes at least one of the plurality of alphanumeric characters, each respective title comprising one or more terms;
search for a first plurality of tags, wherein each tag of the of the first plurality of tags includes at least one of the plurality of alphanumeric characters;
generate a list of tags from the first plurality of tags, wherein each tag of the first plurality of tags corresponds to a content item theme of a plurality of content item themes, each content item theme comprising one or more terms, and wherein the one or more terms of each respective content item theme do not match the one or more terms of any of the respective titles of the plurality of content items;
receiving selection of a particular tag of the list of tags;
in response to receiving selection of the particular tag:
search for a second plurality of tags corresponding to respective content themes thematically related to a content theme of the particular tag of the list of tags, wherein one or more terms of each respective tag of the second plurality of tags do not correspond to one or more terms of the particular tag; and
generate for simultaneous display the particular tag, identifiers of content items related to the particular tag, and identifiers corresponding to the second plurality of tags.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
generate for display the results of the search for the first plurality of content items in a first navigable list in a first area on a screen; and
generate for display a cursor in the first area of the screen, wherein the position of the cursor corresponds to an instruction to highlight a term in the first navigable list.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
generate for display the results of a search for a second plurality of content items in a second navigable list in a second area on the screen; and
generate for display the cursor in the second area of the screen when an instruction is provided to move the cursor to the second area of the screen

Assignees

• Tivo Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Glennon Shelly
• Poniatowski Robert F
• James Bryan
• Beach Brian

Classifications

• 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

• H04N21/242

  Synchronisation processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Programme Clock References] {(arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18)} · CPC title

• Y10S707/916

  Audio · CPC title

• H04N21/4334

  Recording operations (recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27) · CPC title

• H04N21/4788

  communicating with other users, e.g. chatting {(arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104)} · CPC title