Protection from spoilers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016191999-A1
Application number	US-201414586517-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 30, 2014
Priority date	Dec 30, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and devices protect users from spoilers associated with programs that have been scheduled to be recorded. A content receiver receives a request to record a program and outputs data corresponding to a user interface that enables a user to indicate whether protection from spoilers is desired for the program. When the content receiver receives data indicating a channel, the content receiver determines whether a currently received program being broadcast on the channel would spoil any of the programs for which the user has requested protection from spoilers. If the content receiver determines that the currently received program is a spoiler, it outputs data corresponding to a user interface that prevents the currently received program from been seen or heard. The user interface may provide an option to view the currently received program or to view a recording of a program that would be spoiled by the currently received program.

First claim

1 . A method, comprising:
receiving a request to record a first program, the request being received by a content receiver; in response to receiving the request to record the first program, outputting data corresponding to a first user interface input that enables a user to specify whether the user is to be protected from spoilers for the first program, the data corresponding to the first user interface input being output from the content receiver; in response to outputting the data corresponding to the first user interface input, receiving data indicating that the user is to be protected from spoilers for the first program that is to be recorded, prior to the first program being recorded by the content receiver; receiving data indicating a currently received program and a channel for that program, the data indicating the currently received program and the channel being received by the content receiver; determining whether the currently received program broadcast on the channel is a spoiler for the first program; outputting data corresponding to a second user interface input, the data corresponding to the second user interface input being output from the content receiver in response to determining that the currently received program is the spoiler for the first program; receiving data responsive to the second user interface input indicating a recording of the first program or the currently received program, the data responsive to the second user interface input being received by the content receiver; and outputting data corresponding to a program indicated by the data responsive to the second user interface input, the data corresponding to the program being output from the content receiver.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first program is the same as the currently received program.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first program is different from the currently received program.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein, when the second user interface input is displayed by a display device, the second user interface input is visible from the display device and a video portion of the program is invisible from the display device.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein, when the second user interface input is displayed by a display device, the second user interface is visible in a primary display area of the display device and a video portion of the currently received program is visible in a secondary display area of the display device.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein, when the second user interface input is displayed by an audiovisual device, an audio portion of the currently received program is inaudible from the audiovisual device.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the data responsive to the second user interface input indicates the recording of the first program, the currently received program, or a third program.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the determining whether the currently received program is the spoiler for the first program comprises:
obtaining an identifier of the currently received program from electronic program guide data based on the data indicating the channel and data indicating a current date and time; and
determining whether the identifier of the currently received program is associated with data indicating protection from spoilers.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the determining whether the identifier of the program is associated with data indicating protection from spoilers comprises:
identifying a data structure that includes the identifier of the program; and
determining whether the data structure includes the data indicating protection from spoilers.

10 . A content receiver, comprising:
a peripheral device interface; at least one processor; and a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the content receiver to:
receive a request to record a first program;
in response to receiving the request to record the first program, output data corresponding to a first user interface input that enables a user to specify whether the user is to be protected from spoilers for the first program, the data corresponding to the first user interface input being output from the peripheral device interface;
in response to outputting the data corresponding to the first user interface input, receive indicating that the user is to be protected from spoilers for the first program that is to be recorded, prior to the first program being recorded by the content receiver;
receive data indicating a currently received program and a channel for that program; determine whether the currently received program broadcast on the channel is a spoiler for the first program; output data corresponding to a second user interface input, the data corresponding to the second user interface being output from the peripheral device interface in response to determining that the currently received program is the spoiler for the first program; receive data responsive to the second user interface input indicating a recording of the first program or the currently received program; and output data corresponding to a program indicated by the data responsive to the second user interface input, the peripheral device interface outputting the data corresponding to the program.

11 . The content receiver of claim 10 wherein the first program is the same as the currently received program.

12 . The content receiver of claim 10 wherein the first program is different from the currently received program.

13 . The content receiver of claim 10 wherein, when the second user interface is displayed by a display device, the second user interface is visible from the display device and a video portion of the program is invisible from the display device.

14 . The content receiver of claim 10 wherein, when the second user interface is displayed by a display device, the second user interface is visible in a primary display area of the display device and a video portion of the currently received program is visible in a secondary display area of the display device.

15 . The content receiver of claim 10 wherein, when the user interface is displayed by an audiovisual device, an audio portion of the currently received program is inaudible from the audiovisual device.

16 . The content receiver of claim 10 wherein the data responsive to the second user interface input indicates a recording of the first program, the currently received program, or a third program.

17 . The content receiver of claim 10 wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the content receiver to:
obtain an identifier of the currently received program from electronic program guide data based on the data indicating the channel and data indicating a current date and time; and
determine whether the identifier of the currently received program is associated with data indicating protection from spoilers.

18 . The content receiver of claim 17 wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the content receiver to:
identify a data structure that includes the identifier of the program; and
determine whether the data structure includes the data indicating protection from spoilers.

19 . A method, comprising:
receiving a request from a user to record a program, the request being received by a content receiver; in response to receiving the request to record

Assignees

• Echostar Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Friedrich Alisson Emilio

Classifications

• H04N21/4826

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

• H04N21/4882

  for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders (arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895) · CPC title

• H04N21/4755

  for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre (retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306) · CPC title

• H04N21/4821

  using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time · CPC title