System and method for construction, delivery and display of iTV applications that blend programming information of on-demand and broadcast service offerings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9729924-B2
Application number	US-201615137099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2016
Priority date	Mar 14, 2003
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A user interface allows for blending of television program choices from which a viewer may select, the blending representing options for linear and non-linear programming presented together within a single hierarchy of a designated category. The blending may further include managed content relevant to the designated category, where desired. Such designated categories may include television programming categories and/or content categories. The options for linear and non-linear programming may be presented together within a single screen of the user interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
combining, by a computing device, data describing at least two of linear content, non-linear content or managed content to produce a blending of user-selectable content from the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content in at least two levels of a hierarchy of levels; and
transmitting the blending of user-selectable content to one or more devices.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the linear content comprises programming that is scheduled to be transmitted at particular times, and wherein the non-linear content comprises on-demand programming.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first of the at least two levels comprises a combined list of user-selectable content options from the linear content and the non-linear content.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the blending of user-selectable content to the one or more devices comprises broadcasting the blending of user-selectable content to the one or more devices.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
inserting the blending of user-selectable content into a carousel for transmission.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first of the at least two levels comprises a scrolling list of content options from the linear content and the non-linear content.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more devices comprises one or more set top boxes.

8. A method comprising:
combining, by a computing device, data describing at least two of linear content, non-linear content or managed content to produce a blending of user-selectable content from the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content in at least two levels of a hierarchy of levels;
causing display of the blending of user-selectable content; and
based on one or more user interactions with the blending of user-selectable content, causing display of, within a video window, a portion of first content from the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more user interactions with the blending of user-selectable content represent a navigation of an on-screen cursor.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the blending of user-selectable content comprises linear content and non-linear content.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the linear content comprises programming that is scheduled to be transmitted at particular times, and wherein the non-linear content comprises on-demand programming.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein causing display of the blending of user-selectable content comprises causing a set-top box to generate the blending of user-selectable content for display.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the computing device comprises a set-top box.

14. A method comprising:
combining, by a computing device, data describing at least two of linear content, non-linear content or managed content to produce a user interface that comprises a hierarchy of levels and that blends user-selectable content from the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content in at least two levels of the hierarchy of levels; and
transmitting the user interface to one or more devices.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the linear content comprises programming that is scheduled to be transmitted at particular times, and wherein the non-linear content comprises on-demand programming.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein a first of the at least two levels comprises a combined list of content options from the linear content and the non-linear content.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the transmitting the user interface to the one or more devices comprises broadcasting the user interface to the one or more devices.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein a first of the at least two levels comprises a scrolling list of content options from the linear content and the non-linear content.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more devices comprises one or more set top boxes.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the user interface comprises a video window, and wherein the method further comprises:
based on one or more user interactions with the user interface, generating, within the video window, a portion of first content from the at least two of the linear content, the non-linear content or the managed content.

Assignees

• Tvworks Llc
• Comcast Cable Communications Man Llc

Inventors

• Moreau Samuel
• Ahrens Donald
• Gibbs Georgia
• Carney John
• Andrade David De

Classifications

• H04N21/4438 Primary

  Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface · CPC title

• H04N21/478

  Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application · CPC title

• H04N5/45

  Picture in picture {, e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen} · CPC title

• H04N21/472

  End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content {(end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612)} · CPC title

• H04N21/482

  End-user interface for programme selection · CPC title