Methods and systems for content navigation among programs presenting advertising content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9854306-B2
Application number	US-201414444071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2014
Priority date	Jul 28, 2014
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods for aiding user content navigation are described. An exemplary system may include an electronic device configured to receive audiovisual content and/or user inputs. The electronic device may additionally include one or more outputs coupled with a display device. The electronic device may further include one or more processors as well as memory, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause them to perform one or more navigation functions to receive a channel change command to adjust from a first channel to a second channel. The one or more processors may further be caused to determine that the second channel is presenting advertising content instead of program content, and determine that a third channel is presenting program content. The one or more processors may further be caused to adjust the output to the third channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
at least one input component to receive audiovisual content including both program content and advertising content;
at least one output component communicatively coupled with at least one display device;
one or more processors; and
a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
generate a programming guide including a first plurality of channels to be displayed upon transmission of the programming guide to the display device;
adjust each of a plurality of tuners of the electronic device to each individual channel of the first plurality of channels to determine whether each of the individual channels of the first plurality of channels is currently carrying advertising content,

wherein the adjusting each of the plurality of tuners of the electronic devices comprises:
adjusting a first tuner of the plurality of tuners to a first channel of the first plurality of channels, the first channel carrying a broadcast;
outputting first content corresponding to the broadcast to a display; and
during the outputting the first content corresponding to the first channel, adjusting one of more additional tuners of the plurality of tuners to one or more adjacent channels, which are adjacent to the first channel, to determine whether each of the one or more adjacent channels is currently carrying advertising content in anticipation of a change from the first channel to the one or more adjacent channels, wherein a channel that is currently carrying advertising content is automatically skipped by the one of more additional tuners during the adjusting of the one or more additional tuners;
switch from outputting the first content corresponding to the first channel to outputting alternative content on an alternate channel using one or more additional tuners in response to a commercial break occurring in the broadcast carried by the first channel, the alternative content being alternative to the first content;
while outputting the alternative content, maintain the first tuner to the first channel to review the first channel to determine whether the commercial break is still ongoing, in anticipation of a return to the first channel;
identify on the programming guide each individual channel that is currently carrying advertising content instead of content, wherein identifying on the programming guide comprises, in response to determining the first channel that is currently carrying advertising content, automatically adjusting a display of a scheduled time slot assigned to the first channel that is currently carrying advertising content by any of shading, highlighting or coloring the display of the scheduled time slot assigned to the first channel within the programming guide;
transmit the programming guide to the display device to cause presentation of the adjusted display of the scheduled time slot assigned to the first channel that is currently carrying advertising content to allow skipping of the first channel that is currently carrying the advertising content so that audiovisual content of the first channel is not presented on the display of the scheduled time slot assigned to the first channel that is currently carrying advertising content;
subsequent to the adjusting of the display of the scheduled time slot assigned to the first channel, monitoring the first channel to detect a return to program content after a termination of the commercial break; and
based on the monitoring, updating the programming guide to subsequently adjust the adjusted display of the scheduled time slot assigned to the first channel by adjusting the any of the shading, the highlighting or the coloring of the scheduled time slot assigned to the first channel, and cause presentation of the subsequently adjusted display of the scheduled time slot assigned to the first channel.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further caused to:
receive a user command to adjust the programming guide to a second plurality of channels;
adjust each of the plurality of tuners of the electronic device to each individual channel of the second plurality of channels;
determine whether each of the individual channels of the second plurality of channels is presenting advertising content;
adjust the programming guide to the second plurality of channels; and
identify on the programming guide each individual channel that is presenting advertising content.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device determines not to adjust, as part of the adjusting each of the plurality of tuners, at least one tuner of the plurality of tuners to a second channel that presents known commercial-free content.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the identifying on the programming guide further comprises placing an icon with the scheduled time slot assigned to the first channel that is currently carrying advertising content.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the determining whether each of the individual channels of the first plurality of channels is currently carrying advertising content comprises reviewing at least some frames of the received audiovisual content to identify advertising content.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device includes at least one tuner maintained on a particular predetermined channel so that the at least one tuner does not adjust to another channel during the adjusting each of the plurality of tuners.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises at least four tuners.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises a television receiver.

9. A method of providing an electronic programming guide, the method comprising:
receiving audiovisual content from a broadcast source at an electronic device;
generating an electronic programming guide at the electronic device, wherein the electronic programming guide includes a first plurality of channels to be displayed upon transmission of the electronic programming guide to a display device;
setting each of a plurality of tuners of the electronic device to each individual channel of the first plurality of channels to determine whether each of the individual channels is currently carrying advertising content, wherein the setting each of the plurality of tuners of the electronic devices comprises:
adjusting a first tuner of the plurality of tuners to a first channel of the first plurality of channels, the first channel carrying a broadcast;
outputting first content corresponding to the broadcast to a display; and
during the outputting the first content corresponding to the first channel, adjusting one of more additional tuners of the plurality of tuners to one or more adjacent channels, which are adjacent to the first channel, to determine whether each of the one or more adjacent channels is currently carrying advertising content in anticipation of a change from the first channel to the one or more adjacent channels, wherein a channel that is currently carrying advertising content is automatically skipped by the one of more additional tuners during the adjusting of the one or more additional tuners;
switching from outputting the first content corresponding to the first channel to outputting alternative content on an alternate channel using one or more additional tuners in response to a commercial break occurring in the broadcast carried by the first channel, the alternative content being alternative to the first content;
while outputting the

Assignees

• Echostar Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Wordley Chris

Classifications

• H04N21/454 Primary

  Content {or additional data} filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements · CPC title

• H04N21/4383

  Accessing a communication channel · CPC title

• H04N21/482

  End-user interface for programme selection · CPC title

• H04N21/4263 Primary

  involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners · CPC title

• H04N21/466

  Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies {(services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61)} · CPC title