ROVI GUIDES, INC. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20160048524 | SEARCH ENGINE FOR A VIDEO RECORDER - The present invention is directed to a search engine for a video recorder. One embodiment of the present invention operates in an environment that includes one or more set-top boxes connected to or integrated within one or more output devices. The set-top boxes are used to transfer shows from a broadcast input source to one or more types of storage devices and to play back the shows from the storage devices to the output devices, either in a delayed-live fashion or at a later time of the user's choosing. The set-top box displays a graphical user interface (GUI), which gives the user the ability to watch and/or record timeslot based programming, to order on-demand programming, and to playback previously recorded shows that reside on a local or remote storage device. A search engine is added to the GUI that lets the search for shows and receive results in an enhanced manner. | 02-18-2016 |
20150222943 | INTERACTIVE TELEVISION PROGRAM GUIDE SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING USER VALUES FOR DEMOGRAPHIC CATEGORIES - An interactive television program guide system for determining user input values for demographic categories is provided. The system includes user television equipment having a receiver for receiving program guide information for the interactive television program guide, a user input receiver for receiving user input from user interface, such as a remote control, a microprocessor which utilizes the user input received to determine user values for demographic categories, and memory for storing the user values determined. In one illustrative use of the system for targeting advertisements to a user of the interactive television program guide, the receiver also receives advertisements, where the advertisements have preselected values for specified demographic categories. The user television equipment, preferably using microprocessor, compares the preselected values for the specified demographic categories associated with the advertisements with values of corresponding demographic categories stored in memory to determine which advertisements should be displayed. Those advertisements determined to be displayable based upon the comparison are then displayed. | 08-06-2015 |
20150106854 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING AUDIO-BASED GUIDANCE - Systems and methods for providing audio-based guidance features are provided. A guidance application may provide listings displays having listings for audio-friendly content. The listings may be indicated as listings for audio-friendly content. The guidance application may provide displays dedicated to listings for audio-friendly content. The guidance application provides audio-prompts describing display screens. The guidance application may determine a user's identity from a voice command and provide personalized guidance features. | 04-16-2015 |
20140245354 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VIDEO-RICH NAVIGATION - Methods and systems are disclosed that provide a user with efficient video-rich navigation (VRN) of media assets in an interactive media guidance application, such as an interactive program guide. A user can select a displayed video asset and perform an action on the selectable video asset, for example, using a remote control. The manner in which the video assets are displayed and the actions enabled for the particular video assets are defined by screen data transmitted to the user equipment in a VRN data feed. | 08-28-2014 |
20140189730 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ALLOCATING BANDWIDTH IN SWITCHED DIGITAL VIDEO SYSTEMS BASED ON INTEREST - Systems and methods for allocating bandwidth in a switched digital video (SDV) system based on charmed interest. In some embodiments, bandwidth is deallocated from channels and allocated to requested channels having a higher interest. Tiered approaches for allocating bandwidth are disclosed. Embodiments in which QAMs are allocated across services in a multi-service system based on interest are also disclosed. Embodiments for accommodating emergency access system (EAS) functionality in a SDV system are also disclosed. | 07-03-2014 |
20140164078 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EPISODIC ADVERTISEMENT TRACKING - Methods and systems for an interactive media guidance application to prevent a user from experiencing an episodic advertisement out of order. Each episodic advertisement includes a plurality of advertisements intended to be viewed in an ordered sequence, and each advertisement of the sequence is part of a story that the episodic advertisement tells. The interactive media guidance application determines whether the user's viewing activity may cause the user to experience a particular advertisement of an episodic advertisement out of order, identifies an alternative advertisement of the episodic advertisement to present in place of the particular advertisement, and presents the alternative advertisement so as to prevent the user from experiencing the particular advertisement out of the ordered sequence of advertisements. | 06-12-2014 |
20140109143 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTENT SURFING - Systems and methods for improving or suggesting alternatives to content surfing are provided. When it is detected that a user wishes to surf, a pipeline tuning sequence is implemented where by storing one or more frames of a first content selection to the user equipment and acquiring a subsequent content selection while concurrently displaying the previously stored one or more frames. Content suggestions, program listing grids, media guidance application and tuning hints, advertisements, digital audio, and live video may also be presented to user while content surfing. In some embodiments, content surf landing channels may be anticipated based on user history, user profiles, or any other suitable information. In some embodiments, thumbnails of the user's recently tuned, or paused on, content are displayed to the user while content surfing. In multiple tuner systems, more than one thumbnail may be displayed in full motion video. | 04-17-2014 |
20140093223 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF TRANSITIONING FROM BUFFERING VIDEO TO RECORDING VIDEO - Systems and methods for transitioning from buffering video to recording video. The control application receives a video and causes the video to be buffered until it detects a buffer full condition. Upon receiving the buffer full condition, the control application causes the media recorder to begin recording the newly received video as a recording, and designates the buffered video as part of the recording. In one method, the control application can be set to either record or play when the buffer becomes full. In other methods, the control application prompts the user for input indicating whether the video should be recorded or played when the buffer becomes full. In still other methods, the control application alerts the user as to how long a program may be paused before the buffer will become full. | 04-03-2014 |
20140093220 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RECORDING AND PLAYING BACK PROGRAMS HAVING DESIRABLE RECORDING ATTRIBUTES - Systems and methods for recording multiple copies of a program are provided. The method may include receiving a user instruction to record a program. A determination may be made to record multiple copies of the program. In response to the determination, multiple copies of the program may be recorded. A user instruction to display the recorded program may be received. A copy of the program may be played back. The user may switch to another copy of the recorded program if the original copy lacks desirable recording attributes, or the interactive television application may automatically switch to another copy of the program. | 04-03-2014 |
20140037270 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RECORDING PROGRAMS USING A NETWORK RECORDING DEVICE AS SUPPLEMENTAL STORAGE - Systems and methods for recording programs using a user's equipment and a network recording device are provided. An interactive television application may determine whether the user's equipment has sufficient resources (e.g., tuners or space) to record a program selected for recording. If the interactive television application determines that the user's equipment does not have sufficient resources, the interactive television application may select, automatically or in response to a user instruction, the program for recording with a network recording device. In some embodiments, the user may have to pay for the use of the network recording device, or may be required to purchase a given tier level of service. The interactive television application may play back programs from the network recording device as VOD offerings, or may direct the network recording device to transfer recorded programs to the user's equipment when it has sufficient resources. | 02-06-2014 |
20140033252 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING BLACKOUT RECORDING AND SUMMARY INFORMATION - Systems and methods for providing blackout support in video mosaic and television environments are disclosed. In response to receiving a request for a video mosaic page, screen data or application data, which may include blackout information, is received. The blacked out content may be automatically recorded to the user equipment or a network server for later playback after the blackout has expired. In addition, an overlay of options associated with the blacked out asset may be presented. The overlay may include options to substitute the blacked out asset with replacement content, search for similar content, retrieve more information about the blackout, or present summary information, such as a sports ticker, in place of the blacked out cell. | 01-30-2014 |
20130336636 | ADVANCED RECORDING OPTIONS FOR INTERACTIVE MEDIA GUIDANCE APPLICATION SYSTEMS - Systems and methods for advanced recording options in interactive media guidance applications pertaining to whether a program includes commercials, has a particular aspect ratio, is a director's cut, or is unrated. The interactive media guidance application receives a user input to search for and record a program with one or more recording attributes, including an input designating that an attribute be required, preferred, or preferred in multiple copies. In one method, the interactive media guidance application retrieves media guidance information data for the program from memory, determines if the program has the desired recording attribute, and if so, records the program. In another method, the interactive media guidance application records the first available program which has all required recording attributes, and then continues to search for and record more-preferred versions. | 12-19-2013 |
20130247103 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SELECTING MEDIA ASSETS FOR DISPLAY IN A SCREEN OF AN INTERACTIVE MEDIA GUIDANCE APPLICATION - A method and system of selecting assets for display in an interactive media guidance application includes receiving a user input indicating interest in a media item; generating a list of media assets related to the media item, selecting, based on priority rules, a subset of the media assets to display in an interactive media guidance application, and displaying an identifier for each of the subset of media assets in the interactive media guidance application screen. The priority rules may assign a first priority to one type of media asset and a second priority to a second type of media asset, and may be based on: whether the media asset has been viewed, and a respective time associated with the media asset. | 09-19-2013 |
20130216207 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING AND MERGING RECORDED SEGMENTS BELONGING TO THE SAME PROGRAM - Systems and methods for providing an interactive media guidance application for merging recorded video segments that are from the same program are provided. In response to a recording interruption, the interactive media guidance application may record multiple video segments. After recording the segments, the interactive media guidance application may search for and merge these segments to form a single recording. In some embodiments, the interactive media guidance application may detect the presence of a previously recorded segment. After detecting the previously recorded segment, the interactive media guidance application may automatically record the video following the end of the previously recorded segment. The interactive media guidance application may use data associated with the segments and other media cues to match the segments. The interactive media guidance application may also identify the duration of the recorded video content and provide choices for recording the video again. | 08-22-2013 |
20130185757 | METHOD FOR GENERATING TIME BASED PREVIEW IMAGE FOR A VIDEO STREAM - Systems and methods for rewinding a video to a point before the video was first viewed. Video transmitted by a media source is cached by a remote server. Upon a trick-play request for the video, the server generates a rewind stream that includes the video that was transmitted by the media source before the user started to view the video. Upon receiving the rewind stream, the user's equipment may cache the rewind stream in a rewind buffer and rewind or play from the rewind buffer. The server may also generate and transmit a forward stream of the video that the media source has not yet transmitted. The user's equipment may cache the forward stream in a forward buffer. To perform trick-play operations with the video, the user's equipment may migrate the playback of the video to the rewind and forward buffers and rewind or fast-forward the video from the buffers. | 07-18-2013 |
20130167168 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING CUSTOM MOVIE LISTS - Systems and methods for providing movie lists of available media content are provided. The movies included in the movie lists may be of particular interest to the user and may be derived from active user monitoring, editorial ratings information, user movie viewing preferences, network statistics, third-party activity ratings, and other user-derived or system-derived criteria. A user who is in need of media guidance may access a movie list and perform any suitable media guidance application function on any movie or movies in the movie list. The movie lists may be dynamically updated so that an up-to-date list is always available at any given moment. Movie recommendations, including movie gifts and the actual movie itself, may be sent to other users in the media system. | 06-27-2013 |
20130145398 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CREATING CUSTOM VIDEO MOSAIC PAGES WITH LOCAL CONTENT - Systems and methods for providing custom video mosaic pages are provided. The custom pages may be locally-generated, remotely-generated, or partially locally-generated and partially remotely-generated. The custom pages may include local content, such as content recorded to a digital video recorder (DVR), overlaid on a multi-video composite feed. A local compositing system may render the mosaic pages and dynamically customize the pages based on user profile data, user preferences, and active user monitoring. | 06-06-2013 |
20120301116 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RECORDING PROGRAMS OF LESSER INTEREST WHEN CONVENIENT - Systems and methods for recording a program are provided. Alternate transmissions of a program with a “when convenient” recording priority may be recorded in whole or in portions whenever recording does not interfere with other uses of the user's equipment. When the recording device is out of space to record programs, recorded programs having a “when convenient” deletion priority may be deleted and scheduled for re-recording at a later time. | 11-29-2012 |
20120288258 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR QUALITY MARKING OF A RECORDING - Systems and methods for identifying a recorded video program are provided. The method may include recording a video and identifying the video as lacking desirable recording attributes. A future occurrence of a transmission of the video may be automatically selected in response to the identification of the video as lacking desirable recording properties. The future occurrence of the transmission of the video may be automatically re-recorded. | 11-15-2012 |
20120230649 | STORAGE MANAGEMENT OF A RECORDING DEVICE IN A MULTI-USER SYSTEM - Systems and methods for managing the storage of recordings in a recording device in which the recordings were requested by several users are provided. Each user may be assigned a storage space limit defining the amount of storage space each user is entitled to use. In some embodiments, the storage space limit may be flexibly increased to take advantage of extra space available from other users. The system may intelligently borrow space from other users to limit the risk that a requested recording is canceled due to unavailable storage resources. In some embodiments, the system may jointly allocate a recording to several users who commonly requested a recording. The system may also set aside space in the recording device that is saved exclusively for a particular user. In some embodiments, the recording device may allocate the storage resources based on the usage of the recordings. | 09-13-2012 |
20120131616 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A SCAN - Systems and methods for a video scan are provided. The scan may be dynamically interactive and a function of characteristics of the programs in the scan (e.g., commercial breaks or the end of a program approaching) The scan may simultaneously display multiple scan windows for a plurality of programs, for example in a scan wizard. The scan wizard allows the user to simultaneously view a scan window and an information panel, select criteria for the scan from a criteria panel, and control the scan using a scan control panel. The scan may allow the user to record a program displayed in the scan without interrupting the scan (e.g., by using an additional tuner). The scan may display, within the scan interface, trick-play functions for appropriate scanned programs (e.g., recorded, cached and on-demand programs). The user may select and perform trick-play functions for a scanned program without exiting the scan mode. | 05-24-2012 |
20120079385 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING PLAYLISTS - Systems and methods for automatically generating a playlist of series assets and systems and methods for grouping assets of a playlist in clusters are provided. In one embodiment, series assets may automatically be included into a playlist for that series. In another embodiment, an interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters based on one or more user selected parameters or may group assets in cluster based on automatically determined parameters. In yet another embodiment, the interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters and display at least one identifier in connection with each cluster to indicate a basis for forming the cluster. The identifier may be a key word or catch phrase that succinctly identifies a trait or characteristic of assets in a particular cluster associated with the identifier. | 03-29-2012 |
20120076473 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A SCAN - Systems and methods for a video scan are provided. The scan may be dynamically interactive and a function of characteristics of the programs in the scan (e.g., commercial breaks or the end of a program approaching) The scan may simultaneously display multiple scan windows for a plurality of programs, for example in a scan wizard. The scan wizard allows the user to simultaneously view a scan window and an information panel, select criteria for the scan from a criteria panel, and control the scan using a scan control panel. The scan may allow the user to record a program displayed in the scan without interrupting the scan (e.g., by using an additional tuner). The scan may display, within the scan interface, trick-play functions for appropriate scanned programs (e.g., recorded, cached and on-demand programs). The user may select and perform trick-play functions for a scanned program without exiting the scan mode. | 03-29-2012 |
20120060181 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING PARENTAL CONTROL ASSET SEARCHING - Systems and methods for searching for available assets permitted by parental controls are disclosed. Search results may include assets similar to a reference asset, which may be an asset the user has requested, but which is locked by parental control settings in force on the user equipment. Assets may be ranked according to their similarity, or relevance, to the requested asset, and they may be accessed directly from the search results. Systems and methods for accessing edited or censored versions of the requested asset are also disclosed. An edited content source may store multiple versions of certain assets available in the media system. The appropriate version of the asset may be accessed and presented to the user automatically depending on the user's parental control settings. | 03-08-2012 |
20110296475 | SYSTEMS & METHODS FOR ALLOCATING BANDWIDTH IN SWITCHED DIGITAL VIDEO SYSTEMS BASED ON INTEREST - Systems and methods for allocating bandwidth in a switched digital video (SDV) system based on channel interest. In some embodiments, bandwidth is deallocated from channels and allocated to requested channels having a higher interest. Tiered approaches for allocating bandwidth are disclosed. Embodiments in which QAMs are allocated across services in a multi-service system based on interest are also disclosed. Embodiments for accommodating emergency access system (EAS) functionality in a SDV system are also disclosed. | 12-01-2011 |
20110286721 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENHANCED TRICK-PLAY FUNCTIONS - Systems and methods for rewinding a video to a point before the video was first viewed. Video transmitted by a media source is cached by a remote server. Upon a trick-play request for the video, the server generates a rewind stream that includes the video that was transmitted by the media source before the user started to view the video. Upon receiving the rewind stream, the user's equipment may cache the rewind stream in a rewind buffer and rewind or play from the rewind buffer. The server may also generate and transmit a forward stream of the video that the media source has not yet transmitted. The user's equipment may cache the forward stream in a forward buffer. To perform trick-play operations with the video, the user's equipment may migrate the playback of the video to the rewind and forward buffers and rewind or fast-forward the video from the buffers. | 11-24-2011 |
20110170840 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING PLAYLISTS - Systems and methods for automatically generating a playlist of series assets and systems and methods for grouping assets of a playlist in clusters are provided. In one embodiment, series assets may automatically be included into a playlist for that series. In another embodiment, an interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters based on one or more user selected parameters or may group assets in cluster based on automatically determined parameters. In yet another embodiment, the interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters and display at least one identifier in connection with each cluster to indicate a basis for forming the cluster. The identifier may be a key word or catch phrase that succinctly identifies a trait or characteristic of assets in a particular cluster associated with the identifier. | 07-14-2011 |
20110164861 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A SCAN - Systems and methods for a video scan are provided. The scan may be dynamically interactive and a function of characteristics of the programs in the scan (e.g., commercial breaks or the end of a program approaching) The scan may simultaneously display multiple scan windows for a plurality of programs, for example in a scan wizard. The scan wizard allows the user to simultaneously view a scan window and an information panel, select criteria for the scan from a criteria panel, and control the scan using a scan control panel. The scan may allow the user to record a program displayed in the scan without interrupting the scan (e.g., by using an additional tuner). The scan may display, within the scan interface, trick-play functions for appropriate scanned programs (e.g., recorded, cached and on-demand programs). The user may select and perform trick-play functions for a scanned program without exiting the scan mode. | 07-07-2011 |
20110099572 | PARENTAL MEDIA PALETTES - Systems and methods for viewing media content are provided. Sets of permitted media content and/or channels that have been screened in advance by parents are created. Content suggestions may also be made. In response to media set creation and activation, permitted programming in the media set may be tuned and presented to a viewer, while access to other media content is restricted. | 04-28-2011 |
20100333208 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RESOLVING CONFLICTS AND MANAGING SYSTEM RESOURCES IN MULTIMEDIA DELIVERY SYSTEMS - The invention manages resources and resolve conflicts when locally recording multimedia assets from a variety of sources in multimedia delivery systems. Local and system resources such as storage, tuners, and bandwidth are considered when alternative sources for assets are available (e.g., VOD). Rather than record assets locally, if equivalent assets are available via alternative sources, the recordings are deferred and a pointer to the equivalent asset is stored in lieu of the asset itself. When a user selects a multimedia asset for playback, an “on demand” or alternative source session is started for the asset associated with the pointer. Before the expiration date of the alternative source equivalent of the multimedia asset, it may be downloaded and recorded locally. The system may automatically determine based on various factors, such as transmission bandwidth, latency, and DRM, whether to store assets or pointers. | 12-30-2010 |
20100325650 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING PLAYLISTS - Systems and methods for automatically generating a playlist of series assets and systems and methods for grouping assets of a playlist in clusters are provided. In one embodiment, series assets may automatically be included into a playlist for that series. In another embodiment, an interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters based on one or more user selected parameters or may group assets in cluster based on automatically determined parameters. In yet another embodiment, the interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters and display at least one identifier in connection with each cluster to indicate a basis for forming the cluster. The identifier may be a key word or catch phrase that succinctly identifies a trait or characteristic of assets in a particular cluster associated with the identifier. | 12-23-2010 |